Thank You for the Prayers

Thanks for all the prayers that went up for "H"s heart appointment. It looks like she is good to go for another year...YIPPEE!!!! It is always funny to see the doctors and technicians reactions when they see her heart in action and how they cant figure how it can be so differently created but perfectly made for her. All I can say is that God's hands were holding Dr. D's hands as he performed her open heart surgery 10 years ago. Only The Creator Himself could take that broken heart and make it whole again. It beats to a different rhythm, but its the perfect rhythm for my "H". It is our prayer that God will grace us with good reports forever, and that she will be spared the need for anymore operations.

Thanks also to Nana for coming and caring for the other guys so we could spend this day with "H" and make it a special day for her. The girls played beauty shop with Nana and learned how to curl their hair to utter cuteness. (Something that I never get to do with them due to our usual time crunches) We then took a trip to the mall (yes with all 7 kids in tow) and ran through the rain over to the neighboring stores ......just another adventure in the life with me and my kids.....welcome to the way we roll Nana!

It was nice to have another pair of hands to bounce Baby "L" while I took care of all the other chaos in the house, not to mention the extra laundry that was washed while Nana was here. I promise Nana, next time you visit we will let you have a little R&R while we wait on you. Your help was very much appreciated even if my head was spinning too fast to really ever thank you, so Thank You!!!

My Itty Bitty Baby

It is usually very hard to catch my newborns with their eyes fully open and looking at the world. I guess usually the flash makes them close those little peepers just as I take the shot, but this little fella will have nothing to do with closing his eyes. He is constantly looking around trying to figure out this new world he has now landed in. I just sit and soak in those baby blue eyes (while he still has them) and wonder why this time is going so fast. Do you realize he will be 4 weeks old tomorrow? He is still teeny tiny to me but I know that it will seem like tomorrow and these days will be over. He is so precious to me and it soothes my soul when he is crying and I sing to him and he stops immediately and looks into my eyes. It is as if he knows that I love him to the core of his being and will always try my best to comfort him in his time of distress. I love this sweet taste of heaven.... you know..... the weeks after you deliver your precious angel and it is as if you are that much closer to understanding Gods love for you; the love that comes not because of what you have done but simply because you exist. We love our baby without the need for him to do anything spectacular, but because he was created through us. God also loves us not because we have done anything spectacular but because we were created through Him. Wow, what Love!!!!

Hello My Name is Chopped Liver

Isnt this the best image of a daddy and his little boy? How is it that I am the one who carried this sweet boy into this world and am the one who feels like I cant breathe when he is too far away from me, yet when Big Papa walks through the door I become chopped liver. Dont get me wrong, I love to see their relationship as it becomes more daddy and son rather than daddy and baby. I can see how Little "O" wants to do everything that Daddy does. They are "buds"!!!! I pray God keeps this bond just as tight and even tighter as Little "O" grows older and starts to become his own man. I pray that he takes the best that Big Papa has to offer and enhances each quality to make them his own. "Lord, help us to raise this baby boy to become a Godly man!"

My Little Cupie Doll

Who can resist the opportunity to turn a sweet wet baby in the bath into a cupie doll? Doesnt he look soooo kissable? Bath time is Little "O"s favorite time of the night. He knows that right after dinner he gets to splash about in the sink while I finish straightening up dishes. He is such a clown when he is in the water! Of course I usually have to mop up a gallon of water after he is finished. What's a bath without a good water mess?

TGIF!!!!!!!!!

Friday......I have never been so happy to see this day come! This has been a week of trauma and drama!!!! If I sound a little overwhelmed, then you might be hearing me perfectly well. This has been our official 2nd week of school since bringing home Baby "L" and as you all know school in itself brings enough drama into our house to set anyone packing. We have also endured circumcision, Little "O" falling off a bike that he shouldnt have been on, and "K" nearly giving herself a concussion by running full speed into Scooters Blazer bumper without looking up. Baby "L" seems to really get keyed up at night so that makes things a little difficult in the evening to do things (like make a normal dinner)! Thank you to our church for providing enough meals to keep us going all week without me having to be too creative. There is not a full relief this weekend because my Scooter is still training in the woods with the military unit and we will not see him until next weekend, but at least I do not have to hear any whining about school assignments for 2 whole days!!!! Maybe I will take these 2 days and overhaul my house so I can move everyones sleeping arrangements around to find a suitable room to move Baby "L" into. I guess I am going to have to move two girls downstairs into the guest room and put Baby "L"s bassinet into the room with the 3 younger girls. I need Little "O" to sleep all night, so he still gets his own room for the time being. I have been sleeping downstairs with Baby "L" to keep him from waking up everyone with his high pitched screams, but I am ready to get back to my tempurpedic bed, so we are going to have to do some rearranging. Who knows if any of this will get accomplished this weekend; but hey, if not, there is always next weekend.

Circumcision!!!! OUCH!!!

