tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12270408088502212792024-03-05T22:42:14.086-08:00Hess Family Blog!Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.comBlogger658125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-91217113239138491022016-04-16T10:57:00.001-07:002016-04-16T10:57:43.719-07:00Electrical RoadThis story may not be as sweet or funny to some, but it warms this Electrical Engineer Momma's heart.<br />
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We've been studying Electricity and Magnetism this year with a funny book called "There Are No Electrons." It's tongue-in-cheek style amuses and engages the kids. Even Mr. Megaphone requests we read it almost daily. After the day we read about open circuit and closed circuits and short circuits, we hopped right in the car for a playdate. Flip was still relishing in his amusement at the reading, so he asked, "Are we taking a short circuit?" knowing that short circuits are like short cuts on the route electrons take. We weren't really taking a short cut, so I told him no and built on the discussion about what would be our complete circuit and such. As we kept driving, we were cruising along pretty well with no other cars on the road, so then Flip decided to state that we were currently driving on a conductor. He was right, and again, seizing the opportunity, we discussed what an insulator road might look like.<br />
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Hee hee... electronics enthusiasm from my little guy! Yay!Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-80296739836379146032016-04-16T10:48:00.000-07:002016-04-16T10:48:19.644-07:00Cantaloupe Brothers<br />
Toby determined to get mommy flowers and a coffee... Good husband<br />
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Elliott insists he's a tiger, sometimes kangaroo-tiger-lion<br />
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Whenever there's a cantaloupe in the house, these boys can't wait until I cut into it. I try to put it off because as soon as I slice it, they devour the whole thing. Good thing cantaloupes are so inexpensive. They were so excited I was removing the rind, that they helped me cut the pieces. Then, as soon as I finished, they rushed to the table to munch, munch, munch. Mr. Megaphone fully planned to devour the entire bowl and announced that they were the "Cantaloupe Brothers." Then we decided to let the baby, Peanut, experience the flavor, and we discovered we have yet another Cantaloupe Brother.</div>
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I have another kid-ism to share, this time from Flip. We were out delivering Meals on Wheels. The kids love this. One operates the GPS in the van to direct us to each house, one carries the hot trays of food, one carries the cold food sacks, one carries the drink. I barely do anything anymore, except that I'm the only one with a driver's license. At any rate, I pulled up to our stop, and Flip asked which house we were headed to. I answered, pointing, "There. Across the street. The tannish, light brown one." To which I was corrected, "I would call it more of an ochre." Hmmmm. Why thank you Mr. Art Guru.</div>
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Eggie is obsessed with tigers lately. He wants tiger books and loves tiger pictures. He often insists he's a tiger around the house. Sometimes he'll even be a kangaroo-tiger-lion (when he's a little more bouncy than sprinty). I tried to ask if he was a "kang-ger-li," but he is adamant that he is mostly a tiger.</div>
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Mr. Megaphone and Eggie have been a little clingy lately. Even though Peanut is 9-months-old now, we think they may be exhibiting some baby anxiety. Part of this is Mr. Megaphone's desire to honor his mommy. He and I were shopping when he saw the fresh, cut flower rack. He really wanted to buy me some, but I didn't want to buy flowers for myself, so I told him that daddy would have to take him to buy flowers for mommy. Well, he was bound and determined to get these flowers. Every day, all week long, he asked if he and daddy could go get flowers. And when the answer was that we didn't have time for it that day, he felt so dejected. It was such a wonderful gift the day they brought me flowers and coffee! And now that those flowers have faded, he's already talking about getting me more. His future wife is gonna be one blessed lady, continuously showered with flower arrangements.</div>
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There are lots of moments to smile at during my days.</div>
Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-61708990374847893822016-04-06T16:39:00.000-07:002016-04-06T16:39:12.687-07:00With GladnessPsalm 100:2 "Serve the Lord with gladness"<br />
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Serve- get down and dirty, do hard labor, be treated lowly- those are descriptions that come to my mind. What do you think of? And yet this verse juxtaposes this potentionally unpleasant act with gladness! We are instructed to be joyful, upbeat, cheerful as we serve.<br />
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Sometimes it is easy for me to "serve the Lord with gladness." Meeting with a friend one-on-one to encourage them... I love that. Share the benefits of homeschooling, that's easy too. We enjoy making our adopted college student feel like she has "family" watching out for her by catching up with her at lunch. It's usually pretty easy to prepare for Cubbies cheerfully... I like crafts and bookkeeping.<br />
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Other acts of service to the Lord don't come as easily. Driving for Meals on Wheels is great as long as the kids aren't fighting over who gets to carry the lunch tray up to the door. Homeschooling is great when everyone's paying attention or grasping concepts quickly without getting distracted. I see my parenting as service to the Lord as well. That is enjoyable too when I get to celebrate a BMX victory, fawn over the latest Lego creation, appreciate some scribbles otherwise known as artwork, or have magazine and movie night with my girls. I even remain glad when I correct, as long as the response is a sincere, "Yes, mom. I was wrong. I will change." That's music to my ears.<br />
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But.....<br />
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What about when there's a tantrum from a boy who just doesn't feel like riding BMX today? What about the times I step on those Legos that weren't put away? What about when a crayon goes through the washer? What about when there's an argument over what movie to watch together? What about when the toys are out like a tornado hit? What about when it takes two hours to complete a math page? What about when there's nothing to cook because I haven't had time to make it to the grocery store?<br />
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Then what is my response? I know my responsibility is to see to it that the tasks get taken care of, whether disciplining my children or disaster recovery or feeding my family. I see to it that the job gets done, but the attitude with which I do it falters. I find myself firmly committed to serving the Lord, just not serving the Lord <i>with gladness</i>. It's so easy to lose our joy amidst the realities of everyday life, and yet the instruction in Psalm 100 doesn't change.<br />
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Lord, today I want to serve You with gladness. Today, when irritations arise, help me choose to rise above them. When the kids aren't listening, let me thank You for this opportunity to teach them. When dinner is late getting on the table, keep me from blaming other people or circumstances. When the printer won't spit out my kids' worksheets, don't let that irritation overflow into other relationships. Lord, show me how to let joy fill my heart so I can truly serve You - within my family, within my church, within my out-and-about interactions - <b>with gladness</b>.Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-1115251757144276162016-03-26T23:38:00.001-07:002016-03-26T23:38:59.436-07:00Resurrection EggsHe is Risen!<br />
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In trying to keep our eyes on the true meaning of Easter, our family does Resurrection Eggs (an egg hunt where the toys inside tell the Easter story). The boys had a blast searching for the eggs each night (this year we didn't do all 12 eggs at once, instead we talked about three each night).<br />
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Here are some funny moments I'd like to share:<br />
Mr. Megaphone opened an egg with three pieces of silver. This represented Judas' betrayal of Jesus. We had to explain to him what betrayal meant. He obviously didn't like it because he said if he were there, he would pour milk on Judas... Then eat him. Yikes! He has a standing up for justice streak.<br />
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Then Eggie opened his egg. It contained a miniature "circle." When told it was a crown of thorns, he placed it on his head. Awww.<br />
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But I wanted to point out that this was actually not a cute, pleasant experience for Jesus. So I asked if it were sharp or pokey or smooth. He claimed it was smooth, so again I tried to convince him. I asked him to rub his fingers along it. He insisted, "It's not pokey to me. I'm magic!" Ha ha. Silly boy.Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-51278641938117091072016-03-18T09:35:00.001-07:002016-03-18T09:36:02.752-07:00English Professor in the Making?Eggie has been quite eloquent ever since he turned two. He has been especially adept at communicating his thoughts and he often stuns us with the precision of his language. Like the day he said, "I pretending this a boat." I also like, "I not smelly." Or when he prays for our lunch, ends with "Amen," then looks at me and says, "Oh, I forgot 'thank our bodies' [which is supposed to be 'bless this food to our bodies']." The best was last Morther's Day when we were asking him what his favorite ice cream was. His answer was thoroughly and plainly, "My fave-wit is choc-wit." Really? A complete sentence answer from a two-and-a-half year old!<br />
