2 Weeks Old

Channing is 2 weeks old today! Sniffle, sniffle - I want her to be this little forever! She is a wonderful baby. She is very patient and is very easy going. She sleeps great at night. I put her to bed at 9:30, she wakes up around 2:30 and then at 6:30. Yes, she is awesome! She has had a very busy 2 weeks of life. She has been to 3 Dr. apts (1 was for me), to the park, to the library, to Old Time Pottery, to Lowes, to Grandma and Grandpas to play with all 8 other grandkids, church 4 times, dance class, and another hospital. That is quite alot for a little one. We have also has 4 showings and an open house. So needless to say, the past 2 days we have sat at home and it has felt great!!! Carly and Chloe are her other mothers. They love to hold her and take care of her. Sometimes I hear Channing crying and when I go into the room, they have given her a passi and have her to sleep. I love having big helpers! Finley wakes up every morning looking for baby. She has to go give her kisses. Whenever Channing cries, Finley goes running yelling "passi"! She does very good with her and holds her. She places toys around her seat so she can play. Harper holds her every once and a while. He isn't as interested as all the girls are, but he loves to watch her in the car and give us a play by play of all her facial expressions.

Stats on Channing: She looks just like Carly and Chloe when they were babies - more like Carly because her hair spikes up in the back like hers did. (we used to call Carly Spike). She sneezes like Chloe. She snores like Harper. She looks just like Finley in the face, but Finley had all that hair so it made her look different. And like I said before, personality: nice and relaxed! We love our sweet baby!

So long Jane

Well, it has been 2 weeks since Channing was born and we are starting to get to the bottom of the kidney issues. Right after she was born, I spiked a fever, which was the result of a kidney infection. After a trip to urgent care, a couple of Dr. visits, and 3 medications, I am finally working on getting rid of that. I need to be on an antibiotic for 2 weeks since the infection was pretty rough. Last week, Jane was removed!!! Nothing really went the way it was supposed to. They couldn't insert the dye in the tube since it was clogged, so I had an ultrasound and CT scan so they could see the status of the stones. Then they said they could remove the tube, which they tried to just pull it out, but again, that didn't happen. He made me get on an xray table to try to get a wire up the tube. Didn't work. So they sent me to another room, got another Dr. in there to help, shot up my back with numbing meds, and with lots of pain later, the tube was removed!! It didn't feel so good because I could feel every tug inside my body - YIKES!! But after a week of that thing gone, I feel great!! Do you know how wonderful it is to sleep in your own bed?! 9 weeks in the recliner left me very appreciative for my bed! Also, I have been able to take a regular shower! I can just walk in and shower - no more covering the patch and having my tube hang from the wall and not letting my back get wet. I am so thankful Jane is gone! Next week I go for an xray and they will decided what to do with the 13 kidney stones I have - 8 in the left and 5 in the right! I can't believe I have that many, but hopefully they can break them up or something and this kidney issue will all be history!

Channing Hope's Arrival

March 10th was the date God had planned out all along for our Channing Hope to be born. I woke up around 2:30 am and started having contractions. There is a contraction calculator site online that all you have to do is click the timer and it times how long and how far apart your contractions are, so I just laid in my lovely recliner (that I have slept in for 9 long weeks) partially asleep and clicked the button every time I had one. At around 4:30 am, I decided to finish folding the last load of laundry in our room. Matt woke up and said, "What are you doing?" I told him today was the day and that he wasn't going to work that day. He said, "Oh, you ok?" (I replied yes) "Well, I'm going back to sleep." I am so glad he knows how to relax at all times! Around 6 am I called my Mom so she would know that at some point in the morning Channing would be coming. So she started working on getting a sub and getting things tied up at work. I then asked my sister, Nichole, to come over after she dropped her kids off at school. I worked on packing my bags, Matt packed up the car, I got all the kids clothes picked out, and did all my finishing that I had to do. I then made it back to my recliner and just chilled out having contractions. It was so relaxing. The kids all sat in the living room and played with some trains and whispered the entire time. So I was entertained and it was peaceful. Well, Nichole was getting worried and she told me I needed to leave! I decided to call the Dr. when they were 4-6 min apart.