Let me just say....I think this is the most barbaric ritual we as parents do to our little baby boys. My sweet Baby "L" had his done today and wow what a very upset baby I have tonight!!! I dont blame him at all. When you look at that exposed, swollen and raw looking thing it can make a grown woman go weak in the knees. I dont care if my sweet baby wants to stay in my arms all night just to recover from this trauma I will rock him into the wee hours of the night and be happy to be the comfort he needs. Even the air hitting it at each diaper change sets him into a panic and he turns purple and screams. My heart is breaking for him and I am so mad that I let myself fall prey to these seemingly stupid rituals. My Baby "L" was so happy and content this morning and then I handed him over to the butcher and now he is so not happy! I am praying his recovery is short and my ability to soothe him is great. I'm sorry Baby "L"!!!!

Missin' My Scooter Boo!!!

Now, I know you are all probably getting a little sick of my sentimental postings lately but hey I just had a baby.....what do you expect? Tonight I am sitting here drowning in my self pitious state and wishing my Scooter was here to laugh at me and bring me back to reality. Instead, I spend my nights wishing he would call so I could just hear his voice and he could say something completely distasteful and make me laugh and say "YOU ARE SO GROSS!!" Actually I would really like to hear a little sweetness in his voice and an endearing comment of how much he misses me too, but anyone who knows my Scooter, knows that would just make us both laugh. I am getting sick of the telephone relationship we seem to be living currently and I am tired of pretending that it is all ok. The fact of the matter is that this SUCKS!!!!! I know that these situations are tests of faith and are used to make people stronger but my goodness I think it is time we get a break. This has been going on too long. This in its own weird way sucks more than our separation during deployments. I guess it all just BITES!!!! and I am just caving to the feelings of missing my man. All in all, phone relationships STINK and I will be glad when we are reunited and I can complain about something stupid like Big Papa's obsession with leaving his toothbrush in the bathroom sink. NASTY!!!! I know but it is funny what you miss!!!! I MISS MY SCOOTER BOO!!!!

Faces of the Future

All My Children....

I just couldnt resist blogging this picture. It is no where near family portrait material but it is so typical of my little crew. I cant wait to take them and get a professional picture of them so I can send it out to proclaim to the world "THESE ARE MY CHILDREN AND I AM THE MOST BLESSED WOMAN IN THE WORLD"!!!!! I guess I am a little hormonal and very sentimental right now but man look at them. They arent perfect but they were perfectly created to be the individuals they each are. They arent like each other and they arent like other kids but they are growing up to be themselves, and what more could a mom want from her children. I sat in frustration today as I tried to accomplish minor schooling and feeding a baby and trying to keep a 1yr old from ripping the pages from his sisters school books. Finally, I threw my hands up and sent everyone outside so I could recollect my brain that felt like had been spilled all over the living room floor.....then I shed a few tears of self pity and drank a diet Pepsi and looked outside to find them all laughing and giggling as they played in their doll houses in the garage. You know, this chaos is only for a little while, and one day they are going to be grown and learning to juggle the chaos themselves. I pray that I remember each day that these laughing, giggling days are days to cherish and to soak every minute that I can into my memory. What a shame it would be to wish these days away just to try to find peace. May God grace me with the ability to see perfection in the midst of these crazy days and learn to cherish every minute of them. I am blessed with 7 wonderfully amazing children!!! Man....GOD IS GOOD!!!!

Happy Birthday "K"!!!!!!

Look at that smile!!!! Can you tell that "K" loves birthdays? She said it is an especially nice day because she doesnt have to do any cleaning. My goodness I would think she would have thought it was great to have cake and get cool presents. I guess when your nickname is Cinderella the cleaning comment kind of makes sense. She does seem to clean 10 times more than her sisters. I think she secretly likes knowing that she is the one I can depend on when I am in a pinch and need a little help around the house.

Now this is a chore "K" is dreaming of being able to take over on her own. She loves to cook and make all kinds of food creations. Naturally she was telling me how to make the cake this year and she was doing a fantastic job of it. Maybe in the next few months I can start giving her more roles in the kitchen so she can enjoy the cooking experience while it is still fun to her.

She even decorated this masterpiece on her own. She is a little like her Mommy in that she is a control freak and likes things the way she likes them and she will not be happy any other way. She had in her mind how she wanted her cake to look and she took her time (1 hour) to make it exactly how she imagined it in her head. It is difficult to see but it is bordered by little pink butterflies and ladybugs in a very specific pattern. I think that was the part that took the most time and that is the part that barely shows up on the picture. It was a yummy cake though.....chocolate with chocolate icing.

For anyone who needs glasses to read the packaging on this gift...it is a body art and tattoo kit for kids. "K" is obsessed with writing on her skin with ink pens and magic markers and anything else she can find to put words or pictures on her.....when I saw this in the Walmart aisle I felt like I had hit the jackpot. Guess what happens when you give a child a body art kit.........

.....This is what happens!!!! My sweet little "K" is decorated from head to toe with tattoos and they dont wash off in the tub. You actually have to use alcohol to remove these works of art and guess who doesnt ever want to take them off!!!! We have a military picnic this weekend .....I guess she will fit right in with all the decorated soldiers there. Thats my "K".....Happy Birthday Sweetheart!!!!