Of broken plumbing, chaos and laundry victories

As I said in my last post, I am starting up some new routine and getting the rhythm back into our lives this week! Not an easy goal, but "I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me"! I am hoping to put more "margin" time back into our lives (an excellent article on Leading Little Hearts Home). I also crave going to bed each night knowing I acheived all the important things, even if I didn't achieve everything.

Erin:
has been terrably patient with the falabilities of her mother! A gem when I sleep in the armchair each afternoon (if I try and skip this I am a zombe by 6pm). We had music yesterday and the teacher singled Erin out afterwards and complemented her on being able to keep the beat very well and singing beautifully.

Billy:
had a spate of waking up in the night and comming in to see me for about a fortnight there. Sometimes it was nightmares (it is odd to have a little boy come and stand by your bed and say in a tearful voice "'scuse me Mummy, lions eating me!") sometimes it was almost sleep walking. No waking last night though and hopefully we've kicked the habit.

Christopher:
has two bottom teeth, his canine teeth and is working on his front teeth as we speak. He has also perfected the art of peek-a-boo complete with peels of laughter when he puts aside what he was hiding his face behind and hears "Boo!". It is not unusual for him to wake once at night at least but I am hoping this will drop when his teeth are through.

The New Baby:
is no longer causing nose bleeds. After a series of overnight nose bleeds I was left so weak and tired I couldn't even get myself out of bed and dressed let alone take care of the kids. So I trundled off to the doctor and had my nose cauterised (not fun). No major nose bleeds since! It is all still healing though so if you could keep this in your prayers I'd appreciate it. Bub is moving around gently and my tum is a definate tum now.

The house:
now has bookshelves with books in them and a dining table that we eat at so it feels like the heart and mind of the family are here! We also have a busted hot water pipe under the house which will involve Jon ripping up the shower base and the floor tomorrow so no hot showers for a while. It has been leaking under there for a while and dread to think what our power bill will be. I am also a little worried about the condition of the underside of the house (we think the leak has been there since we moved in, it just got worse after some freezing) and trying hard not to stress about the million and one jobs Jon won't be able to get done tomorrow because he needs to rip out the shower and fix the plumbing! On an up side, I have conquered the washing and organised the kid's clothes. They now each have 5 pairs of PJ's, 5 'every day' outfits and 2 'good' outfits with lots of underwear and a couple of extra jackets. This fits into a basket each (except for the ironed stuff which hangs in my wardrobe ready for 'good' wear) and each basket is on a shelf in their room. It takes me two minutes to put away washing or find fresh clothes now and I am sure everything in there fits and matches something else. Unseasonal, extra or ill fitting clothing is now stored or given away. Mostly stored as it WILL get used in this house!

Exercise:
we are still walking most days (we skipped our walk on the day when rain and big fat snow flakes dominated the scenery!) and I look forward to getting time on that exercise bike soon!

Gifts:
#36 baby belly laughs
#37 little boys who vibrate with energy
#38 blond whisps escaping pigtails
#39 a big black beard that tickles the back of my neck when I get cuddles at the sink
#40 watching my children see snowflakes for the first time
#41 good books
#42 flames dancing in our heater, warming the room and my heart
#43 quiet moments
#44 the ability to start again tomorrow
#45 a growing belly with little "swims" inside

Book Recommendations:
Honey for a Woman's Heart by Gladys Hunt
A Woman's Walk with God by Elizabeth George
Snuggle Up, Sleepy Ones by Clare Freedman

Goodnight!

Routine

I'm exhausted.

At the end of the day I am overwhelmed with the amount that I DIDN'T get done.

As I sit, things around me scream "unpack me!", "clean me!", "organise me!"

I berate myself for poor parenting, neglecting my husband, not getting enough rest, eating too much processed sugar (a nasty stress reaction of mine!), neglecting to get on the exercise bike - yet again and time, precious time, slipping through my fingers like water.

The to do list is overwhelming and I gaze at it miserably neglecting the "Ta Da!" list of what I did get done.

