Tuesday, October 15, 2013
Tuesday, May 28, 2013
Friday, March 22, 2013
Cameron's Birth Story Pt 2
Stalled
We get to the hospital in twenty five minutes. The one time I look at the speedometer Ben is going seventy five. :-) We check in and then head up to triage, where Jordan meets us. Things slow down now. A lot. This is why....we have a new nurse who is working her second shift at this hospital. As soon as she sees that Seth was born via c-section she immediately wants to go start getting things ready for a RCS. I tell her that I am refusing the c-section. She looks at the other nurse in triage and says "She can't do that can she? Don't we have to send her somewhere else? I mean, she isn't at a nine with a baby hanging out of her crotch....." The room goes silent. I look at Ben, freaking out, and then breathe a sigh of relief as the other nurse says that they can't make me have surgery, it is my right to refuse and they have to treat me, because they can't turn a laboring mother away. Yay! However right after this they decide to take my blood pressure and are concerned when it is one sixty over?? (I don't remember the bottom number). I get checked and I am at a five but could be stretched to a six, they decide to call me a six. I get hooked up to the monitor's I have to have these all of labor because I'm attempting a VBAC. It's annoying, but I'm willing to put up with them to get the birth I'm hoping for. I'm still having contractions but they have stretched out to between seven to eight minutes apart. I'm sure though that once we get to our room things will get started up again quickly. Or not. We get to the room around five, finish filling out the patient profile and watch time go by. It was seven or eight in the morning and shift change, we meet our new nurse who was amazing. She encourages us by saying right away that the hospital she worked at previously had done many VBAC's and she was going to support us as much as possible. We dim the lights, put on some music and grab some essential oils that the hospital provides. It helps a little, contractions are back to five minutes apart but still not very hard. My blood pressure is down now so I can get out of the bed and start moving. We get a birth ball. Jordan encourages us to go walk and try something different to start things going again. Walking does help, but not much.At some point Jordan leaves to get breakfast and coffee and sneak me in some protein drinks. I'm getting frustrated, Ben is getting bored. I discover it is possible to sleep between contractions. Around noon my doctor comes in to check on me and see how things are going. I'm now at seven. Only seven. So frustrated!! Contractions are strong enough now that I do have to breathe through them and start concentrating more, but still I tell Jordan nothing like what I was thinking labor was going to be like. I try the tub to see if that will help to speed things up. Not really. We walk some more. Ben says he feels like he is walking a dog, because he has to carry around the monitor for me. :-) Around two thirty Jordan leaves to go feed her daughter. My doctor comes in again at three and we decide to break my water.
Real Labor
Within a couple of minutes of breaking my water contractions start that are more what I have been thinking labor would be like. The first couple I don't want to move. These actually hurt. Jordan comes back after just a couple of these. I'm having a little back labor so we decide it is time to get in the shower. Ben holds the shower head to direct the water where I want it. I start to think an epidural is sounding really good, but as soon as my water broke they said I was at an eight, it is pretty much to late, and I feel okay once the contraction is done. The fetal heart monitor can't keep the baby's heart beat because of trying the hands and knees position. We have to get out. :-( The water felt so good. I labor on the toilet for a long time, I guess it was long anyways, for me time was measured by contractions and small breaks in between.
Later I was surprised to learn that between breaking my water and the actual birth was four hours, I didn't think it had been that long at all.
