He is here!

Monday, August 25, 2014, at 12:14pm Roland Coy reluctantly came into the world via c-section. He was 7lbs 3oz and 20in. He is adorable! His siblings have fallen in love! They want help and love on him constantly. His little big sister, Cathy Belle, gets very upset when he cries. Right now we are getting to know our newest family member and enjoying having my husband home on paternity leave!

Update

I know it has been very very long since I have posted. We have battled Strep....twice,

hives (which have lead to an allergist appointment).

 Cathy Belle at 18 months started asking to go potty, and went without an accident for the first 2 days, but it is always #2 in the potty (yay!) and sometimes #1, at least it is a start. She is having gastrointestinal issues, and we have an appointment with another specialist for her. I have started using Young Living Essential Oils, and while we are still learning it is helping. The last few weeks have been even crazier, if you can believe it! We have had 2 trips to the hospital resulting in a shot to stop contractions, I will be 31 weeks tomorrow and I am about 80% effaced and 1 1/2cm dilated.

28 weeks

 My doctor said it is not unusual for a woman who has had as many children as I have to be dilated this early, but having the active contractions concerns him. He is guessing I will deliver around 34-35 weeks, baby is measuring big, so we should still have a nice sized baby. Here are a few more pictures of life lately, and a blessing at the end!

While the Duggars were on their recent book tour we had an opportunity to meet them. My kids still talk about this. This was very memorable for them, and for me! 

We took a couple of quick trips down to visit my parents.

Here is our newest edition, HE will be here soon! 

Roland Coy

Roland: my father-in-law and his father, and my husband's uncle

Coy: my father, grandfather, and brother

I will try to update soon, but we are still looking for a van and trying to rearrange and organize the house, and the two "big" kids will start school at the beginning of July.

Baby #4- Week 9

Baby is the size of a grape.

My husband has been sweetly dealing with my extreme nausea, which has only let up every so often. Forgive me if this update is short. Between the nausea and fatigue not much has been getting done this week. We did do school on the couch, and my husband got take-out more than I care to admit to this week. Like I mentioned in my post about morning sickness, this is only for a season, and it means baby is growing.

Speaking of growing I now have nice little bump that has caught attention from a few people this week. It is the "I see you looking at me and trying to figure out if I just have 'mommy tummy' or if I am pregnant" look. The one where you catch them just staring. That is ok, I have 3 children I get my fair share of looks. 

I still have not been to the doctor, but hopefully will be calling about that soon. 

I have been eating a lot of pork and beef (my poor family) because the thought of chicken still makes me gag. Hopefully I can get a handle on all this soon.

 This is my new favorite lunch a big salad with spinach, lettuce, cabbage, cheese, carrots, turkey bacon, and ranch.

Baby #4- Week 8

Baby is the size of a raspberry.

I am always amazed at how quickly babies grow! To go from a blue err to a raspberry in just 7 days is a lot. I love reading about what is developing, and the new accomplishments each week. How God has desired a child to grow and develop is just a beautiful process.

We have all been a little off this week. I am not sure what is going on. No one is "sick", everyone just been tired, mostly. It is odd even the kids have been sleeping more, which has been nice since I have been extra tired, they have also been extra whiny. Hoping this week is a little better.

Since everyone was down we had a lot of comfort food.

Which leads me to my nausea, it is getting worse still. I was so excited about the chicken stew, and took my first bite (carrots) I thought it was ok. Then I took a bite of the chicken and started to gag. The kids liked it, so I know it was not the stew. The baby does not like chicken. We have altere our menu, and I am eating mostly beef with some pork. I will be cooking chicken some for my family, but on those nights I will be eating leftovers. Hopefully once my first trimester has passed I will be eating chicken again.

I have found that carbs help my stomach as well. I have made biscuits 3 times this week, and I will be making some bread tomorrow as well. 

Other than nausea and fatigue things are going well. My babies ask me every day if they can feel the baby yet. It is so sweet! I am looking forward to a doctor visit that is hopefully sometime in my near future!

Morning Sickness Remedies

I wanted to share some of what I do for "morning" sickness. I say it like that because I know very very very few people who have their first trimester nausea/vomiting in the morning only. I do certain things to help keep mine at bay. Although these things do work I still get nauseous, and I know it is not easy, but I also know it will only be for a season. That season may be 8-9 weeks or 7-8 months (like my last baby).

