3.5.22 Cousin Weekend

One activity the kids love but rarely happens here is target practice. Thanks to the slow time on the farm they had time this weekend to practice their coordination. 

Greg is probably pretty sore from all the throwing. I'm pretty sure most the clays broke on impact not in the air. We need a lot more practice but we took the time we had and gained some know how in the prcoess. 

Greg always has a child in his lap when he eats. It drives me crazy I want to eat in peace. He is patient and generous in sharing his dinner and preferences with little ones who learn to eat all the good stuff from their dad. 

The kids love parchessi.

And visiting and watching movies.

We took a very rare opportunity to load up in a maxi van and drive around on a Sunday afternoon showing the visitors what our valley looks like and where our water comes from. It was fun and encouraging to see moving water flowing into our reservoir. 

We heard some family history stories, Greg took a nap because he was sitting down. 

More eating, we do a lot of that and boy was it tasty!

Cousins. The genetics from my side show up in the size of my kids, not their height primarily but their large bone structures. 

Mark loves to hold Andrea. She too will get bigger right now she's petitite but the DNA is there she will fill out. 

Celebrating Grandpa's 74 birthday with only 10 or 12 candles. 

Another example these two are about a month apart. Lia is a lot bigger but very similar in traits and actions. So fun to play and enjoy spending time together for a few days. 

 We are thankful for all our bountiful family. Truly the support, love, encouragement, prayers, and friendships enrich our lives and motivate us onward. Life is good!

3.4.23 A day in the life

We still love and work to take turns holding our little sweetie. She's not a football passed from one to another but rather one or two get a turn each day with me doing the lions share of nurturing. 

I love her little hands. She is alert for good stretches of time. Even though I worry about her size her calmness and contentment signal she's fine, she's just gonna grow for a while.

I was so impressed to see such patriotic support for the Trucker Convoy that is protesting the COVID restrictions. I don't love the state of our country yet I'm very reluctant to say much about it as I don't like the contention and worry more. But my heart was very encouraged as we drove to Nampa Idaho this week on the day the truckers were also passing through. For over 20 miles people were waving flags and signs showing support for freedom loving truckers. It was like a reverser parade with the onlookers waving and the speeding traffic enjoying their displays and waving back. 

At home I am covered in sleeping kids, listening to Bruce ask 100 times to do something. I told him he didn't need more movies but needed to go outside and explore and play and imagine. He's old enough to do that not sit and ask me to entertain him. He eventually went out and played in the dirt then mud he created. Success as the mean mom. 

Activity days this week was the long anticipated nerf gun war. The kids were so excited. 

Livy was there but she does not like competing. I'm not sure what to do with that but give her space. I hope all the space we are allowing her is not going to hold her back. Life is good. 

3.3.23 Blur

We are abundantly blessed with healthy, active, curious, energetic children. Lots of them. They have not felt the need to slow down or hibernate. They are not adjusting to less sleep. They cry and act out. They are managing as they can at their level. I learned years ago to slow the train down not speed it up when major changes happen. I am not heroic or superhuman in my desires or actions each day. I spend a lot of time holding kids trying to fill their emotional buckets. I hurry trying to do a few small chores and then sit again for a few more hours. 

I wish this was me. But am so so thankful for the older sister pictured here who bails me out when the crying gets to be too much. I'm grateful her schedule has allowed her to be home in the mornings to help us get going or to allow a window for other appointments. 

This guy is also energetic. He has discovered basketball on his mission. He shoots hoops while he visits with us. I'm glad he calls and I'm thankful for who he is becoming. He is great with people and has helped others work through their fears and given them confidence and space to find what their problems are. I love his no nonsense and yet kind approach to dealing with others. 

My sweet sister missionary and companion. Always a ham. I'm thankful she is more communicative. It would be really hard if we only had the one. thankfully Anna writes letters homes, emails, talks to us all and sends a lot of pictures. These two have always balanced each other pretty perfectly. Love them both and so thankful they are out living their lives. 

My constant shadow. he insists I have one arm around him and one arm working to nurse and hold Andrea. He's pretty demanding but so cute. 

We are across the board here on expectations and needs. 

I'm thankful for the pictures I receive from members in his mission. This one was titled Elder joined the marines. I though what?? He's suppose to be on a mission. I'm glad he gets to know and work with so many different people. 

I got this on Sunday he and his companion were helping in primary. There was a video as well. The kids placed the hearts on the elders. Harold has always loved kids, I'm glad he can still interact with them. The blessings are there. The numbness of newborn stage is real. I feel like a zombie. I'm trying not to give too much room for all the I should be doing more, and why is this so hard, and this is never going to change thoughts that happen during this time. The proof is actively under my nose and on my phone. Life changes quickly, nursing and newborn stage of bonding and intense needs morph into bigger kids and more rest. We will be fine. We will stretch some more and continue trying to love them all enough that they feel content. I'm trying to listen to the general conference talks this month along with come follow me and scriptures, mixed with the current news and reading some Jeanette Oke books and some kids books out loud. The time passes and we are past two weeks of having Andrea in our home. Life is good. 