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Then there's the fact that he always, always corrects me when I talk about the housecleaners. And I keep making the mistake no matter how often he corrects me. Over the years, we've employed several different companies or individuals to do a monthly dust, vacuum, and mop. Sometimes it has been a team of two ladies and sometimes just one. Currently, we have one woman who owns her own business come. So the day before our appointment, as I run around saying, "Pick this up. Put that away. Don't get that out. The cleanersss are coming." Eggie follows after me saying, "There is just _ one_ cleaner." Ok, fine. "Don't get that out, the cleanerrrrr is coming."<br />
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Do you see why I see an English professor in our future?Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-353617793973126992016-03-10T15:41:00.000-08:002016-03-10T15:41:31.491-08:00A New Kind of GeographySome of you may have seen Ben's Facebook post showing Pinky and Flip competing against him to correctly locate all 43 countries in Europe. I was so proud when they both performed perfectly and daddy had to (gladly) pay real money for his loss. We use a book and CD called, quite simply, "Geography Songs" to accomplish this learning.<br />
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Since we listen to the songs almost daily, even Mr. Megaphone can sing along with many of them. Although the Middle East has given him some trouble. He sings, "The Middle East has Israel, Iran, ih-rock-star, Bahrain and Yemen, Kuwait. Soggy Arabia, Oman, Guitar (Qatar), United Aran Emirates." We've all started singing it wrong on purpose because we're so amused. I love homeschooling.Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-47513057764496647282016-03-10T15:27:00.001-08:002016-03-10T15:28:29.454-08:00Mommy JoysI watched a movie the other night about embracing the joys of mommy life, even amidst the stresses and wearisome nature of this role. That is always a good reminder. I feel like writing this blog about our quirky family and the crazy idiosyncrasies of my kids helps me remember to look for the joys. I've been exhausted with my newborn for a while, but the movie has motivated me to try to pick up blogging again.<br />
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So here's an idiosyncrasy that only a mom can find endearing. Eggie has been our best nose blower by far... That's the kind of thing that has to be instinctual. There's just no easy way to tell your kid _how_ to blow their nose. Even so, I guess sometimes it's too much trouble to have mommy wipe his nose when it's running. Eggie has decided rubbing his schnoz on the carpet is the way to go. Face-grinding into the fibers to wipe away his snot. Of course I discourage it. Yes, I think it's gross. It's extremely embarrassing when he uses the pew cushion instead of the flooring. Who am I kidding, it's embarrassing that he does it on the floor too. But it's one of those behaviors that is unique to Eggie. And the fact that I know his uniqueness makes him specially mine. He's my boy and I'm his mommy and there is nothing better!Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-16884366900869261132015-12-05T23:01:00.002-08:002015-12-05T23:01:30.342-08:00Peanut Growth Update<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Well, I'm no longer in my depressive funk, yet the roller coaster of watching Peanut's weight gain continued this week. There was great news on Monday. Wednesday held some tears for me. Then Friday I was hesitantly rejoicing again. I have found peace with watching slow progress rather than feeling like I need an immediate turn-around (although that doesn't stop me from being disappointed in setbacks). I think part of the urgency I felt last week was to find the source of the problem. Was it simply my supply? But the data I had at that point showed insignificant weight gain even though we improved my supply. So was it a medical problem (like silent reflux or another gastrointestinal problem)? Having seen some success this week reassures me that we're on the right track with herbal supplements for my supply and supplementing his feelings with bottles (of my milk of course).</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Now for the nitty gritty, then some spiritual reflection.</span><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I called first thing Monday morning for an appointment with my pediatrician so we could discuss possible medical problems causing slow weight gain. Even though she could see me that afternoon, I still went to my breastfeeding support group that morning. It was great news! He was up to 12 pounds 2 ounces, a 4 ounce gain in 5 days... Almost perfect. But he still ate about the same at the breast, just over 3 oz. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I was overwhelmed by the amount of work it took just to get him gaining a baseline weight. </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Nonetheless, with his good weight gain, the lactation consultant (and Doctor) said I was free to cut back on pumping and bottle-feeding. We would then watch his weight to make sure Peanut was increasing his demand to offset the dropped bottle feedings. Whew! Relief! Not every feeding has to take an hour! I didn't have to be tied to the pump so much.</span><br />
<br style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;" /><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">That afternoon, the pediatrician plotted this weight gain on her growth chart and was encouraged by the upturn (he was 12 pounds 5 ounces by that point in the day). She echoed the lactation consultant's direction to cut back pumpings and bottle feelings. I was able to ask about all my medical concerns, and she reassured me that Peanut's problems were most likely NOT medical. She said any weird metabolic disorders would've shown up on his newborn screen. Several other weight gain issues can be traced back to the heart which she examined thoroughly at his well-child visit. Like me, she thinks his behavior does not indicate silent reflux. And she said even if he does just have a fast metabolism, we must give him the calories to keep up with it... we don't want his brain development to suffer. So I left feeling like we had answers, a direction, and had ruled out other problems. Praise the Lord!</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Our Wednesday weight check was first thing in the morning with the doctor. Peanut appeared to stay flat, weighing in at 12 pounds 5 ounces again. The immediate conclusion was that when I cut out half of my pumpings, I also cut out the calories my little guy needs to maintain growth. The doctor again suggested bottle feedings of formula, mostly for my sanity. She wants me to be able to find a workable, long-term routine considering I have a houseful of others little people who need me as well. I agreed to think it over... what do I feel is a reasonable routine? While the pumping can be draining and disruptive to our norm, these almost daily trips to the doctor are so much more disruptive! I left feeling defeated. I wanted to be on my way out of the trenches. I wanted to be able to taper off on the interventions and let God's good design of Peanut's demand driving my supply work again. But no. Here I was being told to stay in the trenches. Then I got home and Artie-Smartie was doing an absolutely perfect job overseeing our "light" homeschool in my absence. I felt so much guilt over burdening my 13-year-old with such adult responsibilities. She does it willingly and out of love in an effort to support me. But even saying that makes me cringe... she support me. Shouldn't it be the other way around? Shouldn't she be allowed to be the kid and me be the parent? I guess that's what makes family so beautiful. We are that cord of three strands as God binds us together. I support, nurture, and encourage her through the years. Then when I am weak, she comes alongside me. It is the truth of Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 "Two are better than one, because they have a good return for their labor:If either of them falls down, one can help the other up. But pity anyone who falls, but has no one to help them up. Also, if two lie down together, they will keep warm. But how can one keep warm alone? Though one may be overpowered, two can defend themselves. A cord of three strands is not quickly broken."</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">As I contemplated the data from my Wednesday visit, I was troubled that we were not comparing apples to apples. We took an afternoon weight, after a few good 3 ounce feedings and compared it to a first thing in the morning weight. But if I looked at the morning weight on Monday to the morning weight on Wednesday, he had continued to gain... not stay flat. Or, if we wanted to, we could compare the Monday afternoon weight to the Wednesday weight AFTER feeding (I fed him while I was at the office and we weighed him again afterward yielding 12 pound 8 ounces). Again he would not have stayed flat. So I ultimately decided to conduct me own experiment contrary to the doctor's orders. I chose to continue my half-time pumping, and just see what results we would get on Friday. Maybe it really was sufficient for chunking up the little guy.