October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month

Today I have another amazing guest blogger today!  Since today is October 1st, I thought it would be great to have Jen, from In God's Time...Not Mine, visit us and tell us her amazing story.

I just want to start with a huge thanks to Bonnie for letting me guest post on her blog. My name is Jen and I am the author of In God's Time...Not Mine.

I wanted to take a few minutes to talk about a topic that is often considered taboo: pregnancy and infant loss.

 

October is Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Month; October 15th is actually Pregnancy and Infant Loss Awareness Day.

 

Here are some sobering statistics...

Every year in the United States:

* Approximately 2 million women will experience the loss of a pregnancy

* 154,051 children are born with birth defects

* 27,864 children will die before their first birthday

I unfortunately know these statistics all too well...

My story starts with my first pregnancy. My baby girl was born in August 2006.

Her name was Madelyn Rose and she was born full-term after a very long labor that resulted in a c-section. Everything went from happy to absolutely devastating the moment she was born.

She had very serious birth defects that were the result of a genetic condition called Pfeiffer Syndrome Type II.

She was whisked away to the NICU while I was being sewn up. About 3 hours after her birth and a very negative CAT scan of her brain (she had very little brain tissue), my husband and I made the hardest decision of our lives and removed her from the ventilator. We took her back to our room and held her until she passed away the next morning.

 It was a very hard recovery process both mentally and physically and a year later we found out that we were expecting another little one.

Around 7 weeks I started spotting and went into my doctor's office "just to be safe". I had an ultrasound and there was no baby, just a mass of cells.

The wind was knocked out of me and time just blurred together as we started talking about mutant cells, cancer and a D&C. I had my D&C on my husband's 29th birthday and waited anxiously for the results.

They came back in a couple weeks as a Partial Molar Pregnancy where 2 sperm fertilized one egg at the exact same time. It results in 3 sets of genetic material, which is why the cells went crazy. I had to monitor my levels until they went to zero and then we had to wait 6 months from then to try to get pregnant again.

We started trying again for a few months but weren't able to get pregnant and it was starting to take its toll on me. There wasn't anything wrong with either of us and we were still within the normal time frame for the "average" couple to get pregnant but it was so overwhelming.

We started to feel God's call to adopt.

We both always knew that we would adopt, we knew before we got married that adoption would be part of our family plan.

What we didn't know was the timing of when we would adopt.

We thought it would be after we had our biological children, but God had other plans.

In September 2009 we submitted our application to adopt a baby from South Korea. We were open to some minor medical conditions and only 6 months later we saw our handsome son's picture for the first time. B was perfectly healthy but had just recently healed from a broken arm so he was considered to have a special need. We just knew he was our son and, after waiting the obligatory 24 hours, we excitedly accepted the referral.

The next few months were filled with a lot of preparation and paperwork and by early July 2009 we knew we were getting close! Early July was also the time where I started to feel a little off. I wasn't sure what was going on so I took a few pregnancy tests and they came back negative. I was a little late but we were trying to NOT get pregnant per the adoption agencies guidelines. The morning of July 9th I awoke early and couldn't get back to sleep.

I slipped quietly out of the bedroom and took another pregnancy test. I kind of knew something was going on but was COMPLETELY shocked to see a faint 2nd line.

I wish I could say I was overjoyed but my first reaction was fear. We weren't supposed to get pregnant while in process and our son wasn't home yet; I was worried they wouldn't let us adopt him.

I ran downstairs and called my mom in tears.

She was overjoyed and I remember telling her that I suspected we would get our long awaited travel call that day. I woke my husband up at that point and told him our news. He was still home at 9:30am when our phone rang and it was our social worker telling us our son would be escorted home to us in 3 days!

 

 

B came home on July 10th and our son, Ry, was born March 8th. They are a little over 18 months apart but arrived into our family only 8 months apart.

It has been a wonderfully busy time and I wouldn't trade it for the world.

My two little boys are my world and I love them both so much.

For those who may be curious, I feel exactly the same about both boys regardless of how they became mine!