I start to vocalize during contractions, I need Ben's hands, squeezing them helps. Jordan reminds me to keep my voice low. I try standing up for one contraction, hurts to much. I try the birth stool. Hurts to much. I squat for a while with Ben behind me supporting me under my arms. I'm getting tired. At this point I have been up since eleven thirty-ish the night before with a few catnaps between contractions. I try laying on my side on the bed. I get checked again and I have a small lip left. Someone tries to hold it out of the way so I can push, but I tell her it hurts to much and to leave it. A few more contractions laying on the bed and I start to push spontaneously. It freaks me out the first couple of times because I wasn't expecting it. Once I realized that pushing felt better than not I started pushing through contractions. I end up pushing on my knees next to the bed. Ben sat on the bed and I would squeeze his hands as hard as possible (he ended up taking his ring off, because it was hurting :-) he said I could have beat him arm wrestling.) and pull while pushing at the same time. A few times he thought he might fall over on top of me. :-) I thought I was screaming like a crazy woman, but Jordan said to tell you I was roaring. I was told to get mad at the pain, that helped a lot. I was mad. This baby was taking way to long to come out. He was hurting me. I was told to stop pushing for a minute, but I couldn't, he was coming out and he was coming now. And there the was relief. And a baby. Our baby. I did it. It was possible. It was a little after seven PM on March 15, Cameron's EDD if you went by my LMP. We had been at the hospital for almost seventeen hours. Cameron was eight pounds, seven and a half ounces, twenty inches long.
Afterwards
I am fuzzy about all of this, because I ended up passing out. I remember getting on the bed and holding Cameron for a minute, then while waiting for the placenta I start to feel very sleepy. I'm so tired and going to sleep is so easy. I had hemorrhaged and ended up losing an amount of blood comparable to a c-section, which is two to three times the amount of a vaginal birth. My hemoglobin level went down to six point six. I had three second degree tears.
Breastfeeding is going well. Cameron eats every two to three hours. When we left the hospital he was down to seven pounds nine ounces, as of today he is back to eight pounds five ounces.
Ben has been home all week and is taking good care of me. I pretty much have to beg him to let me off the couch for more than the bathroom, shower or food. :-)
A VBAC is an incredible experience. Bonding with Cameron has been so much easier than with Seth. It hurt, yes. I felt like a crazy woman, yes. I tore and hemorrhaged, yes. But it was a beautiful, healing experience and one I will never regret.
We get to the hospital in twenty five minutes. The one time I look at the speedometer Ben is going seventy five. :-) We check in and then head up to triage, where Jordan meets us. Things slow down now. A lot. This is why....we have a new nurse who is working her second shift at this hospital. As soon as she sees that Seth was born via c-section she immediately wants to go start getting things ready for a RCS. I tell her that I am refusing the c-section. She looks at the other nurse in triage and says "She can't do that can she? Don't we have to send her somewhere else? I mean, she isn't at a nine with a baby hanging out of her crotch....." The room goes silent. I look at Ben, freaking out, and then breathe a sigh of relief as the other nurse says that they can't make me have surgery, it is my right to refuse and they have to treat me, because they can't turn a laboring mother away. Yay! However right after this they decide to take my blood pressure and are concerned when it is one sixty over?? (I don't remember the bottom number). I get checked and I am at a five but could be stretched to a six, they decide to call me a six. I get hooked up to the monitor's I have to have these all of labor because I'm attempting a VBAC. It's annoying, but I'm willing to put up with them to get the birth I'm hoping for. I'm still having contractions but they have stretched out to between seven to eight minutes apart. I'm sure though that once we get to our room things will get started up again quickly. Or not. We get to the room around five, finish filling out the patient profile and watch time go by. It was seven or eight in the morning and shift change, we meet our new nurse who was amazing. She encourages us by saying right away that the hospital she worked at previously had done many VBAC's and she was going to support us as much as possible. We dim the lights, put on some music and grab some essential oils that the hospital provides. It helps a little, contractions are back to five minutes apart but still not very hard. My blood pressure is down now so I can get out of the bed and start moving. We get a birth ball. Jordan encourages us to go walk and try something different to start things going again. Walking does help, but not much.At some point Jordan leaves to get breakfast and coffee and sneak me in some protein drinks. I'm getting frustrated, Ben is getting bored. I discover it is possible to sleep between contractions. Around noon my doctor comes in to check on me and see how things are going. I'm now at seven. Only seven. So frustrated!! Contractions are strong enough now that I do have to breathe through them and start concentrating more, but still I tell Jordan nothing like what I was thinking labor was going to be like. I try the tub to see if that will help to speed things up. Not really. We walk some more. Ben says he feels like he is walking a dog, because he has to carry around the monitor for me. :-) Around two thirty Jordan leaves to go feed her daughter. My doctor comes in again at three and we decide to break my water.