Here are the things I do that have helped me. I am greatful for the friends who have shared these secrets with me.

Lemon water- Drinking plenty of water is so important to stay hydrated even when your not pregnant, but you need it even more when you are pregnant. It helps keep you hydrated as well as baby, and also helps your kidneys function. Lemon in your water can help equalize the acids in your stomach, which are making you nauseous. Also, continuing to drink it after your first trimester can help as well. The lemon aids in digestion, which can help later on when the indigestion starts up. It will not help in the last month of pregnancy when the baby's feet are in your stomach causing the acid to come up simply because there is no room for it in your stomach, sorry.

Coke/Ginger Ale/Root Beer- I try to limit my intake of things that are not natural. I like to make things from scratch, and am looking into more and more organic options (with a tight budget and a growing family, I do my best to make wise food choices). I will admit I do enjoy Cherry Coke, and Root Beer has helped my nausea with time considerably, so I do what helps.

Eating- While I know this may not always sound like a good idea, it really helps to eat often. I try to keep nuts, cheese, turkey bacon, Greek yogurt, and anything with high protein around. I also to eat these snacks every couple of hours. When there is something in my stomach my nausea is not as bad.

SeaBands- I mentioned recently that a friend recommended these to me. They made all nausea go away until the last couple of days. Now they are definitely still taking the edge off. I still recommend them because they certainly help.

They come in a box like this, and can purchased at any pharmacy, or grocery store with a pharmacy. (I purchased mine at Walmart).

They look like thin sweat bands, with a small knob on them. There are two in a pack and you need both, one for each wrist.

Step 1: Place them on your wrist

Step 2: Place 3 fingers on your wrist. Place the outside edge of your ring finger on the first crease of your wrist. The knob should be positioned in the middle of your wrist just on the other side of your pointer finger.

The knobs press on a pressure point like acupuncture. 

Preggie Pop Drops- These are sold online or in maternity stores like Motherhood or Pea in a Pod. They offer Ginger or Sour flavors (lemon, sour apple, sour orange). They offer drops, hard candy, or lollipops.

Lemon Drops/Peppermints- Yes, they are full of sugar, but sometimes desperate times, you take what you can get! 

I have also been drinking lemon tea in the morning which seems to help most of the morning. Some people prefer peppermint tea. I have a friend who would put a tiny bit of ground ginger under her tongue. Unfortunately, sometimes it is trial and error, but generally everyone finds something. Hope you find this information helpful, and remember this too will pass.

Baby #4- Week 7

Baby is the size of a blueberry!

My hormones have kicked in full swing. I cry over the slightest thing and my nausea is getting worse! Just typical pregnancy, but I would not trade it for anything! 

I was having some cramping and pain, so I ended going to get checked out. Turns out I have a small yeast infection (very common in pregnancy), and I have had one with each of mine. Funny thing is it has always been near the beginning, like my body gets off balance and then is fine the rest of my pregnancy.

Thanks to the pain though I was able to see my little blueberry on the screen. Baby has a good strong heartbeat. I am measuring a couple of days smaller which has been normal for me as well. I typically can figure out my due date by the "3 months back and 7 days ahead" rule, but my doctor always adds a couple of days.

My nausea has kicked in, and it seems to be doing well. This time is not nearly as bad, but I am not sure if it is this particular pregnancy or the "SeaBands" (and I am not willing to take them off to find out). 

I did one small project this week. I usually have several projects that I am always working on, but when I new baby is coming there is always more to do. This was to switch out all of my "regular" clothes with my maternity clothes. I did 4 loads of laundry and packed them away. I am quickly outgrowing things. The nurse who did my ultrasound was able to find the baby using an abdominal ultrasound, so my uterus is just now above my pelvic bone. That means I have a nice small bump. My body seems to have developed it rather quickly. Now do not get me wrong I love bumps, but when you are bigger than the lady at church who is two months ahead of you, you feel a little self conscious.

I cry at the drop of a hat. It is usually pretty bad, and this time with the cost thought of my mother-in-law not here to share in some of the joys, it is a little worse.

I am looking forward to, hopefully, settling everything with our insurance so I can get my first appointment scheduled. I cannot wait to hear the heartbeat! That is something that never gets old.