 

When Ry was about a year old we decided to start trying to have another baby. I found out I was pregnant in July and immediately went to my OB to monitor my blood levels. They were good for a week and then just slowed down. I went in for an ultrasound and prayed for the best. It was almost surreal being back in that same room where we received the bad news about the molar pregnancy.

The u/s tech started the exam and knew right away that something wasn't right. I should have been 6 weeks along and all she could see was an empty sac measuring 5 weeks, 2 days.

Hoping for the best but honestly expecting the worst, I went home and waited.

Four long days went by before I went back in for another ultrasound. It feels like I sat in that waiting room for 2 hours but it was probably only 5 minutes.

Finally got called back, gowned up and laid down. Anxiously waiting for the results, praying repeatedly "Please God, please just let everything be ok.

Please perform a miracle; please let my baby be ok!"

It wasn't.

Nothing had changed and my D&C was scheduled for the next day. In my heart I just knew that the baby was a girl and my doctor confirmed that at my follow up appointment. She was healthy, genetically speaking, so I will never know why I lost her.

Even today, my heart hurts for my 3 precious lost treasures: my precious Madelyn Rose, for the pregnancy that never was and for the baby girl who will never get to be born or grow up.

When we started this journey to parenthood, I never realized how hard it would be.

I knew women had miscarriages but I just didn't think it would happen to me.

I have lost 3 babies but I cannot wallow in the past.

I am choosing, instead, to focus on the future and on the family I have.

If I never have any more children, I will be happy with my two boys.

That being said, I do hope/pray that God will bless us again with a healthy pregnancy and baby.

I also hope that God will bring us another little one through adoption as well.

My plan sounds good but, as I have learned, it isn't up to me!

It's all in God's Time...Not Mine!

 

 

Wow…What a story!  Jen, our prayers are with you.  God Bless You!

Please stop by Jen’s blog today to leave her a nice comment.

The Reach Of Social Media

Look what the beautiful Jo from Love Stamp sent me! Just because. We have gotten to know each other through Twitter. I received it yesterday. These are the second set of photos I took. The first lot? I had to go back and dust my table. That iPhone is so powerful sometimes... it picks up amoebas in photos! 

"You hold the key to my heart". Gorgeous. Thank you Jo! It is so special. Look I can still see dust! How good is that iPhone camera! 

And in other breaking news.....thanks to my beautiful Twitter friends, and their retweeting of my tweeting of my blog post yesterday.....and their addition of the words 'Epic Fail' to their tweets!, Origin made contact with me through Twitter (saves sitting on a mobile phone for 3 hours.... I don't have a landline for portability... always moving!). I have a Case Manager now who arranged for some money to be transferred into my account, which will go towards replacing the contents of my fridge. The most heartbreaking part of cleaning out my festering fridge was tossing out all the beautiful meals my friends had lovingly cooked for me over the past few challenging weeks.

My power came back on yesterday afternoon. 'Mr Energex' arrived with beautifully coiffed hair. He confessed that he thought TV cameras were going to be here so he did his hair in the car. He was rather sheepish, as he was the one who removed all my fuses and locked up my meter yesterday. Just doing his job. Under directions from Origin. We chatted about the meaning of life until he got a phone call saying 'hurry up' from his boss. Yes, heaven forbid some customer service and my need for a chat.... even if it was with 'Mr Energex'. 

My boys had been happily playing their Nintendos in the apartment complex corridor all afternoon, plugged into the cleaner's powerpoints. Big one said to me, "just think Mum, Bill never has electricity, or a hot shower". We all had a gratitude moment back inside, listening to the hum of the fridge and the remote control blinds going ballistic, up and down, up and down, until they worked out that they had a constant source of power and calmed down!

