Wordless Wednesday - 34 weeks!!

My Sunday Best {{volume 3}}: In Which I Look Like A Pumpkin

Tomorrow I will be 33 weeks!!!  A little over 3 weeks until we get to meet our little princess!!  We can hardly wait!!  :)

We have now entered into cooler weather here in the Midwest, so I had to get out some long sleeve shirts, pants and my favorite knee highs.  Oh!  They feel so good with my nasty varicose veins.  I chucked the compression hose after a few days this summer because of how uncomfortable they were.  But knee high socks?  I can totally do those!!!  :)

So, here I am looking like a pumpkin in my orange maternity sweater with my favorite maternity denim skirt.  Also posing with me is my sweet Rose, the only one still in church clothes.  (didn't remember to take the picture until right before dinnertime).

Hop on over to Rosie's blog to join in on or view the other mommas sharing their Sunday Best, by clicking the image below....

Gender Reveal in 7 Easy Steps

Last Friday, I announced our pregnancy here on the blog.  Thank you all for your love, support, and most especially your prayers.  I'll need them for sure and appreciate them greatly.  And, as CrAzY as it sounds, this week I get to share the gender of our precious little baby.  What?  I know already?  Oh yeah!!  Today's post is "7 Easy Steps on How To Do a Gender Reveal".  Enjoy, my friends!!  

#1- Take the Informaseq Blood test.  It tests for Downs and Trisomy, but the BIG thing is...  it also tests gender.  And is 100% accurate on the sex.  This is the second baby we have done this for, because it's a newer test and wasn't available for my other pregnancies.  Plus, the cool thing is that it can be done much earlier.  Much earlier than the 18-20 week ultrasound that you are just hoping baby isn't crossing his/her legs for.  Anyways, I had my blood test done last week and was only 11 weeks along.

#2- Answer the phone when your doctor's office calls and tell them "yes" that you want to know over the phone.  Shhhhh!!! Don't tell anyone!!  (Except I did tell hubs, but not the kids - they got the Big Reveal!!)

#3- Go shopping as soon as you can!!!  How many kids do you have?  Me?  I have 8.  So, I bought 8 boy things and 8 girl things, plus 8 gift bags (or you can wrap the items, if you wish.  I'm lazy.  And busy.  Gift bags work best for me).  Obviously, I knew which items we would really keep since I knew the sex.  But kiddos didn't.  A few of my kids were at their homeschool history class, so I only had the 5 littles with me.  They got to help me pick out things and had a blast doing it!  But again, they had NO clue which items we'd be keeping!!  Now if you are able to shop alone, then only buy the sex you need.  I bought items for the other gender as a cover-up so my crew didn't know the secret yet.  (**don't forget to keep the receipt, because the items of the wrong sex should all be taken back**)

#4- Stuff away!!!  Put the correct items that match the gender from your phone call from your test into the gift bags (or wrap away - your preference!).  Don't forget to shut or lock the doors.  Or threaten kids to NOT PEEK and STAY AWAY.

#5- Take a cheesy picture of the kids.  For fun and a great "before" picture, but mostly to stall as long as you can.  And get everyone to smile perfectly.  Again more stalling.  You have to get the "perfect" picture!

#6- Take a video of the kids opening the presents/The Great Reveal.  You can't forget this one.  You will love to go back and re-play and watch it over and over.  Especially the really great actors of the family!  Where's my video?  Scroll to the bottom of this list.  I *have* to make you wait.  At least a little bit.  ;)

#7- SHARE AWAY!!!  Other than texting family and close friends the day of, this is my blog and Facebook reveal!!  Enjoy...

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Click the image below to read more 7 Quick Takes or to jump on the blog link-up yourself!!

An Announcement and 7 of My Favorite Baby/Children/Pro-Life Quotes

Due Date:  November 28th

Expected Arrival:  around Halloween

(doc will take babe a month early to minimize the stress on my uterus that last month of pregnancy)

This will be my 9th c-section.  Very risky as I've mentioned before, so please pray for us.  We love this little one to pieces already and trust Our Lord who allowed me to get pregnant again.  Obviously we are hoping and praying to have a beautiful baby to hold and snuggle and a healthy and happy family of 11 by the end of this year!!

