everyday Ann

living the ordinary seeing the extraordinary

The Things They Say

Already feeling the beached whale status the boys do their part to keep me humble and at the same time manage to keep me laughing. Never afraid to share what they are really thinking, sometimes I wish they knew how to sugar coat it.

K: Are you sure we are having a new baby, maybe you are just getting a big belly?

After I did a victory dance when I beat the boys in Uno.
E: You really need to stop being so sassy, you are teaching our new baby to be sassy. Do you know he can see what you are doing?

Ready to head out the door.
K: Mom, are you wearing that?
Me: Yeah, why?
K: You maybe should put on a different shirt, that one makes your belly look really big!

Telling Aaron about comments I have been receiving lately about having children so close in age.
E: Sometimes people are just annoying.

Holding a magnify glass up to my stomach.
K: Woah!!! Look at how big your belly is!!

E: You should probably stop eating so many cheetos otherwise this baby will have orange hair like Grace.

K: Mom if you die can we at least keep the baby?

E: I think you should wear lipstick today.
Me: Oh, why is that?
E: Because it makes you look like a ballerina.

Having a conversation about how I wouldn’t really be able to do much water activity at the lake this year.
K: I know mom you can be the anchor of the boat!

Walking through the parking lot to church.
E: Remember that one time we got to Mass before it started.

Final Countdown

Don’t be deceived this picture doesn’t do the bump justice.

35 weeks!! I know I still have a few weeks to go, but I am ready for this baby to come out (besides the fact that we don’t have names picked out) and praying I do not go late. The boys have been ready for the baby for the last month, but I have to keep reminding them that we need the baby to keep growing otherwise it will be in the NICU for awhile like Grace and they definitely do not want that because they are already calling dibs on who gets to hold the “new baby” first.

This pregnancy has gone by so quickly even though it seemed everyone told me it would be tough to be pregnant during summer, it seems we have been so busy that the heat hasn’t really bothered me. Now with the boys starting school in a month, I have been prepping all the school supplies and uniforms to make sure it’s taken care of before this little one makes its debut.

Being pregnant this time around has been a lot different than with Grace, other than monitoring my progesterone levels everything has been looking great, hoping it continues. Still I have a lot of anxiety about labor and delivery and everything surrounding it. Will I have to have another c-section, will there be complications, how will the kids adjust, how will Grace handle everything she is still such a baby, will I be able to give enough attention and love to each of the kids, what if I am in the hospital on the boys’ first day of school and the list continues.

I am trying to remind myself that this is God’s timing and in his timing he will take care of the details. These beautiful lives he has gifted our family with and with it the ability I need to be the mother they each need. Uncertainty about what the future holds, but knowing he holds it. Letting go of what I can’t control and allowing him to control it.

A friend sent me a link to a prayer called A Novena of Surrender, with the beautiful words “O Jesus, I surrender myself to you, take care of everything.”

Kitchen Makeover

I feel like the nesting has begun…7 weeks to go!! Although I seem to have no energy I have all of these great ideas of home projects I want to do before the baby comes. One down and we will see what motivation I have left.

I have had my old handmade wooden kitchen set from when I was little in our unfinished basement for awhile now. Grace is at the age where she really loves going down there and playing with it, but I don’t want to necessarily be bringing the baby in the basement especially during the colder months because it’s not really heated.

Even though Grace’s room is pretty small, Aaron came up with a new floor plan to be able to fit everything plus the kitchen sink. So I decided before moving it upstairs I would repaint it and give it a little face lift.

Cost of the project a gallon of paint and a can of spray paint. I kept all of the original hardware and just spray painted it gold, with the exception of the plastic knobs on the sink. We had some gold ones laying around from an old project that matched perfectly.

Before…

After…

In His Time

A few weeks back the pastor at our church gave a homily referencing the First Reading from 2 Kings about a woman who was without child. The prophet Elisha promised her that “this time next year you will have a baby son.” Our pastor mentioned about the prayer requests he receives from couples struggling with infertility who so badly want to start a family and have children.

He then went on to say that he has seen many times couples adopt and then go on to have one or more biological children. Something I absolutely hated hearing when we were in the adoption process. It seemed almost every other person would say, now just watch after you adopt you will get pregnant. I grew so frustrated with this. Not that I had given up hope or didn’t have faith that with God all things are possible. It was that I had accepted the cross of infertility, let go of my own plans and accepted God’s will.

There we sat in the pew. Our beautiful sons who came to us through adoption, an 18 month old and a baby in the womb who we will meet so very soon. I had to laugh at first, we were the stereotypical family Father was describing. Yet, before I knew it tears were beginning to find their way down my cheeks. It surprised me that I was getting so emotional over what he was talking about, the crosses we carry, not always seeing our prayers being answered.

I couldn’t pin point it. Was it pregnancy hormones. Tears of thankfulness and joy having been blessed with four beautiful children after years of suffering. Or remembering the pain of the cross which we carried for so many years. Reflecting on it more I think they were both tears of joy and those of pain.

The cross was heavy and at times made me feel like I was breaking. A cross carried for seven years, the weight never seeming to lighten. So many moments of crying out to God both in sorrow and in anger. Pleading and wondering if my prayers were ever being heard.

In the pain and waiting God was at work. His plan was being revealed in ways we never could have imagined. Although it seemed my heart was breaking, he was making it anew. When my faith seemed shaken he was strengthening every thread that was left.

Tears of joy, so much joy. Within a 2 1/2 year time span we went from 0 to 4 children. I sat in the pew with my arms and heart full. In awe of God’s goodness. My family created in beautiful ways I never could have imagined. God’s perfect timing. His perfect will. “Remember the marvels the Lord has done.” Psalm 105

In reality not every couple’s story turns out like ours, not every cross is always lifted. Yet God is still at work, his hand their to guide us, his love their to forever sustain us.

To hear the entire homily, select July 2 and start it around 24:00.

Let Freedom Ring

Winding down from a busy weekend filled with festivities and family time as we celebrated the 4th of July. Fireworks, baseball, ice cream, rodeo, campfires, ski show, music, smores and the list continues. After the past few weeks I think I may be asking to stay in the hospital for extra days when the baby is born just to have a little r and r.

We usually head to visit my family over the 4th for a week at the lake, but with Grace having made an early arrival my doctor didn’t want me traveling that far with this pregnancy. To make up for it I planned lots of activities to fill the void so the boys wouldn’t be bumming as much about not being at the lake with their cousins.

It was really neat this year to see the boys take pride in celebrating our nation’s freedom and independence and have a deeper understanding of what that means. They now randomly burst into song singing the lyrics to “God Bless the USA”.

Thankful for our freedoms, to those who have served and those who are serving. Thankful for liberty to worship and practice my faith not only inside the four walls of church, but to live it freely without fear.

As much as I enjoy watching fireworks I am also thankful that the neighborhood has quieted down a bit, so Grace can get back to a normal bedtime without being startled awake every few minutes to what sounds like a battle field outside our window.

Writing about everyday life including marriage, motherhood, infertility and adoption. A little fashion and if I am feeling crafty a couple of DIY.
Writing about everyday life including marriage, motherhood, infertility and adoption. A little fashion and if I am feeling crafty a couple of DIY.
Writing about everyday life including marriage, motherhood, infertility and adoption. A little fashion and if I am feeling crafty a couple of DIY.