I sit down at the end of the day without really finishing, promising myself that I'll get up and do some ironing, tidy the kitchen, get that laundry underway, mop that floor, in just a minute.

I then fall asleep in the chair and stumble to bed when Beloved awakes me, stopping only to shed clothes and not even bothering to find PJ's - which means I need to REALLY wake up when Christopher wakes up with another teething "I want Mummy" cry or Billy has a nightmare or the littlest bubba leans too hard on the bladder.


I get out my books and Bible intending to just read for "a little while" and find that half the morning has slipped away or fall asleep for the duration of the boy's naps while Erin plays quietly near by.

What is wrong with this picture?

NO ROUTINE!!


I know how important it is, but I have just kept putting it to the back of my mind thinking "When the move is finished" or "When we're unpacked" etc.

You'd think I'd know better by now!

Well, a new week starts and a new routine awaits!

Birth Centre

I just wanted to take a moment to direct any Tasmanians who may be expecting their own baby to the website for the Launceston Birth Centre www.birthcentre.org.au. Christopher and Billy were both born there and this newest baby will also be born in the presence of Myself, Beloved and Anna. Anna and Jean are both Christian and it makes an amazing difference to me to have midwives I can pray with and who I know are praying for me. Anna is more a family friend than a health professional!! I trust her professional judgement and her meticulous record keeping (she made beautiful notes for me during both births, even noting things Beloved and I said to each other during the process which makes them treasured memories for me) and I also trust her to respect me, my choices, my husband and my body. I can't recommend the centre highly enough! I also ask that everyone pray for the Birth Centre as we hope more and more women will choose to birth with them so they can continue to expand and add more midwives.

Update

We are on dialup and will be for a while so my internet time is SEVERELY limited and excruciatingly SLOW. I miss blogging etc. but life is very full so perhaps this is a blessing in disguise?

Erin:
is currently harrassing poor Christopher to within an inch of his life. When the baby is not being cuddled and petted and carried about he is being given yet another check up with the ever-present doctor's kit. You would have thought that doctor's kit would have worn thin after almost a year, but not so. Billy bumped his head the other day and a few minutes later Beloved and I turned around to see Billy sitting with his whole head bandaged Mummy-style and Erin injecting him with her toy syringe! Babies remain the primary obsession though and Erin is in Christopher's face every waking minute. Christopher will be relieved to have a younger, slower moving, sibling to deflect the affection somewhat I think! I need a tape to play on loop "Christiopher is a BABY not a DOLL, please put him down" In reality though, I am just thrilled she has the amount of interest and affection that she does for her younger brothers and the baby on the way. I'd love for her to get the baby sister she is longing for, but I think she will be thrilled with any baby who can't crawl away!

Billy:
grabbed books he had not seen fo two weeks or more and 'read' them to me from memory this week. He is such a clever button. He is very frustrated that he can't read yet and looks with unadulterated craving at the little stickers that Erin earned for reading a whole reader through BY HERSELF! I watch him work with avid concentration on paintings and playdough and can't help thinking that if I leave him at it for long enough, he will find the cure for cancer or the solution to the Middle East Crisis. Even amid the cheeky grin and belly laugh his actions seem so full of import. That is not to say that the genius is ALWAYS working for the good of mankind. For some inexplicable reason the child still eats mud and ash whenever he gets the chance. Go figure!!

Christopher:
is still working on those teeth. The two canine teeth are through but the front teeth are yet to break through. Thankfully he is sleeping through again and is generally happy most of the time. The constant slime trail of drool and the flushed cheeks are our only outward sign of teething. I have been doing a bit of a blog catch up and I found that Kendra, of Preschoolers and Peace, has just had to witness her youngest son Joe (now Mighty Joe) fight for his life with the Human Enterovirus. It makes me hug my boy tighter as Mighty Joe is only nine weeks old and has already gone through so much. The most Christopher has had to endure is his sister's affections, which he does with good humor most of the time!

