Bed Rest Update...

Ok, so I'm cheating a little to be sitting at the computer to update here...

To be honest I'm almost two weeks into my bed rest and am going a little stir crazy. I figure I'm allowed trips to the bathroom and shower, so I think this can be counted for one of those out of bed moments. I know... I'm pushing it. I'll try to keep this short.

I updated the background and colors for Christmas. I'm early on this, I know. But I'm not sure if I would be on here to transition from Advent theme to Christmas theme, so I just jumped to Christmas. Also, it's silly I know, but it cheered me up to "decorate" a bit. :)

As for the placenta previa it's going as well as can be expected I guess. I have had more spotting off and on. I have had contractions off and on as well. Nothing to warrant another night in the hospital though. Thank the Lord. I have another apt. set up with the high risk O.B. doc in a week for yet another ultrasound and consult. Hoping and praying for all to be well. Or at least for the same results we had at the last visit. The kids have done fairly well on stepping up their chores and helping out more. We are still receiving meals during the week from the ladies of our parish community, family, friends and neighbors. As for school...well, I didn't think our rhythm/schedule could be any more relaxed. But God has shown me differently. We get the core subjects done with the children gathered around my bed and after, we spend reading books, books, and more books. I purchased quite a few new books this year to add to our Advent/Christmas baskets. This reading time with the children along with a lot more focused prayer time has been the greatest blessing for me so far.

There have also been difficult times as well. Of course, I think this goes without saying. I'm sure you can fill in the blanks and imagine for yourself the trials bed rest brings to a mother and family of 9. But, I'm trying not to dwell on the negative and this includes blogging about it too.

In all things praise God!

~and so I say

Blessed be God!!

And I don't care if that's too "Pollyanna". I do this for the good of my mental and spiritual health.

I would like to thank you for all the prayers and kind comments. It is a true comfort to me. Know that I, in turn, am praying for you as well.

Well, I think my time is up. ;)

Thank you for reading.

May God bless you!

Bed Rest...it has begun.

Last Sunday morning, as I was getting ready for Mass with the family I had bleeding. I went to the hospital for a 24 hour stay for careful observation. They gave me steroid shots to prepare the baby's lungs faster just in case of early delivery. I also found out that along with needing to have a blood supply ready for me, that I, myself cannot bank any blood because they discovered I am anemic. Ugh. I was released home late Monday on orders of complete bed rest. The key is to get the baby as far along as possible inside the womb. The doctor also warned me that bleeding is just one of the symptoms of previa which I knew, but she added that once a patient has bled that the chance of it happening again with heavier blood loss goes up exponentially. As does the risk of preterm labor. ---BTW, I am 27 weeks and one day along today. I know you have already been praying for me and I thank you and appreciated it so very much. I would like to ask you to continue your prayers for my baby boy, myself and my other children and husband as we all try to cope with these new challenges.

Through God's goodness we have been blessed with a very loving and generous church community, family and friends that have volunteered to bring meals, run errands, clean house and take the kids when needed. This is such a busy time for everyone, right in the middle of the holidays. I am so very thankful for these kind women that have come forward despite how much they already must have to do.

Ok, well, that's all for now. I'm kind of cheating by sitting at the computer so I need to keep this short. I can't post to my blog from my iTouch, but I can check emails and comments. :)

Thank you for reading.

May God bless you!

I'm lovin' me some Haydn!

And this piece fits my mood today perfectly. Enjoy!

Small Successes #18

"It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1. On Monday we found out two very good things. The first is that we are having a very healthy baby BOY :). And the second was that my placenta previa condition is not as bad as was first suspected. I will be able to keep all my girl parts and go in for a regular c-section. There will still be bleeding of course. But that is to be expected with placenta previa. Compared to what we were facing with the accreta and percreta I'd call this a successes.