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">So I felt like Friday's data would be very revealing, yet it was not extremely compelling. His first-thing in the morning weight was 12 pounds 5 ounces... flat from the same time at the doctor's two days prior, yet those are weights on two different scales. If I compare to the same scale, he was up 3 ounces over 4 days, not great, but not bad either. The real high point from Friday was his intake: a whole 4 ounces at the breast! Yee haw! While I expressed reservations about his marginal weight gain, the lactation consultant encouraged me to bask in this victory of increased supply on my end and increased demand on Peanut's. She said I could continue my little experiment. So that's where we're at for today.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I'm already starting to ask myself where God is working His good plan in all this (Romans 8:28 tells us "For we know that all things work together for good to them that love God, who are called according to His purpose"). I want to be able to "count it all joy when you fall into various trials, for you know that the testing of your faith produces perseverance, and perseverance must finish its work so that you may become mature and complete, not lacking in anything." (James 1:2-4). I know I have gained compassion and respect for those women who desire to breastfeed and have trouble, often much more difficult trouble than my own. I realize I can not automatically assume anything about the backstory of those mommies I see with a bottle in their hands. Perhaps they are hurting and yearning for something different just as I am. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">This situation is teaching me about my value as I mourned my inabilities so intensely last week. My worth in God's sight has been solidified, contrary to how I so often attach my worth to what I can accomplish. Not only was I not nourishing my baby, I felt very unproductive around the house and that's _my_ domain! It makes me feel good to know I am completing tasks that are valuable to others (like feeding my family for instance... I think they enjoy getting to eat each day). But I realized that even if I was completely worthless on the "productivity scale," God would count me worthy enough to send His son to die for me. I'm _that_ valuable to Him, regardless of what I do.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I'm also wrestling with this question: If it is God's good design for mommas to produce the perfect food for their babies and there is this amazing feedback of baby's demand driving momma's supply, why didn't it work? What broke God's good order of things? I suppose anyone who has a child born with a defect could ask the same question. Or anyone who has endured unjust punishment. Or even those born into poverty and malnutrition. It is a complex question at it's root. One that theologians have wrestled with for ages and written countless books about. I'm pretty sure the answer is wrapped up in the fact that we longer live in the Garden of Eden. This world is broken and only Jesus' return can restore it fully. In the meantime, we see fingerprints of God, His order and design when natural processes work as they should. But there's no promise that they will _always_ work as they should. Plus, as I pointed out in some verses above, God has a bigger picture of what He intends to accomplish than just making my breastfeeding a smooth and carefree experience. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">I have also been comforted by remembering Peanut's middle name... it means "protected by God" and I do believe He will be in this situation as well. Plus,</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;"> when I read Isaiah 49:15 about a momma nursing a baby at her breast I am reminded </span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">that my God sees me, He has not forgotten my trouble</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12.8px;">Stay tuned as we continue the journey, but it seems we may be headed in the right direction.</span>Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-4219047587946201332015-11-27T18:48:00.000-08:002015-11-27T18:48:31.620-08:00Join me in prayer... Baby G's poor weight gain<span style="color: #222222; font-family: arial, sans-serif; font-size: x-small;">I wanted to ask you to join Ben and I and our church friends in praying for baby G. Short story is he is demonstrating inadequate weight gain, so please pray for his growth.</span><br />
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<br />Long story:<br />Two weeks ago, I went in for baby G's 4 month well-child check. He weighed 11 pounds 11 oz, just the 2nd percentile, just about a pound and a half more than his 2 month appointment. The doctor expressed concern at his slow weight gain and commented that his height had slowed as well (down to 41st percentile from 77th percentile). Other than that he was meeting all his developmental milestones, and maybe even ahead because he was already rolling over. Since I claimed I had never had any problems with milk supply, she suggested I get a few more calories into baby G by either starting solids early or supplementing with formula.</div>
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<br />It took me a couple days to fully process what she had said. I knew I didn't want to use formula or solid food. We usually wait until at least 5 months to start solids, and the new AAP recommendation is to wait until 6 months to give the little digestive system time to mature. Breastmilk is adequate nutrition up to the 6 month point. But I didn't want to starve my baby either. I also don't want the nutrition issue to get to the point where it is insufficient for brain growth. While I hadn't ever had a problem with milk supply in the past, I decided I needed to gather some data. I borrowed a friend's baby scale and started weighing him before and after feedings. Over the weekend and early next week I found he was taking in about 2 oz, but for his weight and feeding frequency should've been getting 3 oz per feeding. I cried a lot. I apologized to baby G. This normally laid back momma started getting hyper-paranoid. If he was eating I felt broken that I wasn't giving him enough. If he was sleeping I felt it was wrong to let him sleep because he needed to eat. I couldn't win. It's a hard place to be emotionally.<br /></div>
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Wednesday last week (and every other day they've been open), I headed to the breastfeeding support group at the hospital. During the week since his ped appt, he had gained 2oz, but he's supposed to gain an ounce per day or half a pound per week. At that first meeting, the lactation consultant verified baby G's intake was insufficient (2.5oz), so she "prescribed" some supplements and asked me to pump after every feeding, then offer it to him in a bottle. Whoa! That's a lot of work! But I decided I could ease up on homeschooling and free myself up to invest all this time. It was supposed to stimulate my milk supply as well as supplement baby G's feedings to be what he needed.<br /></div>
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Friday at the BF support group, his intake had increased (yay, my milk supply was gaining) and it had increased to the expected level (3oz), but his weight actually dropped a few ounces. With that data, I concluded that it wasn't a supply or intake problem. If I was able to supply enough, and he had been eating enough, why did he still lose weight? So that weekend I spent thinking the problem must be medical. While that's a more confusing question to answer, I was greatly relieved that I was not broken or starving him. Even so, I continued to retreat from family responsibilities. Ben and the kids completely cleaned the house for Thanksgiving on their own. I read and researched and read some more about milk supply and if my dairy-free diet could contribute to nutrition deficiencies and silent reflux and baby Zantac. But it seems my diagnosis was premature.<br /></div>
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Monday I went to the BF support group, while Abby guided the kids through just a few independent school studies at home. This time, baby G's weight had returned to what we saw at my first BF group visit. At least it was headed in the right direction and almost the right amount... almost an ounce per day. His intake increased again as well. I spent a good amount of time asking the lactation consultant about her opinion of his pattern. Despite the good increases in his intake measurements, she still called his intake "marginal," especially knowing that supply tends to diminish toward the end of the day (group is the middle of the morning). She noted how he seemed happy, wasn't showing any signs of hunger or pain, and was developmentally on track. She commented that maybe he just has a fast metabolism. So maybe I've gotten all worked up over nothing, but I still worry thinking this poor weight gain thing could lead to poor brain development. This day, I got so exhausted of the mental gymnastics that I was not a nice mommy to the other kids. I resented them for needing me and keeping me away from feeding baby G which is what I feel I need to do all day long. After all, he's eating every two hours. If he breastfeeds for 30-45 mins, then I pump for 10, then I give him the bottle of what I pumped for another 10, I only have an hour free time at most between all these feedings. I did some more retreating. </div>
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Wednesday at BF support group he gained a little again and his intake increased again as well. The lactation consultant asked me to keep up with the pumping and bottle-feeding. I agreed to do it through the weekend, knowing I wouldn't be schooling much with Thanksgiving. I really hope on Monday when I go, we can talk about a different schedule. This is really exhausting, especially getting up in the night to pump when I'm used to co-sleeping all cuddled up all night long.</div>