Real Labor
Within a couple of minutes of breaking my water contractions start that are more what I have been thinking labor would be like. The first couple I don't want to move. These actually hurt. Jordan comes back after just a couple of these. I'm having a little back labor so we decide it is time to get in the shower. Ben holds the shower head to direct the water where I want it. I start to think an epidural is sounding really good, but as soon as my water broke they said I was at an eight, it is pretty much to late, and I feel okay once the contraction is done. The fetal heart monitor can't keep the baby's heart beat because of trying the hands and knees position. We have to get out. :-( The water felt so good. I labor on the toilet for a long time, I guess it was long anyways, for me time was measured by contractions and small breaks in between.
Later I was surprised to learn that between breaking my water and the actual birth was four hours, I didn't think it had been that long at all.
I start to vocalize during contractions, I need Ben's hands, squeezing them helps. Jordan reminds me to keep my voice low. I try standing up for one contraction, hurts to much. I try the birth stool. Hurts to much. I squat for a while with Ben behind me supporting me under my arms. I'm getting tired. At this point I have been up since eleven thirty-ish the night before with a few catnaps between contractions. I try laying on my side on the bed. I get checked again and I have a small lip left. Someone tries to hold it out of the way so I can push, but I tell her it hurts to much and to leave it. A few more contractions laying on the bed and I start to push spontaneously. It freaks me out the first couple of times because I wasn't expecting it. Once I realized that pushing felt better than not I started pushing through contractions. I end up pushing on my knees next to the bed. Ben sat on the bed and I would squeeze his hands as hard as possible (he ended up taking his ring off, because it was hurting :-) he said I could have beat him arm wrestling.) and pull while pushing at the same time. A few times he thought he might fall over on top of me. :-) I thought I was screaming like a crazy woman, but Jordan said to tell you I was roaring. I was told to get mad at the pain, that helped a lot. I was mad. This baby was taking way to long to come out. He was hurting me. I was told to stop pushing for a minute, but I couldn't, he was coming out and he was coming now. And there the was relief. And a baby. Our baby. I did it. It was possible. It was a little after seven PM on March 15, Cameron's EDD if you went by my LMP. We had been at the hospital for almost seventeen hours. Cameron was eight pounds, seven and a half ounces, twenty inches long.
Afterwards
I am fuzzy about all of this, because I ended up passing out. I remember getting on the bed and holding Cameron for a minute, then while waiting for the placenta I start to feel very sleepy. I'm so tired and going to sleep is so easy. I had hemorrhaged and ended up losing an amount of blood comparable to a c-section, which is two to three times the amount of a vaginal birth. My hemoglobin level went down to six point six. I had three second degree tears.
Breastfeeding is going well. Cameron eats every two to three hours. When we left the hospital he was down to seven pounds nine ounces, as of today he is back to eight pounds five ounces.
Ben has been home all week and is taking good care of me. I pretty much have to beg him to let me off the couch for more than the bathroom, shower or food. :-)
A VBAC is an incredible experience. Bonding with Cameron has been so much easier than with Seth. It hurt, yes. I felt like a crazy woman, yes. I tore and hemorrhaged, yes. But it was a beautiful, healing experience and one I will never regret.
Wednesday, March 20, 2013
Cameron's Birth Story Pt 1
The Beginning
The story of Cameron's birth actually begins two and a half years earlier at the birth of his big brother Seth.
