Here's a video for you...complete with muppet voice

(written by Adam) rachel playing on the floor with one of the boys toys. so cute!!!! And a bonus snippet of Conner...one of the other cuties.

You know you have a large family when???

I had to laugh when I read Mama Archer's Thursday 13, about "you know you have a large family when." I would link here, if you wanted to read hers, but I am not sure if it's okay and then I would have to figure out how. Anyway... I thought I would add a few of my own, because they always make me laugh, and they are soooo true.

1.)You think a sale on name brand good baby wipes is the jackpot, and you buy 85 boxes of them!! People thought I was running a daycare or something!

2.)I don't know if this is a positive or not, but I have to think of my children in order...like if I am being asked when so and so's birthday is, I have to run down the list--in order--mentally, before I can figure it out.

3.)If you skip laundry for even a week, your stuck doing it ALL DAY long! LOL.

4.)You can go to the grocery store, and buy 2 loaves of bread, 2 gallons of milk, 2 boxes of cereal, and some fruit, and it is only intended for 1 meal!!

5.)You go shopping for furniture and you are forced to figure out how to buy extra pieces of them, that match, because you have many bottoms that need to sit on them. We have 2 couches, 1 loveseat, 1 recliner, and 1 chaise lounge. That's still not enough some days.

6.)When it takes close to 100.00 to fill your gas tank..."nuff said?

7.)When you actually needed 2 cribs at one time, for different aged children.

8.)When you find a good deal on sale, and buy tons because you know many people will be using it. Yes, this kind of goes along with the baby wipes, but they really aren't fun. I am talking about legos, and cars, and paper. Woo Boy...we go through the paper in our house. I just recently bought these huge paper bundles and only had to pay 10.00 or so...shipped. BARGAIN!!

9.)You have been known to combine childrens birthday parties. They may or may not get their own cakes if they aren't old enough to know....but when you only have so much time?? They do get separate presents (except that one time all the little boys were the same age range...) but they did get to open their own gifts.

10.)And the finale? When you notice people counting your children. Also, if they are wrong, you feel the compelling need to correct them. Much to their astonishment. (this is hubby's pastime)

Babies Babies Everywhere.....

I really think God is changing my heart. I see babies everywhere, and if there isn't a baby, there is a pregnant mommy. I had a dream the other night that I had another baby....Last night my husband dreamed we had a curly headed baby. Now, that would be a first, as all my other babies were bald, with the exception of Aaron-the dark headed child.

I am just so stuck with Rachel being so much like an infant, and how it could possibly be with 2. I suppose this is what twins could feel like?

In any event, I do believe we are rounding a corner in this. I think I can see the light at the end of the tunnel. However...with all these dreams about girls, we would need to re-adjust our thinking, because we only have a little boys name picked out. LOL!!

Oh, and CONGRATULATIONS MamaArcher!!

When it rains, it pours............

Well, today has proved just as adventurous as yesterday. I spent several hours in the er with Nathan. He was hanging out with the brothers in the skating area of our local park, and the spring loaded gate was opened by one brother, and nathan somehow got his thumb stuck in the back part when it closed. It was bleeding everywhere, and we were rather far away from the hospital... Nothing broken, but his nail will likely fall off and be hurting for some time. Here is a pic of the very sad boy...before his codeine medicine kicked in.

Ashley and heart issues

Man, this parenting gig....it's for the birds, I tell ya! The latest journey I am traveling now deals with my oldest daughter. She is miss lanky, tall and skinny. She weighs 110 soaking wet, and is 5'9" tall. So, when she started experiencing chest pain and fast heartbeats, I thought it was from growing. It's not gone away, and her birth father died from a heart attack in his 30's, so I am getting a little worried. We took her to the doctor today, and she heard no murmurs or anything weird, but she got x-rays and blood work done, and will get to wear a heart monitor for 24 hours. This is scary! I am always grace under pressure, and no one thinks I am really concerned about things, and most of the time, I am not....simply because I know minor stuff is no big deal and will go away. This is not minor, and I really pray that nothing is wrong with her heart. Genetics is a big deal, but her birth father wasn't the healthiest of individuals. That makes a difference. However, His father died from a heart attack when he was a kid, so maybe there is more to it. Anyway, if its not one thing, its another.....Just when I got the house mostly done and thought I would have time to blog, I need to monitor a heart holster and take my kiddo to the hospital for tests. Oh boy.....