Later on I had a visit from a public relations person from Origin, from here in Brisbane. She confirmed my grocery money and said she'll get back to me about my impending bill for the last 8 months I have been here. It will be interesting to see this bill..... as the meter I have been paying my bills for is at 36 which doesn't exist. But Origin say they have been visiting this address at number 45 to read the meter. But this meter was cut off as no account was attached to it. So my other fictitious account, where did they get the meter readings for that? I still can't get my head around it so it is going to be interesting hearing Origin's take on the whole thing.  I will be taking your advice my dear readers and progressing to the Ombudsman if need be. Definitely. 

And in sad news, it looks like we have lost the whole batch of lizard eggs that my boys were lovingly caring for. An outcome of this whole fiasco that can't be remunerated. There were 15 babies anticipated. 

Nigella is still sitting there protecting them, even though they are all shrivelled... and 'cactus' as my boys keep saying. There have been tears.

But all is good.... fridge full of food, love from our friends and family.

Life is good.

.....and breathe out!

Thank you! :)

PS If you want to chat to me via Twitter, I have a link on my bloggy side bar. I can be found at 'TheHouseOfAM'.... and if you want to get in touch with Origin, they're now in my Twitter followers list!

Guest Post {The Scott’s Crib}

Hello!  How are you doing today?  We have been really busy lately, as usual.  I have been keeping my facebook fans updated but we have had broken bones lately including me breaking my foot.  I will write a whole post about what and how that happened as well as other things going on around the house.  Because I was not walking for a while, blogging has been slacking.  We also had crown molding installed and I love it.  I posted a pic here.  I also have been busing organizing too. 

Anyway, I have another guest post for you today! 

Meet Latoya from The Scott’s Crib!  She just became a new blogging friend and Shaklee Distributor so please welcome here!

Here is one of her recent posts…

Last week I showed you my barely successful attempt at hanging the thingy above my cabinets.  This week I am still working above the cabinets but I actually know the name of the product that I am working with this week, letters.

Yes, I am working with letters, glue, magazine clippings, and scissors. 

Hard stuff right? 

I pulled out all of my tools and got to work on my first grade art project. I had been eyeing this particular project on Pinterest and I finally decided that it's time that I stop pinning so much and actually do some of these projects on my board. 

This one seemed easy enough so I took it on.

via

 

I also had my eye on this one below but something about this one just didn't sit right with me.  I couldn't actually imagine putting real money on letters with some glue.  I mean we are in a recession and that change comes in very handy when time to mail a bill or put a quarter into the thingy to get a buggy while shopping at Aldi.

via

 

Now let's get into how I made these...

First off I brought the letters from Hobby Lobby for $1.99 a piece.  The rest of the stuff I already had at home.  I contemplated many different ways to get the look I wanted, one of which included spray paint.  My husband vehemently declares that I am a fake gangster because I like to spray paint everything so I told him that I nixed that idea and decided to use magazine pages and glue.  (Nanny nanny boo boo Mr. Scott!)

 

First, I decided to use colors similar to the color scheme I have worked up for the kitchen. Second,  I cut them up in various shapes and sizes.  I was really random and didn't have a precise method for this step.

 

Third, I put glue on it. 

Yes, I recognize these instructions are elementary sounding but how could I possibly make this stuff sound like rocket science?

 

 

Fourth,  cover the letters in whatever fashion you choose.

 

 

Last, let them dry overnight.

 

 

Now hang them wherever you like and enjoy!

 

 

Next week I am going to give you step by step instructions on how to build a rocket;) Just kidding, kidding... that rocket would definitely fall apart!

Thanks Latoya!   Your letters look great!!!

Have a great day!

Would You Ever Use Origin Energy?

Image Courtesy plumenshopus.com

My power went out yesterday. With a big bang.

Everyone else in the complex had power. I checked the switch board for the safety switch. No, all good there. I phoned 'Origin', my electricity provider. No all good there....account is actually in credit.

Wandered around to see if any workmen might have accidentally cut something important while doing their stuff. Nope. Collected my mail.

"Your electricity has been disconnected today... right now, actually... go directly to jail.... and thanks for coming". What?

