tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-27641652716414040572024-03-13T22:33:53.686-04:00City Chicken Goes CountryLoving Life with our Large Family!Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.comBlogger410125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-28512908522540733972017-02-24T15:49:00.001-05:002017-02-24T16:02:37.419-05:00It Is WellIf you follow me on Facebook, you are well aware of our recent stay at Royal Oak Beaumont. I posted many times asking for prayers for Maggie while she was sick and I updated everyone as she healed. While most of my friends know the story of her hospital stay and how difficult it was on our entire family, there's a few things I haven't shared: I never shared about the anxiety and panic attacks that I started having the minute we got home. I didn't share how one little trigger would start me in a downward spiral with the most intense feelings of fear, dread and anxiety that we were going to end up back in the hospital (I'll blog more about this later). But most importantly I didn't share about how I had an intimate encounter with God while at the hospital.<br>
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If you've ever had a sick child, you understand how hard it is to just stand by and not be able to do anything to make them better. As parents we want to immediately take any pain and sickness from our children so they don't have to experience any discomfort in life. Watching Maggie, at a mere 3 weeks old, work so hard to breathe and show no signs of improvement for days was devastating to me. There was absolutely nothing I could do to make Maggie better. I sat for hours upon hours with Maggie in my arms, praying for her healing. She was hooked up to so many monitors, IVs and breathing tubes that I would get tangled in them. I watched the monitors constantly and held my breath every time her respiratory rate would increase and her oxygen saturation and heart rate decreased. Every time the alarms would sound that she was in distress, I lost hope. I've have never felt so alone and I didn't understand why God wasn't answering my prayers.</div>
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When I thought it couldn't get any worse, Maggie's nurse came in and told us that we could no longer hold her. She was on strict bed rest because her stats were better ( but still not good) when she was in bed rather than when we'd hold her. That was the biggest punch in the stomach for me. What did they mean that she was better off in bed? A baby needs her mommy and she should do nothing but thrive in my arms. Although I was upset, I knew that it was what was best for Maggie. I put her in her hospital grade crib which looked more like a prison than a bed. I sat beside her in utter despair. I prayed and prayed and prayed but felt like God was abandoning me. I kept reminding myself that even though I don't feel God, He is still there. I told myself over and over that God loves Maggie more than I can even imagine and that He hears my every prayer and knows every tear that I have cried. I knew these truths but I still felt so alone.<br>
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A few nights later, Maggie's favorite nurse, Kelly, came in to do her hourly checks. I expressed how sad I was that I haven't held my baby in days. Without hesitation, Kelly told me that just as much as a baby needs her mom, a mom needs her baby. She scooped Maggie up out of bed and placed her in my arms. Tears welled in my eyes because I had missed my sweet Magpie so badly. Kelly told me to keep an eye on the monitors and if her stats started to decline then I'd have to put Maggie back in bed. I began singing my favorite hymn "It Is Well With My Soul" as I rocked Maggie. The words to that hymn are:<br>
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When peace like a river, attendeth my way,<br>When sorrows like sea billows roll<br>Whatever my lot, thou hast taught me to say<br>It is well, it is well, with my soul</div>
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It is well<br>With my soul<br>It is well, it is well with my soul</div>
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It is well (it is well)<br>With my soul (with my soul)<br>It is well, it is well with my soul</div>
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(Note: These arent all the lyrics but the only ones I could remember at the time)</div>
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As I sang these words over and over, I felt something I have never experienced before. Over my right shoulder was a feeling of warmth that I can't quite describe. It wasn't a temperature that I was feeling but the most calming peace. I felt this perfect presence lean over me and touch Maggie. I looked up at the monitors and watched as Maggie's oxygen saturation went up to 100% (it had never been even close to 100% before), her heart rate went to normal level and her respiratory rate slowed down to a pace that showed that she was no longer working to breathe. I began sobbing as I knew without a doubt that I was in the presence of God. He was standing behind me and was healing my baby. I sat there feeling His warmth, love and peace. I wish I could put into words exactly what I felt. To say it was amazing would be an understatement. After a few minutes, that supernatural feeling faded and I immediately called Remie over to me and told him what had happened. We immediately thanked God for hearing our prayers and knew that Maggie was going to be ok. </div>
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The next morning Maggie's doctor was surprised at her progress and took her off the CPAP and on to the high flow cannula.</div>
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Then Maggie's nurse gave her a bath, found some clean clothes and gave Maggie a new blanket. She was improving rapidly and we were so thankful!</div>
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Before we knew it, Maggie was off oxygen and there was talk of us going home in 24 hours. Maggie did so well without oxygen that her doctor felt confident discharging Maggie later that evening rather than making us wait the entire 24 hours!</div>
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Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-51589840022033023622017-01-19T15:58:00.000-05:002017-01-19T15:58:48.774-05:00The Story of Maggie's BirthThe past 3 weeks have flown by over here. I can't believe that my sweet Maggie is over 3 weeks old already! Although I'm extremely tired from the middle of the night feedings and taking care of the other 5 kids during the day, the past 3 weeks have been amazing. I absolutely love having a newborn in the house. Squishy babies just make everything so much better!<br />
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I've been asked numerous times to post Maggie's birth story. I can't believe it has taken me so long to sit down and write it out....but I guess that's life with 6 kids! So here it goes, the story of Margaret's arrival.<br />
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I have always dreamed of having a home birth. The thought of being able to labor at home, not have to endure contractions on a car ride to the hospital and being able to sleep in my own bed sounded like heaven to me. After Henry's exciting, unplanned home birth and the fact that we moved out into the middle of nowhere, with no hospital nearby, Remie and I decided that a home birth was the best option for us. People called us crazy, asked if I was trying to kill myself or my baby and even tried to talk me out of our plans to birth at home but it was the best decision we ever made.<br />
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We were in the middle of a huge construction project of finishing our basement and my contractor promised me that it would be complete before the baby arrived. I had plans of turning the basement into a beautiful birthing suite with a pool, soft music and candles flickering around me. I envisioned the most peaceful environment to birth my baby. But one thing led to another, there were hold ups due to inspections and other minor things that made the project go on longer than expected. Finally we were scheduled to get our basement carpeting installed on December 28th and I would be able to start putting together everything I needed for the birth. I really thought I had plenty of time before my due date of January 17th.<br />
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Right before Christmas my kids started dropping like flies from an awful stomach bug. It was barf central at our house! I was constantly washing my hands, taking elderberry syrup, lathering myself with essential oils and doing every other natural remedy to keep me from getting the dreaded stomach bug. I managed to hold it off until December 27th. I woke up that morning and just didn't feel right. My stomach hurt and I was desperately hoping that I wasn't sick. I was dead wrong. I'll leave out the gory details but it was bad. I was finally able to keep down fluids by mid afternoon right in time for my husband Remie to start upchucking right next to me. We both struggled together trying to take care of the kids while grossly sick. We finally got all the kids tucked in bed that night and collapsed in bed around 10:00 pm. No sooner did our heads hit the pillow and Isaac vomited all over his bed. It was the biggest mess I've seen. I collected all the dirty bedding and ran it to the laundry room. That's when my first contraction hit me! I remember thinking "Oh no, God wouldn't put me into labor in the middle of this barf fest!". The contraction was so intense that I had to bend over and hold onto the washing machine. I knew that it had to be labor but there was no way I had the nerve to tell my very sick husband that I thought the baby was coming!!!! On the way back to our bedroom I had another contraction that stopped me in my tracks.<br />
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This is when some of the details get a bit fuzzy for me so I'm hoping that my version is accurate! (I may have to have Remie tell his version too lol)<br />
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Remie and I got Isaac cleaned up and in bed and we headed back to bed. As I was laying in bed the contractions continued. Remie noticed that I was uncomfortable and asked what was going on. I told him that I was having contractions but I was hoping that they were just from being dehydrated. Remie insisted that I keep drinking water to see if they'd stop. They didn't. Remie then began timing the contractions and they were 1-3 minutes apart. After some discussion (because I'm always in denial that I'm actually in labor) we decided to contact my midwife, Heather. Remie texted Heather and told her what was going on. She told Remie to have me drink pedialyte rather than water to see if it was dehydration causing the contractions. I chugged the most awful punch flavored pedialyte and the contractions kept coming. Heather decided that she was going to come out and check on me. While she was driving to our house my contractions intensified and I knew it was the real thing. I remember laying in bed having to pee but I refused to get up because I knew that an empty bladder gives the baby more room to descend down the birth canal and I was NOT having another unassisted birth!<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Laying in bed, refusing to get up</td></tr>
