Surgery

We met with Simeon's surgeon last Friday

Surgery will be the first week of May

He will be a little over 4 months, so he should be a good size

He's a little over 8 lbs right  now

The nurse in the surgeon's office said that cleft lip/palate's are very common,

so much so that they see 4 to 5 babies per month!

We will have surgery right here in our town (yay!)

He will be in at least overnight and be there til he's able to suck out of his bottle

He'll need to wear arm braces for 4 weeks, to prevent him from touching his face

His next surgery will be when he's about 12-14 months, 

that surgery will be on the roof of his mouth.

I'm OK with it being 2 months away yet.

That means I don't really have to think much about it til then.

like, not having him for that time he's in with the doctors.

That will be pure torture, pure torture I tell you.

Needing to keep him away from public places these last 2 months, 

(in an effort to prevent RSV, his mouth and nose are so open to the air)

We've been splitting up Mass.

I've done the grocery shopping without him.

(That's all I've done I guess...)

Every time I see another mama with her baby

I tear up.

It's heartbreaking for this mama 

to not be able to bring him with me

and I miss him so 

When I come back, I just want to hold him and hug and kiss him!

I just can't imagine handing him over to the doctors and 

the pure torture I'll be feeling in the waiting room.

Hopefully that answers some of your questions

25 Ways to Wear a Scarf in 4.5 Minutes!

Makes me wish I wore a scarf.
That's one of those things I always say I'll do when I'm thin.

My oldest daughter loves to wear scarves

She's brave with her style and not afraid to stand out!

She loved this video!


(If you click on the title, you can go to Youtube and watch it without the advertisement blocking your view)

Luxuries

These days taking a shower and getting dressed is a luxury.

I am living in luxury today!!

Not so yesterday

or Monday actually.

When 8pm rolled around and the kiddos were getting ready for bed,

I started to head for the stairs to get ready myself, 

but realized

I already had my pajamas on

from the night before.

What a difference a shower makes in one's self esteem

I feel happy today

The feel happy showered feeling.

Thankful Thursday

 Thankful there are always kiddos to surround Simeon, 

Thankful he's had some quiet times of contentment

(he still has fussy times, but those contentment times were not there before)

 Thankful for floor time...

 Thankful for smiles...

 Thankful for little hands holding little hands...

 Thankful for lots of hands...

 Thankful we finally got Mary Hannah's First Holy Communion banner done!!

(the bottom has her real name and more red fringe like the top)

The church gives us the banners...we added the fringe and got better letters

She picked what she wanted to say

 Thankful for the "painted world" snowfall we had this past week, 

It snowed during the night and the night just glowed

(I know, I was up several times)

 Thankful so very thankful for boys who will shovel

Can you tell it's the thick, heavy kind of snow?

 Thankful the kids had new snow to play in

(and eat)

 Thankful for muddy knees (from melting snow and mud)

 rosy cheeks, smiles and running down the hill

(click on the picture for cuteness)

 Thankful for these products...I can eat them and they are easy to find in our grocery store!

Thankful there is actually a lot of things to choose from for gluten free foods

OK-- Not Thankful for prune juice.

This stuff is nasty

I can't even believe people buy this more than one time

If you live close to me, and want a whole bottle of this,

come and get it!

Thankful so very thankful for bandaids.

They make any owie better

(she got her finger slammed in the shower door)

Thankful for this little stuff and so much more, 

much bigger stuff

 it's easy to dwell in the muck of every day life

I just have to take time to be thankful for the small stuff

the many blessings that happen every day

even in the middle of crabby, fighting kids, little sleep, 

no bread, laundry filled, poopie diaper and no poopin' 

days

(if you know what I mean)

It's OK

I pooped.







I also stopped by the store after picking up Jedi from band and got some prune juice, Red Mill Gluten Free oats,
flax seed and Gluten Free Chocolate Chex!  Everyone is going to be jealous of all the yummy stuff I get to eat.

No More Fiber One is Not Good

OK, so what do you Gluten Free people do to keep regular?

