Lost in the Christmas Rush...

Got this from Girlfriends in God this morning and found it quite fitting and humbling as I try to plow through my Christmas baking with probably not the best attitude( seeing as how I was up with Emma from 1am-5pm this morning).

December 17, 2014
1 Corinthians 13 Christmas Style

Sharon Jaynes

Today’s Truth:

And now these three remain: faith, hope and love.  But the greatest of these is love(1 Corinthians 13:13 NIV)

Friend to Friend

With Christmas just around the corner. it is easy to get so busy with the cooking, decorating and shopping that we forget why we’re doing all this in the first place. Sometimes, the very people we love get lost in the hustle and bustle of packed schedules, holiday parties, and Christmas musicals. This Christmas, let’s keep our focus on Jesus and celebrate the reason He came.

Several years ago I wrote a Christmas version of 1 Corinthians 13 to help me keep my focus on what Paul deemed most important of all…love.

1 Corinthians 13 Christmas Style

©By Sharon Jaynes

If I decorate my house perfectly with lovely plaid bows, strands of twinkling lights, and shiny glass balls, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another decorator.

If I slave away in the kitchen, baking dozens of Christmas cookies, preparing gourmet meals, and arranging a beautifully adorned table at mealtime, but do not show love to my family, I’m just another cook.

If I work at the soup kitchen, carol in the nursing home, and give all that I have to charity, but do not show love to my family, it profits me nothing.

If I trim the spruce with shimmering angels and crocheted snowflakes, attend a myriad of holiday parties, and sing in the choir’s cantata but do not focus on Christ, I have missed the point.

Love stops the cooking to hug the child.

Love sets aside the decorating to kiss the husband.

Love is kind, though harried and tired.

Love doesn’t envy another home that has coordinated Christmas china and table linens.

Love doesn’t yell at the kids to get out of your way.

Love doesn’t give only to those who are able to give in return, but rejoices in giving to those who can’t.

Love bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, and endures all things.

Love never fails. Video games will break, pearl necklaces will be lost, golf clubs will rust. But giving the gift of love will endure.

Let’s Pray

Heavenly Father, thank You for sending Your Son, Jesus, that starry night in Bethlehem. I am still amazed at Your great love for me. May I not lose sight of the true meaning of Christmas, but celebrate Jesus’ birthday with joy! Help me to give as You gave—with love.

In Jesus’ name,

Amen.

Now It’s Your Turn

What are some ways that you can make sure to love your familywell this holiday season?

Are there any activities that you need to eliminate from your busy schedule to help alleviate over commitment? Is your family being neglected because of a hectic Christmas schedule?

If that question wasn’t painful enough, here’s another one: Is Jesus being neglected as you prepare for His birthday? Ouch! I just stomped on my own toe! Off to get a Band-Aid!

http://www.girlfriendsingod.com/

Week One: Survived

It's been quite a week. 

 I remember saying when we had Little Miss that if all our babies could be as good as her we would have 10 more.  Our routine barely skipped a beat.

Well, we've had one more since then and it is quite obvious that Emma and Little Miss are very different babies!  Don't get me wrong, Emma is so adorable and we feel very blessed but she is not the happy, easy baby Little Miss was.

In all fairness, I didn't nurse Little Miss like I am doing with Emma.  This has presented many challenges this time around.  We had latch issues, constant nursing sessions( totally not exaggerating), etc.  I know in many ways breastfeeding is easier, but there are many ways that bottle feeding is easier also.

So I have been very tired, hormonal and quite frankly, sore.  Emma will not lay down on her own but has to be held all the time by someone.  This has really presented some challenges.  Luckily I have some great kiddos that have gone over and beyond to lend a hand and pitch in with Emma and the other littler ones.

We call Bubba the Emma Whisperer

He was the only one who could get her to calm down and sleep with out me having to nurse her.  We finally figured out it's because he bounces his leg with her.  She likes vibration!  We have no baby equipment with vibration though.  So I got the idea of getting one of those little back massagers that vibrate.  

This one to be exact:

It was like $7 at CVS and I just set it on her rocker or her bassinet to make the whole thing vibrate.  So far we have had some promising results.  Nothing earth shattering as of yet but there is hope.  

She's sleeping WITHOUT being held!

Do you see the massager at the top of her rocker?

It really is in there securely though in the picture it appears to be about to fall on her head.

This lasted about 15 minutes or so but STILL! 

 It's a step in the right direction.

We took Emma to the Dr's on Weds.  It was suppose to be on Thursday but her umbilical cord looked infected so they had us bring her in early.  It turns out it wasn't infected but was very irritated.  It was extremely swollen and bleeding.  Part of that was due to the fact that the hospital forgot to take off the clamp and it was catching on everything.  In turn, it was pulling the cord off prematurely.

Emma weighed 6 lbs 5oz, which wasn't terribly surprising due to the fact that she wouldn't nurse for the 1st day and 1/2 and then for the next couple days we were having latch issues. 

I think that sums up our week.  It wasn't pretty but we survived and things feel a little better now.

 It's not our old life by any means but we are finding a new normal...

And this new normal looks pretty darn sweet.

Many Blessings,

The Mama

Heading Home and More Pics...

We'll be heading home today. I could have stayed one more night and we really considered it.  Our main bath is on the 2nd floor of our house so staying at the hospital with a bathroom a few steps from my bed is very enticing.  But I get stir crazy and felt in 'go mode' this morning so I went with it. So we should be leaving sometime early this afternoon.

Before I go on I will post the pics you are waiting for ;)

Meeting Emma for the 1st time.  This is right before my blood pressure plummeted to about 40 over 20 or something crazy like that.  It happens with a C-section/spinal block sometimes and the anesthesiologist was on it right away and got it back up in no time.

Snuggle Bug 

Sissy

Bubba

Can't get over how tiny she is!

With her Daddy

Not the best picture of Emma but here is Little Miss holding her.

She loves to give her kisses and hold  her hand.

I love that it never gets old for any of the kids when a new baby/child comes into our family.

Princess did hold Emma also but there are no pics of it =(  We will have to be sure to snap some the next time and I will post them on here.  Princess was signing baby and kept going over to give Emma kisses on the head.

We've had a couple very sleepless nights here.  Emma has finally got the hang of nursing but has hit her 2 day old stage of "I want to nurse all the time".  

But I am very glad she has caught on to the whole concept.

I am sore  from the surgery of course but doing well.  I have a praise that this time they did not use staples to close my incision!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! They just used glue and dissolving interior stitches.

My 1st C-section had like 25 staples and the 2nd I think I had 19.  The staples always have skin that starts growing over them or gets stuck around them so when they pull them out before I leave the hospital it isn't very comfortable.  And for anyone who knows me well, knows I have very sensitive skin

(actually have a condition called Dermatographism)

Oh! And thank you to those who signed up to bring us a meal this week and next!  It so very much appreciated!!!  It's s nice to not have to worry about grocery shopping or coming up with meals.  It's still tough for me to move around very much so supper time would be a little too taxing for me at the moment.  

Shout out to my in-laws and my mom for taking the other 5 kids these past few nights so Hubby can stay at the hospital with me!!!  

Hubby has been such a big help now that babies room in with their mom 24/7

( no nurseries any more).

Shout out to him too( Love you honey!).

Ok got to get lunch ordered and changed then we will be heading out fairly soon.

Many Blessings,

The Mama

Please Welcome...

Emma to our family!

We are taking a family vote on the middle name.

7lbs 1oz
21" long
8:19am

Last Belly Shots

39 weeks today

Just before we headed to the hospital.  Sitting(laying) here now and waiting for surgery.