The New Baby:
who I think of as "Rudolph" is now making his/her presence felt with little swims and taps. There is also a definate belly bump there now, not just flab I excuse by saying I'm pregnant!! We have planned on how to replace the car with one that will fit all the children in it and are awaiting some funds toward the end of the year. We are awfully tempted to check out one we have been seeing advertised in the paper for weeks. We even have the money sitting there, but that money is earmarked for important HOUSE stuff and we need to be grown ups!! It is always bizzare to be planning for life with another little person. I am just so thrilled with this pregnancy as it becomes more and more 'real' each day. I don't know when other women feel that they are REALLY pregnant. Is it when you first miss that period? When the first suspicions awaken in your mind and heart? Is it when you take that test and see TWO lines come up? Is it with the first 'symptoms' (night time blood noses and tiredness for me!!)? Or is it when you start telling people? Does it become real for you when you can't squeeze into your jeans anymore and you dig out the maternity outfits? Or when Beloved or the children kiss your belly goodnight? For generations the beginning of life was marked as when the woman first felt movement - the quickening - and there is no denying the powerful marking point that is in a pregnancy. For me, my awareness of this baby has been unfolding like a flower from the moment I held those suspicions. It has been wonderful to hug it to myself and just let it bloom naturally. There is Someone, though, who has been aware of this child since before the beginning of time. What an awesome thought!

The house:
is a sea of laundry, boxes and "do me right now!!" jobs. I closed the door on it this morning and watched the children make mud pies while I read my Bible. When things are calmer and we can keep to a routine for more than two days in a row, things will be very, very different!

Exercise:
I have been walking nearly every week day which has been fantastic! We are yet to bring my bike out and I am not exactly sure where I will put it yet either. We are somewhat strapped for space in this house!

Jess

I am sitting in the lounge of our new home at an unearthly hour of the night (morning? yes, morning!) but I just wanted to give a quick overview of what is going on here, other than the delightful experience of another pregnancy!!

Erin:
is loving our new house and is loving having a new baby on the way even more. She is telling everyone she meets that we are having a new baby (or perhaps babies, we could have TWINS!!) and Christopher is now our OLD baby (old as in chronological, not as in obsolete and passe!!). She has also made many friends within the community and has emerged as a natural leader in group situations. She is usually in the thick of the action handing out directions with the level of authority which means that most of the time, the other kids simply do as she asks! The only one to raise objections is usually Billy. She handles herself with a grace and poise I have never seen before and I am often in awe that this child is my daughter!

Billy:
is loving the freedom of being able to go outside without me as I can supervise him easily in the backyard by watching through the kitchen window. He has an even healthier glow thanks to the fresh mountain air although I need to knit him some mittens as his hands get so cold they hurt on frosty mornings or when the wind is blowing off the snow (which is most of the time at the moment). He is excited about the new baby too although gets a little confused at times as to WHERE it is growing. He has been known to talk to my chest!! His first reaction upon being told about the baby was to push on my belly and shout "Come OUT baby!!". He is less of a leader and more of a self motivated, self contained little chap. I usually see him moving with purpose and dignity from task to task as if engaged in accomplishing some great work. He has won over many of the Mums we have socialised with as he runs up to excitedly share his latest discovery ("Look Mummy! BEAR!! Eyes, nose, mouth, hands. BEAR!!!") His own bear at home continues to be his greatest prize. He melts me when he kisses, hugs and rocks the bear before tenderly tucking him into bed. The Big Boy bed has ment that Red Bear often gets joined in bed for a few minutes when Billy feels the need for a little extra affection.