So, onto seven of my favorite children/baby/pro-life quotes....

Jesus said, "Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of heaven belongs to such as these."

~Matthew 19: 14

“How can there be too many children? That is like saying there are too many flowers.”

~Blessed Mother Teresa

“When a child is given to his parents, a crown is made for that child in Heaven, and woe to the parents who raise a child without consciousness of that eternal crown!”

~Ven. Fulton J. Sheen

"The greatest gift you can give your child is another sibling."

~Pope Saint John Paul II

(although I just found this and now wonder if he really said this.  Does anyone know?)

"Look at the mothers who truly love their children: how many sacrifices they make for them. They are ready for everything, even to give their own blood so that their babies grow up good, healthy and strong."

~Saint Gianna Beretta Molla

“All of us must care for life, cherish life, with tenderness, warmth…to give life is to open (our) heart, and to care for life is to (give oneself) in tenderness and warmth for others, to have concern in my heart for others.  Caring for life from the beginning to the end. What a simple thing, what a beautiful thing..So, go forth and don’t be discouraged. Care for life. It’s worth it.”

~Pope Francis

“A person is a person no matter how small.” 

~Dr. Seuss

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And I'm going to add in an eighth quote as prayer for myself and my little one in womb...

"0 Jesus, I promise You to submit myself to all that You permit to happen to me, make me only know Your Will".

~Saint Gianna Beretta Molla

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Linking up with 7 Quick Takes.  Click on the image below to join in on the fun!!

7 quick takes - a little bit of this and a little bit of that

Lots of little bits around here, going here and going there, and enjoying our "at home" time when that pops up too!   Here's a peek at our week and all the things God has been doing in our life....

---#1---

Getting ready for baby in little bits.... we deep cleaned and moved around his, Doh- I mean "our", bedroom this weekend.  We got rid of a LOT of dust and have his sleeping quarters all ready to go.  Lots more on the list to do; but hey, we have a little over 2 weeks.  Plenty of time, right???

---#2---

Plugging away at school at the Young Family Academy....  We are in week 7 and have found a nice groove called whoever-is-the-loudest-and-asks-the-most-gets-mommy-first.  We're doing as good and as peaceful as we can when there is one only mom/teacher (who is moving very ...s...l...o...w....), 6 students of varying ages and curriculum, and a toddler who gets into everything she should not.  So, lots of little bits of momma going around to teach and love and correct and guide these young'uns!  Thank God these kids are patient and understanding and there is a lot more computer-based learning to get us through this busy year!  

---#3---

This sweet beauty just celebrated her 10th Baptismal Anniversary yesterday!   This quiet, little, meek girl is shouting out loud and clear that she is a "God Girl"!   Love her to pieces and the beautiful girl she is becoming each and every year!!!

---#4---

This same sweet Beauty also gets ate by bugs little by little each time she is outside.  There is something about her, Max, and myself that bugs (most probably skeeters) are attracted too.  I have half a dozen bites on my legs too, I just don't react like Melody does.  I took her in to the dr a couple days ago, because although she had her normal CrAzY reaction of redness and swelling, there was also a blister that formed at the bite mark.  It's looking much better now after a days of benadryl and itch creams.

---#5---

Pregnancy insomnia hits almost every night, so I take my sleep when I can get it - definitely in lots of little bits!!!  And as strange as it sounds, I actually get better sleep when da baby arrives.  

---#6---

Our oldest of our young'uns just moved up from a size 8 shoe to a size 10!  I was definitely wrong in assuming his feet had only grew a little. I was thinking he'd go up by only one shoe size, not skip an entire size!!!  Man, I felt terrible after that trip to the shoe store!!!  And how did he get so big so fast??!!!!  Enjoy and love your kiddos every little bit and chance that you get, because it is so true that they grow up "in the blink of an eye"!  