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Heather finally arrived and agreed that I was in labor. She asked if I wanted to be checked and I said yes. I was 6cm dilated. By that time I had been in labor for one whole hour and I looked at Remie and said "What the hell is taking so long?!" (Henry was born in only 58 minutes so I assumed this baby was just going to fall out).<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Lily always acts as my support "dog" during labor!</td></tr>
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I decided to labor in the shower because my plans for a water birth in the basement were not going to happen. I sat in the shower and labored for what seemed like an eternity. I breathed (and cursed) through each contraction until the water ran cold. I finally shut off the shower and sat in there laboring a bit longer. Someone asked me if I wanted to get out of the shower to keep warm but I was in my groove and didn't want to move. My second midwife arrived and began asking me if I wanted to deliver in the shower or on the bed. I remember thinking that she was crazy for asking me because I wasn't even close to delivering. I was extremely tired and said that I wanted to take a nap between contractions. I got out of the shower and made my way to the bed. I laid down on the bed and immediately felt the urge to push! I gave one good push and my water broke. With the next push the baby's head was crowning and before I knew it, my baby girl was born at 1:24am on December 28, 2016! She struggled breathing at first so Heather got right to work and gave Maggie rescue breaths. Within a few moments, Maggie was breathing on her own and turning pink.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Meeting Margaret</td></tr>
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Heather left Maggie and I alone for the most wonderful, peaceful hour of skin to skin contact as we bonded. Heather then weighed and measured Maggie. She is our smallest baby at only 7lbs 4oz and 19 1/2 inches long. She seems so teeny tiny!! Heather left after a few hours and we spent the rest of the night snuggling our new little blessing.<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Getting Measured</td></tr>
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Many people are asking where we got Maggie's name. Margaret is a family name on both Remie and my side of the family. Remie adored his maternal grandmother who he affectionately called "Little Grandma". Little Grandma's name was Mary Margaret so we knew that we wanted to somehow honor her by using part of her name for our baby.<br />
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When my mom was growing up her grandmother lived with her. Since birth I have been hearing wonderful stories about my mom's grandma who she called "Mimi". I recently found out that Mimi's middle name was Margaret. When I found this out, Remie and I both agreed that Margaret was the perfect name for our little one.<br />
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We struggled with a middle name for Maggie. We like using family names and we also love giving our children middle names that mean something special to us. We searched and searched for the perfect middle name. Finally when looking through our family tree I found that Mimi's mother's name was Isabelle. Remie and I have always loved the name Isabelle and have considered it as a name for all of our children. I decided to look up the meaning of Isabelle. The Hebrew meaning is "Devoted to God". As soon as we read that, we were sold!<br />
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<br />Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-73124520270327805672016-10-11T21:05:00.000-04:002016-10-11T21:05:40.058-04:00Welcome to Almont!We are finally all settled in our new home. The adjustment to country life hasn't been as hard as I expected. The most difficult thing for me to get used to is the well water. We had it tested before we moved in so I'm confident that it's safe to drink but I just can't get past the taste. I'm sure I look ridiculous when I buy gallons of spring water at the local store. My pregnancy turns my nose into a super sniffer and the smell of the well water is very strong to me. No one else seems to be able to smell the iron and minerals in the water like I can. However, I do have to say that the water has been amazing for my hair! It is so soft and shiny now instead of dry and a bit frizzy!<br />
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The community of Almont is incredible. It's hard to believe how different people live and act a mere 20 miles north of the city. Everyone I have met has been so welcoming and warm. During our first few days in our home, our mail lady stopped to introduce herself and offer us any help we might need. When my children began riding the bus to school, the bus driver took the time to learn their names and every day greets them with a "Good Morning ____(insert name)". Just last week we received a letter from the Chief of Police. I have to admit that when I saw that the return address was from the Police Department, I thought for sure it was a speeding ticket. To my amazement it wasn't a ticket but a letter welcoming us to the area and explaining the services that the Police Department provides. Remie and I keep pinching ourselves because we can't believe how wonderful the community is here.<br />
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We have been doing quite a bit of work on the house so far. Remie and his dad painted the entire house in one week. Remie is so sweet because he knew that the previous owner's odd paint color choices of pea green and brown would drive me crazy so he bit the bullet and painted everything to make the house feel more like our home. The guys were exhausted after it was all done but the house looks so beautiful now! <br />
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We also cleaned the carpets before we moved in which activated the awful smell of animal urine. We tried everything we could to get the smell out but nothing worked. The stench was so strong in Henry's room that it was nauseating! We finally decided to replace all of the carpet and padding. Boy am I glad we did! When the installers were tearing out the carpeting, the padding underneath was completely stained with animal pee. I had to walk outside so I didn't get sick.<br />
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The kids have adjusted amazingly to the new house. They love seeing the family of deer that visits our yard in the early morning and are having a blast simply running on the endless amounts of grass. They beg to go play outside as much as possible which is quite a change from their behavior at the old house. I used to have to force them to get out of the house to play. They are doing well in school and have made a few good friends. The kids have learned the Almont Raiders Fight Song and are already die hard Raiders fans!<br />
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I was very nervous about downsizing our home from 3100 sq feet to 2000 sq feet. I didn't know how we'd all fit and was concerned that we would be crammed in. I have found that I worried for nothing. Right now Henry has his own room (because he sleeps so much) while the other 4 kids share a room until our basement finishing project is complete. I actually think the kids are growing closer together by sharing a room and learning how to cooperate with one another. There is still a lot of fighting between them but they really are learning how to respect each other's belongings and live in such close proximity to one another. <br />
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That's it for the updates on our new life. I'm sure I will have more to write as we learn how to grow a garden and raise chickens:)Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-25726512942493328372016-09-14T20:50:00.001-04:002016-09-14T20:50:41.293-04:00My First Taste of the Country<p dir="ltr">I knew moving to the country would come with some uncomfortable adjustments. I was prepared for deer grazing in my backyard, raccoons, mice and maybe some other wild life. I knew I'd learn about raising chickens, septic systems and well water. However, I absolutely was NOT prepared for what happened today!</p>
<p dir="ltr">We have not yet moved to the new house but are anxiously waiting for the sellers to GET OUT! The seller called me yesterday to let me know that my diabetic supplies were delivered to the new house. I told her I'd stop by after I dropped the kids off at school. She said she'd leave the box on the porch for me. Easy peasy, right?</p>
<p dir="ltr">Oh was I ever wrong.</p>
<p dir="ltr">Poor naive Vicki.</p>
<p dir="ltr">As I pulled up to the new house I envisioned all that I want to do to spruce it up and make it our forever home. Pull some weeds here, add some shutters, new siding and maybe even a white picket fence. I pranced to the front door and there was my package sitting on the porch as promised. As I snatched up the box my worst nightmare became a reality. Crawling out from under the box was the biggest black spider I have ever seen! It was easily the size of my palm. I screamed loudly and threw the box at the spider! Stupidest.move.ever!!!!! Now I needed to somehow gain enough nerve to pick up the package without upsetting or touching the growling spider. For a moment I considered saying "screw it" to the diabetic supplies and just be content growing an XL baby. Then I envisioned the seller coming home, seeing my box thrown against the wall and laughing at what a wuss I was. I took a few deep breaths and counted to three. 1...2....3! I grabbed box and shook it violently to make sure my spider didn't have family that took up residence inside my glucose monitor. I then ran to my van, holding the box as far away from me as possible. I threw the box in the far back of my van. I left the package in my van until Remie got home to open it for me!</p>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-75653663343271636092016-08-26T17:17:00.001-04:002016-08-26T17:17:26.136-04:00WhirlwindWhew what a whirlwind the last 2 months have been! <br />