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<br />I've decided I will call the pediatrician for a consultation next week in addition to my BF support group visits. I wonder if I will have to take homeschool off clear through the holidays. I really need to know how serious this whole thing is because it has sent me into quite a tailspin. My choice to retreat becomes an observation that I'm not needed around the house becomes untrue self-talk about my worthlessness. My over-exhausted, stressed out, low-tolerance-for-childishness yelling at the kids becomes untrue self-talk that God made a mistake entrusting me with so many kids. I feel guilt over not feeding my family dinner, although Ben is great at picking up Jimmy John's.<br /></div>
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My family has all been very gracious with me. The kids are working extra hard around the house without a complaint. Somehow we pulled off a Thanksgiving dinner with 4 other families. It was actually pretty healing to have a relaxed time with friends, to not be all consumed with feeding issues for a day, and to feel not so alone as I shared intimately with friends who supported and loved me.<br /></div>
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I'll keep you informed. Thanks for prayers.</div>
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Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-9005428674664553072015-11-14T18:31:00.001-08:002015-11-14T18:31:10.050-08:00Pinky's Sleepover party -- The Favors and Activities<h3>
The Favors</h3>
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Each girl got a pair of slippers and a sleep mask. We have glow sticks for them, which they opened for a specific activity during the night. I then also gave two rolls of mini M&Ms, one roll had a label reading "Stay Awake Pills" and the other was stamped "Sleeping Pills." The guests had fun deciding if they were ready for being awake or retiring.</div>
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The Decorations</h3>
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I didn't really do anything for this party. Just the cake and favor table (seen above) and some colored table cloths. I took it super easy.</div>
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The Activities</h3>
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Shortly after our guests arrived, we had a pizza dinner. After that, we decorated pillow cases with fabric markers (I counted that as another party favor).</div>
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Once we cleaned this up, it was on to a giggle-fest activity... a neighborhood scavenger hunt. They decided to take just one of my lists of random items to collect and just make it a timed challenge... how many items can we get in 30 mins. I set down some ground rules before we left the house, for example only two items per house, always say thank you, and how to introduce themselves. What an absolute blast I had following them around and watching their excitement as they gathered items at each house. They were able to collect some pretty obscure items, like a 25 cent off coupon and a 1971 penny. And I was so very, very impressed with the politeness and maturity of the group. There was no arguing, everyone got a turn to make requests, they even brought newspapers up from the driveway, it was proud mommy time.</div>
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Examining the contents collected on the scavenger hunt.</div>
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Then we opened gifts. Miss Pinky was very grateful for her friends and their thoughtfulness. After that, a few girls went home. Those that remained watched some movies. After I got them squared away for the night, I went to bed.</div>
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In the morning, we knew no sleepover would be complete without birthday pancakes made by daddy.</div>
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Notice the little birthday hat pancake held by her head.</div>
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I think they watched another movie in the morning. They had hoped to paint nails, but many of our guests had other commitments to get to, so they didn't stay long in the morning. Pinky did get to decorate one of her friend's nails, so at least the two of them got to have fun with that.</div>
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Pinky had a wonderful time. I felt like the whole affair was really easy to put together. And the scavenger hunt was truly a highlight. Such girlie fun!</div>
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Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-81624012117289430302015-11-14T18:08:00.000-08:002015-11-14T18:08:02.348-08:00Pinky's Sleepover Party -- Invite, Food, and CakeYes, it's nearly a year after the fact, but here are some pictures and stories from Pinky's super-fun sleepover birthday party.<br />
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The Invitation</h3>
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Hmmm... I'm not archiving as well as I have more kids and activities to keep track of. I sent a simple e-vite for this party. It was a sleepover with Pinky's friends from small group and her homeschool enrichment program. 10 girls were invited, so the invitation read something like "What has 20 toes, 10 heads, and lots of giggles? Pinky's 10th Sleepover. Please join us."</div>
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The Food</h3>
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Hmmmm... apparently I don't have a picture of this either. My snacks were sleepover themed. I made Chex Muddy Buddies and called them "pillows." The Cotton Candy was "Dreams." I tried stacking a half strawberry on the end of a diagonal slice of banana and called them "Slippers," but they didn't turn out as well as I would've liked. I also made a cream cheese and red pepper concoction to cook inside of a rectangle of crescent rolls and called them "Sleeping Bags." I used black icing to draw eyelashes on Nutter Butter cookies, then I stuck pull 'n' peel licorice to the sides of the cookies so they looked like sleep masks. Those were super cute. I'm sad I don't have a picture of it.</div>
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The girls enjoyed a yummy punch during the night too.</div>
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The Cake</h3>
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The sleepover theme continued with a fuzzy pink bunny slipper cake.</div>
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For the bottom, I used a loaf pan that I sliced in half height-wise and carved just a bit into the "foot shape" I wanted. For the toe covers, I cooked my cake in a small glass bowl, then cut it in half to set on top of the loaf cake. For the ears, I molded Starburst candies (just 5 seconds in the microwave makes them easily moldable). </div>
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Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-45828149757795262332015-08-27T09:56:00.000-07:002015-08-27T09:56:25.010-07:00Baby G's 6-week update<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Snuggle time during the first few weeks of life.</div>
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first bath</div>
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Gracing us with that new gorgeous smile.</div>
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Another smile.</div>
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He's a colicky baby... we haven't had one this bad since Abby (and with her we just thought it was normal, we were first time parents). Tiring for sure, but we love those little smiles when we get them. He hates his car seat, but will eventually calm down as we get moving in the car. I'm grateful there are four sets of holding arms to lighten the load... Ben and the girls are all great about taking turns comforting him through carrying and holding him. It's great to work as a team.</div>
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In the meantime, we've tried a number of things to console Baby G. We tried Gripe Water for gas and it helps some, but not a cure-all. I took him to the chiropractor, but she didn't find much misalignment to be concerned about. I've cut dairy from my diet (mostly because of a rash he had, but we hope it helps with colic too). We're singing lots and lots of "Twinkle, Twinkle" and getting a fair amount of exercise on the mini-tramp (he is soothed by the bouncing while we hold him). He also likes the Moby wrap. He'll snooze in there as I carry him around for hours.</div>
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I'm also grateful that he sleeps well. He's probably one of our earliest sleepers. Here at 6-weeks old, he's already going two 4-5 hour stretches at night without nursing (not uncommon for babies in general, just uncommon for Hess babies). It must be God's good plan for getting me through the colic. I can't imagine facing the weariness of his crying while also being overtired. </div>
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Even with the extra work he requires of us, everyone in the family just adores him and has fun with him.</div>
Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-87422676829740652252015-08-26T11:33:00.000-07:002015-08-26T11:33:13.262-07:00Baby's Birth UpdateI'm sure most of you know by now, especially if you're connected on Ben's facebook, that everything turned out just fine with baby G, but there was much more drama before his birth and I'd love to fill you in.<br />