2. I finished our "O" Antiphon House. Yea!!! That's one of the items on my "To Do" before Advent that I can check off. Last year it was our Jesse Tree. If I can keep up this pace then I should have all our family traditions worked out by the time the new baby is a teen. ;)

3. I'm in the midst of organizing and putting together a household management book/binder. With the possibility of having to go on bed rest this project has become something that I can't put off any longer. I've always wanted to do one but just never got around to it. I think it is past due for our family anyway. With a family our size it has become more of a necessity than of convenience. As the old saying goes: Those who fail to plan, plan to fail.

Please visit Faith & Family Live! to celebrate and share small successes.

Thank you for visiting.

God bless,

Wordless Wednesday ~ Our O Antiphon House

More information on the O Antiphons

&

More inspiration for O Antiphon Houses

We found out the sex of the baby!

It's a Boy!!!!

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We also found out some other happy news as well. I had my apt. with the high risk OB specialist yesterday. After two separate ultra-sounds that lasted close to two hours the doctor felt 99.9% positive that we are not facing an accreta or percreta placenta. I do still have a complete placenta previa with it's complications and this condition will not change from here on out. According to the doctor, if it was going to move it would have done so already. Even though I am still nervous/worried about the previa, I am also relieved to know that it is nothing more than this. With the other conditions it could have resulted in the loss of my uterus and major complicated surgery. Now I can focus my prayers better as well. I will still need to have blood banked for me. The doctor made it clear that I should not be the one to do this because of the risk that I could start bleeding at any time with the previa condition and this could lower my own supply too much. So far I have not bled and this is very good. I just pray that this good fortune continues. If I do not go into premature labor or start to bleed than they will probably take the baby via c-section two to three weeks early. If I do start to bleed, which the doctor said is always a risk with placenta previa and increases the farther along in the pregnancy I get, I will need to go to hospital and most likely be put on complete bed rest if allowed to go home. I have no idea how we would deal with this as a homeschooling family of nine people. But I have confidence in God that He does nothing without good reason and that He always supplies ample grace for any trial He allows us to go through.

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Ok, well that's all for now. I would appreciate any and all prayers that you would have to offer for the baby and myself.

Thank you and God bless!

~ Veterans Day ~

O God, by whose mercy the faithful departed find rest, look kindly on your departed veterans who gave their lives in the service of their country. Grant that through the passion, death, and resurrection of your Son they may share in the joy of your heavenly kingdom and rejoice in you with your saints forever. We ask this through Christ our Lord.

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May God bless our veterans past and present!

Wordless Wednesday ~ Three Lovely Ladies

~24 weeks!

I consider this post an act of humility. :P

~ Prayers for the Poor Souls ~

Please don't forget to pray for the poor souls!

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Especially from Nov. 1 through Nov. 8th otherwise known as All Souls Week.

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The entire month of November is dedicated to the poor souls in Purgatory.

Small Succeses #17

"It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1. I have finally completed my small part of the surprise for Jessica's baby shower. I had meant to get it done last weekend. Well, better late than never...I hope.

2. I've started the novena to St. Anne found in the lovely prayer packet (pdf file) that Elizabeth Foss put together during her pregnancy with Sarah. This has been a great comfort to me during my own high risk pregnancy. The past couple of nights I have had a difficult time falling asleep and then staying asleep, not to mention the troubled dreams. I printed out the booklet and now say the novena with my husband right before going to sleep as we lay in bed. It has become my safety blanket.

3. All the Halloween candy in our home is gone! Yea! And I will not be buying any of the candy that is now on sale in every store I step into. I. Will. Not.

Now it's your turn!

Please visit Faith & Family Live to share and celebrate other Small Success.

Thank you for stopping by!

God bless,

My Daybook ~ All Hallows Eve edition

For today...

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Outside my window... a lovely sunny day of 63 degrees. Quite a change from last week.

I am listening to... the children anticipating daddy coming home.

I am thinking... how quickly time seems to be passing. Halloween has come and gone and Thanksgiving and the beginning of Advent is almost here.