I eat lots of veggies, but still need to have a Fiber One bar before bed,

just to, you know, keep things flowing.

Every time I got up to feed Simeon last night, my stomach was killing me.

I need to poop.

There.

I said it.

Do I need to put prune juice in my smoothies?

(yes, I said poop, prune juice and smoothies in the same post)

PS
I did answer people in the comments of the last post...I'm not always the best at that....

Lent--Shaking off the Bonds of Stuff!!

Lent this year, I wasn't really planning on giving anything up.

  I gave up Diet Coke recently--that's always a good one

 I am in one of those feel sorry for myself modes right now.

You know, I don't get enough sleep, I am constantly sacrificing for the baby 

and the kiddos,
 having no time to do any extras
 with the extra time, I'm pumping milk for Simeon.

You know, feeling sorry for myself, or maybe it's 

a pride thing,

 (tongue in cheek here) maybe I am feeling too great about myself and all I do

(ha ha! See bottom of this post for that comment!)

Seriously though, I am finding it hard to even get good meals on the table still.

We have plans to do all this stuff

Besides the thought of giving up things, I also think it is good to do extra things.

I suppose the extra things are things we should already be doing.

Praying a rosary (every day)

Praying the Divine Mercy Chaplet (every day)

Going to daily Mass as often as we can

(the more you go, the more you yearn for it)

Giving to the poor

Going to Adoration

Do the Stations of the Cross daily

Go to Stations at Church

Read the Bible (every day)

Our local Catholic newspaper had this pullout in it last week.

It's a calendar to follow and each day there is a question or something to do.

I really like this idea. 

One little thing at a time.

One day says "What can I do today to bring out the good in someone else?"

Another thing I found was at Gardenia's blog 

She posted this post and it got my attention!

"Shaking Off the Bonds of Stuff for Lent"

I like that

Mostly because of the catalog thing to do on day 4

"Day 4:  Throw out every old catalog.  They will send you new ones."

Hmmmm....I have quite a few...you know just because I might need them someday.

Do you think I need these?

Nope

I'm always trying to declutter

I think maybe deep down, I'm afraid of becoming a hoarder.

No actually, I think "stuff" makes me crazy.

It's disorganization

I like to be organized.

See?  God is teaching me to be humble, 

because with 6 kiddos and a man in the house, 

there is lots of  "stuff"

 "Day 12:  Dispose of all the recipes you cut out and haven't used."

I have a ton of recipes, not only cut out, but printed off!!

I've already started (I couldn't wait)

and I have about 6 or 7 cookbooks make that 11 or 12 (I just counted)
 to give to Goodwill 

and got rid of that pile up there in the right hand corner of the picture, 

and the 2 folders on the top left of the picture.

I have to keep some cookbooks

You know, the cake and dessert ones especially, 

so the kiddos can pick their birthday cakes and desserts 

It's always hard to know which ones to keep and which ones to get rid of.

I'm weird.

I like to clean

I like to organize

I like this plan for lent!

Go to Gardenia's if you are weird too want to try this too!

I think my baby needs me to be "Gluten Free"

I am experimenting with it this week.

I'm on day 2 today

Can't really say I reallly knew what gluten was til now.

It's in just about everything.

Simeon has been a pretty fussy baby, barely having any happy times

he's been happy for like 5 minutes at a time.

Since I've given up gluten...

He's been pretty content.

Finally got a picture of him smiling, even though, his head is turned!

he played and laughed and smiled for 1/2 hour 

then went downstairs and played and was happy for another 1/2 hour!

I think God is telling me that I'm not that great and I don't do that much.

My lent and beyond might be no gluten...

more on that later...

(this post is long enough)

Thankful Thursday

 Thankful my baby is 8 weeks old today!!

He's 7 pounds, 6 ounces, as of Friday.

 Thankful I finally found a sling that works!!

and the best part is it was free!!

Some kind of Valentine's day special!

After being awake all day, he loved it and instantly fell asleep!