 

2.23.22 Our new baby girl

After waiting patiently and nervously for so many weeks we finally got to February 16. My mom had picked the day early in January as a good day to have a baby. We made it through all of Aliza's local speaking contest and the colander was empty from there on to the end of the month. After each day telling my body not today, then well I guess today would be okay and finally on the 16th saying this would be ok today it started happening. I know people say babies come when they want but for whatever reason the last 4 have worked very nicely into days and times that were blissfully open and not too hard on any of the other family members. Thus at about noon I started feeling uncomfortable. I would stretch and breathe, my midwife had reminded me it's just about breathing. While overly simply it's the truth. Merle was not a happy camper so I sat with him and he took a nap on my lap. When he woke up I had a hard contraction. I called Greg and told him it was probably time to come when he got the kids from school. I was still uncomfortable but ok. I gathered up some clothes and got wrote some instructions for how to care for Merle. The kids came home Greg watched me for a while and grudgingly decided we could go. I had another hard contraction and slowly made my way to the car. 

I had great fear of some drama car birth or being stuck in traffic. I don't like to make a scene and wanted neither. Greg stopped at the shop to talk to John about work to be done. Had another hard contraction and honked the horn for him to come. We proceeded to the freeway behind slow law abiding traffic. We made it half way there with no contractions. Greg was not impressed stating we were way to early. I was disgusted but we drove on. WE got to the hospital about 5:45 I did a parking lot small lap willing my body to get going again. It was cold so I needed to go in. He finished his phone calls and joined me. We donned our covid masks and took the elevator upstairs. The midwife met us and we got the last available room. We walked the long hall to the room, I'm not sure why there is always a marathon hallway but there has been for most of my births. 

In the room they hooked up the monitor, that I loathe. I don't like being touched or laying down. Labor standing up is so much more comfortable and smart. Using gravity as a tool instead of a foe is important. So I stood and visited with the nurse. The midwife watched for a while and set up her table of stuff. Greg read a book. The midwife was asked to go deliver another baby, Greg told them she had about 20 minutes. I had one other hard contraction and seriously wondered if we were in fact going to deliver that day or not. True to form in about 15 minutes things just felt different. I wanted to sit so we moved to the birth stool and it got real. 

I will say I'm a definite outlier. 14 kids, all natural, over 40. Yes definitely an odd duck. The nurses were surprised and commented I was a text book case of how to have a baby, and one of the best they had seen handle labor.

I will insert here I have always silently prayed that it would not hurt. That some how it will go fast and we can just skip to the end. That doesn't happen but I will say this time was the closest to painless I have ever had. I truly count the Lord's hand as a shield and gift making it so manageable. 

I began to push and she didn't come. Pushed again still no baby. That's really odd for me I'm usually done at that point. I pushed again and her head was delivered then two more to get the rest of her. I found out later the cord was presenting first so the midwife moved that, then found the cord on her neck as well so that had to be moved. All in all it went well. Holding her and feeling her was amazing. There is nothing that quite compares to delivering a new life. She was born  at 7:19p.m. we had checked in around 6.

Like all my babies she was very bruised. They thankfully come fast. She was so content and slept over 8 hours. Unfortunately because she was in the 90% of babies size wise at her age- 8 lbs 1 oz at 38 weeks, the nurses felt it important to blood sugar test her every 1.5 hours all night long. I slept 0 hours. That was frustrating knowing I needed some rest before going home. Thankfully we were able to finally leave the fishbowl hospital by noon. Greg drove us home, he usually leaves ASAP and someone else comes to get me. 

Babies sweet angel eyes before they fully rest on earth. It is not a light thing that these precious spirits squish into frail helpless bodies relying on the mercy, care, and love of those around them. 

At home there was so much excitement and desire to check her out. I spent the first week mostly just guarding her. 

I have so many pictures because my two that are away are missing this time at home. While both are totally great where they are at they both love babies and miss getting to hold her. They were the ones who would come home and whisk the new baby away. I miss their willingness. I miss them a lot, but it's good they are not holding back on living their lives. There are so many changes with this experience. 

So we send pictures daily and teach and let this next generation have a baby experience too. 

Of course we have some great colds going on right now. She's sneezed on, licked, loved, and cried over. There are a lot of tears bringing home a new baby. Yes that is a shell shocked mom. Long long days of not sleeping. Thankfully she has given me 3-4 hours in a stretch the last few nights. 

 

I am truly a blessed mama. To have a body that is able to grow and birth babies is not a light thing. To be trusted to have these people in my home is totally humbling. It's not all easy and heavenly. There is a lot that is. I'm just soaking up this time. I know the work will start again soon. I'm thankful for the pause button on my life. I'm thankful for this blessing to have Andrea in our home and life. I'm so thankful she has taken to nursing and is content. Come what may and love it has been excellent counsel.