To be fit and happy... ugh, not doing to well with this. I have started to take more supplements. I've added to my normal prenatal vitamins a "blood builder" herbal whole food pill and alfalfa pill. I've been told that I will probably have to bank my blood for my upcoming csection due to my placenta previa complications. So taking these are a must. Also, I'm uping my fiber intake as well with milled sprouted flaxseed and milled raw psyllium husk.

I'm thankful for... every little kick and nudge my sweet little one gives me. It is a true comfort for me right now.

From the kitchen... more hearty dishes such as stews, slow cooker roast and soups.

I am wearing... maternity blue jeans, red and white striped long sleeved maternity top and my very comfy tennis shoes.

I am creating... a unique child of God. :) Oh, and I'm trying to finish our O Antiphon house before the start of Advent. I started this project after Advent last year after seeing everyones fantastic ideas on other blogs. I put it aside though after getting caught up in other projects. I'm almost done. I only have the blocks to finish with the symbols.

In the learning room...mostly status quo. Which, right now, is alright by me.

Bringing beauty to my home... adding a few more decorations up around the house for Thanksgiving.

I am reading... I just finished Coraline by Neil Gaiman. Weird. Just too weird for me to like really. I'm trying to read The Mysterious Benedict Society with my oldest boy and we are currently making our way through the Spiderwick Chronicles as our family read-aloud. I want to reread New Moon by Stephanie Meyer before the movie comes out at the end of the month.

I am hoping/praying for... a safe and healthy rest of the pregnancy. And good news at my apt. with the high risk OB specialist. I'm scheduled for a consult and another level 2 ultrasound. If they can't get enough from that then they will do a MRI. We will discuss how to proceed based on the findings.

One of my favorite things...crisp, clear autumn mornings.

A few plans for the rest of the week... a visit to the cemetery to pray for the poor souls in Purgatory, women's group at church, boy's club at church, swim lessons and the weekly trip up to the dairy to get our milk.

To live the liturgy... our visit to the cemetery to pray for the poor souls and gain for them a plenary indulgence.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...

Here is the updated photo I promised in my last Daybook entry.


Please visit Peggy at The Simple Woman for more Daybooks.

Thank you for stopping by!

God bless,

What to do?

So, what do we do when it's a very chilly 23 degrees out and the world outside your window looks like a snow globe?

Well, first there's the hot chocolate! :)

Next, we sit by the fireside.

And then we pick up a good book and read.

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Ah! Blessed bliss.

Wishing you all the warmth that an early snowfall brings.

God bless,

Wordless Wednesday ~ First Snow of the Season!

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A Baby Shower for Jessica at Shower of Roses! ~

Marci over at 6Hands2Hold blog is hosting a baby shower for our rose of the blogosphere, Jessica at Shower of Roses blog! How fun! Below is her quote from her blog post. She is asking all friends of Jessicas whether real or on the web to stop by her blog and leave a comment. She will then get a hold of you and give you the details of the plan. She would like to get as many people involved as possible and asks that we spread the word ourselves on our own blogs or email. She has limited time to pull this all together in time for the baby shower in November. So, please follow the link over to Marci's blog and help her with the surprise. Jessica inspires so many of us, myself included, and brings joy to many with a visit to her blog. Let us give her a little of that joy back. Let's make this a "Shower of Roses" Jessica will never forget!

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"So, I am hosting a baby shower for Jessica, over at Shower of Roses, in late November and am trying to get all her friends (blogger and otherwise) involved in a NEAT gift I want to present to her at her shower. I cannot give you all the details in my post here because she comes over and reads my blog. (WINK WINK Jessica.) If you wanna join in on the fun, leave me a comment and I will get back to you with all the information. (I will tell you it DOES involve ROSES and you will wanna be a part of this!!!) Also, if you want to post about it on your own blogs to help get the word out, please do. Just DO NOT give out all the little nitty gritty details. Let's surprise her with a lovely gift and SHOWER her with Roses!!!"
~@~~@~~@~~@~~@~

Thank you for stopping by.

