I remember back in the early days of my marriage and motherhood.  We had many young ones very close together.  (we still do)  Our older children are closer in age though than our younger ones.  I remember how busy I was then and how many people when they should have been encouraging a young mother of many instead found it their place to discourage.  I remember very well doing the math and realizing that one day I would have five teen age children at the same time.  So many tried to discourage me by saying things like how they felt so sorry for me, how they were glad they were not me, how they would shoot themselves rather than being in my place, how I would regret having these children, and the open ended “just wait until” comments.

Thankfully, I did not let those comments discourage me.  In fact, I often did and still do feel sorry for those people who did not realize the blessing of children and young adults.  I remember speaking with my husband and saying how we knew it would be different.  Yes, it doesn’t matter how well you parent, you can still have a wayward child.  But, when you are raising your children for the glory of God and being dependent upon him and fully engaged in prayer for your children trusting in the promises of God, there is hope and confidence in who those children will grow to become.

I used to say to myself that I would wait and see when the day came whether those discouragements were valid.  One amazing thing I have discovered in this journey of parenthood is this, if you see your children as blessings that is what they end up being.

Well, we are in the midst of birthday season and I am now the mother of five teen age children and I can easily without reservation say that they are each a blessing!  Not only a blessing but a tremendous blessing!  They do not give me heartache as the naysayers said they would.  I am honored to be their mother!  I am honored that the Lord blessed me with them!  My life is fuller and richer because of them!

Having five teens is not the disaster so many told me it would be.  It is not full of heart ache and grief as many warned.  I still have my hair and it is not white!  I am blessed beyond measure!

So to all those naysayers, I hope you can see that children and young adults truly are a treasure, a blessing, and a gift of the Lord!

We have never really had a problem in our family with jealousy when a new baby arrives. I am thankful for that. Usually we just notice when the children (usually the one who used to be the baby) is needing a little extra cuddles. If we pay attention and meet that need then there is never a problem with jealousy.

My two year old has a new phrase that she uses to let me know she needs some lovin’. She says, “Mommy, I need you,” and she uses the best whiny voice you can imagine. So I pick her us and we cuddle and she is happy again.

Well, this morning she came to me with her, “Mommy, I need you,” cry. I picked her up and she was quiet. Next thing you know she is pulling my shirt out and looking down it! I look at her and say, “Um, what are you doing? Do you need to nurse?” Usually when this happens she smiles and says no and runs off to play. Well, this morning she looks at me with the saddest eyes you have ever seen and says, “Uh huh!” (meaning YES!)

Shocked I asked her again and received the same reply!

I told her I didn’t really think she needed that but that she just needed a hug. She put her arms out and gave a big hug! Then she looks at me and says, “Mommy, I need some juice!” LOL

Maybe she was thirsty after all!!!! HaHa!!

I am still not completely sold on the whole cloth diapering idea.  I love the idea and it isn’t really that much more to do but I am still not sure I want the bulk or if I am ready to give up the convenience of disposable. I do think however that if I were to jump in and go all cloth I would prefer the sample that was sent to me over the ones I am borrowing.  The ones I am borrowing are indeed easier than what I grew up with but the sample product I received seems a better fit for us.

The company that sent me the sample is The Willow Store.  You will find the diapering system listed under Sprout Change.  Here is a little background on the Sprout Change system taken from their website.

After years of research, and cloth diapering her children, Catherine Bolden, founder of The Willow Store began with a mission. Dedicated to promoting a more reusable future, she created natural, common sense products that were easy to use, and complimented a more natural lifestyle. In 2005, WillowSprouts was born, and offered organic hemp diapering products to the cloth diapering world. Catherine spent years trying different cloth diapers to find the perfect fit for her son, who has special needs. Each diaper worked well for some things, but nothing gave the perfect combination of fit, absorbency and ease of use, so she created Sprout Change.

Sprout Change came from this need for a better diaper. There’s plenty of cloth diapers out there, and they all pretty much work. Sprout Change is a compilation of all the great things cloth diapers can be. Our system is a hybrid unlike any other that combines pocket diapers, prefolds and all-in-ones to make the least confusing, most economical diaper available…. That anyone can afford.

