2 Weeks of Sweet Memories...

Here are some highlights of the past two weeks. While I have had the luxury of taking time to fully recover, Stephen has ensured that the kids' vacation was as fun as possible. He brought them to gymnastics, the Holiday Inn swimming pool, bowling with their cousins, and more. We also took a few walks as a family, did some productive errands (with our large brood), and made several trips to local parks. We both wish that we could do it all over again next week!

Reflections...

I would be remiss if I didn't include a post mentioning the myriad of blessings we have received as a family these past two weeks.

Even the circumstances surrounding my labor and delivery of Papoose were a "gift." Just 24 hours before I went into labor, I was told by my doctor that I wasn't progressing on my own, so she couldn't induce me on my due date as planned. I cried my eyes out when I heard this news and envisioned two more weeks of miserable pregnancy. I had never been so huge; even my stretch marks were beginning to bleed under the skin. I couldn't sleep and was dealing with regular contractions around the clock.

My prayer all along was that I would go into labor on my own, and I even asked God to please cause my water to break at home so there would be no danger of the doctor refusing to admit me to the hospital.

Sure enough, I went to bed on Thurs., April 10, and was awakened by a startling "gush" of fluid. I shook Stephen awake, telling him that either my water had broken or I had just wet the bed. I said I'd let him know which one it was in a minute. It soon became clear that this was "the real deal." We called my mom and rushed to the hospital (my contractions were coming every 2 minutes).

It was a long, exhausting labor, but I was comforted by the reminder that God was in control of every detail and that He would sustain me. After all, He had answered my prayers in such an unmistakable way - even causing me to have my Little One on the very day I had hoped for! Of course the memory of my uncomfortable pregnancy and the painful delivery faded instantly when I held my beautiful, baby boy in my arms. Kissing his velvety head and feeling his chubby, warm body snuggled next to mine was the most precious gift of all.

We have been blessed by so many demonstrations of love and generosity these past two weeks. Delicious meals, gifts, notes of encouragement,incredible hand me down baby gear from neighbors we didn't even know, and the opportunity to rest and enjoy our first two weeks with Papoose as a family. I will cherish these memories forever.

Adjustments...

There's something myserious about delivering my fourth child that qualifies me as a "veteran mother." At least that's how I'm treated. The hospital nurses were hesitant to give me any advice on the care of infants. If they did, it was always with the reverent qualifying statement, "but I'm sure you already knew that..." The funny thing is that I feel brand new at all of this! I find myself making the most startling mistakes. It wasn't until a dozen feedings had passed that I realized Papoose's writhing and fussing might be due to the fact that I hadn't yet burped him.

I decided to opt out of the "baby's first homecoming" nurse's visit. Not because I felt that I had things under control. No, I was keenly aware of my inadequacies and didn't want to risk having a few of my beloved children confiscated.

When the nurse called our home, I mustered up my most serene voice and assured her that all was well. True, Baby Boy had just found his brother's pocket knife collection, the big kids were in the same clothes from days before and Papoose was marinating in a shockingly dirty diaper. But those were my little secrets. There was no need to cast disillusionment over those nurses who shook their heads in wonder and asked themselves, "Now, HOW does she do it?"

Later that day, we decided to attempt a family walk up our beautiful, wooded road. It was quite the process finding matching socks and shoes for so many little feet, but we prevailed. I sent the big kids out ahead so I could dress Papoose. When I started outside, I groaned at the whoops and yells I heard from a flock of children outside my door. "Man, can't the neighborhood kids just leave us alone?" I bemoaned. Startled, I realized that all of those noisy voices belonged to my own little ones. I remembered something I read in one of those hospital pamphlets they send home with you (yes, I actually read those again!). Above all else, new mother's must maintain their sense of humor.

An Assortment of Cute Stuff...

I've been scribbling down all sorts of sweet and funny things the kids have come out with these past several weeks. My grocery lists are cluttered with heart-warming anecdotes and silly quotes. There's no great way to organize all of this, but I wanted to share it anyway...

Big Sis: Saw a woman in labor on one of her children's videos. She commented, "Yeah, she looked pretty distressed."

Buddy: "Since Great Grandma died, there is an empty place that will never be filled up."

When I told Sis that my induction date was going to be postponed, she was indignant. "Is that docor a man or a woman?!" she demanded. I told her he was a man. "Well, HE doesn't know how it feels."

Sis asked me why I needed to get stitches after delivering Papoose. I told her that I pushed a nearly-ten-pound baby out of my body, and that my skin tore a little. "Well, I didn't want to hear THAT!" she said.

Sis was wondering why on earth we had to read the gory song of Deborah in Judges. She asked, "Is it a BALLAD or something?"