Seth surprised us all when he decided to come three weeks before his estimated due date. My water broke on a date night while walking around Target with Ben. We waited a couple hours before heading into the hospital, at this point I wasn't feeling contractions, once we got there Seth decided to surprise us again by being in a breech position. After talking about our options with the on-call doctor we decided a c-section was the best option, because my water had already broken there wasn't enough to try a version with him. While in surgery we had another surprise and that was finding out that I had a uterine septum (a extra piece of tissue) that was dividing my uterus in two. This was the reason Seth was breech, he didn't have enough room to turn, and this was probably the reason that he was early, again not enough room.
At a follow up appointment with my doctor we decided to wait a while and then do ultrasounds to see how big the septum was and if anything would need to be done to correct this. That did in fact turn out to be that case and on March 14, 2012 I had surgery to remove the septum. Three months later Cameron was on his way. :-)
Pretty much as soon as Seth was born I was immediately reading anything I could find on VBAC's and hoping my doctor would be able to assist me in this. The local hospital where I had Seth was technically not allowed to "plan" VBAC's there, but they could not make me have surgery and they could not turn me away when I showed up in labor. Talking things over with my doctor I was very happy to learn that she totally supported me in my quest for a VBAC.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy with Cameron was very easy, I had enough energy to do a three hundred mile bike ride over Labor Day weekend, several runs and one triathlon. At my first doctor appointment my date was changed from LMP (which would put EDD at March fifteen) to one week later, March twenty first. I was fine with this as it would give me an extra week before we would have to talk about induction plans. If I did end up needing to be induced I would not be able to have my birth at the local hospital where I wanted it, because that would be planning, the thing that was not allowed.
I tried to stay active as much and as long as possible, to stay in shape for the natural birth that I was planning for. I also was trying to stay away from sugar after learning earlier in the spring that I have bad yeast problems. Staying away from sugar and dairy (I'm lactose intolerant) helped to reduce weight gain from forty five-ish pounds with Seth to thirty two with Cameron.
Labor Day
Thirty seven weeks came...and went.... thirty eight....... I had been expecting a baby any moment since thirty seven weeks because at thirty six weeks I was dilated to three. As the days went by I tried to stop expecting and focus on rest and spending time with Seth who had no idea how much his little life was about to change.
Thirty nine weeks. All day I had been having cramping but I just ignored it because a few weeks before this had happened and no baby showed up with it. I was just hoping that finally my body was getting ready for labor. That evening I went shopping with my SIL and MIL for wedding things. We started at Hobby Lobby, walked over to Kohl's to return some things and then headed over for Target. You didn't know Target would show up again did you?? :-) No water breaking episodes in the store but the cramps were getting stronger and I was feeling more pressure. I grabbed the newborn diapers that we were going to need and we headed home.
That night I didn't sleep long, probably forty five minutes before I realized that these were actually time able and I may as well get up and start timing because they were strong enough that I wasn't going to be able to sleep. I decided to play around for a while first and didn't start timing until probably 1:30AM. I bounced/swayed on my ball and watched a movie, then read a book. Around 4:00 I decided it was time to get Ben up and head to the hospital, at this point I had started shaking and knew it could be a sign of transition. I did not want to have to go through the thirty minute car ride while trying to deal with transition. Contractions were still just annoying but had been coming regularly every five-ish minutes for two and a half hours.
On the way to the hospital I texted my doula and birth photographer Jordan to let her know that we were on our way. We decided that she would meet us there.
The story of Cameron's birth actually begins two and a half years earlier at the birth of his big brother Seth.
Seth surprised us all when he decided to come three weeks before his estimated due date. My water broke on a date night while walking around Target with Ben. We waited a couple hours before heading into the hospital, at this point I wasn't feeling contractions, once we got there Seth decided to surprise us again by being in a breech position. After talking about our options with the on-call doctor we decided a c-section was the best option, because my water had already broken there wasn't enough to try a version with him. While in surgery we had another surprise and that was finding out that I had a uterine septum (a extra piece of tissue) that was dividing my uterus in two. This was the reason Seth was breech, he didn't have enough room to turn, and this was probably the reason that he was early, again not enough room.