And here I am ready to depart. This is the last picture of Channing in womb! We left the house and I told Matt that I was so relaxed I didn't think that I was close enough. Matt was going to turn around and then he said we could go to Target!! He said or we could go to Walmart and have her and call her Americus (from the movie Where the Heart Is). I decided that it would probably take them a while to get me all checked in so I decided to just go to the hospital. We were even driving behind a car on 485 going 45! We were just chatting away and then I asked Matt if he realized we were only going 45. So we passed them :) Matt dropped me off at the front door and I stood and waited in the lobby. All the little ladies at the desk kept wanting to get me a wheelchair. I told them I was fine, I was just waiting for my husband. So Matt and I walked hand in hand to labor and delivery.
Before we walked into labor and delivery, I wanted a picture together. (I didn't even know I was 10 cm at this point :) We walked up to the desk and told them we were checking in. The nurse took me to the room while Matt signed me in. I got changed into the lovely gown and she called the Dr. - I was ready!! We walked in the door at 9:49 am and she was born at 10:23 am. Not bad at all!! It was the absolute, most calm delivery.

And then Channing Hope was here! As soon as I saw her, I couldn't believe how much she looked the all the others - especially Carly. She was absolutely beautiful!

She weighed 7 lbs. 12 oz. and she looked great! I was so relieved she was healthy. I thought she was going to come out with green hair from all the medication I was on in January.

And of course that instant love overwhelms you the first time you hold your precious child. I am always amazed at how much you love this little person you just met!

She got her bath and the nurse decided to give her a rooster hair do. She looked so cute.

She got all dressed up and this is what I had been waiting for - the first hugs of a freshly washed and clothed baby - AHHHH, such a heavenly smell!!

Daddy with his 4th daughter!!! He has a lot of love to give out, but I know he is perfectly capable.

My sweet girl! She was worth every bit of the last 9 months!

So cute!

Our first family picture! I can't believe that all these sweet angels are all depending on Matt and myself for everything!! What an honor it is for God to entrust us with them. We love each and everyone of you with all our hearts!!

Carly - the oldest - she has a very important job taking care of all these kids. I know she is perfect for the job! She is so caring and was so excited to meet Channing. This is one proud sister.

Harper - what a job this boy has!! 2 sisters older than him and 2 sisters younger than him. He is such a loving boy and I am sure he will take his job seriously!

Chloe!! Oh this girl is precious!! She has absolutely fallen in love with taking care of Channing. We even got to spend some extra time together in the hospital which was the best time ever!!! After the entire crew came up to visit - which was fun all these little kids in 1 little room - I had Matt take Harper and Finley home to feed them dinner and put them to bed. My Mom was with me, so she left later on to sit at home while Matt came back to see Channing and pick the big girls up. Carly and Grandma went to the cafeteria to get dinner and Chloe just sat and held Channing. She sang to her and talked to her. It was very special. After they ate, Carly sat in bed with me and held Channing and we just chilled out and watched a little Diego. I absolutely cherished this time with my big girls and my baby. It was so sweet and relaxing and they loved it.

Daddy came to pick them up and brought their pjs and brushed their teeth, because he foresaw sleeping girls when he got home. We had fun just us 5. And yes, Carly was out cold when he got home!

The night was ok, but the accommodations aren't the most comfortable in the hospital!! The next day Matt came with the girls again around 1:30 to pick us up! I was ready to get out of there. We need our team together in one place. It is so much work juggling all the kids and Matt having to be back and forth. So home is where we needed to be! Here Carly and Chloe are babysitting for the first time. I needed help so they got to "babysit" for me! They loved it.