 Thankful for fun Art Blogs with projects we can do!

 Thankful for strawberry syrup and red plates for Valentine's day!

(We had this for lunch)

 Thankful this big boy finally has a little brother....

 and can't wait to teach him everything he knows!!

 Thankful for new Cinnamon toast and the Pioneer Woman's lessons

 (I even got white potato bread for this and it was a hit)

 Speaking of hits...Thankful for girls that sing and dance and act....

 and teach it to their little sisters!

 Thankful for extra hands full of love and kisses for this sweet baby!

Thankful for these loud, crazy, busy, fighting, messy, 

wonderful, Awesome kiddos!!

Downton Abbey

OK, I'm hooked.

I kept seeing this all over blog world.

  Book giveaways,

 "Have you seen the last show?"'s, 

and character talk.

Well, I had to check it out

  I found out you can watch last season on Netflix, 

and this season on their website,

I am hooked.

It's a show about the lives of the very rich and their servants and a huge mansion called

Downton Abbey in England.

It's very interesting.

I love the characters,
(well, except Thomas & Ms O'Brian)
 I love the clothes,
the rooms, the grounds, the food they eat...

I love watching this show!

I can't get my husband to watch it though.

(so, I watch while I pump milk at the computer)

Attention Google Readers!

I have a new header picture!

Valentine's Day Ideas

 Make a giant heart cookie pizza using refrigerator cookie dough and pink frosting with

shredded white chocolate with sprinkles... 

 Make a love tree...

 with special love notes and quotes...

 make pink play dough...

 Make special love notes each day in February for your husband (or wife)...leaving special treats too...

let him know he's your muscle man and he's still your hero!

 Send him a love email....

 winter heart crafts...

 heart collages...

 paint with red, pink and white paint and let the kiddos mix it all up!

 Make these bingo dabber, coffee filter, tie dye hearts...

or these cards for your sweetie....

(left) finger print heart card

(middle) tissue paper rose card

(right) sticker heart card...

Hoping to make this...

Love your sweeties!!

Flashpoint and Pumping

This is the new show my husband and I are enjoying through Netflix.

Flashpoint

We haven't figured out what "Flashpoint" means but it always starts out at

the climax of the show, then, they go back to the beginning, 2 hours, 3 hours, 4 hours.

Maybe that's the "Flashpoint", the climax of the show.

This is a show about cops, good cops, 

who are shown in a good light of always protecting and doing the best in 

very hard situations, no matter what is going on in their personal lives...

I like how they really develop the characters and they really 

do a good job of helping you to like the characters.

We had started watching Smallville  

but didn't even make it through one season,

we just thought it was dumb.

Some shows we've enjoyed in the past through Netflix:

The Closer

(we are DVRing the new ones)

Prison Break

(I linked images on that one, just because, I kind of miss them)

24  

(although, we quit on the last 2 seasons, it just got old)

Heroes

Alias

Fringe

(we're caught up on this one and DVR it now)

Leverage 

(we got tired of this one too)

 Sorry, I have no good movie reviews, as I just can't stay awake through a whole movie!!

I am getting creative with my pumping.

I moved the pump by the computer this past weekend and now can blog and read blogs while I pump

I can also correct all school papers while I pump in the evening, which is an answer to 

one of my worries, "How am I going to find time to correct?"

and I can pump in the living room in the afternoon and pray with Mother Angelica, 

I DVR'ed

The Holy Rosary

Ooh, now I  know I can also watch it on Youtube!

(My visual mind must follow along!)

Multi-task, I must multi-task!

It's only taken me 7 weeks to figure it all out!

**I have to add that the first episode of Flashpoint is not that great, but the rest were great!**

Taking Notes

Yesterday we started school! We made it through the day, although, Rosie was still doing her math at

8pm, we made it!!

For English, Jedi is learning how to take notes (he's in 6th grade), our book suggested listening to a song he didn't know and taking notes as it plays. He wanted a male singer, so I chose Kenny Rogers! I wanted to pick someone's songs I knew by heart.