At a follow up appointment with my doctor we decided to wait a while and then do ultrasounds to see how big the septum was and if anything would need to be done to correct this. That did in fact turn out to be that case and on March 14, 2012 I had surgery to remove the septum. Three months later Cameron was on his way. :-)
Pretty much as soon as Seth was born I was immediately reading anything I could find on VBAC's and hoping my doctor would be able to assist me in this. The local hospital where I had Seth was technically not allowed to "plan" VBAC's there, but they could not make me have surgery and they could not turn me away when I showed up in labor. Talking things over with my doctor I was very happy to learn that she totally supported me in my quest for a VBAC.
Pregnancy
Pregnancy with Cameron was very easy, I had enough energy to do a three hundred mile bike ride over Labor Day weekend, several runs and one triathlon. At my first doctor appointment my date was changed from LMP (which would put EDD at March fifteen) to one week later, March twenty first. I was fine with this as it would give me an extra week before we would have to talk about induction plans. If I did end up needing to be induced I would not be able to have my birth at the local hospital where I wanted it, because that would be planning, the thing that was not allowed.
I tried to stay active as much and as long as possible, to stay in shape for the natural birth that I was planning for. I also was trying to stay away from sugar after learning earlier in the spring that I have bad yeast problems. Staying away from sugar and dairy (I'm lactose intolerant) helped to reduce weight gain from forty five-ish pounds with Seth to thirty two with Cameron.
Labor Day
Thirty seven weeks came...and went.... thirty eight....... I had been expecting a baby any moment since thirty seven weeks because at thirty six weeks I was dilated to three. As the days went by I tried to stop expecting and focus on rest and spending time with Seth who had no idea how much his little life was about to change.
Thirty nine weeks. All day I had been having cramping but I just ignored it because a few weeks before this had happened and no baby showed up with it. I was just hoping that finally my body was getting ready for labor. That evening I went shopping with my SIL and MIL for wedding things. We started at Hobby Lobby, walked over to Kohl's to return some things and then headed over for Target. You didn't know Target would show up again did you?? :-) No water breaking episodes in the store but the cramps were getting stronger and I was feeling more pressure. I grabbed the newborn diapers that we were going to need and we headed home.
That night I didn't sleep long, probably forty five minutes before I realized that these were actually time able and I may as well get up and start timing because they were strong enough that I wasn't going to be able to sleep. I decided to play around for a while first and didn't start timing until probably 1:30AM. I bounced/swayed on my ball and watched a movie, then read a book. Around 4:00 I decided it was time to get Ben up and head to the hospital, at this point I had started shaking and knew it could be a sign of transition. I did not want to have to go through the thirty minute car ride while trying to deal with transition. Contractions were still just annoying but had been coming regularly every five-ish minutes for two and a half hours.
On the way to the hospital I texted my doula and birth photographer Jordan to let her know that we were on our way. We decided that she would meet us there.
Sunday, February 3, 2013
My Time to be a Martha
Our CBS lesson this past week focused on two stories from John 12. Mary anointing Jesus with expensive perfume (John 12:1-8) and Jesus' entry into Jerusalem before his last Passover meal. Both we very good but during discussion time I was reminded that each of us has a different love language. It would seem that Martha's was serving others as both times we see her in the Bible she is pitching in, serving her Lord and others, sometimes with the correct attitude, sometimes not. (Luke 10:38 + 40-42, John 12:2) Mary was someone who spent time with those that she loved and she liked to give extravagantly. (Mt 26:6-13, Mark 14:3-9, Luke 10:38-42 and John 12:2-8) Mary may have been mentioned more than Martha, but I don't think that this in any way diminishes Martha, her gift to the Lord or her love for Him. Would Mary have been able to afford her gift to Jesus with out her practical, servant sister by her side? Her gift cost almost one years wages, so I'm thinking not. Only when we as the body of Christ work together, each using our own gifts can Christ be honored as He should.
