Therapy and Stuff

Tuesday was my first appointment with a counselor. I've never been to any kind of counseling before so I had no idea what to expect. We talked, well mostly I talked. She gave me 'homework'. :)

Reading through the article and the directions made me feel better. With some goal, some way to combat the negative feelings I have. A rut. That's what I've been in. A rut of always thinking  the most negative thoughts and dwelling on the wrong things. Allowing myself to give in to the worst thoughts. 

The supplement regimen seems to be doing the trick for keeping me on a more even keel emotionally. I have bad moments, or maybe hours, now, not bad days. 

In other news...

It was a very busy week. Tuesday night the five oldest kids, Oliver and myself went to the full moon hike in the canyon. That was fun. On two nights we all walked to the park. Thursday I went to a playdate thing for a babywearing group and learned a couple new carries. This morning (Friday) we went to yard sales. 

I will be really glad when everyone is well again. We've been battling strep for a month and a half! That's getting old. 

Cora started doing 'school' with the little kids. They've enjoyed it. Sara is very excited about writing letters. Now if we can just convince her that 'A' is not the only letter in the alphabet! LOL

It's late so g'night. :)

Play

Last night I was reminded why I keep having babies. Kids are fun! :D

After church, me, hubby, and seven of the kids went to the park across from the church to wait for Kyla to get done with choir practice. We had so much fun.

There is not a more joyous sound in the world than a child's laughter. Or hearing your 3 year old say, "This is amazing!" when push her high on the swing.

It is great to see my husband running a race with his kids. Or him trying to show up his boys by climbing to the top of the swings! Now that was funny! LOL

Kids are fun, and people who don't like kids are just... weird! Having kids is the best of life. I need to remember that more often. :D

Life with seven kids is...

if nothing else exciting! :P

Today the kids decided to "surprise" me. By painting the kitchen.

It would have been fine if they had stuck to painting the walls. But no! That was not quite enough for them. They painted the table. The cabinets. The chair. The floor. The stove. The refrigerator. Thankfully the cats were safe snoozing in some secret place.

So here's pics of the damage.

So...we have the 'flu

Took Gilby in today because he'd been running fever for a couple days (since Sunday afternoon) and this morning when he got up he complained of his legs hurting when he tried to get out of bed. Now Gilby is not a complainer, at least when it comes to physical discomfort. A fever for him is like a sedative, makes him calmer but doesn't make him act like he feels bad. So I called the ped first thing and made an appt.

Also asked for the ped to see Sara because she has been extremely fussy the last 24 hours or so.

So the ped did a swab on Gilby and Sara and sure enough they both have the flu. It is likely that what Cora had Saturday and Sunday was the 'flu too.

So far I'd say that, while I am sure those of us who have been sick weren't real happy about it, the 'flu hasn't been that bad for us. This is kind of a milestone for us, to my knowledge, we've never had a confirmed case of the 'flu. Not really one I want to brag about I suppose, but there it is! :P

I don't want anymore bad news!!

About two weeks ago Sara got a bump on her head, but it was soft. Never had seen a soft bump like that so I took her in to the ER. ER doc said that it was likely just a hematoma and nothing to worry about. I still just had this feeling that something wasn't right, so I called the ped the next morning and got her in. Ped ordered a CAT scan and yes the bump on the outside was a hematoma, but there was also another hematoma next to her brain. So today I took her for another CAT scan, just to be sure the hematoma was going away. Well, this time they saw a fracture and there is a bleed as well so now we get to have an MRI done! YEAH! :S I am so glad that I did not listen to that ER doc!!

But that hasn't been the only thing going on. A few months ago Kyla was in to the ped for strep. The NP heard a murmur while we were there so they sent her to see a cardiologist. That appt was last week. When he was examining her he asked if she'd ever suffered from joint pain and an associated rash. I told him about something that had happened about 7 or eight years ago...

Back then Kyla had complained of joint pain. We had taken her to the ped and she was referred to an allergist who diagnosed her with JRA (juvenile rheumatoid arthritis). After a few months on the meds she was no better so I quit giving her the meds (those were some serious drugs and not to be taken unless one REALLY needs them) I never felt comfortable with that diagnosis. Anyway, after a month or two off the meds Kyla's symptoms disappeared, and we assumed that it was just growing pains and that Kyla was a weanie. She has had a couple other episodes of joint pain since then.

Well after hearing that the cardiologist said that he believed what she had was rheumatic heart disease. That is caused by untreated rheumatic fever which is a result of an undiagnosed or improperly treated strep infection.

Kyla suffers a lot of strep (3 cases in just the last year). With rheumatic heart disease each case of strep causes more damage to the heart. Different parts of the heart can be affected. In Kyla's case it is her aortial valve.

Kyla will have to be on antibiotics for the next 5 years, or more, to prevent future strep infections.