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We were able to sell our house relatively quickly. Selling the house was the easy part. Buying another one was a different story. We ended up putting offers on 4 separate houses in just a few short weeks! The housing market is crazy- tons of buyers and not enough sellers. <br />
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It was a difficult journey watching the clock tick away, knowing that we had to be out of our house soon but not yet having a place to live. I repeatedly prayed to God that He not let us be homeless. Living in a hotel or with family with 5 kids was not ideal. This experience was definitely one that forced Remie and I to grow in our faith together. We prayed and prayed and prayed for God to direct us to the perfect home for us. Each time we put an offer on a house and it was rejected felt like a punch in the gut. To say that our faith was growing weary is an understatement. We were scared and worried. We were worried about all of the unknown. Where would we live? Where would the kids go to school? Oh my gosh am I going to have our baby in a hotel? Our worry was consuming us. <br />
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Finally one night Remie and I had a heart to heart conversation about our house situation. We agreed to no longer worry about the unknown and instead focus on the truths that we do know. We knew that God had not forgotten us and that He loves us more than we can imagine. He loves our kids more than we do and cares more about their well being than we can imagine. We acknowledged the importance of trusting God with EVERY aspect of our life and letting go of the control and worry of finding a new house. We agreed that we wanted to allow God to use this situation to teach us how to trust Him and give our burdens to Him. God knew our situation and He was already handling it for us. We felt such peace after declaring all of this.<br />
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It seemed like the housing market was slowing down and houses with our criteria weren't popping up on the market. I kept reminding myself that it only takes one house. We weren't going to be homeless and it was going to be in the perfect timing.<br />
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A few weeks ago we found "the house". You know, the one that makes you want to cry because you love it so much? That's exactly what got! It's a cute little ranch on 3 acres in Almont. It's on a private road and in the school district we wanted to be in. Everything we prayed about came at the perfect timing. The best part is that the owners only need 10 days occupancy after closing which means that we will have time to clean it and move in before we have to be out of our current home.<br />
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God heard our prayers, answered them and carried us through this entire experience. We wouldn't have survived (or stayed sane) without Him. A special thank you to our friends that lifted our family up in prayer during this time! When we were weak, you remained strong and encouraging for us.<br />
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*blogger is acting up and wont let me put pictures in this post. Pictures to come :)Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-31622499309077787712016-06-27T13:18:00.001-04:002016-06-27T13:18:53.648-04:00City Girl Meets Country LifeRemie and I decided to sell our home and move to the country. We've only been living in this home for 2 years but truthfully we aren't happy here. The house is beautiful and the neighborhood is well kept but our yard is too small to play baseball and we want space for the kids to be able to run and just be kids. We have dreamed of living in an old farmhouse on a few acres and after praying about it, we decided that now is a better time than any to start moving towards our dream.<br />
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We haven't found our new home yet but we know that its going to be an adjustment when we move. I've always lived in the city so I know that I'm going to have a lot to learn when it comes to country living. I'll be sure to blog about our adventures so you can laugh at all the mistakes I make along the way.<br />
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When we do move, I think I'll rename my blog to something more fitting to our lifestyle. If you have any suggestions for blog names, I'd love to hear them.Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-72148469905307929322015-12-05T14:58:00.001-05:002015-12-05T14:58:21.772-05:00Brace FaceOn Wednesday, Remie David had an appointment with the orthodontist to get braces. He seemed a little nervous about adding more metal to his mouth but was brave and didn't complain. I was hoping that the kids at school would be nice about his new appearance because I knew that one negative comment would crush him.<br />
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Immediately after Remie got his braces on he had a smile plastered on his face.<br />
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He smiled the entire car trip back to school.<br />
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After school, Remie got off the bus with the same big smile on his face! My heart was so happy! I was hoping that his friends at school thought his new look was cool!<br />
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Remie played at his buddy Carson's house after school and even Carson commented on Remie's continuous grin!<br />
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It wasn't until we were doing homework after dinner that I asked him what he thought about his new braces.<br />
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He responded with a glum "They're fine."<br />
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I was surprised that he didn't tell me how all the kids at school thought his colored rubber bands were so cool! So I asked him what his friends thought of his braces.<br />
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Again he responded without emotion and said "They didn't notice."<br />
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I was stumped so I asked Remie, "You've been smiling nonstop since you got your braces. Why aren't you more excited to talk about them?!<br />
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He replied, "I haven't been smiling. I've been holding my lip up because it hurts to put it down over my braces!"<br />
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Mystery solved.<br />
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<br />Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-47869291672757543892015-11-26T07:36:00.001-05:002015-11-26T08:01:26.955-05:00Blissfully Unaware<div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Monday was an exhausting day. It was full of running around, hustling little kids in and out of car seats and included very minimal rest for all of us. </span></div><div><br></div><div>Remie Jr. had been dealing with a virus that included extreme coughing and fatigue for entirely too long so I finally decided to take him to the doctor. The poor kid was diagnosed with a double ear infection but thankfully his lungs were clear. </div><div><br></div><div>After Charlotte came home from school, I loaded all of my clowns into our massive van and headed to CVS to retrieve Remie's prescription for an antibiotic. I pulled up to the drive through window. Side note: with 5 kids, we never go anywhere that doesn't either have a drive through window or a large shopping cart to keep our entire family circus contained. </div><div><br></div><div>At the drive through window, I tell the pharmacist that I'm picking up for Remie. He asks me how to spell our last name and inevitably gets it wrong (can you blame him?) Then he asks me Remie's date of birth. Now the pressure is on. It's like a damn quiz anytime someone asks me for one of my children's birth dates. The kids are lucky I remember all of their names. I pause for a second and spit out "January 5th.....crap what year was that kid born??? Two thousand....seven<span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">?" </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">The pharmacist explains that it'll be a few minutes before the prescription is ready. I zone out at the window and enjoy a few minutes of solitude. The pharmacist comes back to the window and is laughing hysterically. I'm thinking that I must've missed a funny joke or something. </span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Then he asks me "How many kids do you have in that car?"</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I say "5, why?"</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">He laughed and said, "They are so loud that we can all hear their little voices, their giggling and their singing inside the store!"</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">I felt my face start to blush. I didn't even notice that my kids were making any noise. Then I looked up and saw a line of people inside the store, waiting at the pharmacy. They were all smiling and laughing at the chaos that I was obliviously unaware of going on in my car.</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Next the pharmacist proudly announced, "My wife and I want to have 6 children!"</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Surprised by his proclamation I asked, "how many children do you have right now?"</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Pharmacist "None."</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">Then it was my turn to start laughing. I wished him luck and drove away, chucking all the way home!</span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-avgmBtn82jI/Vlb8uFdh0eI/AAAAAAAADLU/4GnhN6fCht4/s640/blogger-image-1455628254.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-avgmBtn82jI/Vlb8uFdh0eI/AAAAAAAADLU/4GnhN6fCht4/s640/blogger-image-1455628254.jpg"></a></div><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-1929018809009514492015-09-26T14:37:00.001-04:002015-09-26T14:37:46.593-04:00Sweet Little BlessingThis morning was our family's monthly visit to the chiropractor. Remie Sr had to work this morning and was going to meet us there in time for his adjustment. <div><br></div><div>While getting out of the car at the chiropractor, all of the kids called out who their parking lot buddy was going to be. This is something we do when I'm navigating all 5 kids by myself. Each little kid gets to choose a big kid to hold their hand. The big kids know that they have to stay close enough that they can touch me. Most of the time it works out really well. </div><div><br></div><div>While we were all holding hands and making our way through the parking lot my oldest, Remie, said, "Mom, I think you should keep having more kids until you get twins. We need twins in our family."