I think it is possible for our gifts to change over time. Every time I read Mary and Martha's story in Luke 10 I used to think, "Oh, I want to be like Mary, after all she chose what is best. She sat at Jesus' feet and listened, why can't I be more like that?" It didn't help that many of today's books on mothering , being a good wife/Christian woman, etc all stress spending a large amount of time alone with God, preferably in the morning, ALONE, with NO interruptions. Honestly these books would do two things:
1. Give me a sense of purpose for about two weeks...until I failed and then I would get mad that I couldn't do it, I must not be a very good Christian.
2.Make a very frustrated, angry Momma out of this girl. I found the days that I got up early made the rest of the day very hard because I was tired. I needed more sleep. When one has autoimmune/thyroid problems sleep is of great importance, getting up early made me want to go to bed early, like 8:30 or 9 early. This made for a frustrated husband who though I didn't want to spend time with him any more. It also meant there was a lot more yelling at the toddler, who really doesn't need it most of the time.
Obviously this plan did NOT work for me, if it works for you that is wonderful and I'm a little jealous, well. I would be if I wasn't in my nice warm bed. :-) The thing that works best for me is to get Seth his breakfast, pop in a movie grab my cup of coffee, Bible Study lesson and plop on the couch. It is not interruption free and several times I rush through my lesson, but you know what, it is all okay, because it is my time to be a Martha. I now want to add to Ecc 3:1-15. Right after verse 8 I want to add another verse..
"a time to be a "Martha" and a time to be a "Mary."
"HE has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecc 3:11a
"He has made EVERYTHING beautiful in its time."
"He has made everything BEAUTIFUL in its time"
"He has made everything beautiful IN ITS TIME"
Get the point? It is my time to be a Martha. It is my time to be training my son (Prov. 22:6), keeping my home (Titus 2:3-5), honoring my husband (having the house clean and food for the table are two things that keep him happy and honor him), etc. There may come a time down the road when the children are older and can take care of and watch each other that I will be able to spend more time, alone and interruption free that I will be spend time worshipping at my Savior's feet and anointing Him with oil, but for now I am content to be a Martha serving in the kitchen.
I think it is possible for our gifts to change over time. Every time I read Mary and Martha's story in Luke 10 I used to think, "Oh, I want to be like Mary, after all she chose what is best. She sat at Jesus' feet and listened, why can't I be more like that?" It didn't help that many of today's books on mothering , being a good wife/Christian woman, etc all stress spending a large amount of time alone with God, preferably in the morning, ALONE, with NO interruptions. Honestly these books would do two things:
1. Give me a sense of purpose for about two weeks...until I failed and then I would get mad that I couldn't do it, I must not be a very good Christian.
2.Make a very frustrated, angry Momma out of this girl. I found the days that I got up early made the rest of the day very hard because I was tired. I needed more sleep. When one has autoimmune/thyroid problems sleep is of great importance, getting up early made me want to go to bed early, like 8:30 or 9 early. This made for a frustrated husband who though I didn't want to spend time with him any more. It also meant there was a lot more yelling at the toddler, who really doesn't need it most of the time.
Obviously this plan did NOT work for me, if it works for you that is wonderful and I'm a little jealous, well. I would be if I wasn't in my nice warm bed. :-) The thing that works best for me is to get Seth his breakfast, pop in a movie grab my cup of coffee, Bible Study lesson and plop on the couch. It is not interruption free and several times I rush through my lesson, but you know what, it is all okay, because it is my time to be a Martha. I now want to add to Ecc 3:1-15. Right after verse 8 I want to add another verse..
"a time to be a "Martha" and a time to be a "Mary."