We are thanking God for our newest blessing! The big brother and sisters are excited as well. My two oldests keep putting their hand on me asking to feel the baby, but I remind them it will be a while. I love their excitement! Emma is certain the baby is a girl, but Ray-J has flip flopped, and Cathy Belle is showing some jealousy. She has tantrums when someone else is in my lap, she will try to push another child away if they try to snuggle with me while she is in my lap. This is all new. Up until about 2-3 weeks ago she has been a "Daddy's girl" and she still is (she works him), but she has become very jealous of me and my lap. Oh the drama of girls! We are secretly hoping for a boy, but we will love a girl equally as much!

Baby #4- Week 6

We are so excited about this new sweet life that God has blessed us with! 

6 Weeks: Baby is as big as a lentil!

I am not nauseous anymore thanks to a friends insight into using Seabands. They are typically used by people with motion sickness. They are placed on pressure points on your wrist. They have little buttons (knobs, knots, whatever you want to call them) that press into those pressure points, and your nausea disappears! I was a little skeptical, but these work great! I still have a wave sometimes where a smell, or certain foods will turn my stomach, but the majority of the time I feel great. Until I had tried these my nausea just kept getting worse, and like I mentioned last week my nausea came on early and strong. It is so nice to be able to function!

I am more tired, which is normal, and have had a few dizzy spells.

I am craving beef! Cheeseburgers, Stew, Steak, Roast, hearty beefy items (with my son I probably ate my weight in cheeseburgers)

My stomach seems to be getting bigger faster this time as well. I am not sure if it is just used to doing this, or if I could be further along than I think I am (very unlikely).

I am dealing with insurance (another post and rant!), so it may be a while before I actually see my doctor. Fortunately, there is a walk-in OB clinic that I will most likely be going to sometime in the next few weeks.

My sweet church really values children, the way they should be, and they always make a big deal about pregnant ladies. This morning I received a gift bag with Sprite and crackers (the gift bag could double as a vomit bag as well).

One thing this pregancy has done is brought out some discussion about children, families, and birth control between myself and my husband. We do not advocate the pill, IUDs, or anything that effects your hormones that could cause abortions, or in the long run cause health problems for the woman. Maybe I will share our consensus with you once we have finished our discussion

Baby #4

We were excited to find out that baby #4 is on the way. My current due date is September 1st, but my doctor usually changes that, so we will see. I have also only made it to 38 weeks and a few days with the other 3, so we fairly certain this baby will make his/her appearance around late August. We have two other birthdays around that time, my step-sister's is on the 18th, and my step-mom's birthday is the 24th. I am guessing the 22nd, but it is still early. I am hoping to give weekly updates, so here we go.

Week 5:

I am so nauseous! I am not usually nauseous until around week 7, but I was actually a little nauseous before my test turned up positive.

I am craving beef, corn, and black beans. Really it love any form of protein which of course will help my nausea. 

I am drinking lemon water, and root beer (not the best, but my nausea is gone with the first sip, and we all like those "miracle cures"). 

A friend of mine recommended the Brewer's Diet, associated with the Bradley method, for me to try, so as soon as I have an appetite I will start that.

My emotions are so high! We are so excited, but I have this constant lump in my throat. My mother-in-law was always excited, and would help with the kids while I got things ready, watching them for appointments, and watching them when the baby was born. We know God has a plan, and we know she is in a much better place, but it is still difficult for those left behind. We will miss her as we celebrate the milestones of this pregnancy. 

Also, here is how we shared the news with Facebook.

The caption to this is "Next year we will need another stocking."

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas! May God richly bless you!

All ready for bed in their new Christmas jammies.

Can you keep a secret

I have a little secret, I trust you won't make a peep.

It is a very special secret that I need you to keep.

It will only be a secret for a small amount of time.

But this little secret truly is sublime.

This secret is not easy, but it is a load a I gladly bear.

For this secret is a blessing, a feeling I hope we both can share!

Coming this September to a blog near you! :)

Chippy

Chippy is our "Elf on the Shelf". My father-in-law purchased him for our children. We do not really play up Santa. We try to focus on the birth of our Savior. Needless to say we have failed some this year after an aunt sent letters to the children from Santa in the mail, and the children were told Santa would visit a family members house. It is difficult to focus on what is most important when well meaning family members do not help. 

After the season has ended we are going to discuss some about next year. Chippy will still come out to play, and we may even take a nice Christmasy family picture with Santa. We may or may ot "play" Santa, but we will most definitely make sure everyone understands the focus will be more about Jesus. 