Christopher:
is cutting four teeth at once, but we seem to have managed to get back to unbroken nights again now. He is also crawling like a pro and pulling himself up on things. Far from being neglected with the news of the new arrival he is getting even more attention from Erin as she has taken it upon herself to educate him in the finer points of birthing babies and being an older sibling. As for me, I simply forget to put him down! He is the most huggable baby in the world and his giggle is simply addictive. The fact that he weighs in at about 15 Kg means I have the upper body strength of an elite athlete - but isn't one of the signs of a virtuous wife strong arms? LOL (Proverbs 31:17) He is doted on in the community - country communities are much more family oriented I've found - and our daily walk to the post office has found him out and about in the fresh air much more than previously. The other kids are getting more and more confident with "redirecting" him (i.e. grabbing him by the legs and dragging him around the board floors) when he is touching something he shouldn't. Christopher is amazing when it comes to listening to verbal repremand though. He is far more responsive than I remember the other two being at his age.

The New Baby!!!:
Name suggestions of "Rudolph", "Elf", "Noel" and "Santa" have all been rejected (Beloved CAN be such a spoil sport!) and I am pleased that we already have an established tradition in this family of Unbirthdays where we celebrate the halfway point between birthdays. This means that even if this bub arrives on the due date (Christmas Day) he or she will have one special day not eclipsed by seasonal festivities! Babies always arrive at the perfect time when it is left to the Lord though :) We are over the first trimester tiredness for the most part - which combined with a nasty dose of the flu starting late April which kicked off asthma amid packing to move did make for a challenging couple of months. I must admit though, I didn't think it was so bad when in the midst of it. I'd just take a short nap in an armchair or on the loungeroom floor when I put the boys down for a nap and then carry on best I could. On reflection though, it was difficult not to stress about getting more packing done and keep my priorities straight (God, Hubby, Kids THEN housekeeping!) There were a few times I was tempted to skip reading my Bible and clean something or pack something else and the children DID spend too much time coralled in a seperate room with toys while I worked - which led to some behaviour issues that needed working on. But God has been faithful and I don't feel the kids (or beloved) missed out too badly!

The house:
is already experiencing the DIY genius of Beloved! He is tearing out the lining of one room, has already fixed the leaky roof, fixed up a cupboard to hold shoes and jackets near the door and is in the process of fixing up the back step - all of this while still moving in. He has been working very hard. This has been one of the easier moves so far, although I currently have books but no bookshelves! One of the most frustrating things is we are having trouble getting decent speed internet. Apparently all the broadband ports are currently in use in the area which is very frustrating. We can see the snow capped mountains from our yard though and every day this week there has been rainbows in the snow falling up there. I am in love with this place, it is a pure blessing. The community is wonderful with two people offering me bags of hand-me-down clothes and most people going well out of their way to be friendly, welcoming and helpful.


The garden:
is in dream stage at the moment. In the rare moments we get to wander or gaze out the window during daylight hours Beloved and I have planned exactly where the fruit trees, vege patch(es), sheds, paved area, brick oven and formal garden will go. We are still deciding exactly where the kid's play equipment will go. I can't wait to have the move complete and the new septic and shed in so that we can REALLY make a start.

Exercise:
and weightloss started taking a backseat when I found I was pregnant. The weightloss was impossible obviously and the flu/asthma etc. ment that the exercise was nearly so!! I am determined to stay active during this pregnancy though. We are taking daily walks to the post office which is probably only about 1 Km, but it is keeping me moving. When we move the exercise bike I am going to set myself distance goals and try and cycle a certain distance each week. I would be silly not to try and maintain this wonderful asset that the Lord has given me to make babies!!

Jess

An Announcement

Guess what the Guest Family are getting for Christmas?

Another Baby!!

We have been hugging this secret to ourselves and treasuring it for some time like Elizabeth did when she found out she was expecting her miraculous baby (Luke 1:24,25). I couldn't make it to the fifth month though, we decided to reveal our news when Erin looked at me and said "Mummy, you look like there is a baby growing in your tummy!". Baby number four is just as miraculous and exciting as any of the others if not more so. I get to experience it through the children's eyes too!!

So yes, there is a heartbeat under mine. I wrote the poem in the previous post while contemplating just how amazing this adventure called motherhood is and marveling over this precous child given to us.