homekeepingheart's Xanga

New Blog!

Thu, 05 Mar 2009 04:13:06 GMT

I have made my first post at my new blog www.homekeepingheart.blogspot.com! Please come and visit me!

PPD and good news about blogging:-D

Wed, 04 Mar 2009 05:56:58 GMT

Thank you so much for all the feedback I got about PPD. I guess I should have been more clear about what I am going through because it really is nothing bad at all.

Always during the 3-5 months postpartum period, I start having some symptoms of PPD. My hair starts falling out in clumps and I feel fatigued. I have good days and bad days.

On the bad days I'm mostly just a little disinterested. I just don't feel like doing anything, even the things I love to do. I know I'm going to have a bad day when I have that thought, "I'm just burnt out on life". Know that feeling?

I get very upset and emotional very easily; I overreact and blow things out of proportion. For example, my husband and I will have what most would consider a small disagreement, and I'll get so upset that I'll start looking up flight fares home. A few hours later I'll realize how silly I was.

I get a feeling of being out of control, even though things really aren't so bad. I get a feeling of hopelessness, but it doesn't last very long.

Thankfully, now that Cara is more than four months old, the good days far outweigh the bad days. I'm also starting to feel a bit more organized and I think I'm ready to get back to my old love, blogging. However, Xanga is not inpsiring me at all, so I'm doing what I've been thinking about doing for a while--moving! This is my last post here at good old Xanga. I will post the address of my new blog soon! Old readers and xanga friends, please follow me there! I don't want to lose your valuable comments and encouragement!

I'm still alive!

Tue, 17 Feb 2009 22:26:14 GMT

Wow--I didn't think I'd ever go this long without blogging! There are a number of reasons for my absence.

1. I have zero interest in blogging and can't even think of anything to blog about.
2. Whenever I get on the computer, I'm nursing and can't type well.
3. What little time I have left, I spend on Facebook.
4. I'm going through some PPD right now.
5. Things are out of control here! The kids, the house, the food, the laundry. It's CRAZY! I used to be so organized, but now I don't even know where to start!

I should really get back in the habit because my blog is the only real record I have of my life. Maybe I will start to feel better soon and once I can get my life back in order, I'll feel more inspired.

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Wed, 07 Jan 2009 18:56:39 GMT

Did you order your Motivated Moms planner yet? I just now finally got around ordering mine! This makes my sixth year using it! And I still love it

Happy New Year!

Thu, 01 Jan 2009 07:11:41 GMT

1. What did you do in 2007 that you'd never done before?
Gave birth to my fifth child. Gave birth to a GIRL!

2. Did you keep your new years' resolutions, and will you make more for next year?
No resolutions for me. I think making them only means I will break them!

3. Did anyone close to you give birth?
Me and a few friends. Quite a few more friends will give birth in 2009!

4. Did anyone close to you die?
No. Thank you, Lord!

5. What countries did you visit?
Can't remember if we went to Canada this year or not. The years pass so quickly, it's hard to keep track!

6. What would you like to have in 2008 that you lacked in 2007?
discipline

7. What date from 2007 will remain etched upon your memory, and why?
October 24--the day I FINALLY had my baby girl!

8. What was your biggest achievement of the year?
Giving birth naturally again.

9. What was your biggest failure?
Being patient and joyful with my children.

10. Did you suffer illness or injury?
Just several cases of strep at the beginning of the year before Justin's tonsils finally came out!