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">We got the most recent blood test results back Friday afternoon a week before his due date. The antibody count had indeed raised again (despite our prayers for no change). Then Ben and I faced a difficult decision about how to proceed. </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><br /><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">It had been just one week prior we saw with our own eyes in the ultrasound that baby was ok. But what I remember the OB saying was that he would encourage an induction at the point we were at. I wasn't excited by the prospect of an induction. My first induction ended in a c-section. My second "speeding labor along" experience ended in me bleeding close to death, requiring 6 pints of blood and 3 of plasma. Still the risk to baby made me anxious.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;"><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);"> </span><span style="background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">The theme verse God gave me for this pregnancy is that "we walk by faith, not by sight." It sure was hard to know what the faith-eyed thing to do is. My midwife reminded me that all God wants of us is open hands, willing to take or give whatever He has for us. I had to be willing to lay my plans aside. But even that didn't give me clear direction for how to proceed at this point. So I turned to prayer and I asked my church family to join me(not the whole congregation, just my Sunday School class). We</span><span class="il">prayed</span> for wisdom and discernment in making a decision. We p<span class="il">rayed</span> for protection for the baby. We prayed that he would be born soon so as to avoid induction and further exposure to risk. We had faith this prayer would make a difference.</span><span style="font-family: Georgia, Times New Roman, serif;"> </span></div>
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<span style="font-family: inherit;">And it did! Just two days later I was able </span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;">to report incredible praises as a result of our </span><span class="il" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;">prayers</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;">! God has been so good to us and His work was evident repeatedly over the last few days of my pregnancy. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;">Despite the fact that I have _never_ had an early delivery, I spontaneously began laboring Saturday... a full week before my due date... the day my church family started</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span class="il" style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;">praying</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;">! A blessed answer to our plea to get baby out of danger in the womb without requiring an induction. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;">As the midwife continued to prepare for monitoring baby once he arrived, a new concern was brought to the surface. _If_ baby was being affected by my antibodies, he could have immediate respiratory distress upon birth. Most likely he wouldn't, but what if? It was another difficult decision, but we felt God leading us to not have this baby at home as planned, just in case. We didn't have a point to make by staying home at any cost. We're not interested in being homebirth super-heroes. Ben, the midwife, and I all went to bed with great peace that as my contractions got closer together, we would transport to the hospital. Ben and I believed it would be later the next day based on the progression of previous labors.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;">Unexpectedly, at</span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;"> </span><span class="aBn" data-term="goog_1677286782" style="background-color: transparent; border-bottom-color: rgb(204, 204, 204); border-bottom-style: dashed; border-bottom-width: 1px; font-family: inherit; position: relative; top: -2px; z-index: 0;" tabindex="0"><span class="aQJ" style="position: relative; top: 2px; z-index: -1;">1:45am</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;">, we started to execute to the hospital plan. As Ben packed the car and got the kids taken care of, it became clear to me that we weren't going to make it to the hospital (despite the fact that my contractions were never closer together than 4 minutes). As the midwife changed course, Ben caught our baby again, and we heard the most precious of all sounds! Baby's loud screaming and crying reassured us there were no respiratory problems! God protected again. Thank you Father!</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;">And since then, all baby's blood tests have come back beautiful! No indication of anemia. God's caring hands at work again. </span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;">Why did He guide us to go to the hospital, then allow the baby to be born at home? Perhaps it was an Abraham sacrificing Isaac situation. He wanted us to demonstrate a willingness to obey, and when we did He could provide miraculously. I'm not entirely sure, but I am grateful for the blessing of being home. I love that as the sun rose, little ones awoke to the great gift of greeting their new sibling. </span></div>
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEunwtkTbxTuz0WwV035z_yT55oSyuJ0EtFI81mVe0DwVvFgJoR3jcf_MwBCIwbNWZvD2XDHizn0JXgr__JcE5zzuyo5DnG1rhQVHfdATgzAwRKIOolZk99sikL2D9XpzThz_9Brn8xMc/s1600/Photo+Jul+12%252C+6+47+40+PM.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiEunwtkTbxTuz0WwV035z_yT55oSyuJ0EtFI81mVe0DwVvFgJoR3jcf_MwBCIwbNWZvD2XDHizn0JXgr__JcE5zzuyo5DnG1rhQVHfdATgzAwRKIOolZk99sikL2D9XpzThz_9Brn8xMc/s320/Photo+Jul+12%252C+6+47+40+PM.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;">Our little boy will get to testify to our Heavenly Father's goodness every time he explains why his parents gave him a middle name that means "protected by God."</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit;">Thanks again for your support!</span></div>
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Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-67964081119516549962015-07-11T13:51:00.000-07:002015-07-11T13:51:59.939-07:00Wild Kratts Party -- Games<div class="MsoNormal">
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It’s taken me several posts to record all the excitement and
planning that went into Mr. Megaphone’s 4<sup>th</sup> birthday party. Check out the previous two blogs about <a href="http://mommahess.blogspot.com/2015/05/wild-kratts-party-favors-and-food.html" target="_blank">Favors and Food</a> and <a href="http://mommahess.blogspot.com/2015/05/mr-megaphones-wild-kratts-birthday.html" target="_blank">Decor and Cake</a> Here’s the
final installment.<o:p></o:p></div>
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I took the Chris and Martin printables available online,
laminated them, and adhered clear mini-velcro dots to make these re-usable
paper dolls. I placed these figures as
well as a big jungle-themed floor puzzle out that the kids could play with these
as they arrived, although they had plenty of fun just running and being
together in their new Creature Power vests.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Our first game was Firefly Tag. I had prepped with notes and trivia about the
different animals on my phone, so I told the kids I was looking up my Creature-pedia
entry for fireflies. We talked about
their bioluminescence and that they flash to warn birds and frogs that they
taste bad. Then I handed out firefly
creature power discs like these *** and flashlights to the kids that weren’t “it.” We turned the lights off in the basement and
commenced with a raucous game of tag… the birds fleeing from fireflies that
were flashing their lights and trying to quickly grab the fireflies that weren’t. It was chaos, but everyone had fun.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Then we moved the party back up to the kitchen table for
Beaver Dam building. I checked my
Creature-pedia again to find that beavers can build dams a mile long and that
they eat the inner layer of bark off trees.
Some of the party guests also shared what they knew about beavers as
each one switched their creature power discs on their vests to the Beaver
Power. Then they enjoyed the sweetness
of dam-building with pretzels and chocolate frosting. It was intriguing to see each child’s unique
personality come out in this activity.
There were rigidly uniform and symmetric dams, there were intertwined
dams, there were abstract designs with logs standing straight up. A shining testament to the beauty added to
the world through each individual’s unique personality and gifting.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Next came Cheetah Tag while lunch was prepped. My Creature-pedia informed us that their
claws and tail help them keep their balance in high-speed turns. Each guest was given their Cheetah Power disc
to don on their vest and a cheetah tail to tuck into the back of their pants
(crafted out of doubled-over cheetah print duct tape and scraps of fur fabric
that I had left over from Halloween). In
this game, we did not assign an “it,” we played every man (er, cheetah) for
himself, protecting their tail from being pulled out, akin to flag
football. Once a tail was yanked, the
child took it to an adult helper to have the parent “reactivate” them into a
cheetah again. Fortunately, the weather
was nice enough, we were able to play out in the yard. This perpetual running game was perfect for a
group of boys, although many creature power discs did end up getting jarred
free from the vests during the chase.<o:p></o:p></div>
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They were ready for lunch after that. I served spider hot dogs over mac and cheese
webs. (If you split the ends of the hot dogs before boiling, the tendrils curl
up while cooking making them appear similar to legs. In my opinion, making hot dog octopi look
much more authentic than the spiders did.
