Letting Go

This is from my sweet friend Patti who the Lord used to speak truth into my life and peace. May it speak to your heart as well as we leave out little ones in, but not of, this world (school).

It is from Jesus is Calling by Sarah Young and is written as though Christ was writing to you!

“Entrust your loved ones to me; release them into my protective care. They are much safer with Me than in your clinging hands. If you let a loved one become an idol in your heart; you endanger that one-as well as yourself. Remember the extreme measure I used with Abraham and Isaac. I tool Isaac to the very point of death to free Abraham from son-worship. Both Abraham and Isaac suffered terribly because of the father’s undisciplined emotions. I detest idolatry, even in the form of parental love.

When you release loved ones to Me, you are free to cling to My hand. As you entrust other into My care, I am free to shower blessings on them. My Presences will go with them wherever they go and I will give them rest. This same Presences stays with you, as you relax and place your trust in Me. Watch to see what I will do. “ Jesus Is Calling, Sarah Young

Tight Rope

These days I feel like I am on a tight rope. Not a place I like to be because I like to be centered, stable, balanced, and being a tight rope requires me to fully focus on everything around and not lean towards one way or another. I am finding that balancing 3 kiddos is a bit challenging in the "attention" area. I focus mainly on Brynlie because, well, she needs me the most. I then have Abbie who helps me so we communicate, but then there is Ellie who seems to be transitioning a bit slower to a new sister. If I don't pay attention, she gets upset, and in the process Brynlie is crying too and Abbie needs me to "watch" her again. It's a never ending pull that I can't seem to balance because someone is always left out.
I know this will be, that each kid will not have individualized attention at all times, but how does a mom balance quality time with each kiddo when each kiddo feels like they need you all the time? This has been one of the biggest challenges I've noticed. Then to top it off, Abs starts kinder on Monday and this is Ellie's playmate. I can only pray over what will happen when Abs starts school and it's Brynlie, me, and....Ellie.

Lunch Box Ideas

Here are some ideas for packed lunches.

Main Dishes
Mini Ham and Cheese Quiches
Soft Chicken Tacos w/ Cheese and sour cream
Pizza
Sandwich
Annie's Stars (Think Organic Chef Boyardee-buy at Target)
Meat, Cheese, Crackers (homemade lunchable)
Crunchy Baked Mozzarella Cheesesticks
Corn Dog Muffins
Pizza Muffin (Recommend sending side of pizza sauce for dipping)
Grilled Cheese put into warmed thermos
Hot Dog (put wienie in warmed thermos and have sides for them to put together)

Another website with ideas:
Easy Lunch Boxes


Sides
String Cheese
Grapes (try freezing them too)
Strawberries
Oranges
Goldfish
Pretzels
Pirate's Booty
Apple
Raisins
Bananas
Banana Chips
Yogurt
Carrots
Ritz Crackers
Popcorn
Pineapple
Pickle Spears
Nuts
Trail Mix
Annie's Organic Fruit Chews
Archer Farms Organic Strawberry Fruit Strips


Maybe this will help with, "What's for lunch?"

Pride Comes Before the Fall?

I have to admit. I am prideful. Not in a good way, but in a selfish way. I don't ask for help and I don't like for people to help me because after all, I can do it and if I can't, something must be wrong with my perfectionism and if I ask for help then I am weak. I know what I write is foolish and my brain knows it too, but my deceitful heart tells me otherwise. Anyone else?
These past couple of days have been good but evening comes and I am one tired mama! I know Brian has been busy at work and it's hard for him to balance work and home and I understand that so when last night rolled around and I was tired, sick, and had a headache, and short tempered, I knew I had reached the end of my rope, I had to relinquish the household to him which he absolutely did with a servant's heart, however, my heart was defeated because I should have been able to "hang in" there and his day had been just as long as mine.
So, as a new mom again, who has a Type A personality, who likes to be able to do it, come to a place where they realize they can't and that God created marriage so that we can help each other? For me, this is revealing a weakness, but I think in hindsight God had to get me to a place, gently, where I have to realize I am not superwoman and that Brian wants to help and is very good at it. I can't say enough about how much he has done and there is nothing I could ever do or give him to show my appreciation and that he sees that I need a break and is willing to step in and tell me to rest. Which is exactly what I needed. Thank goodness I finally submitted and did what he said.

