Monday, January 30, 2012

Clarifying

Our good friend, Jim,
 who is a Deacon in the Catholic Church, commented on my last post, 
something very important.
(Deacon Frank is in the picture, not Deacon Jim)

I'll quote here:

"It is wonderful to see photos of the Baptism of your precious gift.  And good to see the many people gathered together with Deacon Frank presiding.  The occasion might have seemed personal and intimate, but Baptism by it's nature is always communal and not a private event.  The Baptismal waters are the first part of the Sacrament, the second part that will take place later is when the child is presented to the church and becomes a member of the Body of Christ, the church.  I am sure Jamie and Tom know this already, but I want to clarify this for other readers who also might want a private home Baptism.  It should be known that as a deacon in the Catholic church, Baptisms bring me much joy because it is so good to see another person brought to Christ in the church.  Our church is alive and growing!"

I am so happy Jim responded and explained it so well.
Much better than I could have worded it.
We will present Simeon in Mass in May, when the threat of RSV is gone.
I want to clarify that, although, it was nice and private to have Simeon's Baptism, in this way, 
it was nice to be able to do so without the worry of germs or him getting sick from anyone in public.
To be able to give him this special Sacrament, with Saving Grace, and in this special circumstance.
It was, also kind of, for me, missing exactly what Deacon Jim explained, the community.
I am looking forward to May, and another special day where he will get blessed with that 
great smelling Prism oil, the same oil that priests when being ordained, are anointed with.
(you know that oil, that smells so good, you don't want to give your baby a bath afterward)

Just thought I'd clarify.


Thursday, January 26, 2012

Thankful Thursday

 Thankful we were able to Baptize Simeon,
it was in the evening and he's kind of fussy in the evenings...
Thankful for this beautiful Sacrament 
 It was small and private, and so very nice!
Thankful to add from our good friend Deacon Jim S.
(also known as Clay Rosary Girl's daddy)
"It is wonderful to see the photos of the Baptism of your precious gift. And good to see the many people gathered together with Deacon Frank presiding. The occasion might have seemed personal and intimate, but Baptism by it’s nature is always communal and not a private event. The Baptismal waters are the first part of the Sacrament, the second part that will take place later is when the child is presented to the church and becomes a member of the Body of Christ, the church. I am sure Jamie and Tom know this already, but I want to clarify this for other readers who also might want private home Baptisms. It should be known that because of health reasons, Simeon was not able to have a church Baptism. 
As a deacon in the Catholic church, Baptisms brings me much joy because it is so good to see another person brought to Christ in the church. Our church is alive and growing!
Congratulations Jamie and Tom and welcome Simeon Thomas.
Deacon Jim"
Thank you Jim!

 Thankful for his godparents, Jeff and Nicki
 like I said, he was quite fussy and it was a quick nite, so this is about the best photo I got of him...
below, is our deacon/friend/fellow homeschooler and part of his family
(Frank and Laura, Emily and Maggie)
Thankful that Direct TV has music channels, we pick the dance ones and dance dance dance
on those days where it's too cold to go outside... 

 Thankful we've had lots of outside days though, this past week, full of snow, snow, snow!!!
(we have more snow now...but it's melting, high today was around 40!)
Thankful for our beautiful backyard hill, it keeps the kiddos entertained outside!
 Thankful we finally got snow here in MN
(click on this picture and see Sweetie Pie's face, it's sooo cute)
 Thankful 4 can fit on a sled!
 Thankful she loves it outside and Thankful she has sisters who will take her outside to play in the snow
 Thankful for beautiful rosey cheeked girls...
 Thankful for boys who shovel...



 and Thankful for boys who don't...
Thankful for blogging friends who "Yarn Along"
so I don't have to feel guilty for not knowing how to knit!
(OK, I still wished I knew how to)
 Isn't this sweater beautiful?
It fits him perfectly, and he looks like a little man in it!
 Thankful for quilting blogging friends who make "quilties" with duckies, just for us!!
Below
I had to show you that I took like 8 photos to get the "Wordless Wednesday" picture of Simeon!
Most were like this one...
Thankful for the miracle he is and always will be.

Thankful for all your prayers and the prayers of friends and family

Thankful for all the meals and gifts we've been and continue to receive, 
I have a pile of thank you's to do...hoping to get to them sometime.
(this post has been done 5 minutes at a time all day!)

Thankful we have this time off school,
 I can't imagine teaching yet...trying to figure how to fit that into our day
I have a little over a week left....


Thursday, January 19, 2012

Thankful Thursday--Our Miracle Baby!

Simeon looks calm here, but believe me, he was not that calm for most of the testing today!
I have to say it was pure torture for a mama to be helpless to her baby's cries.
It was pure torture for the big brother and daddy too!
We took Jedi along with us, because he said he would worry more if he were at home.
Simeon had to lie flat like this for 50 minutes.  
50 minutes?
I made the techs repeat this to me
Yep.
He had to have a catheter on and an IV, you can see the IV in his hand in the picture.
Simeon loves to have his hands up by his face, so this was really hard for him, and he cried a ton.
The techs said he would stop crying after a while and fall asleep, and he did.
(about half way through it)
The 2nd test was only about 15 minutes and a tech held his feet and legs straight,
I held his arms above his head
 and they took several pictures of his bladder doing what it was supposed to do
He screamed through this whole thing.


I kept thinking, "God, I know You think I can handle this, but really, I can't"
"OK, God, give me the strength to do this"

I don't think any parent gets used to watching their baby in any discomfort or pain.