---#7---

As a busy momma of a large crew and the time and energy it takes to run a household and school in the midst of it all, I get little "me" time, and I'm perfectly fine and happy with that because of the grace and joy He sends when you live out your vocation to the best of your abilities.  That being said, I am extremely grateful and have used that "me" time wisely when it does happen- at my weekly prayer group.  We listen to each other, encourage each other, pray with each other, advise each other, and share with each other how God's presence has been seen and felt throughout our days.  These weekly gatherings and Christ-centered friendships are a true treasure!!! And who would have thought that I'd be having the sweetest little baby shower with baby #8 - thanks to these wonderful ladies loving and spoiling me?!!!

++Thank you, God, for your unending 

love and presence in all these little

 ways that add up to SO much!++

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For more Quick Takes, visit Conversion Diary!

A Mom-ism Monday kind-of-day

My second attempt at another "Mom-ism Monday" post, linking it up with Donna Marie Cooper O'Boyle!  Cheer with me now, because I actually made it on a Monday!!  Woo hoo!!

Some, "mom-isms" or "mommy moments" from this past week...

#1

On Saturday, my oldest daughters and I attended our year-end Mother/Daughter Tea for our local Little Flowers girls club.  I have helped teach and lead our group ever since Melody was in wreath 1 and we started with a group of a little over a dozen girls that met at my home once a month. We have grown over the years to a group, this past year, of fifty plus girls and going strong and meet at our church hall now!  What a wonderful gift we can give our daughters to learn about the saints and the virtues they lived as they followed Christ - and what great examples they are for us to follow!  So the tea this weekend was a celebration of all that they have learned and the friendships they have formed along the way.  It included a yummy potluck of tea-party type foods, many games and crafts, and one of the favorite memories was the breaking at the pinata.  Just picture moms and daughters in their fancy dresses swinging and beating down a pinata - funny but a blast at the same time!!  If you want a peek into our celebration, click here for my write up.  Enjoy!!  

#2

Also, this weekend, we set up little Rose's toddler bed after a couple month transition of moving many bedrooms and kids around.  She's only slept in it once so far and still prefers her crib next to mommy and daddy in our room, but it's a small step into getting ready for her being a big sister soon.  We wanted to allow plenty of time for this and the transition to be as smooth as possible, so we will allow her as much time as she needs.  But doesn't she look like such a big girl in her big girl bed....

#3

Things are progressing daily with my pregnancy!  I am over the first sixteen weeks of nauseousness, so that part of me is feeling great.  Now the beautiful varicose veins and tailbone issues begin to make themselves known.  All more to offer up in prayer for our little man!!  We got a peek at our little guy today in my 20 week ultrasound.  What a wiggly little guy his is!! And adorable, must I add!!  He was kind of a stinker and didn't swallow and show us the stomach bubble, so I had to flip back and forth from side to side to get him to perform.  Thankfully, he did near the end of the ultrasound.  When I met with dr, she also shared that they saw an "echogenic focus" and we'll be following up with another more in-depth ultrasound soon.  Dr didn't seem too concerned since everything else looked okay, but they still need to have it looked at a second time.

So, we will pray and hope and trust!!  We also scheduled the c-section for early October!  Please continue to pray for babe and I, since this will be my 8th c-section.  And, with Fulton J. Sheen having an approved first miracle, it doesn't hurt asking for his miraculous intercession in this risky pregnancy and delivery...

 Eternal Father, You alone grant us every blessing in Heaven and on earth, through the redemptive mission of Your Divine Son, Jesus Christ, and by the working of the Holy Spirit.If it be according to Your Will, glorify Your servant, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, by granting the favor I now request through his prayerful intercession - of this young baby's time in womb and delivery and safety for him and his momma -
I make this prayer confidently through Jesus Christ, Our Lord. Amen.

And, our little guy's first official appearance here on the blog.  Say "hi" little guy....

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Please join in with your "Mom-ism Monday" on Donna Marie's blog as well!  Click on the picture below and add what God has been doing in your life as a mom this week.  (and don't feel bad if you are a tad late like I was last week)

NOT an April Fool's joke....

I promise you!!  

I was one of those "naughty" people who claimed on Facebook that I was pregnant with twins on this day last year.  

I thought I'd better redeem myself this year....