</div><div><br></div><div>That one comment made my heart swell. Here is my sweet 8 year old expressing his desire to have more brothers and sisters rather than resenting me for his added responsibilities due to having younger siblings. I wish he knew how wise and mature he was already! What a sweet little blessing to start to our weekend off right!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6gnndMlfv84/Vgbl-AI-MTI/AAAAAAAADJA/6GS1Te65LnM/s640/blogger-image-130553076.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-6gnndMlfv84/Vgbl-AI-MTI/AAAAAAAADJA/6GS1Te65LnM/s640/blogger-image-130553076.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-27738831909961246532015-09-21T20:03:00.001-04:002015-09-21T20:03:45.371-04:00Full MoonIs anyone aware of what proper etiquette is when your son moons his swim instructor?<div><br></div><div>Do you send an "I'm sorry you saw my kid's butt cheeks" card?</div><div><br></div><div>Do you pretend it never happened?</div><div><br></div><div>Maybe send some chocolates?</div><div><br></div><div>I'm not going to embarrass my child by saying which one pulled down his swim trunks and shook his butt at his instructor today, but I'll give you a hint...</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s-I3DtpxIOE/VgCa3ve093I/AAAAAAAADIs/bpWqqIQmfxI/s640/blogger-image--582963463.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-s-I3DtpxIOE/VgCa3ve093I/AAAAAAAADIs/bpWqqIQmfxI/s640/blogger-image--582963463.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-75256903032453460612015-09-15T14:35:00.001-04:002015-09-15T14:35:09.852-04:00Girls vs BoysWe are in the throes of potty training little Miss Grace. She's actually doing quite well and just needs to learn to get to the potty when she first feels the urge to go rather than waiting for me to ask her if she needs to go. <div><br></div><div>Yesterday as I was getting Grace ready for nap, I completed our usual routine of asking her if she needed to go potty and if her Pull Up was dry. She peaked into her Pull Up and exclaimed, "HEY!!! WHERE'S MY PENIS?!!!"</div><div><br></div><div>I stifled my laughter and wondered if she had always thought that she had a penis. Then we had a much needed discussion about "boy parts" and "girl parts". <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fHRNV2lnrDI/Vfhk28O-ctI/AAAAAAAADII/u7EJW-zO0Ng/s640/blogger-image-587226839.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-fHRNV2lnrDI/Vfhk28O-ctI/AAAAAAAADII/u7EJW-zO0Ng/s640/blogger-image-587226839.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div></div>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-74831937384773171542015-09-11T20:40:00.001-04:002015-09-11T20:40:09.810-04:00Carrots like the Little Bunnies EatToday I took my buddy Isaac grocery shopping with me while Remie sr stayed home with the little ones. I thought it would be good for my doodlebug and I to have some alone time together. (Side note: Isaac asked me to stop calling him doodlebug and only call him Isaac. Excuse me while I go cry in the corner.)<div><br></div><div>When we got to the store he begged me to let him sit in the shopping cart seat. Being that Isaac is nearing 5 years old, I usually tell him that he's too big for the seat but today I decided to let him just because...</div><div><br></div><div>While shopping in the produce aisle, Isaac spotted some carrots and he pleaded with me to get them. What mom says no to a kid that wants carrots? So I grabbed a bag of baby carrots. Isaac told me that I was getting the wrong ones and pointed to a bundle of carrots on the shelf. When I asked him why he wanted those he said "because those carrots are like the ones the little bunnies eat!" Well melt my heart, I grabbed Isaac the bunch of carrots. The smile on his face was priceless.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-toda7-IHX_k/VfN0ZSpw3DI/AAAAAAAADHs/8J38-CD8Hbs/s640/blogger-image-19264756.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-toda7-IHX_k/VfN0ZSpw3DI/AAAAAAAADHs/8J38-CD8Hbs/s640/blogger-image-19264756.jpg"></a></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">While I was shopping, Isaac managed to work one of the carrots out of the bundle. That's when the fun began.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Isaac used the carrot to scratch his back.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Isaac used the carrot to point out other items that he wanted to buy.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Isaac used the carrot to point out other people and comment loudly about their appearance.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">Isaac used the carrot to poke me in the face when he thought I wasn't paying attention to him.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;">And lastly, Isaac used the carrot to dislodge a booger from his nose.</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div><br></div>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-34396681204996032052015-08-27T11:58:00.000-04:002015-08-27T12:02:49.558-04:00You've Got it All WrongAlmost daily people tell me that they don't know how I do it with 5 kids. I really never know how to respond because juggling 5 kids is extremely busy but not something that takes much skill. I like to compare it to herding squirrels. The kids run around like rabid squirrels while I simply herd them in the direction that we are going.<br />
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Yesterday my mother-in-law took Isaac to spend a special day with Grandma. That left me with 4 kids.<br />
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Then Charlotte and Remie went to play at a friend's house. That made 2 kids.<br />
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Henry went down for a nap and which left me with one child.<br />
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You'd think I would've been celebrating and doing a happy dance that I successfully pawned off so many of my kids at the same time. You are sorely mistaken. The one hour that I was alone with Grace was the longest freaking hour of my life! There were no other kids to entertain Grace when she got bored so she entertained herself by climbing on top of her dresser and doing a jig. Seriously.<br />
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There were no other kids to tattle on Grace when she decided to color her face wth brown marker.</div>
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Or when she was eating play dough...<br />
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I had a sudden revelation that I need to keep a closer eye on my kids. So I decided Grace and I would have some Mommy-daughter bonding time by making homemade tortillas.<br />
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And then Grace ate the raw dough</div>
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and then poured the bag of flour on the ground.</div>
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I was so thankful when Charlotte and Remie returned home and started playing with Grace so I could get a break! They took Grace outside while I cleaned up the half eaten tortilla dough, play dough, brown marker and whatever else Grace got into while the big kids were gone.</div>
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The moral of this story is that you shouldn't look at me and wonder how I do it with 5 kids. The real Super Moms are the ones with 1 or 2 kids! I don't know how they do it without the help of older children. Moms of 2 or less should be applauded that they make it through each day with their sanity intact! Well done ladies! </div>
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Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-9418146926517619252015-08-04T20:04:00.001-04:002015-08-04T20:04:43.763-04:00Dinner ConversationMost parents would agree that 95% of what comes out of their child's mouth is completely unpredictable. My kids are always saying the most off the wall things and all Remie and I can do is shake our heads and laugh.<div><br></div><div>This brings me to tonight's dinner conversation. We were having a nice family meal of homemade chicken pot pie. I was almost finished eating when Charlotte exclaimed "Mom! Don't forget to show me what testicles are!"</div><div><br></div><div>And that ladies and gentlemen is my delicate daughter Charlotte.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-g2NccyMvHgk/VcFTGdC2LUI/AAAAAAAADFQ/47VaHW_2QIY/s640/blogger-image--355170082.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-g2NccyMvHgk/VcFTGdC2LUI/AAAAAAAADFQ/47VaHW_2QIY/s640/blogger-image--355170082.jpg"></a></div><br></div><br></div>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-39293213941615244812015-07-29T18:04:00.001-04:002015-07-29T18:25:20.725-04:00Family Clown<span style="-webkit-text-size-adjust: auto; background-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0);">After scrolling through our blog I realized that I rarely talk about Isaac and you probably don't know much about him (sorry middle child). I decided that today I would dedicate my entire post to my sweet little doodlebug, Isaac Lee.</span><div><br></div><div>Just like every class has a clown, so does every family. The name Isaac means laughter which is fitting because Isaac is definitely our family clown. </div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VMyih7ZV6F0/VblSu9ZpJFI/AAAAAAAADEg/XmUZS5Ef8u0/s640/blogger-image--490861586.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-VMyih7ZV6F0/VblSu9ZpJFI/AAAAAAAADEg/XmUZS5Ef8u0/s640/blogger-image--490861586.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Isaac is always good for a laugh. He likes to say innocent yet extremely embarrassing things when we are out in public. A few weeks ago while the big kids were in swim class, Isaac yelled loudly to me "Hey mom! My penis is up and I can't get it to go down!". All of the other parents chuckled while my face turned beat red and I promised him that if he'd keep his hands off of his privates it would go down.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><br></div></div><div><br></div><div>Then there was the time we went grocery shopping and he very sweetly asked me "Mom can I just feel your boob?". Once again we were having a conversation about what was appropriate to say in public.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BoGqdcSE2jo/VblSzV1gdiI/AAAAAAAADEw/EzrtfAsxf5I/s640/blogger-image-656153628.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-BoGqdcSE2jo/VblSzV1gdiI/AAAAAAAADEw/EzrtfAsxf5I/s640/blogger-image-656153628.