11. What was the best thing you bought?
Our bedroom furniture

14. Where did most of your money go?
cloth diapers and baby carriers--same answer as last year! lol

15. What did you get really, really, really excited about?
having my baby and going home to VA/TN

16. What song will always remind you of 2007?
can't think of any

17. Compared to this time last year,are you:
i. happier or sadder? happier and sadder
ii. thinner or fatter? fatter, but I like my weight right now.
iii. richer or poorer? richer in family and friends

18. What do you wish you'd done more of?
Spent more time with the Lord and reading His Word--same answer as last year

19. What do you wish you'd done less of?
computer--same answer as last year!

22. Did you fall in love in 2007?
Yes--with a girl! hehe

24. What was your favorite TV program?
17 Kids and Counting

26. What was the best book you read?
Stepping Heavenward

27. What was your greatest musical (re)discovery?
cant' think of any in particular
28. What did you want and get?
an iPod

29. What did you want and not get?
nothing

30. What was your favorite film of this year?
Fireproof

31. What did you do on your birthday, and how old were you?
Went out for the day--shopping and out to eat. Turned 27.

32. What one thing would have made your year immeasurably more satisfying?
Having no regrets

33. How would you describe your personal fashion concept in 2007?
Maternity clothes again.

34. What kept you sane?
My daily nap

37. Who did you miss?
Beverly

38. Who was the best new person you met?
Cara Grace Beverly

39. Tell us a valuable life lesson you learned in 2007:
Life is short--don't waste it!

40. Quote a song lyric that sums up your year:
I have been blessed and I feel like I've found my way
I thank God for all I've been given at the end of every day
I have been blessed with so much more than I deserve
To be here with the ones that love me
To love them so much it hurts
I have been blessed

Christmas is almost here!

Wed, 24 Dec 2008 06:54:13 GMT

And we are ready! As long as these guys don't mind having Christmas in a bit of a messy and dirty house, we are ready! All presents are wrapped under the tree--and some unwrapped thanks to Zachary! All our plans for food and activities are made. The boys can hardly stand the wait. However, as I told Kevin tonight, I think this is the first year I haven't had to wait. It just came so fast!

I just have to share Cara's first Christmas present. I have waited and waited all these years and I finally get to give my little girl a doll! Her first doll! It is so beautiful, I don't know if I want it played with or not. I certainly don't want my boys getting a hold of it. It's a rag doll with Cara's name embroidered on the dress. It is very nice--I was so pleased when it came.

Tomorrow night we are having a--what the boys are calling--Happy Birthday Jesus party. It was their idea. They wanted to make Him a birthday cake, but I didn't really want cake, so I made a giant cookie and put Happy Birthday Jesus on it. We're having little smokies, cheeseball and crackers, fruit, and sugar cookies too. We'll probably watch Christmas shows and play games and we always let the boys open one present on Christmas Eve.

Here is our menu for Christmas dinner:
Ham w/brown sugar glaze
Potato casserole
Green beans
Corn on the cob
Cranberries
Deviled Eggs
Rolls
Chocolate cheesecake

If I don't post before then, Merry CHRISTmas!

p.s.--I confess I'm a bit of a hypochondriac because of all the cancer in my family and having a tumor in the past, but could you please be praying for me. I've been having pain in my right leg for the past few months that has progressively gotten worse. I'm also having extreme fatigue, beyond what I think would be normal considering my recent late nights. I went to the doctor yesterday and wasn't encouraged to hear "I have no idea!" My symptoms puzzled him and I had xrays done. He had me go on Motrin 3x a day for 2 weeks, which I'm not really comfortable with. Since I started taking it, the pain has only gotten worse and I think the Motrin has only made me more fatigued. I don't think I'll keep taking it. I go back on January 15 which seems so far away. I'm losing sleep worrying about this and what scares me even more is that my husband has started to worry as well. He doesn't worry about anything! He's actually the one who made me doctor's appointments. Sweetheart. So please pray for healing of whatever is causing this and for me to stop worrying!

Recent pics HERE

2008 Christmas Card

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 22:14:46 GMT

I tried to get studio pictures made this year. I truly did. I made one appointment and then Kevin ended having to work. I made an appointment a week later and totally forgot about it. For my next appointment, we had a blizzard! So I finally gave up and just took one myself. Do you know how hard it is to get a good picture of five children? Impossible. But I got one that was good enough and ended up being pretty cute. I had cards made at Walmart that can have two pictures on it, so these were our pictures this year.