Until then I hope you enjoy some of the things our elf has done.

Time

They say "Time heals all wounds," but I do not think that is true. Time only makes the wound more bearable. If you have ever had a serious injury you know what I am talking about. The initial injury is very painful, but you begin to heal and slowly things get back to your new normal. There may be some set backs along the way, but eventually you find your feet. These kinds of injuries though never really heal, some will even cause daily pain, this depends on how much you rely upon that particular part of your body.

This same is true when you lose a loved one. As holidays draw near, you begin to be reminded of their absence. It does get easier as life goes on, but it is never easy. We will still grieve no matter how long or short the time has been. That is ok. We need those moments of raw emotion where we can call out to God for His comfort and peace. We thank Him for our time with them, and He can bring good memories for us to cling to. 

I am reminded of my mother and now my mother-in-law this holiday season. They were both wonderful, beautiful, and very special women. My mother has been gone for 15 years, and I still get stopped in my tracks sometimes. My wound from my mother-in-law is still very fresh and new. My children are learning what it is like to grieve, and how to deal with those feelings. They are so young the concept is difficult, and they are missing her a lot these days. We are all joining together and leaning on each other for support, and by God's great grace we will persevere.

No time may not heal, but it can certainly help.

I hope if you have any wounds this holiday season you can find comfort in God's loving arms. 

My mom

My mother-in-law and Ray-J decorating the tree for his 1st Christmas

This also reminds me, take lots of pictures of everyone you love, because when they are gone you do not want one of the few pictures you have of them at Christmas to not even have their face in it.

Christmas: a Day 7

I had planned on sharing everyday, but my children decided that it would be a good time for them to get a mild stomach virus and strep throat. There has been a lot of movies, medicine, soup, laundry, and snuggles, but we seem to be out of it for now. Here are a few photos though,

My sickies

All she wanted to do was be held.

So thankful for crockpots, rice cookers, and bread makers that cook for me while I needed to snuggle!

Oh, my son also decided to stick this piece of hard wax up his nose, which required a doctor, and 2 big male nurses holding him down to get out. I hope that it scared child #2 enough for her not to do it as well!

Oh the joys of motherhood!

Christmas: Day 3

My father-in-law bought us a new little friend....

My children named him, Chippy.

We are having fun "playing" elf on the shelf and Santa. My children know that Christmas is really about Jesus and His birth. They know Santa is not real, but we don't over stress it. We have friends who do not do Santa at all and others who do tell their children he is real. It is up to each parent, and we have fun playing Santa. 

Today, Chippy decided he wants to watch mommy's favorite Christmas movie (good job Chippy!) 

Christmas: Day 2

We enjoyed our advent time last night, and I am looking forward to finishing it this year, but we may go a different direction next year (more on that later). 

Christmas: Day 1

I purchased an ebook bundle earlier this year that had "Truth in the Tinsel" included in it. I have heard so many good things about it, so I am looking forward to doing it this year. I have made my advent calendar, and am ready to start focusing more on the reason for the season! 

Thankful: Day 30

Today I am thankful for the little blogging world I have found! The more seasoned women, mothers, Christians, who are willing to share a little about what they have learned along the way. I enjoy their wisdom, recipes, and encouragement. It is nice to be reminded that we are not alone, and someone else has been through it and survived so we can too. Some are only a few steps ahead while others are much further ahead of me in life, they are from different parts of the country and the world. The internet brings us together in the comfort of our homes any hour of the day or night. I enjoy several blogs that I will find myself reading and rereading posts by these sweet ladies. I have exchanged emails with some, and only marveled at others. To be perfectly honest a few are more like celebrities to me ( I know silly), but I know I would be "star struck" more so if I met some of these ladies in person than if I had met a real celebrity. Thank you ladies for all you do! (Maybe once I email them I will get permission to put links to their blogs here)

Thankful: Day 29

I am thankful for Christmas trees!

Thankful: Day 28

I am thankful for Thanksgiving! I am so thankful for our ancestors, and while things have not always been peaceful, or the way that is best for all those involved. I am still grateful we set aside a time to remember the beginning of it all. I am thankful for a time to gather with family and celebrate things we are thankful for. I enjoy family without the pressure of gifts, just a time to enjoy each other. Happy Thanksgiving!

Thankful: Day 27

Today I am thankful for glasses! I am able to see the joy on my kids faces without having to be a foot away!