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>And I'll never forget the incident at church. I was mortified. Let me start by saying that Isaac has the most loving and wonderful teachers in his preschool class at church. The day of "the incident", it was Ms Kim's turn to teach Isaac's class. The class was singing "If you're happy and you know it" and Isaac was gladly singing along. Suddenly Isaac took it upon himself to make up his own words to the song. Isaac belted out "If you're happy and you know it slap Ms Kim's butt!" and then proceeded to slap Ms Kim's butt. Yes- my child slapped his teacher's ass IN CHURCH. Mortified doesn't even begin to explain how I was feeling at that moment. And what exactly do you say to the teacher that received this ass slapping? I think I apologized to her repeatedly and tried to explain that we don't know where he learned such behavior. Maybe I blamed my husband, who knows? Thankfully Ms Kim has a sense of humor and she laughed and said "I just love Isaac!" Phew! We dodged a bullet on that one!<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DVr9l0Hg7HI/VblSxQb7XuI/AAAAAAAADEo/THWO27EsRqA/s640/blogger-image-377104676.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-DVr9l0Hg7HI/VblSxQb7XuI/AAAAAAAADEo/THWO27EsRqA/s640/blogger-image-377104676.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Isaac is one of a kind, that's for sure! He is always keeping us on our toes and filling our house with joy! Besides being hilarious, he is extremely loving and sweet. He's a great big brother to Grace and Henry and excels in being a pesky little bro to Remie and Charlotte.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-56262640801351880612015-07-18T16:45:00.001-04:002015-07-18T16:45:06.828-04:00Life's a Party!While the children were napping this afternoon, I decided to run to Kroger to do my bi-weekly grocery shopping trip. I really didn't feel like fighting the crowds at Kroger on a Saturday but couldn't pass up the "Double Fuel Points" deal Kroger runs only on the weekends.<div><br></div><div>I loaded my shopping cart with the normal items- multiple packs of hot dogs, multiple packs of buns. I had multiples of almost everything in my cart. </div><div><br></div><div>My cart was overflowing with groceries and I finally walked up to the cashier and unloaded everything on the conveyor belt. The cashier looked at my items and exclaimed "Wow! You must be stocking up for a party!" </div><div><br></div><div>That's when I replied "Everyday is like a party when you have 5 kids!"</div><div><br></div><div>The cashier was speechless and spent the rest of the time scanning my items in silence.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iGlxH3_XRqs/Vaq60Wk-tII/AAAAAAAADEE/PfCYQJRU9Xs/s640/blogger-image-1609010903.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-iGlxH3_XRqs/Vaq60Wk-tII/AAAAAAAADEE/PfCYQJRU9Xs/s640/blogger-image-1609010903.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-47368499474522391212015-07-16T14:04:00.001-04:002015-07-16T14:26:02.370-04:00Truth in Memes<br />
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When I saw this meme it made me giggle. I swear I get asked these questions multiple times when I'm out and about with all of the kids. I used to get irritated but I've come to the realization that people aren't trying to be rude, they are just interested in our family.</div>
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Because I have nothing exciting to blog about, I thought I'd take the time to answer these questions.</div>
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1. Are we done having kids?</div>
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That's a question I don't know how to answer. I'm going to try to be 100% transparent with my feelings on this. I would love to have more kids. I love being pregnant, love giving birth and absolutely love having a new baby in the house. However, after Henry's extremely fast birth that lasted a total of 1 hour, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little scared to have another baby. I'd be scared that the stock boy at Kroger would be the one catching #6. Although the thought of never being pregnant again and never experiencing childbirth again makes me tear up. So the answer to this question isn't as easy as it seems.</div>
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Thankfully, I don't have to be pregnant in order to have more kids. Recently I've started having a huge desire to adopt children. I'm not sure if adoption is right for us but it is definitely something Id like to look into and consider.</div>
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2. Are they all mine?</div>
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Yes of course.</div>
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3. Do I know what causes it?</div>
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No! I wish someone would please explain this to me! Lol</div>
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4. Were they all planned?</div>
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Yes, God has had a plan for every single one of my precious children. </div>
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5. Am I bored?</div>
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HAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA</div>
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Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-63074557313820578402015-04-24T21:21:00.001-04:002015-04-24T21:21:22.096-04:00You Know You're a Mom of Many When...You know you're a mom to many when:<div>10. You get excited about buying a 15 passanger van</div><div>9. You are no longer introduced to new people as "Vicki". You are now introduced as "Vicki-she has 5 kids".</div><div>8. You need two shopping carts for your weekly trip to Costco- 1 cart to hold all of the kids, the other to hold the food.</div><div>7. When you are in public, you are constantly counting heads to make sure you didn't lose a kid.</div><div>6. When you are in a children's clothing store and the sales associate asks you what size you are looking for, you reply "all of them".</div><div>5. People ask if you're Catholic.</div><div>4. People ask if you're Mormon.</div><div>3. You exceed the allotted number of children for the zoo family pass.</div><div>2. You give your chiropractor so much business that he offers you a "buy one, get one free" special for monthly adjustments for the family.</div><div>1. Your heart is overflowing with love from the wonderful family you have been blessed with.</div><div><br></div><div><br></div>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-20375331087081171012015-03-27T13:56:00.001-04:002015-03-27T15:16:53.205-04:00The Library Book ScrambleHave you ever heard of the library book scramble? You know, when your kids are running late in the morning, about to miss the bus and suddenly someone exclaims "ITS LIBRARY DAY! WHERE'S MY BOOK?!" And then suddenly everyone starts frantically running around the house searching for said library book. During the dreaded library book scramble there are inevitably 2 things that happen every.single.time! <div>1.The child who is missing the library book gives up all hope of ever finding it and collapses in a heap weeping and mourning the loss of said book.</div><div>2. Someone (usually me) trips over a dog that is also running around frantically.</div><div><br></div><div>A few weeks ago we were involved in an epic library book scramble. This day it was Remie's turn for the missing book. He said he brought home the book "Rocks and Minerals" and that we never read it. We immediately began scrambling and searching for this book. Henry was in the middle of nursing so I had him in one arm, hanging from a boob, while I threw toys out of a toy box with the other arm in search of this book. It wasn't in the toy box. We continued to look in all of the normal hiding spots for books- behind dressers, under the bed and even in Charlotte's disaster of a closet. Still no sign of the book. It was at that moment that Remie was in a puddle on the floor, crying hysterically that he couldn't find his book. You see, in Remie's world not returning a library book is a close second to committing murder. Mr. Rule Follower was terrified of the consequences of losing a book. I promised him that the librarian gives you a few chances to return the book. </div><div><br></div><div>While the kids were at school I searched high and low for this book. I tried to remember what it looked like but I didn't recall ever seeing it at all. The book somehow vanished into thin air. Remie came home from school and he surprisingly survived the wrath of the librarian for not returning his book on time.</div><div><br></div><div>Life went on and we managed to forget about the lost book...until the following week when the Library book scramble started all over again. We looked everywhere in the house but could not find the dreaded Rocks and Minerals book! Once again Remie was a puddle of tears and had to endure another day at the library without returning his book. </div><div><br></div><div>That night at dinner we began questioning all of the kids about this book. They all said that they saw it at one time but no one knew where it was now. Then I remembered why I hadn't seen the book! The day Remie brought it home was the day I had a babysitter at the house so I could grocery shop alone! I immediately asked the babysitter if she remembered seeing the book. She said "yes, Remie read it to me"! Awesome, if she saw the book then she must know where it is. The babysitter said that the last time she saw the book it was in a pile with a bunch of Golden Books. Alright! I know where the golden books are! I ran upstairs into the boys closet and found the pile of Golden Books! I went through every single book and guess what? The Rocks and Minerals book was not there.</div><div><br></div><div>It was then that I started questioning my sanity. Did I throw it away? I have been sleep deprived and it's possible that I accidentally threw the book away....hmmm I spent the next week searching for this book and evaluating my mental condition. </div><div><br></div><div>Finally the night before library day, I remembered the missing book again. I told the kids that after dinner we were all going to search the house for the book and whoever found it would get $1. That was enough motivation for the kids. They tore the house completely apart and found NOTHING!</div><div><br></div><div>It was at that moment that I knew we were going to have to pay for the book. I began interrogating Remie. </div><div>"Was it hard or soft cover?" I asked.</div><div> "Soft" he said. </div><div>"Did it look like a brand new book or was it old?"</div><div>"Old. It had tape holding it together."</div><div>"Well that's good news, hopefully it won't be too expensive."