When the Urologist came in, he said with a big smile on his face
"Simeon will not need any surgeries for his kidneys"
I'll repeat the key words there...

will not need any surgeries for his kidneys

It's a miracle.
A true miracle
A big miracle!

He told us that his kidneys are both normal and working fine.
He will need to go to get ultrasounds done every 3 months to check on the kidneys.

Praise God!
All honor and glory to God our Father in Heaven!!

This is such a big relief for us all.
I thank you all for your prayers, Masses and sacrifices you've done for our family, 
for the Poor Clare nuns and their prayers, 
for our deacon and the Sacrament of Baptism,
 (oh, the power of the Sacraments, and the power of prayer!!)
for all our friends and family who have brought us meals and gifts and sacrificed so much for us.


We were told when Simeon was still in my womb, that sometimes this 
does correct itself, which is why they wait a couple weeks after birth to see if that happens.
At 2 weeks, he had his ultrasound, and it was diagnosed as "moderate to severe"
and had not corrected itself,
so these tests were ordered to basically get ready for surgery, to know where the 
obstruction was and prepare to fix it.

Completely healed.

Our miracle baby, is so close to God.

I'll try to post some Baptism pictures soon!

Thankful Thursday indeed!
(Simeon is also back up to his birth weight, 6 lbs 1 oz!)

Wednesday, January 18, 2012

Prayers Please

Tomorrow we go to the Minneapolis Children's Hospital for tests for Simeon's kidneys.
I'm actually looking forward to getting out of the house, this mama is used to going places!!
We are hoping to find out when surgery will be.
He's still so little.
We are thinking he's about 6 lbs now.
He's still in the Newborn size diapers and clothes, which are big on him.
He's such a little honey.
He has a dimple on his left cheek, like me, and another dimple on the same cheek, by his mouth,
like Ballerina Rosie.
He loves to hold my finger while feeding him
 and he's so gentle always with his hands up by his face constantly.
He loves his cheeks kissed constantly, and this mama loves to kiss him constantly.


We are Baptizing him tonite.
Since we cannot take him out in the public, for fear of germs and sickness which can lead to
RSV, with his mouth and nose open to the air, we just cannot risk it.
We wanted him Baptized before any surgeries or even procedures like tomorrow will bring.
Our Deacon is coming tonite to Baptize him.
It's the quickest planned thing ever, Papa Murphy's pizza, a cake from Sam's Club 
and many blessings coming his way.

It's a special day. 

Thank you for all your prayers, they are precious and appreciated so much!


Monday, January 9, 2012

Thankful

 Thankful, just thankful, because I can't promise a post on Thursday.
Thankful for Simeon, he's perfect.
He seems so perfect, it's easy to forget he has an enlarged left kidney and needs surgery for that soon
We go for more tests on January 19th at the Minneapolis Children's Hospital to find out more.
 Thankful for big brothers...
 little big sisters....
 big, big sisters
 more big sisters...
 and more big sisters....
all who love their new brother with all their hearts!
 Thankful for my wonderful husband who went back to work today...
He did everything for me, let me sleep in, nap, cooked, shopped...
(you can see how little Simeon actually is in this picture compared to daddy)
 Thankful Sweetie Pie is finally sleeping all night in her room, out of her baby bed, 
in bed with Colette!!
 Thankful for baby toesies....
 Just in case you couldn't see them, here's a close up!
(she's still my baby, my baby girl)
 Thankful for newborn outfits that almost fit him
(Thanks Christine)
 Thankful we live in a country where I can feed my baby with a special bottle, 
my breastmilk...
 and Thankful there's always someone to kiss him (always)
 and check in on him...
 Thankful for games on my bed in the evenings while I feed Simeon....
 Thankful I have a freezer full (this is the garage freezer, so pardon the dirtiness of it)
of breastmilk...I think I have like 70 four ounce bags of milk so far...
so much, I'm running out of room to freeze...
 Thankful I do not have that enzyme thing with my milk, I can freeze my milk without scalding it first...
Thankful for a fridge full of breastmilk too...
 Thankful we got our Epiphany King's cake made and devoured....
Thankful we homeschool and my kiddos are able to enjoy this time off with the baby, 
to get to know him, to love him and be around him.

Thankful for the unseasonably warm weather we've been having here in MN, 
40's today....

Thankful for all your prayers, gifts, help, and love we've received from so many of you!!
You are a blessing in our lives and we appreciate it.
I pray for you in return.

Sunday, January 1, 2012

Simeon!

 Finally, huh?
I hesitate to even post these pictures, 
because I feel kind of like it's exploiting him.
We love him so very much and I want to protect him from anyone who 
would not love him for who he is, who God made him to be.
Love him, I guess, the way we do.
Which is silly, because no one loves any of our children the way we do.
 But, it is because of blogs that I read that helped me when I first found out how special he was going to be.
And
so I hope this someday, helps someone else going through a similar thing in their life
to see this precious life and to love it and be so very thankful for this gift.
We are so very blessed to have the opportunity to take care of him, 
to feed him special, to do the extra things we need to take care of him.
Our love just multiplies each day we get to take care of him and watch him grow and change.
We are so very blessed.
 My argyle boys!
The kiddos are very excited to have a baby brother!!
Things are crazy around here, hardly time to do anything beyond
the bare necessities but we are surviving and each day gets a little better and a little
easier.
 A little sisterly love....just a little, there's always someone who wants to hold him, 
he is so very loved and blessed.
As are we, so very blessed, for our Christmas Miracle!