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Princess_ame
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Name: Amy
Gender: Female
Interests: I love to study theology, to seek to cultivate a strong relationship with the Lord, be a good help meet to my husband, be the best mom for my children, an encourager to my family and friends, and a blessing to whomever the Lord sends my way.
Expertise: I don't think I have any expertise...I am learning and working on every area imaginable (or so it seems) in my life.
Occupation: Other
Industry: Other
Message: message meEmail: email me
Member Since:
4/8/2006
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| Now we are six!!!Yup, we have now become a family of six! Crazy!!! We welcomed Ioan (pronounced Yo-an) William on May 22nd at 4:36pm weighing in at 7lb. 9oz and being 20 in. long. I was induced one day shy of 39 weeks and I am sooo glad they induced me. After weeks of contracting every 3-5 minutes and being in a great deal of pain, I was ready to meet Ioan. We arrived at the hospital around 6am and we began our induction. It was quite an eventful day for our little hospital- 6 babies were born that day! My OB was very busy. We were started on Pitocin around 7:30am, my water was broken around 11:30am, I got my epidural (which I am sooo glad that I got ) around 3pm, found out I was an 8 at 4pm, called a few friends around 4:15pm to let them know that Ioan would probably be arriving in an hour or so, and started pushing around 4:30pm and delivered at 4:36pm. It was a very fast delivery. Really almost too fast as I tore quite badly. I had a second degree tear up (it is not too common to tear up) and still tore down. I also burst a blood vessel which bled terribly and caused alot of problems! (Still is causing problems!) However, we are grateful Ioan is here and I am healing okay. We definitely have had some rough and busy couple of weeks since his birth. I had alot of blood loss and was quite anemic when I left the hospital. I am taking iron and eating yummy spinach salads and still struggling. When I saw the doctor this week he informed me that I would take a few months to return to normal. The blood loss has also caused me to have a low milk supply. After pumping after each feeding and nursing every two hours (a process that has taken an hour!), I am seeing an impovement in my milk supply and Ioan is finally starting to gain weight. (At a week and a half Ioan weighed in at 6lb. 11oz. and by the end of the week had gained 4 oz! I was impressed, but my lactation consultant wasn't completely impressed!) I am praying he will continue to grow. I have noticed an increase in his eating and in his sucking, so I am hoping we will be problem free from here on out!
All the kids are loving him. I am finding that being a mom of four is much busier now than with three, but nursing makes life busy! I am so grateful the Lord blessed us with Ioan and I pray that He will use us to train Ioan to be like Christ! I am overwhelmed by his grace in our lives and ask that you would pray that I would recieve an abundance of grace as I am tired and worn out and struggle with patience with my 3 busy children.
Well, I am tired, and that is all I have time to write! Here are some pictures for your enjoyment.   Ariana and Lillian love their little baby brother!!!!   Our blessing from the Lord! "Behold, children are an heritage from the Lord and the fruit of the womb a reward!!!!" Psalm 127
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| Cloth Diapers, illnesses, and IoanThings have been crazy our household the last few weeks! After 3 weeks of the flu in January, I was hoping for a healthy February, but that was not the Lord's plan for us. My dear, sweet Lillybug ran a high fever for almost a week and then was fine, but the next week, E-baby ran one will the chills while visiting my family in Michigan. We cut the visit short and took him in to the doctor's at home and he had a throat infection. Last week, Ana-bee was diagnosed with strep and Lillybug was diagnosed with the same 2 days later. So, while we spend time preparing for Lillybug's first official birthday (one of the perks of being born on leap-year), we are catching up on school and recovering from busy, sick weeks.
Added to our fun, I've been trying out cloth diapering. I know this is going to sound so weird, but I really like it! I am working on figuring out how to keep my diapers bright and stain free, but overall I like it. I have a few bumgenius diapers that I really like, but just did prefolds yesterday and must admit...I dont' care for them. They are bulky and make E-baby look 3x rounder in the bum and waist which I am not crazy about. The prefolds did hold up better at night (no leaking with them, but I did have leaking with bumGenius),but for the day and nap, bumGenius is great! So, I have found more I would love to try, and the nice thing is I'm not doing this alone...my dearest Julie is doing it with me too (although, with her baby due in 6 weeks or less, she probably feels the need to find what will work best more than me!) I am looking forward to continuing my cloth diapering and providing nice things for my children, and helping save some money.