I phoned Energex....the people who cut my power off. They informed me that they received written advice from Origin, my provider, to do so. It was 3.30pm by now and they informed me that, no matter what, there would be no way that I would have power again by nightfall. Tears. I had just been grocery shopping and I had a fridge full of food for my hungry boys, frozen meals in the freezer made by caring friends and to break my heart further, my boys lizards have 15 eggs hatching under a electricity run heat lamp. Boys + lizards + no electricity = more crying.

I rang Origin back. "What, you're at number 45 street? Your account says number 36 street. Your account is for number 36. We have no account for number 45". Ok, so Origin, what meter have you been reading to calculate the bills I have been paying? There is no 36 in this street. Umm, errr.

On hold. On my mobile. For 1 hour by now.

I cried. As you do. When you're female. And sitting in a corridor with your mobile plugged into the power point that the cleaners use. And this is just the last thing you need. And you have baby lizards needing heat. And a fridge full of fresh (but soon not to be) food.

Went and retrieved 'cranky site manager who hates my boys' and he opened up the meter box... yep, there were all the meters... and mine?... fuses removed, padlocked and taped. He had opened it earlier for the Energex guy and happily stood there letting him cut off my power!!!!! I retrieved the meter number and informed Origin. "Yep, that's the meter number we have been reading".... well that's at number 45.... the place you say you have no account for. The physical place that your meter reader has been attending to read the meter in order for you to bill me.

On hold. Again.

Meanwhile back in my memory banks. Hang on, the notices I have been receiving from Origin since August.... "You are an unauthorized user of power and hot water at number 45. Please contact us"... my replies were unanswered. My faxes and emails, with copies of my paid bills - unanswered. Even the one I sent 2 days ago that unfortunately included the word 'moron' in it. What about those?

On hold. Again.

2 hours later. "Umm, errr, we don't know what has happened. We're sorry for the mix up. We will get Energex to reconnect your electricity TOMORROW somewhere between the hours of 1pm and 6pm. Sorry about your food. Sorry about your boy's pets. We will be starting your account again and back billing you from the date in February in which you moved in". What? I have been paying my bills. "Yes, but that was on number 36. This is 45. You have been using power at 45 and it has to be paid for".

So my mobile phone bill for 2 hours on hold? The entire rotten contents of my fridge? And the impending one year bill for electricity that I have used at number 45 for the past year? I have to pay for it all ??????? So where is my money for the bills I have been paying at your ficticious number 36? Where are the replies to all my correspondence that said, "there is someone living here... this is me.... here are my paid bills".

??????????

What an expensive mistake. All at my cost. I will be getting my electricity connected and then closing my account with them. Today. I am looking for another electricity provider.

As my boys would say, "Origin???..... EPIC FAIL".

I am typing from a bed, not in my apartment. My boys and I were kindly taken in....like waifs.
I am heading back this morning to clear out all my rotten food and check on the lizard babies.

There, I feel better now. I am sending a link to this post ... to Origin.

Daily Walks

One of the things I missed about my day while making Autumn's Deb dress was the opportunity we had been taking to have a scheduled daily exercise walk.

I mostly was doing this with our older girls with the younger children joining in and Saxon and Rogan joining in when they felt like it.

One of these days we had already bathed our younger children and had them in their PJ's and they still wanted to come for a walk. Now for Trahaearn I often would take him in the Hug A Bub but this particular day he was a sleep in side when I started. Eden was reading keeping an eye on him and when he woke up brought him out in her jacket all snuggled up like a little possum. He had a wonderful time walking and seeing what was happening but so warm and cozy in the jacket.
Doesn't he look so adorable??

One of Arwen's favourite ways to go for a walk is to be carried by someone. We often take turns carrying her and she will even go to sleep as we have this walk.
Arwen along with the younger children do spend time running ahead and then back to keep up with us.

One of the major benefits has been he interesting talks we have had while walking. Sometimes this is just fun conversation: quoting movies, books and discussing everyday events.Other times we brake off as one of the children has something they want to discuss with me and this provides a perfect opportunity for some one on one attention but in a non organised way.