1 Week Done

It has been 1 week since Brynlie was born. It has gone much better than I could have ever anticipated. Brian has been instrumental in helping out during this transition. Abbie has taken a liking to her "favorite" sister and Ellie tells me, "You hold it." She'll get there. Sleep has been off and on but better than anticipated but ready to get a good solid sleep, in my own bed. Me and the chair have become too good of friends over the past week. Today we bought a Sleep Sack Swaddle. I am hoping that this will enable Itty Bitty to sleep a bit better during the early/late part of the night.She's great at sleeping in the very early morn hours.
Challenges are coming. Brian will be traveling soon for 2 days then for a week also Abbie will start Kinder the day before he leaves. That leaves me with 3 little ones trying to get one to Kinder-on time and balancing everything else. I'm already praying up over this!
God has been good and gracious--nothing I deserve and I know this full well. I can only thank him for what he has given, continue to ask for what I need, and wait on Him.

Epidural Now! Please

Thursday, July 29th was the birth of our third little girl: Brynlie Hope. And she's a cutie weighing in at a full 5 lbs 12 oz and 18 1/2 inches long. When they handed her to me I couldn't believe how little she was. (Abs was 5 lbs 13 oz and apparently Ellie was our chunker at 7 lbs 11 oz). But how she got here was not part of the birthing plan. Mine had full use of drugs in mind, but God, well, he had another plan.

10am: Doctor appointment and was dilated to a 3 when the good doc stripped the membranes which he said would cause labor in 24-48 hrs and if not, come back Monday.

11am-ish: The girls and I picked up lunch and came home just waiting for the water to break or contractions to start. Absolutely nothing happened. All day. No pain. No twinges. Nothing. Even after researching about stripping of the membranes I realized it most likely was not going to work because of the overwhelming replies I could find of women who said it had been ineffective. (Later Dr. Wilson told me it works with women who have had children prior and are dilated to at least a 2) Brian and I talked about him going to work on Friday because she wasn't coming-even though I had my heart set on it.

6:30pm: Headed to the park with the girls to "walk" her out :) When I walked quickly, I felt pressure but when I slowed or stopped, so did the pressure. We came home, bathed, watched a bit of TV with the girls, read them bedtime stories and tucked them in around 8.30.

After 8:30 pm: I worked "just in case" and did laundry and began to feel cramps but figured they were Braxton-Hicks as I have had before and continued on with our evening. The cramping did get a bit worse but I thought "real" labor pains were in the back because that is what I had with Abbie. I did begin to time them around 9:30 and they were about 5 minutes apart.

10 pm: Our insurance has a nurse hotline where you can ask questions. She informed me they don't have to go the back and that if they are 5 minutes apart for an hour, head in and we were closing in on an hour. (At this point, I was just embarrassed I'd show up at the hospital and it would not be real).

10:15 pm: Called my mom to come over because we were going to check it out. The pain was intensifying. Told Brian to not call Dr. Wilson till we got there just in case it was false. (You would think I would have understood the "realness" by now). I figured we would get to the hospital and see what they said.

10:30 pm: Jumped in the van to head to hospital. Told Brian that we needed to page Dr. Wilson. Along our drive Brian made a funny little comment about needing to get gas. Um, not funny in the middle of a contraction. Maybe I can snicker a bit now.

10:45 pm: Entered the hospital in quite a bit of pain with contractions and managed to shuffle to L&D. Brian signed us in and off to room 7 we went. Got all the hospital stuff on and the nurse guessed I was at an 8. She was wrong. She said, "No, you're at a 9. No, you're complete. The only thing that kept you from having that baby at home was that you're water didn't break."
I requested an epidural. Several times. Was denied every time. No tylenol. Not even baby tylenol. It was going to be natural. This was not part of the plan.
There were nurses everywhere. Taking blood, putting in IV's, asking me questions. They were getting ready for the very soon to be birth.
What I remember was pain. Just a constant amount of pain. I now know why women on TV scream. It hurts.
By this time, Dr. Wilson had been called and must have drove 100mph to make it. He came in, put on his gear, popped the water and said, "Push." And I did. Boy, those contractions hurt but I did what I was told to do then I heard something that almost panicked me. The cord was around her neck and her heart rate was dropping. Dr. Wilson had them put NICU on standby "just in case". He told me to focus and that we needed her out now. I just prayed God would protect her. (Unbeknownst to me at the time, he had to cut me in order to his finger in to unwrap the cord from her neck.)

11:31 pm: Brynlie was born. Safe and sound, a bit banged up. They did have a NICU nurse come in and check her. During this time I could see her, but not hold her. They wanted to make sure she was OK and that was fine by me. They took her away to check her breathing and then brought my little girl back where I thanked God she was OK.

All in all, labor was about 2 hrs. All natural. At the time I would not have chosen this route, but now that it is over, I am glad that I got to experience a natural birth. So now, Brian owes me a bumper sticker...or a badge.