Sorry I've been so quiet

There is so much I'd like to say but can't . . . shouldn't. :( So much is going on and all I can do is ask for your continued prayers for our family.

Small farm update: Twitchy was hit by a car, Spunky was sold. The big pigs will be going to the butcher next weekend. Cows are on total lock down with hay and chickens are yet to be butchered. The trials of this summer have not been a result of the difficulties of farm life, more like the difficulties of small town living. I hope to look back on this summer (now moving merrily into Fall) and laugh but for now it seems unlikely (not impossible).

Baby update: JM is doing very well, he is much more awake and alert this week and has recovered very well from his bout of Jaundice. The local dr seems anti breastfeeding but we are taking it a day at a time. My little man nurses like a champ even though he is petite. He will go back next week for another weigh in.

Birthday season is upon us once again. AR is going to officially be a teenager next week and HG will be 7. We are all excited. We will do all that we can to make it special for them both. We are scheduled to see some friends next week so they are very excited about that too :)

GH is adjusting very nicely to JM, she loves to give him kisses and hugs. She is also acclimating to her new bed. Though she is not too thrilled about it yet.

Please keep my mom in your prayers also as she will be going in for surgery in the next two weeks. Thanks

Happy Sunday :)

Lots to tell

Oh boy where do I begin. About a week ago I got and email from a dear friend that told me that she knew of a family that had a van they would no longer be needing. I had all but given up on a van at that point so it was quite interesting. I admit I was hesitant to hope and a bit skeptical because I knew our finances weren't so great. We decided to trust God and call anyway. Dh called and told them what we could do and a little about our farm, they would need to discuss it and get back to us. Two days went by and no one called so we figured they needed more and were alright with that. We certainly would want more if we were them so there was no hard feelings. Strangest thing happened, the called the next day, I initially though it was a counter offer. After all they are a larger family too (9 kids) and they seemed to really want to help us. We talked for some time and then we started to talk animals, turns out they were very interested in a butcher hog and a beef calf, I got those - check. They had recently service the van, before being blessed with an upgrade of their own and the out of pocket set them back a little (we've all been there - at least 1 of my children will have to be a mechanic because seriously they are very well paid). Imagine my surprise when the amount he asked for was less (you read that right) then half of what we had offered, oh and they were willing to deliver it since we had no way to pick it up. I'm pretty sure at that moment you could have knocked me over with a feather. I could hardly contain myself, I called everyone I could . . . you know dh, my sis and mom because those are the only numbers I have memorized :P I was apprehensive to even believe it, I mean this could really be happening, we could finally be getting a 12 passenger van for us to be able to get around as a family.

Saturday rolled around and no one called or came. To add to the excitement, I started seeing signs of labor - very unexpected. I called dh and had him come home as I wasn't very sure what to do, baby wasn't supposed to make an appearance for another week based on my history. We called the hospital and of course my dr was out of town (assumption made based on her never returning any of the calls). The dr that dh spoke to advised that I should come in to be checked as a precaution. Well, I guess God had other plans because try as he may dh was not able to get me there. The truck would start and then I would be close to it and it would shut off and not start back. For 4 hours dh worked trying to get it going for us to go (I had conceded well before that). We went back to the house and the dr called just as I walked in, so I got to chat with him for a bit. I can honestly say I am very glad that I wasn't in labor having to deal with that guy. He even threw in the classic "you don't want to end up with a home birth" LOL!!! Imagine his surprise to know that we'd btdt, lol. He admitted he didn't actually know the stats and had only ever observed 1. I explained that baby was still moving fine, there was no pain or contractions and no bleeding and my water hadn't broke, so with no way there we'd stay put unless something changed. (After all, 911 was always an option if something started and I needed to get there).

Well the next phone call was from the family with the van and they apologized for not calling sooner, their day had been . . . hectic is probably an understatement. They'd come by the next day after Church. I was just glad it was not a dream :) The kids an I were SO excited and practically counted down until the proposed time and no one showed. We were heartbroken . . . at least for a couple hours until they called and apologized, life with 9 kids got a little crazy and they were running behind. :) Imagine my surprise when I walked outside to see . . . we'll I'll let you see for your self.




Yup, that's right it is an exact match to our truck, in fact, aside from the eerily matching paint job, it is also the make and year. To which I have to say, the patron saint of automobiles must be working some serious overtime. DH was still at work so the kids and I waited patiently. The family that came were so wonderful, we hope to get to know them better. It's nice to meet real people, they even brought us treats, how could they know that apples are a HUGE hit here, along with jam and cupcakes? (Might have something to do with having 9 kids but I choose to think otherwise, lol).

Once they left I opted to take my long overdue nap. When I woke up I chatted with several midwife friends and they reassured me that for me this was not very early at all as I was only a week sooner than my normal. That was very comforting and it seemed that the dr must have felt that way too as he didn't seem too concerned about it. That night our little guy (JM) was born and we were all thrilled. He was an ounce shy of my smallest baby and an inch longer than her. He latched on very well and is nursing like a champ. It was wonderful to see how God worked it all out so that we got the van just in His perfect time. :) Well I know you are dying to see him so here he is . . .

Not much to say

Well with just a few weeks left there isn't much to say but oh boy is there lots to do. The pigs are behaving, finally. The cows are . . . trying to, lol. Side note: Things are still not final with the Notch situation, she ended up dying after 13 days in their care and they are trying to pay us as though she arrived that way. Please pray for the situation as I believe they do not have insurance or are not wanting to file another claim.

On the upside I have been able to level out the pregnancy weight gain for this last trimester to at or around zero, yay!! If you're now joining the party this may sound horrible but I am quite overweight and it is very important that I keep it to a minimum, so as long an this little guy is growing well we do not have to worry. :) While I still haven't found a good alternative to sugar or HFCS, I have discovered that I don't need to have nearly as much as I had been consuming but it take a concerted effort to try to limit it. It is also difficult to try to pack the fiber in as so many foods are processed, thankfully fruit is there to save the day :)

I am really enjoying my time at home, it is amazing how quickly the kids grow up right before your eyes, I'm glad I won't have to miss it. My IL has hit her girly phase thanks to big sis HG and GH is following right behind. The child (like her sister) attempts at least 3 wardrobe changes daily, lol. She is a great person to send shopping with dh as she is always thinking like a mama, she doesn't pick out 1 piece of fruit for herself but the entire bag for everyone, lol. HG has that problem with making oatmeal too, she is great at 8-10 servings but clueless about single servings, lol. Baby girl (GH) is learning lots of new words daily, she is also very interested in imaginative play.

With dh's change in schedule AR has taken up most of the animal chores, with his ADHD he really needs the change up in his day and just being a boy he needs his outside time, lol. I am trying to learn more about football (American), though I only just sorted out the 2 Oklahoma college teams. We watched "the blind side" the other night and dh tried his best to help me understand who goes on the field when. I'll let you know if I ever get it. SL is far more likely to benefit from this but AR and I will just have to learn together.

EE is making some progress at school, though she still has too much control of the day. She performs much better at home than at school, but I demand quality work every time, no exceptions. I am still looking for an activity for her, but I do not want her to be disruptive to the rest of the group so it is a bit of a challenge. She is not very athletic either, since she has 1 leg slightly shorter than the other so . . . suggestions welcome.

Well, I guess I had more to say than I thought, lol. I'll quit babbling now :) SO what have you been up to?