Channing was buckled and ready to go!

At 3:30 in the afternoon, Carly and Chloe were exhausted! These 2 days were just so overwhelming that they passed right out! I knew they would be crashing. They were just so excited for this baby they couldn't handle it! So once we got home, we wanted operation chill!!

Finley absolutely loves this baby! She is so cute with her. She wants to hold her and she is very gentle. She gives her kisses and like to show her things. She keeps her distance and doesn't smother her. I am very pleased with her reaction to all this.

All of our children! Amazing!

Getting ready to go to her 3 day check up. She got to wear her braclet we made for her.

So everything that deals with Miss Channing has been wonderful. Me, on the other hand has been a different story. When we were getting ready to leave, I was sweating alot. I couldn't believe how hot I was. Well, I started a fever of 103. It continued until Sunday and then I went to Urgent Care and they figured out I had a kidney infection. So I got on some meds and the next day headed to the urologist. So as of right now, I feel much better. The fever is gone, but we still have the whole kidney tube thing to deal with. That will be another post!!

Asian Angel

I don't know if I posted about this before, but it is a cool story with a new twist. After I woke up from anesthesia from 1 of my surgeries in January, I woke up to an Asian Anesthesiaologists standing next to me and all I saw was him and lots of super bright lights. All he said was, "My wife and I will be praying for you." And he walked away. Pretty strange. I thought I was dreaming that he was an angel telling me this. So several weeks ago, I was talking to Matt and I asked him if I told him abou this man. He said yes and that I pointed him out to him afterwards. I wasn't dreaming - this really happened and I told Matt all about it (and if you know me and anesthesia, I can say some crazy stuff and not know what is going on!) So my story seemed true. I had told my friend Courtney about it too not too long ago. Well, this past Wednesday Courtney called me and said she had a cool story for me. She told me about a couple in our church whose daughter was sick and had a surgery and they were doing praise reports and the parents were telling everyone how it went well and then about this Asian Anesthesialologist that came to her after her surgery and said, "My wife and I will be praying for you." She said she couldn't believe it. She called me to compare facts and it probably was the same man that was there for both of us. Now how awesome is God to send his angels to us in that type of situation!!! It makes me so comforted to know that this man is in surgeries everyday and he makes sure that everyone knows that God is there! What an awesome way to touch people's lives. Now I know that God was with me during that time. But imagine an unbeliever waking up to this Asian Angel with bright lights all around him and hearing the words come from his mouth that he and his wife will be praying for them. What an impact! It gives me chills just thinking about it. So, pray for people like this man who come in contact with people everyday willing to touch their lives in someway.

Our new schedule

We got a new book this week, Radical, by David Platt. It is so good! Well seeing how we have been trapped in the house for an entire week, and the kids have been going to bed super early due to being so sick, our household chores have been done every night before their bedtime. Usually, once they go to bed, the kitchen gets cleaned up (this is Matt's area of expertise - I clock out at bed time, but sometimes, if it is a real disaster, I will go help). Well, this week we were able to change up our routine and I like it alot better! Before they go to bed, we read them a Bible story, say their prayers and then we tuck them in. So the last thing they hear from us is a Bible story, pray for them and anything on their little hearts, and then told that they are loved. Then they lay in bed and I know they can hear everything coming from our mouths. Most nights it was cleaning the kitchen and we would chat and catch up from the day, so they just heard us talking or I would talk to my Mom on the phone. I am so glad TV isn't an issue anymore (well I will say I have been watching TV the past couple of weeks due to the large circumstances of my body, but I know I won't have time soon with my new sweetie coming!), but imagine what they would be hearing if the TV was on at 8:00 (now Survivor is our only weekly program and I do turn the volume way down because this is constantly on my mind). There is so much junk that is said on TV and who knows what they are hearing and getting out of it while going to bed. Anyways, this week we have been able to tuck them in and come straight to the living room and read Radical together. So they fall asleep listening to me read to their Daddy about how we should be better followers of Jesus Christ. Pretty cool if you ask me. If we read a book like this everynight together as adults, what does this tell our children about what we are teaching them? Exactly - that a relationship with Jesus Christ takes love, time, effort, and a constant drive to learn. After this book, I think we will read a couples book - this tells them that marriage takes work, dedication, and a whole lot of love to work at it together. Not sure what the next book will be, but if we choose a parenting book - tells them that they are loved, their parents are working towards raising them in an informed way, etc. Now they may or may not really be listening to us that intently, but we have all seen movies where the kids go to bed listening to screaming parents having their arguments and how they lay crying in their beds. I love starting our evening together with a good read. It sparks conversations and Matt and I end up spending the entire evening just chatting with each other - which is why I married my best friend, I love talking to him :) So hopefully we can keep up our new schedule - it may be shaken up a bit in the next few weeks with little Missy coming, but we are going to try (it may be perfect so Daddy can have time to just sit and hold his new baby, because you know he won't be able to when he gets home from work - he has 4 monkeys who absolutely adore him and need to play with him).