The shell of the diaper (to replace the traditional plastic pants) are really cute.  They come in several colors and are reversible so you get two colors in one.  This is the one I have.

They are a one size fits all.  The website says that they will fit from 5-40 pounds.  I agree with this assessment.  My newborn can wear them and so can my two year old.  There are snaps on each side. You simply unsnap and adjust the elastic.  It is simple enough that you can resize it in seconds while your baby is wearing it.  They even have a little video on their website if you need help.

The shells can also be reused until soiled.  I didn’t have any problem with leakage.  The shells are also breathable to help fight against diaper rash.

They have different insert options or you could even use the diapers you have on hand.  The insert they sent to me was a super saver insert.  I LOVE the insert!  It is so soft!!  Even after several washes it maintained that ultra soft feel!  These will also fit from baby to toddler.  You simply fold down the extra in the front or back.  They are a one piece retangular shaped insert. I also liked them because there was no trying to stuff the diaper in the shell.

It helped cut down on the bulkiness which is one of my major dislikes concerning cloth diapers. These diapers are much trimmer than others I have tried.  This insert is also their most cost effective option.  Here is a look at the shell with the super saver insert.

Washing is easy too.  Machine wash warm, extra rinse, and tumble dry.  It doesn’t get any easier than that!

If I were to decide (still undecided as of now) to go cloth for diapering I think I would use the Sprout Change system.  As I was looking through their website they also carry training pants.  They say that their training pants can also be used as an all in one diaper.  There are for children who weigh a little more so it would not work for me right now but I do like the idea of an all in one diaper.  That just seems more convenient to me.  I may have to order one and try it out.  Maybe I will use them for my two year as she will be ready to train soon.

Now as far as affordability goes.  I have not really looked around much so I do not know how it compares in regard to other cloth diapering systems but it seems to me to be an affordable investment.  The Willow Store offers diaper packages and starter kits to make things even more affordable.  Of course, your savings would depend on what exactly you purchased.  If you were to purchase the system I have shown here your cost would be  a couple of hundred dollars verses a couple of thousand dollars for disposable.  Not bad at all!

I am not sure yet if I will ever make a complete change away from disposable but I could see myself making a partial change.  Maybe while we are around the house and only use disposable while we are out.  I will have to continue to try them out and who knows maybe as I do it will become a more permanent part of our life.  I love the idea of cloth diapering and the evolution of cloth diapers over the years are making it a more appealing choice. Sprout Change will be the store I order from if we do indeed decide to move more and more toward cloth.

I am the oldest of eight children. My parents divorced when I was about a year old. My mother had a total of seven children and my father remarried and had another child. My friends from high school would probably tell you that I was never having children after taking care of all of my siblings for so long. My husband comes from a family of four children. His father, however, is the youngest child of nine siblings. My husband and I knew we wanted a large family but that meant five or maybe six. We were scoffed at for even wanting that many. We were young when we married, 21 and 18, and the “acceptable” large family size at the time was 3-4 children. The “acceptable” family size is considered much smaller today.

We married young and our family was started right away, we had “stair-step” children. Within our first five years of marriage we had four children. When our youngest was about 15 months old, my husband sat trying to figure out how to tell me he thought we had enough. As he sat contemplating this, I gave him what I thought was wonderful news. I was expecting our fifth child. His immediate response was, “That’s it, we’re done.” Needless to say, this did not sit well with me. A month before the baby was born my husband had a vasectomy. I tried to convince myself this was a great idea and even signed the papers for the surgery. I seemed pleased on the outside but I was devastated on the inside. I think my husband felt relief.

As time went on I became more and more upset, especially as I watched my baby grow older. The yearning for another child grew. Guilt and regret seeped in. I began to pray, God please forgive us and change my husband’s heart concerning this.”

God began to bring people into our lives that He would use to show us His truth. There were some with many children who did not use birth control and there were others who had undergone reversals and had been blessed with children following the procedure. They shared with us how God had worked and continued to bless them in regards to childbearing. I began researching the subject and came across a few books at a used book site. They were inexpensive and I bought them. One of these books spoke my heart, so much so that I called and talked with the author. What an encouragement she had been to me. In fact, we discovered that years earlier I had actually lived in the same neighborhood where she lived. If only we had known them back then.