</div><div><br></div><div>I looked at Remie Sr and gave him the nod. I picked up my phone and began emailing Remie's teacher to find out how much we owe for the book. It was at that moment Charlotte came waltzing in the kitchen. For some reason I decided to ask her one more time if she'd seen the book. </div><div><span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;"><br></span></div><div>Charlotte <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">replied, "The Rocks and Minerals book? Yea, I took it to school and put it in the non-fiction bin in my classroom"</span></div>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-42463773683059499802015-03-07T14:04:00.001-05:002015-03-07T14:04:57.321-05:00Our Growing FamilyWe are a month into our life with 5 kids and I have to say we are doing wonderfully. I definitely haven't mastered the art of raising a family of 5 children yet but so far things are going better than I anticipated.<div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-DJr_TqNu7F4/VPtLz6e2X_I/AAAAAAAAC-U/2kXoLEAT2ZY/s640/blogger-image--2110563139.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh5.googleusercontent.com/-DJr_TqNu7F4/VPtLz6e2X_I/AAAAAAAAC-U/2kXoLEAT2ZY/s640/blogger-image--2110563139.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Henry is an absolute doll. His personality so far is very laid back. I think he knows that he's the 5th child and that sometimes he's going to have to wait for my attention. I have found that getting a very comfortable baby carrier helps simplify my life. I am in love with the ABC (action baby carrier). I can wear Henry for hours while I take care of the other kids or gets things done around the house without my back suffering at all.</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wqkTgTs0ePk/VPtLyHBUmBI/AAAAAAAAC-M/exLOlNCit6g/s640/blogger-image--1922255642.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-wqkTgTs0ePk/VPtLyHBUmBI/AAAAAAAAC-M/exLOlNCit6g/s640/blogger-image--1922255642.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div>Breastfeeding is going wonderfully, Henry was able to latch on right away and has been nursing like a champ! He went from 9lbs 6oz at birth to a whopping 11lbs 2oz at his one month check up! Henry doesn't appear to have any sensitivities to foods yet so I am able to eat a normal diet while nursing him! <div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6pV2yTp0duk/VPtLwRvFJVI/AAAAAAAAC-E/72KMUcTML7w/s640/blogger-image-1997017381.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-6pV2yTp0duk/VPtLwRvFJVI/AAAAAAAAC-E/72KMUcTML7w/s640/blogger-image-1997017381.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>Many people are asking me if I'm able to get any rest. Truthfully, once you have your fifth child, going without sleep is the norm and I am able to function well on just a few hours of Zzzs. That being said, Henry is a wonderful nighttime sleeper. He normally only wakes once or twice a night to eat and then easily goes back to sleep without a fuss.</div><div><br></div><div>Henry has recently started smiling! Oh am I ever in love with his smile and his two adorable dimples! It takes every ounce of self control not to eat his cheeks off!<br><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-boDly_U4dqo/VPtL17hhS9I/AAAAAAAAC-c/px5XlNkEEqc/s640/blogger-image--1653041481.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-boDly_U4dqo/VPtL17hhS9I/AAAAAAAAC-c/px5XlNkEEqc/s640/blogger-image--1653041481.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div><div>I am recovering well and feeling really great after our exciting/scary/traumatic birth experience. I'm finding that I am able to enjoy Henry instead of wishing for him to reach the next milestone. I've experienced first hand with the other kids that babies grow way too fast and I am determined to cherish every moment with this little guy.<div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-EuLOoDpP-XI/VPtLuQEBpFI/AAAAAAAAC98/m5kybtEZlwQ/s640/blogger-image-2003765619.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh6.googleusercontent.com/-EuLOoDpP-XI/VPtLuQEBpFI/AAAAAAAAC98/m5kybtEZlwQ/s640/blogger-image-2003765619.jpg"></a></div></div><div><br></div>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-2191409435903856202015-02-07T21:18:00.002-05:002015-08-05T20:24:36.085-04:00Henry's Exciting Birth Story<br>
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<span style="line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: small;">We've been asked by numerous people to post the details of Henry's incredible birth. I tried writing down what happened but found that most of the details are pretty foggy in my head. I was in "labor land" and pretty unaware of much of what was going on when I gave birth. I decided to ask Remie Sr to write the story from his point of view.</span></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><u><span style="font-size: 20pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Henry’s Birth Story</span></span></u></b></div>
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<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-size: 16pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">By Dad</span></span></i></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>It was a normal Sunday the 1<sup>st</sup> of February
and the weathermen were predicting a snow storm that would hit our area. The
forecast was that we would not get that much snow, maybe 6-8 inches. The snow
was already falling when we all packed up and went to church like normal. After
church we came home, rested and then went to Grandma and Papa V’s house for
dinner. By the time we left for dinner the roads were getting pretty bad and we
probably shouldn’t have left the house. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While at dinner Vicki had one pretty good contraction
but this was nothing new. She had been contracting on and off for the last couple of weeks. Just like usual the
contraction came by itself and it was back to waiting. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At our last appointment with Dr. Gilbert she
measured Vicki and she was a “stretchy 5”. She didn’t know what to say because Vicki
should have been in active labor but was feeling no pain.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The snow
storm was still going and the roads had gotten pretty bad by the time we left
to go home.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were laughing at all of
the poor pizza delivery guys on the road trying to deliver in the snow. It was the night of the Super Bowl and no one wanted to go out into the storm.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>When we
got home I knew I did not want to go into work the next day and be so far away
from home in a snow storm. I called work and took Monday off. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I ran back outside and cleared the driveway
again so it would be easy to leave in case Vicki went into labor. We got the
rest of the family in bed and asleep. Vicki and I then settled in to watch some
T.V. before bed. We went to bed a little later than normal and settled into get
some rest. This is when the fun began.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>We were just about asleep and I heard Vicki make a low groan, the kind of sound she makes when she is having a
contraction.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> We have learned not to get excited over one contraction </span>because she had had so many contractions before that
lead to nothing.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A couple of minutes later
she made the low groan again. After this one I thought that maybe I should
start to time them to see how far apart they are just in case this was the real
thing, 11:34pm. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few minutes later she
had another contraction that made her shaky so I looked at the clock, 11:37pm. Holy smokes
only three minutes apart, maybe I need to pay attention to her. Vicki then says
that she needs to go to the bathroom. As she gets up, Vicki looks out the window and sees the snow. She giggled that there's no way God would have her go into labor in the middle of this epic snow storm.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>A few minutes later I hear that low grown
again and go into the bathroom to check on her. She is still having
contractions close together and is pretty uncomfortable. Vicki then asked me to draw a bath
and put some lavender oil in it to calm her down. She was hoping the lavender would help her relax and
hopefully get the contractions to stop. So I put together the bath for her and
she gets in. This did the job to help her relax. The contractions kept coming but Vicki said that they weren't painful.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then began to again time her
contractions to see about how far apart they were. </span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>While this was happening I contacted Devan,
our babysitter, to come to the house to watch the other kids while I took Vicki
to the hospital. She stated that she was on the way and I began getting the
last items into the suit case to take to the hospital. I also sent Dr Gilbert a text message to let her know what was going on. Dr Gilbert stated that she would let the
on call doctor know. The contractions continued but Vicki insisted that they
were not painful and she did not think this was actually labor. While this is
happening I got the feeling that the baby is probably coming quicker than we
think and I wanted to be prepared if it did. I ran downstairs and unlocked the door
for Devan. I also grabbed the bulb syringe that we had previously sterilized for the new baby.</span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Devan
then made it to the house and her dad said that the roads are very bad and I would
need 4 wheel drive if I was going to get anywhere. I thanked him for bringing
Devan over and ran back upstairs to Vicki. Vicki was still in the tub and had
another contraction as I walked in and she looked at me and said that she
thought her body was trying to push. She then checked herself and said that it
was ok because she did not feel the head. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At that point I called 911 and said that my
wife was in labor and I need an ambulance to get her to the hospital. I knew
I would not be able to get her there before the baby came. The dispatcher asked if Vicki was ok and I responded that she was as ok as she could be, she was in labor. I then
hung up with them after they verified our location and went back to Vicki. </span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then told Vicki that the ambulance was on
the way and that I needed to get her out of the tub and dressed so we could go
to the hospital. I ran around franticly looking for clothes for Vicki to wear. She
said that she needed to go sit on the toilet because it felt like she had to
poop. As she got on the toilet I heard a big splash and turned to her to say “well
I’m guessing that was your water breaking.” I then watched Vicki arch her back