EDD:  

November 9th, 2014 

(our little Rose's second birthday, actually!)

Will be closer to:  

the first week of October though (5 weeks early)

Prayers needed: 

This will be my eighth c-section.  I was breaking records with little Rose's delivery at our hospital but God decided that we should have another one.  It is all part of His perfect plan.  We know and trust that.  We will most definitely need another miracle, and we hope you will lift our beautiful baby and myself up in prayer along this journey, and most especially when the time comes closer to delivery.  Specifically, please pray for "a uterus of steel and healthy tissue".  I would greatly appreciate it if you spread the word with this prayer request as well - we need ALL the prayers we can get.  Thanks bunches!! 

And, as shown in the JOY our children shared with us about this beautiful, wonderful, amazing news, we can all use a little reminder....

"The greatest gift you can give your 

child is another sibling."

-Pope John Paul II

++Thank you, God, for this baby, whom we already love so much!!  We know and believe and trust in Your perfect plan!++

Introducing....

...our newest addition to our family - our sweet baby girl, "Rose". She was born last Friday in the morning via c-section. Our house has exploded in PINK again after the last two were boys.  Here's her birth stats....

birthday:  November 9th
time:  9:48am
weight:  6 pounds 15.8 ounces
height: 19 inches
proud siblings:  

"Fone"

 

"Mario"

"Melody"

"Ariel"

 

"Max"

 

"Pookey"

I had shared my prayer request earlier last week so that I could count on all of you to lift me up in prayer during the c-section, since it was going to be my 7th.  Thank you all who prayed for us!  

The first half of my c-section went very smooth.  From the first cut until dr reached baby was maybe 15-20 minutes.  Her apgars were very good - a 7 and an 8.  They did all of the first tests, weight, footprints, etc... in the operating room just off to the side, so that I was able to see it all.  After that they gave her to Neil to hold to sit next to me for the remainder of the section.  But...  the second half was a little unexpected and something that had never happened to me before.  My spinal had started to wear off and I had a lot of feeling and was in a LOT of pain.  I truly don't know how the doctors continued with me laying there, "ouch, ouch, I can feel that.  owww...", but they did.  They put their "game face" on and continued amazingly.  My anesthesiologist was working extra hard filing my IV one after another of narcotics to take the edge off. It was unbelievably scary and painful, but all the "Haily Mary's" got me through plus I was able to remain calm and my heart rate and BP stayed in normal limits.  Poor Neil had started feeling lousy seeing me in so much pain that he had to hand off his little "Rose" and was escorted out of the OR to get better himself and so that he didn't have to continue watching me be in so much pain.  Near the end, with the last couple linings to sew back together, the bleeding wouldn't stop.  Whenever a suture was made to put things back together, I kept bleeding.  And, because of this I have developed a hematoma (a blood sac).  Right now, it looks like a nasty bruise - the entire width of my scar and it goes up about 3-4 inches on my belly.  It will either be absorbed or will leak out my scar.  So far, there has been no leaking.  The spreading out of the bruised area shows my body is trying to absorb the blood which is good. 

As with all babies that we have brought home, there is definitely a transition time....  some more smooth than others.  This one has had a few bumps and we are still dealing with them. So, please pray for us...  "Rose" is having some nursing issues with being a preemie and having a poor suck, my hematoma (blood sac) is still a concern, and I now have developed high blood pressures that the doctors are keeping a close eye on.  Thanks in advance for your prayers!!  

Thank you God for our sweet little "Rose"!

Almost there!!!

34 weeks pregnant with my 7 favorite little people

 
It truly seems like yesterday that we were announcing this pregnancy, and here we are now in just the last few days of it all.  It has been a pregnancy with many ups and downs, new things and normal things - gestational diabetes for the first time ever and I also dealt with some preterm scare around 19 and 20 weeks caused by kidney stones.  But, my doctor has been amazingly supportive (thank you, God!!) and has been very cautious with this being my 7th c-section.  So, although my actual due date is December 9th, delivery is scheduled for one month early to lessen the risks and scare of the last month since my uterus is already stretched to its max.  Our Pookey was definitely a little miracle and we know that this sweet girl will be as well, as the doctors are already assuming my uterus is already open and ruptured. It's so humbling to be chosen once again to live and share my faith, even though this is a very scary time.  I wouldn't want to have it any other way though.... like I've said MANY times, "what is the point of faith if you aren't going to have faith?". 