Ioan is doing well. I am currently 26 weeks 5 days pregnant and am feeling him punch my side at the moment. In the midst of reading and hearing of other's losses in the last few weeks, my heart weeps with them for I have experienced loss more times than I would have liked and yet within me I carry what to me is the hope that the Lord will once again bless our family with a child. For me, losing my other children have been testimony's of God's soverignty and faithfulness to me and my miracles are reminders that in His time He gives the best! As much as I would have loved to carry my babies to term and be enjoying them now, I would not know the blessing of our second daughter or first-born son. But losses are difficult in many ways, because I am expecting our fourth live birth, but this is my seventh pregnancy. I am expecting our second born son, but really this is my third son. It's hard, because I don't want to discount these babies but it is hard when someone asks is this your fourth. I want to shout-no, it's my seventh, but three are gone, but then you get the I'm sorry looks and I want joy over this little one. So, Ioan William (the official baby name) is very anticipated and continues to remind me that there is hope after loss and my track record doesn't indicate what will happen (So far we've had birth-loss-preterm birth-loss-second trimester loss-birth) because it is in my great God's hands. We are counting down the weeks (just over 12 at the most as my history doesn't lend to going to or past my due date) and are anxious and excited over this new life! Please continue to pray for me, I've felt very tired alot and often wonder, how am I going to do four, but I know I wouldn't trade the joy of another baby for anything! | | |
| Pregnancy update #5Today was ultrasound day here!!! My dear friend offered to watch Ethan, and the girls, my dear hubby, and I went to the hospital for the much anticipated ultrasound! It went great! Baby was very active and cooperated with us, and we are pleased to announce that we are expecting anther boy! I really thought we'd find out it was a girl, but I was way wrong on that front! I am excited especially for Ethan to have a playmate. The girls are 18 months apart and I love their closeness. I hope our boys, who will be 20 months apart, will share a similar closeness, although in boy fashion. We sure are blessed by the Lord and I am praying that He will continue to bless this pregnancy. I look forward to rejoicing in our son's birth in the spring!!!! | | |
| Pregnancy Update #4Wednesday, I had an ultrasound at the early hour of 8am. I admit...I've decided that early appointments are not for me..especially when we have all the highway traffic going through our small little town. However, the ultrasound went good. My cervical length was great and baby looked good. We weren't able to see the gender of the baby, so baby is still baby for now. It was sooo cute...our precious child had its hand up by its face and you could see the fingers...so small and sooo perfect. I was very relieved to see/hear the heart beating (although, I was sooo tired I can't remember what the heartrate was.)
The only negative news was the weight loss (which most women would be happy to hear about!) However, my doctor is concerned with my continual weight loss. I am finally over morning sickness, but my appetite has still not returned. I was told to eat more frequently and help my tummy get back to its original size as due to morning sickness it's probably shrunk. I am working on my attitude toward this, as I am not hungry often, and don't have an appetite. I know it's important for our baby, and I am going to try hard to do better.
I am still praying that the Lord will give me a peace and excitement for this pregnancy. I am happy to have another child, but I am still guarded in the sense that I don't want to get attached and then to lose the baby. WE have now passed the time when we lost Nathan, so I have no reason to be concerned, but I am still fearful in some ways. I know that God has this little one in His hand, but getting it from my head to my heart is a bit of a challange for me. I know He has my good in making me like Jesus and His glory in mind, and I am trying to remember that no matter what happens, these things must be at the forefront of my mind.
Our next view is January 9th, and hopefully we will find out whether we will have another girl, or another boy. I love preparing for the next baby, and I know that will boost my spirits. Until then, I have two friends awaiting the arrival of their babies any day now, and I am excited and anxious to see their waiting fulfilled! And I can't wait to hold a tiny baby again! | | |
| Pregnancy Update #3!Yesterday was a Dr's appointment. It went well. Baby's heartrate was in the upper 160's lower 170's range...so very very fast!!!! I am beginning to doubt my first inclination that this is a girl, because my boy heartrate was faster than my girls (usually the girls were in the 150-160 range), so I am alittle anxious to find out what this precious baby will be.
I am starting my second trimester and am doing so with some trepidation. I struggled emotionally with my first trimester miscarriages, and while I didn't have a hard time emotionally with Nathan, I am fearing a second trimester loss again. It was sooo physically hard to deal with, and with this busy season, I am quite anxious to get through it with no difficulties. Nathan's loss still seems so close (even though it was over 2 years ago) and the thought of going through it again brings fear to my heart.
This fear is coupled by my overall down spirit with this pregnancy. Part of it is probably a fear of living through loss again...I hate the thought of it. Another part is probably that I am pregnant with family and friends and want to enjoy the experience with them. Another part is the fear of doing 4 children 5 and under. There are so many thoughts in my head...sometimes they hurt! As I sat in the waiting room, I read my pregnancy journal. I read the hymn I had determined to focus on during this pregnancy and found myself crying to God to make these words a true part of my life.
"All the Way my Savior leads me what have I to ask beside
Can I doubt His tender mercies who through life has been my guide
Heavenly peace Divinest comfort here by faith in Him to dwell
For I know what 'ere befall me Jesus doeth all things well
For I know what 'ere befall me Jesus doeth all things well.
All the way my Savior leads me cheers each winding path I tread
Gives me grace for every trial, feeds me with the LIving bread
Though my wary steps may falter, and my soul athirst may be,
Gushing from the rock before me, lo, a spring of joy I see;
Gushing from the rock before me, lo, a spring of joy I see.
All the way my Savoir leads me; Oh, the fullness of HIs love!
Perfect rest to me is promised in my Father's house above
When my spirit, clothed immortal, wings its flight to realms of day,
This my song thro' endless ages: Jesus led me all the way
This my song thro' endless ages: Jesus led me all the way."
by Fanny Crosby
I want Jesus to satisfy me. I want Him to fill me with the spring of Joy while I am faltering. I want to see Him leading me throughout this pregnancy. Pray with me, that I will be filled with knowledge of His presence and see His hand in this pregnancy. May I be filled with the hope, peace, and joy that comes from knowing and loving such a great God!!!!
PS. Next view of this little one is in a week and a half or so! They are doing cervical checks again (though only 2 rather than 6!), so I look forward to seeing this little one again real soon! | | |
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