up on the toilet, straightening out her body at which point I could see the
head crowning. I yelled at Vicki that she needed to get off of the toilet and
she stated that she couldn’t. I told her that she had to as I grabbed her by a
leg and around the neck and lifted her off the toilet and onto a towel on the ground. Vicki then screamed as another contraction was pushing the
baby’s head out. At that point I started to quietly yell for Devan. Devan didn't hear my quiet calls for help and I realized I would have to do this all by myself. </span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>With that one contraction Vicki was able to
push out the head. As I looked at the baby, I noticed that it was very
purple. That is when the Holy Spirit told me “Umbilical cord.”<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> I immediately </span>looked down. I could see the cord over
the baby’s shoulder and around the neck. Without thinking, I grabbed the umbilical cord with my finger and
pulled it over the baby's head. Vicki then asked me to give her the baby because she thought that it was already born. I told
her that she needed to push to get the shoulders out and that she was not done
yet. She then pushed one more time and one by one the shoulders rotated and slid out. I grabbed the
baby and lifted him right onto Vicki's chest. He was still purple and not crying
yet so I used the bulb syringe to clear out his nose and mouth until he let out
a weak little cry. </span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>I then kept fussing with him because I knew his cry wasn't strong enough to fill his lungs with oxygen. I wanted to make him mad and keep him crying. At this point I looked up and saw Devan standing in the doorway holding
the phone. She then reached out and handed it to me. I took the phone and found
911 had called back and I informed them that Vicki had delivered the baby at approximately
12:35am. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The dispatchers attempted to give me
directions over the phone about clamping and cutting the umbilical cord. I was busy making sure Henry was breathing and knew that leaving the umbilical cord intact while it was still pulsing was the safest option for him. A couple of minutes later I looked up
and found a sheriff’s deputy standing in the bathroom doorway. I told 911 that he was
there and I was going to let them go. He asked if all was well and I said it
was so he went back down to let in the EMS crew. </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;">At this point Vicki asked me
to take a picture so I took a photo of her on the floor of the bathroom holding
our baby boy.</span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wrkSIyHfV1s/VcJXevWsMSI/AAAAAAAADFo/GoAEYT7hiBY/s640/blogger-image-2113990243.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-wrkSIyHfV1s/VcJXevWsMSI/AAAAAAAADFo/GoAEYT7hiBY/s640/blogger-image-2113990243.jpg"></a></div> </span></span></div>
<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>EMS then came in and was making a lot of
noise so Vicki asked me to tell them that we had 4 other kids that were still sleeping and if they could keep it down. They then clamped the
cord, cut it and then prepped Vicki to leave for the hospital. While all this
is going on Henry pooped on Vicki. <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>After
they got her cleaned up she was loaded into the ambulance and I gathered our
things and met her out there. Once in the ambulance I gave our baby boy, Henry,
back to her so she could have skin to skin contact with him for the trip to the
hospital. Henry promptly pooped all over Vicki again.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>The ambulance drove us to McLaren hospital because St
John Main was too far in the storm. While in the ambulance I let Dr Gilbert
know that I delivered the baby at home and she responded that she thought that
might happen and congratulations. </span></span></div>
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<div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;">
<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>At the hospital there was a mass of people
waiting for us to arrive. They immediately looked after Vicki and Henry. Once they found they were both fine, they were sent to the labor and delivery floor
for post partum care. Up there they had Vicki deliver the placenta and weighed
Henry. We were informed that he was 9 lbs 6 ounces 21 inches long. They brought
him to back to Vicki to feed and he immediately latched right on and began
eating.</span></span></div>
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<span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> We were visited by a lot of the hospital staff wanting to know the story of Henry's birth. </span>It took a little while for the shock
of having an unintentional, unassisted home birth to wear off. As we look back
on Henry’s birth, we can’t believe how it all happened and it seems surreal. We are so thankful that God was there to guide me as I delivered our precious boy on the bathroom floor of our home. </span></span></div><div style="margin: 0in 0in 10pt;"><span style="font-size: 14pt; line-height: 115%;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9Ypg-3rstdk/VcJXqT-4uLI/AAAAAAAADGA/iQcoN7odqGM/s640/blogger-image--1127873123.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-9Ypg-3rstdk/VcJXqT-4uLI/AAAAAAAADGA/iQcoN7odqGM/s640/blogger-image--1127873123.jpg"></a></div><br></span></span></div>
Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-46205504584165480972014-10-12T15:59:00.000-04:002014-10-12T15:59:37.604-04:00Smarty PantsBeware! This is one of those posts where I brag about my kids.<br />
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Now that you've been warned let me tell you how proud I am of my little monsters. At the start of every school year all of the public school students take tests to determine what level of learning they are at. I'm guessing that this is to help the teachers know exactly what each student needs. To be honest, I have no idea what the name of these tests are and what they actually test.<br />
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On Friday Remie came home with his test results and I noticed there were certain things highlighted by the teacher. Because I once was a teacher, I know that highlighted items usually means there's a problem. I took a deep breath and sat down to see what was going on with my little guy. I started making excuses in my head that he just started a new school and is going through a lot with the extensive orthodontic work that he is enduring so if he's a little behind in school we can handle it. <br />
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I started with the evaluations from the reading and comprehension part of the test. I was pleasantly surprised to see that my 2nd grader is reading at a 3rd grade level and reading approximately 96 words per minute. Phew! Remie's teacher noted that he should be placed in advanced reading groups. Yahoo! Every parent loves to hear the word advanced being associated with their child. <br />
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Next was the math section. Remie has always been good at math but I wasn't at all prepared for what I read. The first item that was highlighted: "Remie scored greater than 98% of students <strong><u>NATIONALLY</u></strong> in the same grade." Wow! That's great news but what exactly does it mean? I kept reading, "Remie's test performance is comparable to that of an average 4th grader."<br />
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Wait...what?<br />
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My kid is testing at a 4th grade math level???!! I believe my exact words were "HOLY CRAP!" I kept rereading that statement over and over again to make sure I wasn't missing any small print. I didn't miss anything.<br />
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Next I went on to Charlotte's review. I don't have the exact test results but I did get a note from her teacher that at this point in 1st grade Charlotte should be reading 88 sight words. Charlotte is currently reading 206 sight words and is considered a second grade reader. I'm so proud of her. Charlotte is starting to enjoy reading and I'll catch her reading chapter books in her room FOR FUN! <br />
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Homeschooling Isaac is going well. I am already seeing that he is advancing in letter recognition and letter sounds. Besides the educational part of homeschooling preschool, Isaac and I are really loving our bonding time together. <br />
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Grace is also enjoying homeschooling. She doesn't do any of the educational work but is learning her ABCs simply by listening to Isaac and I. She is talking like crazy (or should I say "talking like Charlotte"?) and spends most of her play time singing. I love hearing her little voice sing.<br />
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Baby #5 is growing like a weed. S/he is wonderfully healthy, kicking like a champ and draining his/her mama of every ounce of energy. I'm now 24 weeks pregnant and starting to panic at the thought of having 5 KIDS! Then I calm down and remember how wonderful new babies are and think that maybe 6 kids isn't out of the question after all ;) Just kidding. WE.ARE.DONE.<br />
<br />Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-44655070000803140832014-09-19T14:31:00.001-04:002014-09-19T14:31:12.008-04:00School's back in session!You've probably been wondering where I've been. Truthfully, I'm downright exhausted. Between the big kids having an early start school and being pregnant with #5, I feel like nap time doesn't come soon enough. <br />
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But enough of my complaining, here's what's been happening:<br />
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The big kids started their new school at the beginning of September. I was a little nervous about how they would handle changing schools and going to one that is more than double the size of their last school. Charlotte had no problem adjusting to first grade in a new place. She made friends right away and was extremely excited to be placed in 2nd grade reading. Remie was a little shy at first but his teacher is amazing and is helping him to feel very comfortable in the classroom. After a few days, Remie warmed up and made some friends. He is now thriving in second grade and really excelling in math.<br />
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Isaac also started preschool this year. I didn't have one worry about him going back to school because it was the same school and same teacher he had last year. Apparently I was wrong and he was the one I needed to worry about. For some reason, my little guy HATES school. It's a fight to get him there every day. We decided to take Isaac out of preschool and I'll homeschool him two days a week. I'll look for another preschool option for him for next year.<br />