I hope this is all I have to deal with right now...I just don't know if I could take anything else at the moment!

Before I Was A Mom (stolen from a friend's facebook page)

Before I was a Mom,
I never tripped over toys
or forgot words to a lullaby.
I didn't worry whether or not
my plants were poisonous.
I never thought about immunizations.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never been puked on.
Pooped on.
Chewed on.
Peed on.
I had complete control of my mind
and my thoughts.
I slept all night.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held down a screaming child
so doctors could do tests.
Or give shots.
I never looked into teary eyes and cried.
I never got gloriously happy over a simple grin.
I never sat up late hours at night
watching a baby sleep.

Before I was a Mom,
I never held a sleeping baby just because
I didn't want to put her/him down.
I never felt my heart break into a million pieces
when I couldn't stop the hurt.
I never knew that something so small
could affect my life so much.
I never knew that I could love someone so much.
I never knew I would love being a Mom.

Before I was a Mom,
I didn't know the feeling of
having my heart outside my body..
I didn't know how special it could feel
to feed a hungry baby.
I didn't know that bond
between a mother and her child.
I didn't know that something so small
could make me feel so important and happy.

Before I was a Mom,
I had never gotten up in the middle of the night
every 10 minutes to make sure all was okay.
I had never known the warmth,
the joy,
the love,
the heartache,
the wonderment
or the satisfaction of being a Mom.
I didn't know I was capable of feeling so much,
before I was a Mom ."

Emma

My lovely second daughter will be 12 tomorrow!

Emma is such a joy. She is sweet and compassionate. She is so observant of everything! She is growing into a wonderful young woman. I love it when she tells me of some new discovery she has made. I love it when I see her being kind to her younger siblings and helping them with something. I love it that she does such a good job making her daddy's lemon water for him when he comes home from work. I was humbled the time she confessed to having a bad attitude about something and was repentant. She will make some man a great helpmeet one day.

Emma

3 months

Last summer

Emma bowling a strike!

The garden...(and other miscellaneous ramblings)

is just waiting for the seedlings to mature. I am getting a late start I suppose but there has been bad weather (60 mph gusts) and then snow and sick kids and a lost cat and fundraising for Kyla's Zambia trip and karate and gymnastics...You get the idea.

So next week we will plant and hopefully I will remember to charge my camera and then upload pics before it goes dead again.

I am pleased with how much work I did on that garden. It was hard work and I am not the hard-working type! LOL

After the planting I want to paint the eaves on the house and so some work on the front yard.

We are planning a yard sale for next weekend...trying to help along our $1000 emergency fund as our Baby Step #1 in Dave Ramsey's "Total Money Makeover".

Then there is a possibility (a very small one) the hubby will be going to preach at my mom's church next month and then perhaps a jaunt up to hubby's grandpa's 84th birthday party. (Those would have to be trips that were at the same time, Mom and Dad live about halfway between us and where the party is)

Well that is all I have time for right now. I will be back to do a political blog later I am fuming over so many things and writing it out will help!

I hate being sick!

Today I woke with a monstrous sinus headache. I had a fever and my nose was running. I did not want to get out of bed and cook or clean or take care of a fussy baby. Thankfully I didn't have to cook or clean...still had take care of the baby though. Kyla, my wonderful teenager, rallied the troops and got everything cleaned up and breakfast made!

Days like this make me so glad that I spent time teaching the kids how to do things. It is a comfort to know that the house won't completely fall apart while I lie around trying to get well. I did take something for the headache and that helped some, except now I feel all dizzy in my head. Medicine always does that to me. The dizzy feeling is much more bearable than the headache!

I really do have some great kids!

Time is so short

Time is racing by these days. When I look at my children, who are growing so fast, I wonder if I have spent enough time with them? Have I taught them all they need to know? I am a good example of what an help meet and mother ought to be?


I fear the answer to those questions is 'No'.

I spend too much time with frivolous things. I spend too much time worrying.


My oldest girl is nearly a woman. My oldest boy is looking less and less like a little boy. And the baby is sixteen months already!


These moments slip by so swiftly! And yet so often I am wanting them to hurry along. Always looking ahead, and sometimes behind, instead of living in the moment. What I do right now, today, determines the future. Am I spending the time necessary to make that future a bright one?


Have I done enough to equip my daughters to be successful in whatever they pursue in life? Have I shown them how a wife should treat her husband, even when he doesn't deserve it? Have I shown them how a mother ought to love her children? Have I taught them to use their time wisely?


Have I been an example that my sons can honor? What will be their thoughts about their wives or just women in general? Have I praised them enough when they sacrifice to do a job? Have I encouraged them to be self sufficient enough, so they will be good providers?


Lord, remind to do the things that matter...the things that will last.