You can see our outtakes HERE.

My Terrible Night

Wed, 17 Dec 2008 17:04:43 GMT

Hey! Remember me? I'm that girl that used to blog here almost every day? LOL I know, I've been the laziest blogger ever. I won't say I never get on the computer, but most of the time that I'm at the computer, I'm nursing. And nursing and typing a long blog post at the same time is not one of my talents. So I'm just doing the Facebook thing, reading a few emails, maybe reading a blog or two, then as soon as she gets done nursing, it's back to the grind. My life is SO unorganized right now! Cara Grace keeps me up till usually 2 or 3am, but it's been as late as 6am! So I sleep late in the mornings. Not much school gets done, not much cleaning gets done, not much order is maintained. My little night owl baby has thrown me for a loop!

Last night I was breathing a sigh of relief after getting all the kids to bed. Justin was spending his first night in his new room, previously the school room. It's not finished yet, so there's still a bunch of school stuff in here. Including staples. After about half an hour, Justin came wandering in here with a panicky look on his face. "Mommy, I think I swallowed a staple." What? How could you swallow a staple? Evidently, he was having a hard time sleeping by himself, so had just been up playing for a while. He had found a stack of staples and was playing with them, pulling them apart and such, then he swallowed something. He has a habit of putting things in his mouch and doesn't even know what he's doing. He probably didn't even know what was in his mouth, but since he was playing with staples, he thought he had swallowed a staple.

At first, we weren't going to do anything. I knew the dr. would probably just say to watch him. But then I thought they might induce vomitting or something before it entered his digestional tract. So I called the ER and asked. They said to bring him right in. So Justin and Cara and I bundled up, went out in the 10 degree weather, and headed out. 10 is actually much warmer than it has been. The past few days it has been as cold as 25 below zero.

We were totally out of gas so I stopped at the first gas station. I turned off the van, stupid me. Then my debit card got stuck in the slot because it was so cold! I tried forever to get it out, getting colder and more frustrated by the minute. I finally went in and told the worker what happened and that I was in a hurry, trying to get to the ER. He came out and got the card out. Then I couldn't get the cap off to put the gas in because it was so cold! I had to go back and ask him to do that too! I finally was able to pump $5 in there. Then got back in the van and nothing. Would not even turn over! It was totally dead. I could not believe how this night was turning out! There was a girl there who offered to take us to the hospital. I didn't know what else to do, so I accepted and went.

When we got to the hospital, you would have thought my child was dying! They rushed him in for an xray to see where the staple was. It was the fastest ER visit ever. And guess what. There was no staple. All this and there was no staple!

We had to get our wonderful neighbor out of bed to come over here and sit with the other kids so Kevin could come pick us up. Then we had to go jump the van at the gas station. Finally, we were home and it was over. Then I read over the papers the hospital sent us home with and read this:

"IN ALMOST ALL CASES, once the object reaches the stomach, it moves through the intestinal tract and passes out of the body mixed in with the stool without any problem."
THANKS FOR TELLING ME THAT THE FIRST TIME!

Sunday, December 07, 2008

Sun, 07 Dec 2008 20:33:15 GMT

Wow! I can't believe how long it's been! Life has been so crazy and it seems like I just can't get back with it. Everything is unorganized and out of control!! I'm working on it though. Meanwhile, I just uploaded some pics to Facebook. Can you believe she is six weeks old now? And fat as can be! She's in 3-6 months clothes now--and has been for a couple weeks! She's such a sweet little chunker!
Pictures here

Thanksgiving Menu

Wed, 26 Nov 2008 06:07:34 GMT

With a new baby, I'm keeping it somewhat simple this year. Just the traditional stuff--not a lot of extras.

Turkey
Dressing
Gravy
Mashed potatoes
Sweet potato casserole (Beverly's delicious recipe)
Cranberries in jello (also Beverly's)
Yeast rolls (from frozen dough)
Pumpkin pie (frozen!)
Dutch apple pie (frozen) a la mode