The spider legs were too fat and short to curl much and look like legs.) Grape-kebob caterpillars were also given for
lunch, along with swamp juice. They were
also allowed to sample some more of the snacks, like the lion hummus and the
cheetah chow cheerios.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Once we wrapped up with lunch, it was time for one more
relay game. In this one, each child
received a creature power disc displaying the animal they were representing in
the game. A couple kids bounced down and
back on the course like kangaroos, a couple stretched out on their belly then
pulled their knees in like a worm. We
also had spiders balancing on their web lines (masking tape lines), bats
flapping their wings, polar bears hopping from ice floe to ice floe (white
fabric pieces spread hopping distance apart on the floor), and elephants swinging
their trunks. It was a wild good time.<o:p></o:p></div>
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After that, all that was left to cover was the cake and ice
cream, as well as the gifts. I’ve shown
the cake in a previous post and no special theming when it comes to gifts. Everyone had a wonderful time. My little
guest-of-honor felt like the star that he is to me. I was completely exhausted by the end of the
party, but the smile on Mr. Megaphone’s face was totally worth it.<o:p></o:p></div>
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Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-40022129397158422992015-07-05T22:56:00.000-07:002015-07-05T22:56:35.777-07:00After Two Months, A Sigh of ReliefFriends and Family,<br />
I'm sorry I didn't let you know about this sooner, but at least now we know everything is ok. Normally, I'm an open book. I value welcoming others into my journeys and struggles knowing that as we "bear one another's burdens" we can all be strengthened. This latest anxiety-causing news was too difficult for me to deal with. I could barely sort through my own emotions, much less figure out how to invite any of you into my situation. I wouldn't even talk to the kids about it. Poor Artie knew something was wrong, but had to be left in the dark.<br />
<br />
So what was this mysterious, foreboding "situation"? It has to do with the safety of the baby I am carrying due to the Rh-incompatibility that has been present for all but my first pregnancy. I think many people are aware of the common Rh-incompatibility where the father's blood type is "such-and-such positive," but the mother's blood type is "such-and-such negative." If the baby inherits "positive" blood, the mother's body could view it as foreign and start attacking baby's blood. This common incompatibility has routine management in the form of testing and administration of a drug to alleviate the situation. But this is only the case for the big-D protein on the surface of the blood cells. There are actually hundreds of proteins on the blood that are routinely screened for at the beginning of pregnancy. <br />
<br />
My Rh-incompatibility arises with the little-c protein. It behaves the same way as described above (my body could potentially attack baby's blood depending on it's little-c characteristic), but Rh-little-c incompatibility is uncommon and has no drug intervention available. Instead, with all of my pregnancies, we've done monthly blood draws to check if my body was creating any antibodies for little-c, thus indicating that my body considered the baby's blood to be foreign. Throughout four complete pregnancies and the beginning of this one, we have seen slight variability in the test results (an outcome I attributed to variability in lab technicians), but the readings always stayed low. We routinely saw a level of 1, rarely a 2, or even "undetectable" reported at times.<br />
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At the beginning of May, my antibody titer came back with a level of 4. I became concerned, feeling this may have been the first time I ever received that high a reading. At the same time, I knew I shouldn't be concerned because overall it is still a fairly low value. Depending on the source, the titer isn't critical until it gets to 16 or 32 (but the possible values are not linear, they double... 1, 2, 4, 8, 16, etc). I waited through the month of May quietly and quickly turning my uneasiness into prayers. My titer level would come to mind and I would turn it into a prayer that God would lower that number and cure my problem. I thought I saw an answer to those prayers when my next test results came back a 2. <br />
<br />
That was not where my journey ends though. The next blood test reported an antibody titer of 8! Not technically a critical level, but still on the rise. And what's more, the standard lab procedure when they see a jump is to go back and test the previous sample. Even though the previous test had originally reported a 2, now it tested as a 4. I had never really been in the clear, I just went a few weeks with a false sense of security.<br />
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Well, I had been concerned with a reading of 4, I was flat-out anxious with an outcome of 8. I didn't want to over-react, knowing that in general there's no reason to worry until 16 or 32 is hit, but I didn't like the direction I was headed. Why was it moving? What are my antibodies responding to? Ben was unshaken, with a complete confidence in the numbers and other online reading he had done. I wanted his peace. I relied on his strength to help me not fall apart immediately. Nevertheless, I was panicking inside. My midwife too asked that we try to get a doctor's opinion so that we could be prepared for whatever the baby may need at birth. She wanted to make sure she was informed about what warning signs of distress to look for in baby. <br />
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Well, it's not easy getting an OB/GYN to see you for just one visit when you're planning a homebirth. I wasn't interested in discontinuing my plans for homebirth and transferring care to an OB, I just needed some consultation, like a second opinion. I called around several places and eventually got a great recommendation for an Italian doctor who has a history of working with midwives at a birthing center. I was able to schedule an appointment with him this last Friday. My midwife came along.<br />
<br />
He was very knowledgeable and amazingly sat with me for a whole hour going over my questions and concerns. We were able to share openly with each other and maintain mutual respect for the other's position, although there was actually not much disparity. He confirmed that he also starts to watch baby more closely when he sees titer levels rising like mine did, not just when they get to the threshold level (I felt validated, but at the same time the cynical side of me is not too surprised by this, in general my feeling is that doctor's expect the worst because that is what they are trained to look for, instead of trusting that pregnancy and childbirth are more often than not normal and healthy). We discussed the signs and symptoms of the anemia that the baby could have if my antibodies were in fact attacking it, but the titers don't tell us that for sure. The doctor suggested I get an ultrasound to look at the baby directly. He could check for fluid retention, the peak volume through the Middle Cerebral Artery, and other signs that would indicate anemia. Ben, the midwife, and I agreed this would be the best way to proceed, especially for peace of mind.<br />
<br />
Half an hour later, a ton of bricks had been lifted off my shoulders!!! I left the doctor's office and the ultrasound praising God and rejoicing that there were absolutely no signs of anemia in my precious little one! What a relief! Thank You, Lord, for protecting my fetus through all of this! And for guiding me to wonderful expertise to help.<br />
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Now, I know we're not technically in the clear yet. Baby is still inside with all those antibodies roaming around. The doctor did recommend weekly, rather than monthly, blood draws. Plus, if we see the antibody titer results continue to rise, he recommends not exposing the baby to any more risk especially considering baby is full-term (I'm 38 weeks now). Believe me, I've been doing what I can to encourage a delivery... the whole last month is always hard for me and I can't stand the waiting. At the same time, all my babies have been born on or shortly after their due date, so I might have to deviate from the doctor's recommendation at this point. I believe strongly in the benefits to mom and baby from a natural birth. I guess, to be fair, he wasn't technically suggesting a C-section, but rather an induction. The problem is so many inductions result in C-sections as labor isn't allowed to progress naturally. Besides, my personal experience is that I almost died after the birth of baby #2 because the doctors insisted on unnecessarily speeding things along. I repeat my stance that for the most part, pregnancy and childbirth are normal and healthy processes that don't require interventions (and yes, I am thankful for the interventions when they are TRULY necessary). But I hope all this debating and trying to decide about the doctor's recommendations is moot. My next blood draw is Wednesday and we'll see what my antibodies are up to. Pray they stay where they are and don't necessitate any further action. It's just two more weeks until baby is here! Surely we can pray they stay stable for just two weeks!Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-44266903973962247002015-06-10T10:24:00.000-07:002015-06-10T10:24:16.778-07:00Is she dyslexic or lazy?<br />