Buddy was coloring Easter eggs at Grandma's. I told him that he had to be careful not to fill the bowls with too much dye. He answered, "I know, Mommy. When we put the eggs in, the water is going to be DISPLACED."

The day I arrived home from the hospital, I brought Baby Boy on a special walk up our road (just the 2 of us). He was elated and said with so much affection, "I love holding you hand, Mommy!"

I decided to put a spin on one of Baby Boy's catechism questions. Usually I ask him "Who made you?," and he answers, "God." This time I asked, "Who made our baby?" He answered, "By loving Him and doing what He commands."

Buddy: "When I get my eye caught on a book, I stick to it like a gecko!"

Baby Boy said uncertainly, "Mommy, you can't nurse with your elbows?"

Introducing "Papoose"

On April 11, 2008, our family was blessed with a new addition. A healthy baby boy weighing in at 9 pounds, 13 ounces (the same birth weight as his Big Sis). He has already brought so much joy to our home; he's just the sweetest little guy! Stephen has been able to take 2 weeks off of work to spend with our family. Our vacation time has been a great mixture of rest and productivity. In between trips to the park and family snuggles on the couch, Stephen has painted our nursery and administered the kids' standardized testing for the year. I'm so thankful for his help and for the memories we've made these past two weeks.

Our little bundle was born with beautiful, red skin and a full head of fluffy black hair. We all agreed that he looked like a little Indian (Native American) baby, so from now on we will refer to him as "Papoose."

Some Cute Pics of Baby Boy

Field Trip to Pottery Studio

Today the big kids and I left Baby Boy with Daddy and headed to a pottery studio to meet some friends. The woman who owns the business had agreed to give the children their own personal lesson on a pottery wheel. It was beyond belief! The kids got 2 hours of instruction and hands-on assistance with their own projects - all for the price of $10! It was so fun to see their enjoyment and fascination with the process. All 6 of the kids were perfectly behaved and listened so attentively to the woman as she taught them about types of clay, the process of making pottery items, and the proper way to use a potter's wheel... My friend who joined us there brought her 3-month baby girl who fell asleep in my arms (despite the rude kicks of her little friend in my belly). The woman offered to do a print of the baby's hand and foot for free. The same offer has been extended to us if we bring back our new baby when we pick up our pottery pieces.

I'm so thankful for the flexibility of homeschooling that allows us to fit in neat outings like this.

April Fools?!

I'm not kidding... These photos were taken on April 1, 2008 in our backyard. It has snowed twice since then. The kids were elated to discover a muddy little patch of dead grass in the corner of their yard. Spring can't come soon enough!!

Hanging in There (as I'm Hanging Out...)

Yes, it has been a while since I've written or posted any pictures. I think I'm going to put a stop to the pregnancy glamour shots. My figure is beyond startling, and I just can't bear to hear anyone else remind me of how enormous I am. I've begun to avoid eye contact with people when I make my weekly rounds to the grocery store or gymnastics. I'm either met with gushing expressions of sympathy or shameless gaping. I can't quite believe that I'm the most massive pregnant Mama who ever was or that I'll be the only one to endure an eternal pregnancy, but that's sure how I feel...

Yesterday (at my 38/39 week checkup) I told the doctor that I've been finding it very difficult to sleep. Similar to my first pregnancy, I have been having frequent, severe contractions whenever I lie down. She acknowledged the difficulty of this and told me that I should wait to give her a call until I've had an hour's worth of contractions that are so severe that I can't speak. It wasn't until I shared this tidbit with Stephen later that evening that the absurdity of the comment truly struck me. I realized that, if I waited that long to head to the hospital, I'd be stuck cleaning up my own afterbirth! With my last natural delivery, I only experienced about 15 minutes of contractions that were so severe I couldn't speak. Then Buddy made his hasty entrance into the world. My sister's response to the doctor's advice was priceless. She said, "...so if your doctor picks up the phone and there's silence on the other end, she can assume that it's you in labor?!"

On a more postive note...we have been so blessed by recent help and encouragement from family. Stephen's parents fixed our plumbing so we could enjoy showers once again. My mom has sacrificed many of her days off teaching to help us with our walls and surprised me with a freezer full of scrumptious meals last week. I could barely hold back the tears when I called to thank her. My brother in law, Tom, skillfully patched our nursery walls for us, and my other brother in law, Mark, just called to offer us yet another one of his Saturdays to help with our bedroom floor. These demonstrations of love (along with the encouraging e-mails, phone calls, prayers for our baby's safety, hand me downs from friends...) remind me of how much I have to be thankful for. This Little One is truly blessed to be born into such a gracious circle of extended family and friends...