Well...doesn't everyone know his songs by heart?

Here's his notes for The Coward of the County: (unedited)

everyone coward county stood single time tommy

yellow 10 years old in prison still recall words

everyone working boys called three of them opened door

mole fireplace picture cry sun not do trouble weak

cheek wrote enough born room halfway turned around

twenty years hold no back tommy barnroom mr dad

I no trouble no cheek understand everyone considered

coward

We all laughed and laughed as I read his notes outloud!

He might need a little more practice...

"Lucille" here we come!

My Favorite Super Bowl Commercial

I loved this one. Pretty humble of John Stamos, huh?

Fight Planned (Un) Parenthood

Yes--they will also gladly give you birth control pills that will fail you, 

so you will not want the unplanned pregnancy that will happen

 and want to get an abortion.

It's all about the money.

(I'm getting a little political today folks)

Has anyone heard the terrible news?

The Susan G Komen Foundation decided to fund Planned Parenthood again?

Yep.

They caved

I think the public is deceived by Planned Parenthood's claim to give 

thousands of breast cancer screenings per year.

I would assume by hearing this that they have mammogram machines, right?

They don't.

They even showed a clinic worker demonstrating what they do

on the news Friday night.

They give the exams that you learned in junior high health class.

The ones that I see at every doctors office on the wall, 

heck, you can get the instructions on the internet on how to do a 

self exam, exactly like the one you would get at Planned Parenthood.

Seriously, folks, does that cost thousands, millions of dollars to provide?

Money talks.

Take away the money

Take away Planned Parenthood.

Prayer talks too.

We all need to pray.

In case you are interested after reading the links I linked above:

Here are the companies that support embryonic stem cell research

(research on aborted babies)

We boycott companies who give to Planned Parenthood

Will you think about doing the same?

Go to FightPP.org and find out what you can do

Life comes first

Pajama Jeans

Nothing fits me now.

I'm seriously thinking about Pajama Jeans....Have you seen them?

I've always laughed at them,

but now am really missing my jeans and tired of pregnancy pants.

Wonder if they make them big enough for me?

Thankful Thursday

 Thankful for big sisters and little sisters who love to read with eachother

 Thankful there are always kisses in my house

(the girls are actually fighting to kiss Simeon here)

 Thankful we all fit around our table, with our new benches!

(OK, our furniture doesn't match, but who cares?)

 Thankful for smoothies for lunch!

What kind of blenders do you use for smoothies?

Ours takes forever to make, is it because of the blender?

 Thankful I finally tried this recipe

 They were delicious, but kind of hard to get off, because they are soft

it took a few to get the hang of it

it only made 12 or 13,
 which don't go far in a family of 8, with friends over sledding!

 Next time I'd double the recipe!

They were very quick to make!

 Thankful for melting snow...it's been around 40 all week, with no end in sight!

I'm so looking forward to spring!

 Thankful for creative kiddos...

Can you guess what this is?

Think about the thing I do 6 times a day.....

 It's a homemade breastpump!!

Thankful I have kiddos that make me laugh!

 And thankful I have babes that make me go "Awwwwwww"

 Thankful I still have littles that fall asleep on me!

This is how she always falls asleep, 

even when I rock her, she sits beside me on the arm and

plays with my hair and falls asleep.

 Thankful for growing babies...people keep asking me how big he is...

he's still pretty small, I'm guessing maybe, barely maybe, 6 1/2 lbs at the most...

he's still in that NB size clothes.

 Thankful there's always someone to hold the baby!

Thankful for all your prayers and gifts we've received.

Thankful for all the meals we've received, my good friend Susie has brought us a meal

every Monday!!!

(yes, she's amazing)

Thankful I still have a few days left before starting school again

God bless you, have a wonderful weekend!

If you have a moment, pray for Odie, he's recovering from Carpel Tunnel surgery today

Thank you, he's such a sweet man and always has words of encouragement for others.