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I have wrestled and still am wrestling with how much of Pinky's dyslexic condition is nature vs nurture. Obviously nature can't be changed. If the source of her difficulty is nurture or, in other words, behavior, then it can be changed and I want to address the heart. Either way, my goal is to help her find ways to cope with her weaknesses (if her dyslexia is due to nature, I'm not seeking accommodations, just to give her strategies that work for her). Pinky has always been distractible and we've done our fair share of addressing that at a heart level, training her in greater attentiveness. But because I sit with her during her schoolwork everyday, I felt like there could be something more. The Lord really just laid in my lap the resources I needed. Our enrichment program started offering the Barton reading and spelling curriculum for check out. I watched Susan Barton's entire seminar online about dyslexia and became more convinced Pinky was showing these signs. I didn't know how to go about having her tested, but I happened to be taking Flip into the school audiologist for a hearing test. I figured she might know the other specialists in the school district (maybe refer me to a reading specialist). She ended up giving me the name of a private tutor who has been specially trained in identifying and testing dyslexia. She came to the house. We talked. She talked to Pinky. Then her opinion was that Pinky was mild to moderately dyslexic. And we talked about next steps. The diagnosis was a little sketchy in my mind because she would consider a certain behavior (slow to read analog clocks for example) as a "symptom" whereas I thought it was lack of practice. Even so, Pinky had enough markers that I'm willing to see if techniques for dyslexics help her. At the same time, I haven't lessened my expectations on her at all. In fact, the first time she tried to use the label as an excuse when her older sister was on her case, I jumped right in and explained that she is not a victim to this, she still has to make good choices. Right now those choices are harder for her than an average student, but she can still choose and we're going to find ways to make it easier for her. I read a book about the scientific study of dyslexia over Christmas and am convinced it is some combination of nature and nurture, but I figure I can get some help on the nature part. We plan to have a full battery of tests with the same private tutor this summer. It should identify her specific areas of struggle since the diagnosis covers such a gamut. </div>
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I remember feeling like a bad homeschooling mom that it took until 4th grade for me to realize this learning difference. The Lord gently spoke to my heart and showed me that perhaps I was a good homeschooling mom... that homeschooling has allowed her to succeed as much as she has up until now. My public school gym teacher friend also commented that she most likely would've been overlooked and undiagnosed in public school as well. Or perhaps it could've been even worse, she may have been labeled as a slow learner and left to waffle at the bottom of the class. God's timing is good and I'm fine with the fact that we're just addressing this now. It'll be interesting to see what her tests this summer reveal. It's an exciting journey!</div>
Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-61162882139336983732015-06-09T13:35:00.000-07:002015-06-09T13:35:30.753-07:00Heartless Reply Bites BackA week ago we sent the kids upstairs to get ready for bed after a long, full day and a late night of board games with friends. We weren't too surprised to hear some squabbling, then came the thud and subsequent tears. "The kids are over-tired and just can't keep it together," Ben and I think. So when Mr. Megaphone appears on the stairs wailing, the standard response comes out of my mouth... "Is your arm cut off? It's not? Then you don't need to be screaming like that. Go get ready for bed like you're supposed to and stop playing around." Mr. Megaphone calms down and turns to obey.<br />
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A few minutes later, after cleaning the kitchen and starting the dishwasher, I headed upstairs for prayers and lights out. Despite his good intentions, Mr. Megaphone was still not entirely jammie-clad. As Ben went to speed things along, he noticed smeared blood down Mr. Megaphone's hair, neck, and back. Not being quick to panic, I whisked the injured to the shower for clean-up and assessment. After Ben and I both had a chance to examine the 1.5" gash behind Mr. Megaphone's ear, we both agreed an ER visit would be prudent, despite the fact the bleeding had stopped. Ben was concerned at the length of the cut. I didn't feel like we could glue it ourselves being in the hair. Plus, keeping the wound closed on the head could be difficult.<br />
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Tough little Mr. Megaphone and Ben headed to the hospital at 11pm. Our little guy was tired, but charming. The doctors number the area, then stapled his cut closed. He didn't even wince. The staff said he handled the procedure better than adults they have had in. Then it was home to bed at 1:30am. Oh, the excitement!<br />
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So did we learn a lesson about our initial "just get over it" attitude? Probably not. Most of the cries of pain around our house are still not worthy of ER visits. We didn't even think the staple-removal was worth a doctor's office visit. Ben ordered the removal tool off Amazon for $7, he watched a YouTube video, and pulled Mr. Megaphone's "stape" (as he calls it) out in the living room. Again, there was no wince. Just a little apprehension, then a curious, "Hey, can I see what it looks like," from Mr. Megaphone.<br />
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Epilogue: The dramatic accident ended up being a fall (although Mr. Megaphone's version of the story indicated a malicious push) from the top bunk in the boys' room. He landed on either a toy or clunked another piece of furniture on the way down... it's hard to say which is really the case, although the furniture seems more likely to Ben and I.Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-30547898896906829242015-05-08T13:39:00.001-07:002015-05-08T13:39:32.794-07:00Wild Kratts Party -- Favors and Food<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
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Artie-Smartie and I created these bags ourselves with a little zebra-print ribbon and "Wild Kratts" logos that we printed. Each bag contains an animal facts picture book, bookmarks also printed from online (and laminated with some animal print ribbon dangling from the top), animal fruit snacks, gummy safari suckers, and homemade "earth" crayons. "Earth" crayons are made by melting bits of blue and green crayons in cupcake trays. I also included some white in the crayons to look like clouds. A few other favors were sent home, but they were handed out with games. </div>
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Each party guest was dressed in a creature power vest upon arrival. I made these as well with some craft T-shirts I found on sale at JoAnn's, some green and blue felt, and hot glue. I cut the sleeves off and the bottoms off the shirts. Then I hot glued on the rectangular shoulder patches and the circles to represent the paw prints on the front of the vests. I did not completely glue closed the larger circle so that the pocket made could also act as a storage compartment for creature power discs. I placed a magnet behind the felt round. After watching the boys run around, I realize I should have glued the magnet into the vest... magnets would often bounce out and get lost.<br />
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The creature power discs were made of canning lids. Ben printed a variety of animal power discs that I cut out and stuck on with double-sided tape. The different animals were passed out to the guests at the start of each game, depending on what we were playing. More on that later.<br />
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Another view of the coveted vest. One guest was still wearing his vest at church the next day. One wore his all night until bed and made more of his own power discs at home. I guess they were a hit! Here's our birthday boy with his daddy, playing the part of Jimmy Z from the show. Naturally, Jimmy Z is always hungry.<br />
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Theming the food is one of my favorite parts. I love to play with food. I created a lion hummus plate out of peppers, carrots, some crackers and olives.<br />
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Here we have the whole snack spread. Green swamp juice to drink. Green and blue M&Ms. Banana penguins (partly dipped in chocolate with M&M pieces as feet and beak, I happened to have candy eyes to place on them). Cheetah crunch (a mixture of chocolate and regular Cheerios).<br />
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Grape caterpillars with mini-chocolate chip eyes.<br />
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Starbursts molded into worms and snails. ALL my kids enjoying helping me prepare these treasures a few days ahead of time.<br />
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And lastly, this is the first party I've thrown where I served a meal to the guests, but I couldn't let that be without a theme. I served the kid favorite mac-and-cheese with spider hot dogs (if you first slice the ends of the hot dogs, then place them in hot water, the thin stems curl up and look like spider legs). Each child was also given a grape caterpillar on their lunch plate and offered some veggies from the hummus lion.<br />
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Wow was this a fun workout for my creative juices! Still to come: games.Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-2437210061332079462015-05-01T13:42:00.000-07:002015-05-01T13:42:20.804-07:00Mr. Megaphone's Wild Kratts birthday -- Decor and Cake<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;">
It's great to relive these memories from months ago. The boys have all been captivated by the PBS show "Wild Kratts" recently. It's about a team of people who assist troubled animals and in the process learn all sorts of neat facts about the species, even taking on the characteristics of the animals themselves with their special "Creature Power Suits." It was quite logical for Mr. Megaphone to request a birthday party with this theme, but to my dismay, there was NOTHING available pre-done. I created everything myself (although not all the ideas are original, of course). Exhausting as it was, I was extremely pleased with how the party turned out.</div>
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For decorations, I cut paw prints out of posterboard. I twisted up some brown paper bags and stapled on cut-out leaves to hang as vines. Our brown banner just says "Let's go Wild" with some animal stickers adhered around it. Then the raffia is hung to give the room a bit more wild/grassy feel.<br />
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Some more vines.<br />
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The table centerpiece is the globe to show what part of the world our Creature Adventurers would travel too. Then I added some of our Little People Noah's Ark animals around it. (We also used the Little People animals hid around the living room for a scavenger hunt as a coming in activity.)<br />