So, I'm coming to all you to ask for your prayers for these last few days of pregnancy and then the big arrival as well.  Of course, I will be updating as soon as I can!  Thanks so much for your support and prayers!! 

"Are you done yet?"

or maybe it's....

"Don't you know what causes that?"
"How are you going to pay for their college?"
"Are they are all yours?"
"You must be a saint"

I have felt the nudge by the Holy Spirit months ago to share our background when it comes to these questions and I am finally getting around to it (thanks to a reminder from two wonderful blog articles I have read lately).  I had to laugh when my husband recently suggested an answer that will shut people up to the question - "Don't you know what causes that".  He told me to say, "Yep, and we're pretty darn good at it".  He said it works - it definitely was not what the person expected and shut them up immediately.  Hopefully it planted a few seeds and got them thinking and praying as well.

As you know, we are expecting our 8th child, 6 living with us now and one who has already made it Home. This will be my 7th c-section, which is a big "no-no" and actually was a big "no-no" for the last 3.  But, we trusted and prayed, and God blessed us with Ariel, Max, and Pookey.  At Pookey's delivery, my uterus was not in good shape at all, and again we were suggested to not have any more children.  We used Billings method of watching my fertility cycles and abstained at certain times each month, all the while being open to life and God's plan for our family.  We tried out best and were prudent in using Billings, however, God still decided to step in and bless us with another baby.  I'm so grateful we are guided by faith in God and not the fear that was put on us by medical professionals.

Another comment that I get quite often is when people declare proudly that they "are done".  How do they know that God didn't have more children planned for them?  They truly don't know what they are missing, plus the best gift of all that they are neglecting to give their other children - another sibling.  Not to mention how it puts a strain on their marriage (as they can no longer be "one" anymore and freely give of themselves to their spouse) and even more importantly, the separation they are causing between them and God. 

What is the point of faith if we are not truly going to have faith??

Do we understand the risks when it comes to having 7 c-sections?  Absolutely we do!  But, losing my life or our beautiful baby is the chance we are taking next to losing our soul to a grave sin.  My brother-in-law shared years ago that when it comes to fertility and trusting God versus taking matters into your own hands is truly a grave decision - meaning it will take you to the grave.  You will either be rewarded or will have to answer by your faith or lack of faith.  Heaven is our ultimate goal - I may make it to heaven when I'm 90, or it may happen tomorrow in a car accident, or it may happen in the next 2 months as we await for the arrival of our sweet baby girl or even during the risky delivery.  Only God knows the time and hour and place.  Same with our sweet baby.  She has brought so much JOY to our lives already.  God has a purpose for her - whether her life be short or long.  We are called to give our FIAT, to say "yes" to Him.  Or, we can turn our backs on Him and choose what is best for our lives on our own and rely on sterilization or contraception, when it comes to planning our family.  I would rather risk losing my life (as a martyr of my faith for Him) than to risk my soul and jeopardize the beautiful plans my Heavenly Father has for me, for all of us, to live with Him for all eternity.

Death is not something to fear.  And, if that is what God has planned for me or our sweet baby, then we are ready.  Death is the step we must take to reach our goal of Heaven.

"If you embrace all the things in life as coming from 

the hands of God, and even embrace death to fulfill his 

holy will, you will surely die a saint"

-St. Alphonsus Liguori

Wordless Wednesday - 12 weeks

Announcing...

"The greatest gift you can give your 

child is another sibling."

-Pope John Paul II

EDD:  December 9th, 2012

Early arrival due to risks:  at least 2 weeks before 

(maybe even 3-4 weeks early)

**Any and all prayers would be appreciated since this will be our 7th 

c-section and our last one (with Luke) was a true miracle.

"I can do all things through him who strengthens me."

-Phil 4:13

"How can there be too many children?  That is 

like saying there are too many flowers."

-Mother Teresa