"HE has made everything beautiful in its time." Ecc 3:11a
"He has made EVERYTHING beautiful in its time."
"He has made everything BEAUTIFUL in its time"
"He has made everything beautiful IN ITS TIME"
Get the point? It is my time to be a Martha. It is my time to be training my son (Prov. 22:6), keeping my home (Titus 2:3-5), honoring my husband (having the house clean and food for the table are two things that keep him happy and honor him), etc. There may come a time down the road when the children are older and can take care of and watch each other that I will be able to spend more time, alone and interruption free that I will be spend time worshipping at my Savior's feet and anointing Him with oil, but for now I am content to be a Martha serving in the kitchen.
Thursday, January 31, 2013
Home Improvement :-)
And this is our most important work in progress. :-) 33 weeks today!!
Wednesday, January 16, 2013
3 Things I've Learned as a Mother to a Toddler
Maybe I haven't really learned these but I've been reminded of them many times over the last few weeks.
1. God is a Personal God ~ I've always "known" this but my Seth-boy reminds me of this all the time. He is always running to me asking me to pray for owies and food (sometimes he likes to pray over the food several times in one meal, hopefully that is not a reflection on my cooking.), or to thank God for a good potty trip, books, toys and snow. A constant reminder that I need to come boldly before the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) for everything, not just the big things. Sometimes I get it into my head that God only wants to be bothered by the big things, I mean he has to listen to how many millions of prayers every day, does he really want to hear about potty trips and accidents? Seth-boy has reminded me that God wants to be included in every area of my life, not just the ones that I think are important enough to bother Him with, nothing is to small or to silly.
2. Find Joy in the Little Things ~ Finishing a puzzle, building a tower, putting boots on(all of which happen multiple times each day) these things fill my boy with excitement and joy. Just as Seth finds joy in these I need to find joy in my little things. Little things like washing the dishes- we have food to eat, plates to eat off of, hot water and soap to wash with, folding laundry- I have an amazing husband who provides and cares for his family and puts up with me and I am also blessed with a little boy who loves everyone he knows and goes through many pairs of underwear. Sometimes, in reality a lot of the time, I forget all that I have and start thinking about things I would like when I need to be looking at all the things I do have, things that God has blessed me with and start being thankful and finding joy.
3. Pooping on the potty is a very, very, VERY exciting achievement that is worthy of lots of hugs, many kisses, cheering and of course chocolate chips. ;-)
1. God is a Personal God ~ I've always "known" this but my Seth-boy reminds me of this all the time. He is always running to me asking me to pray for owies and food (sometimes he likes to pray over the food several times in one meal, hopefully that is not a reflection on my cooking.), or to thank God for a good potty trip, books, toys and snow. A constant reminder that I need to come boldly before the throne of grace (Hebrews 4:16) for everything, not just the big things. Sometimes I get it into my head that God only wants to be bothered by the big things, I mean he has to listen to how many millions of prayers every day, does he really want to hear about potty trips and accidents? Seth-boy has reminded me that God wants to be included in every area of my life, not just the ones that I think are important enough to bother Him with, nothing is to small or to silly.
2. Find Joy in the Little Things ~ Finishing a puzzle, building a tower, putting boots on(all of which happen multiple times each day) these things fill my boy with excitement and joy. Just as Seth finds joy in these I need to find joy in my little things. Little things like washing the dishes- we have food to eat, plates to eat off of, hot water and soap to wash with, folding laundry- I have an amazing husband who provides and cares for his family and puts up with me and I am also blessed with a little boy who loves everyone he knows and goes through many pairs of underwear. Sometimes, in reality a lot of the time, I forget all that I have and start thinking about things I would like when I need to be looking at all the things I do have, things that God has blessed me with and start being thankful and finding joy.3. Pooping on the potty is a very, very, VERY exciting achievement that is worthy of lots of hugs, many kisses, cheering and of course chocolate chips. ;-)
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