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The cake is Mr. Megaphone's favorite creature power, the pronghorn. I also made pas print cupcakes to make sure we had enough cake for all the guests and siblings.<br />
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More jungle animals wall stickers I picked up at the dollar store.<br />
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The favor table full of cake, bags, and creature power vests for each guest (but more on that later).<br />
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Next blog posts: Favors, Food, GamesMommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-74453655725344100512015-05-01T12:58:00.001-07:002015-05-01T12:58:25.552-07:00Angels are rejoicing!As I lay in bed last night, I looked over at peaceful Eggie babe cuddled under his bug blankie. My mind spoke up in the silence, "Ahhh, they're all asleep now. A bit of stillness. But then we'll get up and do it all again tomorrow. The wrestling, the quarreling, the teaching, the feeding, the cuddling. And somehow these ordinary moments, these full days of mothering strung together form a life. But is it a life I want? Is it one I'll look back on with satisfaction? Is this homeschooling, family-devoted life worthwhile?"<br />
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When I consider the events of April 11, 2015, my answer is obvious. That sunshiny, Saturday morning was a significant moment toward which my whole parenting career has been laboring. My number one goal for my children is that they will express a life-long love of God. It's easy for them to act this way when it is mandated in our home everyday, but I know all-too-well how the choice to follow God will need to be one of personal conviction as they grow. I'm also aware that this love will ultimately involve a daily yielding to God, but it starts with a conviction that they want this to be the character of their lives. It was this setting the direction of her life that came together after several months of prayer, study, and planning in Artie-Smartie's baptism... her choice to give her whole life to Christ. Hooray!!!<br />
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And here's a link to the video of the event:</div>
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I have to say, this was a highlight! I felt on top of the world! It's the best feeling in the world to baptize your own child! As we celebrated with friends over Johnson's Corner cinnamon rolls afterwards, Artie's best friend had the best quotable, "It's hard to imagine the angels in heaven rejoicing more than Aunt Kelly!" It's true! That's how I felt! I'm one proud momma!Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-57660493989874195132015-04-17T17:50:00.000-07:002015-04-17T17:50:48.334-07:00A Special ConnectionWhile Ben and the girls spent their Spring Break in Haiti serving the orphans in Christ's name, I sought respite with the three boys at my sister's house in Washington state. It was a simple marvelous visit full of laughter, family connection, low-key fun, delicious meals. When it was time to leave, we were saying our good-byes at the airport, silliness erupted (imagine that happening with crazy uncle Dave around). My niece and nephew started saying good-bye to their own parents, so my boys started to teasingly say good-bye to me even though they knew full well they were headed for a plane ride with me. I played along for a bit. Apparently, Mr. Megaphone decided he had had enough of that game and decided to reassure me with, "Actually, mom, I think I'll keep ya."<br />
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Ever since then, this has been a special phrase of affection that he and I share. We'll say it at bedtime or when reading together. It's "our" little thing and I love it!<br />
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As an epilogue: This little saying isn't the only family change we brought home from the Pacific Northwest. I was also inspired to work on a more patient, tolerant tone during our household communications. It can be easy to get irritated someone is in our way. I find it too common that another's choice with undesirable consequences (a spill, for instance) is treated as stupid. I know at times I tire of having to explain an elementary routine again and again so my tone is short (apparently, I forget that children need to be taught and that with _five_ of them I will constantly have to be explaining something). It's a work in progress, but I see great strides in our choice of words and most importantly what our tone communicates. There is much less blaming and much more peace. Of course the change starts with what Ben and I model. I definitely feel there is a new normal for me. But I'm proud even Flip and Mr. Megaphone don't seem to raise their voices as often in protest to a grabbed toy. Now they are willing to take time to work it out, rather than immediately insist on their resolution to the situation. Many thanks to my sister's family for being great models for us.Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-66865433528919788112015-04-17T17:16:00.000-07:002015-04-17T17:16:03.274-07:00Hush!Be quiet!<br />
Silence!<br />
Enough already!<br />
Shhhhhhh!<br />
(For the less polite) Shut up!<br />
(Or what I'm told was said quite often at the orphanage in Haiti) Ferme la bouche, et chita!<br />
(Or what I say to my kids when they interrupt too often) No talking for two minutes!<br />
(Or during a five-count at Cubbies) Point at Mr. Ben's big nose!<br />
(Or our personal favorite lately, Toby made it up at dinner one night) I'm gonna give you a "shush"-ke-bob! Ha! No veggies and potatoes on that ke-bob, just some no talking and be quiet. Ha!Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-70441048082179284232015-04-06T15:12:00.000-07:002015-04-06T15:12:07.723-07:00Is this real life?The kids and I enjoyed a gorgeous walk around the pond by our house today. The weather is sunny and perfect - not too hot, but warm enough for shorts. I enjoyed the fresh air and time outside. I'm hoping the warm weather will motivate me to walk more often... It's good for the pregnancy. So I walked, pushed Eggie in the stroller, and the rest of the kids rode bikes. Naturally, they were often a distance ahead of me, but would pause at intervals so I could catch up. At one such time, Pinky informed me, "Nathan and I had a little crash and now I have a scratch on my ankle. I didn't tell him I was stopping in front of him." She wasn't whining or being dramatic, no blaming or fighting about it, just sharing with me the events. Of course my mind starts whirling with all the corrections that could go along with this. I could say, "Guess you learned your lesson," or "Don't you know to warn people when you're stopping," or "That's what you get." None of them seemed appropriate for the moment, I stayed silent, but Pinky went on, "It was fun. I learned a lesson." Then she raced off again.<br />
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My thoughts dramatically changed, "This is a little too movie perfect. People don't really talk like that, do they? Sure, it's the attitude I want my kids to embrace, but can it actually happen so serenely in real life? Apparently it just did."<br />
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Hooray for small victories.Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-24553378864967011932015-02-23T20:34:00.001-08:002015-02-23T20:34:56.588-08:00Another Proof that Megaphone is Ben's Mini-meMr. Megaphone had us in stitches around the dinner table tonight with his jokester-ism. Eggie is a fan of the knock-knock jokes. The kids and I were out shopping one day when Eggie started knocking on my shoulder. "Who's there?" I asked. "Maa-nah faht," he said mischievously. What? I had never heard these words from him in another context to be able to decode. "Mama fast?" I asked. "No," and Eggie shook his head. "Mama far away?" Still no. "Banana fast?" Nope. Artie tried deciphering by asking, "banana shop?" Not it. Surely it can't be the next option, but we ask anyway... "Banana fart?" "Uh-huh," he replied with an exuberant head nod. And guess what we heard over and over again the whole rest of the shopping trip? That boy makes me laugh.<br />
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But I digress. I wanted to share about dinner tonight. Eggie is stuck on knock-knock jokes, but Megaphone delighted us with "why'd the chicken cross the road?" jokes. Naturally, our first response was, "We don't know. Why?" Oh, no. It wasn't gonna be that easy. Megaphone said, "you have to think about it." After thinking and a few random guesses, he then informed us that each of us must think by tapping a forefinger to the temple. We played along. Some of the gems bestowed on us were: the chicken crossed he road to get to the other side, the pig crossed the road to get covered in mud, the rabbit crossed the road to see the cow, and (my personal favorite) the dog crossed the road to pick apples from the tree. It seems to me I've heard stories from Ben's childhood that he would similarly make up ridiculous jokes for hours on end. This must have been what it was like. At least right now Megaphone's antics are still delightful and not annoying. I'm thankful for the laughter.Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1227040808850221279.post-31577962917640712572015-02-07T08:07:00.001-08:002015-02-07T08:07:26.375-08:00Baby number 6 in the makingIt's been hard to grasp this pregnancy as real. Maybe it's in part because we waited longer than normal to share the news with anyone, even our own kids. Maybe it's in part because of the uncertainty Ben and I had about expanding our family prior to becoming pregnant. I think some of that doubt still lurks in hidden corners of our minds even though God has clearly indicated His desire for us. Honestly, I know part of it for me is fear of people's reactions. I admit, six kids is a bit intimidating, but I know I enjoy kids and I choose to "walk by faith, not by sight." But I also know my faith is feeble and I don't want the responses of others to feed the scared side of my own reaction. I wish I weren't so easily swayed, but I am shaken, at least for a moment.<br />
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So, now that I'm 16 weeks along, nearly half way there, it finally feels real. We met with our midwife, a new one this time since our previous one retired. I got to hear precious baby's heartbeat twice this week! So sweet! So exciting! I love it!Mommyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/06032340796376232408noreply@blogger.com0