I began to share with my husband the things I was learning. These things were not merely the opinions of others. That would not be enough. What did God have to say about the matter? Their basis in writing, I found, came from the scriptures and I studied the scriptures on these things as well. God was moving and at work.

My husband began to say things like, “I counted all of the children, who’s missing?” or “WOW, it would be cool to have so many blessings!” and even “You know, if we had the money I would consider getting a reversal.”

Well, that last statement got me off to a busy start! It didn’t take me long to find reversal doctors listed on the internet. To my surprise there were a lot of people with the same convictions. We were not alone and some doctors even believed this way. We found a doctor who provided the surgery as a ministry. We were amazed! God had provided a doctor and an extremely low cost surgery; all we had to do was pray for the finances. God again provided.

The surgery went well and we were so excited. We had never had a problem conceiving before and I figured within a month I would be pregnant. As each month passed, however, I would became more and more devastated. My husband finally asked me if another child was going to be the only thing that would make me happy. He reminded me of our obedience to repent not only in word but also deed – having actions of confession and repentance that places this physically not just spiritually back in the hand of God (this is not to say that God is not still sovereign, He is). He asked me if I would be content and trust the Lord whether or not He chose to bless us with another child. After all, it was not about having more children (though that was our desire) it was about submission and obedience.

After much prayer and wrestling, God brought me to that place of peace where contentment flowed. My desire was still to have another child but I was resting in the Sovereign Lord. I had come to terms with the fact that we most likely would not have another child. I began to take comfort in the fact that we had surrendered things back into the hands of God, which ultimately was the whole point. Peace and contentment filled my heart when I surrendered this to the Lord.

The very next day after my surrender, I was taking my morning shower and the smell of the soap made me nauseous. Thinking this was only my mind playing tricks on me or maybe even part of grieving; I took what I deemed would be my last pregnancy test. Even though I believed it to be a big waste of time I went to the pregnancy center. I volunteered at the center and the ladies there had traveled this journey with me. When my friend returned from reading the results she had tears in her eyes and whispered, “It’s positive.”

The Lord blesses those who seek and obey Him. He used this waiting period to bring me to a place of closer communion with Him. To a place were I was content with God and not just His blessings in my life. Once content, He blessed me abundantly with the desires of my heart. The Lord desires that we not only seek and obey but for us to also be content in that obedience.

My husband and I were sure that this would be the final child to be brought forth from my womb and we rejoiced in her! God, however, does so much more that we can ever ask or imagine and we have since been blessed with four more children. That makes a total of five reversal babies so far. Nothing is too great for my God. What He will accomplish in a surrendered, obedient, and contented life is extravagant!

We have experienced trials along the way and I know we will continue to, but isn’t that a part of the surrendered life? The blessings far exceed the irritation and even persecution of the critics!

Nine years ago today I said hello to a sweet little baby girl.  Yes, our Abigail is turning nine today!  She is our first reversal baby.  I will re-post the story of our journey that led to the reversal in a few days. For now, I will simply say she is a child that was prayed for!

She was a most contented baby.   She has a bit more spunk now!  She is a joy!  She is a delight!  She loves to have fun!  She is full of love!  She has a compassionate heart!

I love that sweet and silly girl!

Happy birthday Abigail!  You are such a gift of God!

Growing up I changed many a diaper.  In fact, I have been changing diapers since I was five years old.  Yes, five years old!  When I changed my siblings we always used the dreaded cloth diapers with the pins and plastic pants.  They were messy, such a pain to clean, and hard of the fingers (too much pricking of the fingers with those pins)!

When I had my first child I considered using cloth diapers because they are supposed to be so much better for the baby’s sensitive skin but I was not going to deal with what I did growing up.  I was going to use a diaper service.  All I would have to do is place them in the smell-sealing pale and each week they would picked up the dirty ones and deliver clean ones.  It was ideal.  The only thing that stopped us from doing so was the cost factor.  It simply cost too much money for a 19 and 21 years old couple barely making it as it was, so we opted for the cheap disposables.