I also think that  having this time together without distractions of inside, even those necessary actions like cooking, folding up and other useful things is a benefit as it gets us away from the everyday routine to the 'outside world'.

Here we enjoy not only each others company but the beauty of the natural world around us that we are blessed to have.

I really am hoping that we can soon get back into this delightful routine again soon.

What do you think girls?

Blessings to you and your homes,

~♥ Words To Live By ♥~

INTERACTIVE AQUARIUM

Aquarium from fashionbuddha on Vimeo.

Our Fall Tablescape {repost}

Good morning everyone!  Today, I am back with my fall tablescape!  I really liked how it turned out and I used it as my inspiration for my new fall header.

I LOVE decorating my tables.  So does my daughter!  I just say, “Grace, do you want to help me decorate?” and she comes yelling, “YEEESSSS!”  She is totally a little me, lol!  LOVE IT!

We decided to do a very simple and nature looking tablescape today.

She helped my with the pinecones.

I just love the simplicity of it!

I also love these dishes.  I bought this set at a garage sale for only $15.

The kids loved smelling the cinnamon sticks with me.

My baby wanted to throw the pinecones, lol!

That’s ok with me as long as it is not a plate.

I am really enjoying the straight lines of the plates and bowls.

The centerpiece is also nature inspired.

I used more cinnamon sticks, pinecones and acorns.

I just placed everything into a rectangle platter along with this arrangement.

I think they go well together.

Here’s another view.

And another.

OK, last one!  I promise.

So, there is my simple, nature-looking talblescape.

This is not too fancy.  Just simple and fun!

What do you use on your tables?

Have a great day!

Dark And Stormy

Image Courtesy House and Home

Great first impression. Maximal impact. I mean really... it's not that much black... it just looks like it. It's all the stainless steel that creates the illusion of a 'dark and stormy' kitchen. They're actually grey walls and cabinets. I love how the white ceiling, lighting choices and rustic table and chairs soften the whole look.... and I love those bluestone pavers...super rustic.

I think I would have to lighten the walls... especially the one surrounding the window.....but that's just me and my fear of 'dark and stormy'. The stone benchtops are a great colour and would still look good with lighter walls. I'd still keep the grey cabinets. I'd just need that window wall lighter at least. What do you think? 'Dark and stormy' or 'lighter and brighter'?

Happy Thursday!

Guest Post: Ring Around the Rosies

Good morning!  I am here today with another guest blogger just in time for fall!

Say hello to Jaima!

Hey, y'all! I'm Jaima, and I blog over at Ring Around the Rosies!

Today, I am going to share with you an old post of mine to inspire a little Fall creativity!

Believe it or not, the leaves are turning colors and the weather is already getting crisp here in Middle Tennessee! You can find the original post here. I hope you all enjoy.

But first, I have to give Bonnie a huge "thank you" for letting me guest post today! It is kind of unbelievable, actually. I don't remember where I first saw the idea, but in prepping for the cooler Fall weather, I decided to do a little decorating today!

I took this...

 

(sorry it’s blurry, I forgot to take an actual “before” picture, so I had to take this one I took a few months ago when we had our condo for sale)

…and turned it into this…

 

How’d I do it?

I simply spray painted the flower pot with Rustoleum’s flat black paint. 

For the pumpkin, I decided what font I wanted using plain ol' Microsoft Word and printed it out.

Then I traced it on to wax paper and cut out the “S” with an exacto knife. I taped the paper to the pumpkin and simply spray painted it.

Next time, I will definitely hand paint the letter on, because as you can see, the spray paint ran a little. There's many ways you could do this though. I bought the pumpkin with a 40% off Michael's coupon. This way, I can pull it out year after year, but you could definitely use a real pumpkin too.

But, I must admit that overall, I really love the new look!

What do you think???

Thanks again to Bonnie!

Please stop by my blog and say hello sometime! 

Thanks so much Jaima!!  What a cute and simple idea!!

Thanks so much for sharing!

Please stop by her blog today and let her know that I sent you!

Have a great day!