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Grace is doing well. She is still having her Breath Holding Spells but they aren't as frequent or as severe. I'm learning to stay calm when she passes out and it makes each spell easier to deal with. I also talked to a man at our church who's daughter did the same thing as a child. It was reassuring to hear from him that his daughter outgrew it and is completely healthy now. <br />
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We had the big ultrasound for baby #5 yesterday! It was very tempting to find out the gender but we decided to keep it a secret again. We scheduled the ultrasound at a time that we could bring all the kids. Charlotte was very excited to see the baby on the screen. The other kids didn't seem to care one way or another. On the way home, I asked Remie David if he enjoyed going to the ultrasound and seeing the baby. He replied "Mom, I've been to so many of these ultrasounds now that it's starting to get boring!" <br />
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Remie Sr is still recovering from his knee injury from work. We were happy to hear that he won't need surgery but we really need to get it healed and send him back to full duty. I'm pretty sure he misses doing real police work.<br />
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I'm doing well. I recently decided to step down from singing at my church. I really love singing and will miss it but I feel like I am being called to focus my attention in the children's department. I'm really excited to see what God has planned for me in that ministry.Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-9232294446302225372014-08-02T22:29:00.001-04:002014-08-02T22:29:53.939-04:00An Inside Look at BHSWhat a crazy week we've had! It started with Grace's BHS (breath holding spells) getting so severe and frequent that I thought it warranted a call to the doctor. <div><br></div><div>In case you don't follow me on Facebook or you don't know what BHS are, let me explain. BHS are when a trigger, in Gracie's case hitting/bumping her head, causes her to be extremely frightened and anxious and therefore she holds her breath until she passes out. I hate the term "holds her breath" because it implies that she can control the behavior. A better description is that she can't breathe and can't take a deep breath no matter how hard she tries. BHS are involuntary and aren't caused by a strong willed toddler or any other behavior "problem".</div><div><br></div><div>BHS are terrifying for everyone involved. Here is a video example of a BHS:</div><div><a href="http://youtu.be/e0640GTjScQ">http://youtu.be/e0640GTjScQ</a></div><div><br></div><div>Gracie's normal pattern for her spells would be:</div><div>-Occur occasionally, about once every few weeks</div><div>-Bump head</div><div>-Quick cry</div><div>-Hold breath</div><div>-Quickly pass out</div><div>-Once unconscious start breathing immediately</div><div>- Begin to become conscious, cries and is scared for about 10 minutes</div><div>-Resumes normal activity and acts like herself.</div><div><br></div><div>About two weeks ago, Grace's spells became more severe. They were happening every day when she got even the most minimal bump on her head. The scariest part is that when she would pass out she wouldn't start breathing immediately. It was gradually taking longer and longer for her to take her first deep breath again. It was to the point that I was about to call 9-1-1 each time Grace passed out. She was also very cranky afterwards for hours. She didn't go back to her normal happy self for a long time.</div><div><br></div><div>So I called Dr. Little to tell him about the change in her spells. He reassured me that BHS are a common phenomem in childhood and that although it's incredible scary, Grace is ok and will be ok. BHS have shown to have no adverse health effects on the child and they normally grow out of it within a few years. He also explained that sometimes an iron deficiency will cause BHS to become more frequent and more severe. He sent Grace for blood tests right away. Other than an iron supplement, there's no treatment for BHS.</div><div><br></div><div>Remie and I decided that "no treatment" is unacceptable and we knew that we couldn't go through a few years terrified at the thought of Grace getting hurt and passing out. </div><div><br></div><div>Our first approach was our faith. Remie and I prayed that even though there is no cure for BHS that God would heal her so we didn't have to live in fear. I also had to come to a place in my heart and head where I let go of my fear, realized that I can't control Grace's BHS and completely trust that God <b>IS </b>in control. I gave Him my complete trust that He loves Grace more than I do and that He is able to keep her safe even if I can't. It's quite a freeing feeling for a mother.</div><div><br></div><div>The second thing I did was scour the internet for stories of other children with BHS and remedies that helped them. We are a very naturally minded family and I wasn't surprised when I found that people had wonderful results with a few different essential oils that help ease anxiety. I immediately started putting the oils on Grace's feet while we waited for her blood results to come back.</div><div><br></div><div>The first day with prayer and oils, grace fell and hit her head. I scooped her up, she held her breath and right at the moment she normally passes out, she took a deep, beautiful, breath and was fine. </div><div><br></div><div>The next day, Grace stood up under the table and bonked her head on it. I wanted to run to her but instead stood back and watched what happened. Normally with this type of bump she'd be about ready to pass out. This time she rubbed her head and said "ouch!" And continued playing. I <span style="font-family: 'Helvetica Neue Light', HelveticaNeue-Light, helvetica, arial, sans-serif;">didn't know what was causing the change but I wasn't going to argue!</span></div><div><br></div><div>Then Doctor Little called with Grace's blood results. It appears that her iron was on the low side of normal. But some of her other blood counts indicated that her little body was looking for something and Dr Little suspected that it was iron. He told us to get Grace on an iron supplement.</div><div><br></div><div>Grace has been on iron for two days now in addition to the oils and prayer. I'm overjoyed to report that Grace has not had one single BHS in 3 days!!! She is back to her normal happy, silly and loving self!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k3q8uX6qbN4/U92emLPxPRI/AAAAAAAAC4w/emhcwtUrP-o/s640/blogger-image-1307167842.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh3.googleusercontent.com/-k3q8uX6qbN4/U92emLPxPRI/AAAAAAAAC4w/emhcwtUrP-o/s640/blogger-image-1307167842.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div><div>Thank you for all of your love and support during these scary times with Grace. We will still need prayer as we navigate through her healing process but are comforted in knowing that God's on our side.</div><div><br></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-g8TE_G6hRTs/U92eoB5mi_I/AAAAAAAAC44/y33ZK1J49xo/s640/blogger-image--325948668.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-g8TE_G6hRTs/U92eoB5mi_I/AAAAAAAAC44/y33ZK1J49xo/s640/blogger-image--325948668.jpg"></a></div><br></div><div><br></div>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2764165271641404057.post-18585769660652131992014-07-25T21:16:00.001-04:002014-07-25T21:16:26.425-04:00Welcome to the NeighborhoodOur new subdivision is an arena full of unusual circus acts. <div><br></div><div>We've got the guy across the street, Mr Sam, who sits in his driveway all day watching the world go by. At first I thought it was a bit creepy having this old man watch my every move but now I'm getting accustomed to waving at him every day.</div><div><br></div><div>We have the neighbors with the 5 kids right next door. They seem to be a lot like us, it's almost scary. They have 5 kids and two large dogs just like us. We get along great, the kids get along great and well it's so perfect I'm pretty sure I'm in an episode of the Twilight Zone.</div><div><br></div><div>Then there's Don and ..... Oh what's her name??? I really can't remember what her damn name is and she just introduced herself to me less than an hour ago! These neighbors live right next to us on the opposite side of the 5 kid family. These people definitely take the cake for weirdest neighbors EVER! Don and "what's her face" let their dog out the front door and allow it to roam and poop all over the neighbors' lawns, including ours. We were getting pretty irritated with picking up someone else's dog poop so I told Remie to have a talk with them before I lose it. This evening we were outside working in our yard when the little dog got let out to poop where it pleased. Remie took that opportunity to confront "what's her face" about the poop issue. She seems a bit spacy and strange but was apologetic about the poop and got a shovel to start picking up the multiple piles on our lawn. While she's scooping she says that she heard that I'm pregnant. I made small talk about the pregnancy and children and as she's talking to me I'm getting a strange vibe that this woman is not playing with a full deck, if you get my drift. "What's her face" then says something that I've never heard before! She says "You look really young, especially for having 4 children. Are you Mormon?" Because I can't control myself EVER I busted out laughing and cackled "NO IM NOT MORMON!" She didn't seem at all embarrassed for asking that ridiculous question and followed it up with "But you look like you're a teenager." I managed to keep it together and politely thanked her for thinking I was a teenager and told her that I am about to turn 34. "What's her face" was completely shocked at my old age and had to yell over to Don to inform him of my age. It was quite a comical scene as these two went back and forth in disbelief that I could actually be a grown woman.</div><div><br></div><div>I'm still shaking my head over being asked if I was Mormon and laughing that they think Remie is a dirty old man!</div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><a href="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_jEYp19obHM/U9MBaMvcqgI/AAAAAAAAC4c/obyJc6BVOP0/s640/blogger-image-437516078.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://lh4.googleusercontent.com/-_jEYp19obHM/U9MBaMvcqgI/AAAAAAAAC4c/obyJc6BVOP0/s640/blogger-image-437516078.jpg"></a></div><br></div>Vickihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15242078466921531011noreply@blogger.com0