Over the years and with each child I have toyed with the idea of using cloth but in the end it was just always so much easier to use disposable.   Then a few years ago I saw what a cloth diaper looks like these days.  I was AMAZED!  They are almost like disposables now, no pins needed!  I was beginning to seriously consider using them with the baby I was carrying at the time.  My hubby said he didn’t want to use them though.  They stink and the cost up front was not something that he wanted to commit to.  I can understand that.  They are much more expensive now to get the nice ones.  So once again disposables won out.

Well, with our newest little boy I considered it once again but we are just not willing to spend the money.  After all, who knows how many more children we will be blessed with, if any.  Maybe if we had decided to do this a few children ago it would have been a good investment but now I am not so sure.

A friend, who had no idea that I had contemplated this over the years, asked me if I wanted some cloth diapers.  She was no longer using them.  She said I could try them out and see if it was something that would work for us.  I had no reason now to not try them, they were free!  So I have a bunch of snappies, a one size fits all diaper.  I have tried them a few times here at home.  I am not ready to use them when we are out of the house.   After all, it is really cold right now and I am not sure how leak proof they are.

I am not convinced yet but I am trying them on and off.  The main thing that I dislike is how bulky they are!  Unless I have a large outfit on the baby they will stretch out his clothes.  Maybe this will change as he grows bigger I don’t know.  But I figure if I use them a little then it will save a little, after all I didn’t pay anything for them.

Then last week I was contacted by a company to do a review of their cloth diapers!  Hmmm….

I told them I would be glad to do so!  I just received the sample in the mail and to be honest I like them better than what I have been using but will try it a few more times before I make my final determination.  I have seen some diapers online that I think would be ideal for what I would like in a diaper but am once again not sure I want to invest that much yet.

So, here are my questions to those moms out there who do now or have in the past used cloth diapers.  Do you like them?  Which ones do you use?  Likes? Dislikes?  What do you do about the bulkiness under the clothes??  I can see it being easier for a girl who wears dresses but what about the boys?  How do you keep from stretching out their clothes?  Does the bulkiness become less as they grow bigger? Do you find you need to change them more often than you would a disposable?

I will give the review of the new ones I am trying out and let you in on the mystery company that sent me the sample in my next blog post.

This past weekend the ladies from the church we attend threw a baby shower for the baby and me.  I have had many a baby shower thrown for me and my newborns but this was by far the biggest blessing of them all.  I love these ladies so much!

Everything was perfect!  There was a cute little safari theme with little monkeys,  a dessert made especially for me with my favorite ingredients, and an amazing group of loving ladies to share conversation with!  These ladies are there to share joys and struggles and to offer encouragement.  There were even the adorable little baby gifts!

BUT…….

What I loved most…..

about the day was that this baby shower was not filled with the typical baby shower games.  Those can be fun but that is really all they are.  My friend who organized the shower suggested something completely different.  Instead of playing the usual baby shower games we had a time of group prayer.  I had several prayer requests that I sent to my friend and she shared them with the ladies who attended.  It was so amazing to have such a godly group of ladies praying over me, my newborn son, and the rest of my family!

They prayed for our little Nathan, that he would grow into a strong, godly, young man.  That he would come to know the Lord at an early age and live a life honoring the Lord.  That he would be healthy.  That God would be preparing a godly wife for him even now.  They prayed for me and for my husband as we teach and train him.  That I would be patient even amidst sleepless nights.  That I would have compassion.  That I would not grow weary and that I would rely upon the Lord in the great task of being a parent.  They prayed the same things for my husband as he leads our household.  They prayed for our family with our upcoming move. They prayed for our other children, for our schooling, and for there to be a good relationship cultivated between our newest son and our oldest who has already moved out.

It was such an unbelievably sweet time of prayer!  I do not ever recall people praying for our family in such a way!  It is an amazing blessing that I will always cherish!

I think of all the gifts that we received that day the time of prayer was by far the most special, most desired, and most needed of them all!

As I thank the Lord for my new son and my entire family, I will be thanking him for the church family he has blessed us with.

Thank you Lord for each of those ladies!  Thank you Lord, that we can come before your throne in prayer!