May God bless you,

Small Successes #16

"It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1. We have started up our nightly family read alouds again. It got pushed to the side during the summer months. It was light out in the evening and we as a family naturally spent that time out of doors doing things. But with the longer evenings and the cool fall weather it has come back into our family evening routine. We've started reading and are really enjoying The Spiderwick Chronicles.

2. I have done my best to block out the negative and/or scary birth stories that people love to tell me about. Why is it that when someone sees that you are expecting this is what they are compelled to share? Especially now that I have the placenta previa complications. Ugh. Please, if you don't have anything nice to say...keep it to yourself.

3. I've been better at letting (making) the kids help me more around the house. Even more of a plus, I'm accepting of the fact that it will not be perfect or even done the way that I would do it. This has been a hard one for me, but the doctor has made it clear that I have to rest more. And being put on complete bed rest while homeschooling and running a household of 9 people is an unthinkable alternative.

Please go share and celebrate others small successes over at Faith & Family Live!

Thank you for stopping by.

May God bless you,

Autumnal Fun! ~ Some things we did last week

I was going to do this as a Wordless Wednesday post but quickly realized, a) there were too many pictures to share and, b) I wanted to write little snippets to explain each set of pics :)

So, here are some highlights from last week!

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* Fun Fall Math *

(inspiration from as cozy as spring)

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* A Hearty Meal *

~ Hachis Parmentier~

(my French grandmothers recipe)

• 6 Baked Potatoes

• 1 lb. ground beef

• 12 oz. ground sausage (hot)

• 2 eggs

• Preferred Seasoning to Taste (Pepper, Salt, Italian Seasoning, Cumin, Garlic Powder, Onion Powder)
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  Boil Potatoes, when cool peel them. Brown sausage then put it aside. Brown beef in same pan then put both meats together and season to your taste. Mash potatoes and add meats and mix well. Then add beaten eggs. Mix till smooth. Place in baking dish in 350 degree oven for about an hour.

Serve with salad and a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon :)

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* A trip to the Corn Maze and Pumpkin Patch *

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* An Apple Pie for "A" week along the Alphabet Path *

Thank you for stopping by!

God bless,

Small Successes #15

It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that.

1. I finally made Danielle's delicious fall cookies! Yummy!

Plus, we all had fun making and frosting them.

2. I swapped out the summer clothes for the winter clothes. I'm late with this here. We are averaging a high most days in the mid 60's.

3. I made my French grandmothers recipe of *Hachis Parmentier. I hadn't made it in forever!Probably since last fall/winter. It is a hearty meal of meat and potatoes. Perfect for the wet Autumn weather that has blown in. It's kind of like a French shepherds pie I guess, without the veggies. The veggies come on the side in a nice mixed green salad with my hubby's special oil & vinegar dressing.

*I would link to a recipe online but NONE of them are like my Mémé’s

Now it's your turn.

Go share in other small successes over at Faith & Family Live!

Thank you for stopping by.
God bless,

Wordless Wednesday ~ A Tour of Our School Room

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Thank you for stopping by.

God bless,

Small Successes #14

"It’s important for moms to recognize that all the small successes in our days can add up to one big triumph. So on Thursday of each week, we do exactly that."

1. In an effort to eat more healthy I've added veggies to every meal. Yes, even breakfast. I add some chopped up in my scrambled eggs.

2. I balanced the checkbook with the account online and have all the debit card receipts accounted for. Now I know just how broke we are. ;)

3. We have stuck to our homeschool schedule/rhythm and we are coming along nicely. I've had to make a few tweaks here and there to my lesson plans, but overall I'm very pleased with the beginning to our yearly learning adventure.

For more Small Successes please visit Faith & Family Live!

Thank you for stopping by!

God bless,