For the Love of Music

When the girls were little, I started constantly playing music. We listen to kid songs, tons of Bible songs, nature songs, classical songs, etc. I just think it is soothing to hear music playing softly in the background while they play. I think it relaxes them and they play better with each other with some nice music on. Now when they were 1, they fell in love with the Wiggles. We had 2 DVD's that they would watch and dance to. Then they got into the Doodlebop's. Another group that plays music and sings. They have 1 DVD that they have and reinact almost daily. And of course, everyone in our family is named after someone on the show. They have all the costumes too, so we have alot of shows. Well a couple of weeks ago, I turned on the TV for them for a treat and we watched a show called the Fresh Beat Band (with my finger on the off switch if it wasn't any good). They really enjoyed this group of singers/dancers. So this is now their newest passion!! I have watched all the episodes and it is a good show and they are allowed to watch it and it has come at a wonderul time!! We are going on a week now of some very sick kiddos and all they want to do is lay around (I don't blame them when they have such high fevers)! I think it is very interesting how these guys have really loved music band groups. They have a passion for singing (chior is their absolute favorite thing to do) and I have no clue how to deal with this!! I can not sing, Matt doesn't even know the words to twinkle twinkle, let alone hold a tune to it, so we are at a loss. I definitely see music lessons in their future!! We may even have our own little Rifflet band!! Here they are enjoying an episode online!!

Lions

Since our storm the other night and we had our discussion about Daniel and the Lion's Den, we decided to make some Dandy-lions! We have been cooped up in the house with the sickness, so a little fresh air is what we needed. They picked lots of flowers and then came home and made some lions - you know, since March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb :) I thought they were awful cute!

Hello and Goodbye Due Date

Well, Tuesday, March 1st was my due date and alas once again, no baby!! My children just love me oh so much that they just want to snuggle with me longer. On Tuesday I was very down that I still hadn't had her. I am mentally done - well, just with this tube and my desire to sleep in my bed again! But now I have 2 sick girls (Carly and Chloe) with 102 fevers, so I guess I can wait a few more days until they are feeling better. Today's objective is to get out for a walk to air them out, and then lysol everything in this house! And we also have to go through these toy boxes for yard sale items - all the boxes are breaking and I think it is because they are absolutely jammed packed. These ideas all seem very ambitious, so I guess I have to get up and actually do something!! We are doing a very light load of school work this week for several reasons - 1. a lazy teacher ;) 2. we have finished alot of our work. The girls have finished K and 1st grade reading as well as their math curriculum too. So the rest of the year we will concentrate on things I don't think that they hit on and enjoy our time with the new baby - have I mentioned how much I really like homeschooling?! Anyways, just wanted to update in case anyone was checking in to see if we had a new baby yet!