Thank you ladies of Faith PCA Anchorage!  Thank you for showering us with prayer!!!

It has been a busy few days around here.  I had my 38 week appointment on Wednesday and our son was born on Thursday afternoon.  All went well and both baby and I are doing great.  I am glad that he was NOT born this past Saturday.  Our last baby turned two years old on Saturday and I wanted so much for each of the children to have their very own birthday.  Thank the Lord for granting that request.

So, the baby was born on Thursday the 11th at 3:14 pm.  He weighed in at a tiny little 7 pounds and 8 ounces and was 19 inches long.  He is beautiful and just perfect.  He is so laid back and is just as sweet as can be.

We came home from the hospital on the 13th ( my 2 year olds birthday) at about 4:30pm.  She is sick and was running a fever and had been waiting so patiently for her birthday party.  It was just a short family birthday and she felt pretty miserable.  A few hours later my hubby ended up taking her to the ER.  She has pneumonia AGAIN and an ear infection.  What a way to celebrate your birthday, huh?  She is starting to feel better.  A lady at church this morning gave her a big batch of helium balloons for her birthday.  I think that was wonderful.  It extended her birthday a bit and she was feeling better and able to enjoy it more.

As you can see it has been a bit crazy around here.

So here are a couple of photos to share with you………………….

First, here is our new son, Nathan Asher.  He’s a handsome one if I do say so myself!!!

Here is one of the birthday girl!

And a shot of them together………

I am abundantly blessed!!

Here I sit at 38 weeks and no baby yet.  I am still pregnant.  A few contractions here and there but nothing signifigant. I began taking black & blue cohosh and evening primrose oil a few days ago.  I have a doctor’s appointment in the morning, hopefully that will yield some good information for me!

Here at our house everyone is choosing a date.  We decided if someone guessed the correct birth date they would win something.  Not exactly sure what yet.  I thought that I would let you all in on our little game.  I have listed my stats below.  Take a guess.  What do you think the baby will weigh?  When do you think he will be born?  There is no “real” prize only the bragging rights for being correct!

child#1  Boy: 9 pounds 3 ounces 5 days late

child #2 Girl: 4 pounds 8 ounces 7 weeks early

child #3 Girl: 8 pounds 4 ounces 2 weeks early

Child #4 Boy: 8 pounds 7 ounces 2 weeks early

Child #5 Girl: 8 pounds 1 ounce 2-3 weeks early

child #6 Girl: 8 pounds 3 ounces 2 weeks early

child #7 Girl 8 pounds 1 ounce 1 weeks early

child # 8 Girl 7 pounds 6 ounces 2 weeks early

child # 9 Girl 8 pounds even 1 week early

child #10 Boy    WHAT IS YOUR GUESS????

I am soooo ready to have this little bundle!  I am used to delivering early by a week or two and I am hoping that will be the case this time.  I am more than ready to pop!  I wonder if after reading the list below you will agree with me.

You know it is time to have your baby when:

• You notice that people no longer look at you but at your belly.
• You have practically outgrown every maternity outfit you own.
• It takes either help or five full minutes to roll over in bed.
• You notice 80 year olds walking better and at a faster pace than yourself.
• People have been asking for two months if the baby is due any day.
• People comment about HOW big you are and that you definitely LOOK ready.
• Walking up the stairs makes you as winded as running a marathon normally would.
• After only being home  for 12 days (from a seven month deployment) your hubby says it is time for you have that baby because it seems like you have been pregnant forever!
• You use your belly not only as a table but it is a very stable table.
• You begin to believe that getting out of the bathtub should be considered an Olympic event!
• When you step on the scale you wonder why your husband’s weight is registering!
• You have at least one moment a day when you cry because you just don’t think you can carry this heavy weight even two steps longer.
• You start having the recurrent pregnancy nightmare of delivering in the car and ruining the interior of the nice vehicle.
• You begin to think you could breath fire because the heartburn is winning out over that bottle of Tums you carry everywhere with you.

MOST OF ALL:

• Because it would be so much better to hold that sweet baby in your arms, see what he looks like, caress the soft baby skin, and be able to breath once again!