Lord, keep my baby safe!

Dont judge me......

Please love me enough not to judge me for these before and afters. Most embarrasing thing to do is to be real. I am a messy person....my husband is a messy person...I have spent my entire life messy. I hate it and I have hated myself for it. I never invite people over, and I panic if the doorbell rings.

Except, I had Rachel....I have to let her therapists in. And her developmental people in....and possibly a wheelchair someday. I cant keep them sequestered in the clean living room that just managed to get clean the hour before they got here. I have had it with the mess. Something clicked last week, and rather than just superficially cleaning for spur of the moment stuff, I really cleaned. And cleaned, and purged. I am pooped, but not done, and I am still driven.

I should clarify...My children are taken care of. They are bathed and have clean clothing. The kitchen is most always clean. They have clean dishes to eat off of. I am not as bad as others I have seen, but still...when your child breaks their own toys because they are everywhere, or slips on messy stuff and bonks his or her head, and you know its your fault, well then what kind of parent are you??? I wondered for so many years what the heck God was doing, sending me these kids. I couldnt keep my house clean, why did He think I could raise them.

But you know what? They are healthy, happy kids, and now that I have this thing figured out, we will be able to make a positive change. We wont panic when the doorbell rings....we wont slip on stuff all over the floor. I wont lose books that belong to the library, and pay a heck of a fine. I wont buy things over and over because I couldnt find the first one. I can relax in my bedroom, and not be surrounded with mess.

God sent me Rachel for a reason. Maybe this was the reason. Or maybe, she is just helping me be who I could have been years ago.

Before and After of the library/baby room

This was typical of this room...books everywhere, getting stepped on.
Books falling over and in every single area of the bookshelves...
now, one whole unit with the doors is completely empty...there is space in the other unit, and each layer with books has room to move, so the kids can get the books out. They were stuffed full before.
The floor!! I hauled out over 10 boxes, some really large boxes, of duplicate books, and books we will never read, and board books that Nathan just doesn't need. He has a basketfull...that is enough. We had at least 3 basketfulls before purging.

Before and After pics of boys room...

Actually, the before was much worse by the time I got to cleaning. Forgive the bed, but his comforter was in the baby's room and she was asleep. I pulled a 32 gallon trash container of trash out of this room...and 4 boxes of stuff to sell.

Missing in action

I have been MIA these last few days. I will continue to be MIA because between dr. visits/dental visits/therapy visits, and the strong desire to finally get my ENTIRE house taken care of, I have other things to do at the moment than figure out what to write here.

I love all who read, and please don't forget me. I will try to email each one of you periodically, but until I get this taken care of, I wont be myself. We need serious plumbing, and ac work, and my house has to be way better than it is....also decluttering needs done. Wish me good housekeeping skills.

Oh, I weigh 245....boo!

Rachel's dr visit....

Rachel weighed 15 pounds 12 oz today. She has an ear infection...so that stinks. But otherwise, our most imunocompromised child is healthy. We applied for a handicapped placard tag today. It will get progressively harder to carry her everywhere, so we might as well get one now. It will make parking much easier.

Her MRI showed that she still is consistant with Dandy Walker Varient. Sutures werent noticed, but the doctor said that it would become evident that her brain is under stress before the problems occurred (meaning her skull would start to look odd and lumpy etc) so most likely, her bones wont fuse for a long time, and it will take her brain to grow for it to spread her skull. In all likelyhood, her brain/head growth will probably be just as slow as the rest of her growth and developement. My husband brought up a good point earlier. Progeria patients progress very rapidly....Rachel seems like the exact opposite. Every single thing about her takes a very long time. Even her fingernails...and her hair....and her developement. So...it looks like her brain has developed ridges consitant with growth, but the overall size is still the same. End of story about that........

progress report

Still sick (not me, but I do feel blah)......weight 243. Been drinking soda. Why is this stuff like a drug to me???

I wont be on much because my husband is taking leave from work and I need him to help me with the house. wish us nice organizing skills....

Monday morning weigh in

Weight this morning was 244/245 depending on which reading you wanted to believe. I hate this scale. Its a digital weight watchers scale, and it wasnt cheap, but it sure doesnt work properly. My husband was 205 for those interested....he was up to 210 a couple of weeks ago.

We are all sick, and multiple children up in the middle of the night is not a fun occurance in our home. Fevers, and body aches all around. I just might have to get a pop! Sorry, but its a comfort food, and if ever a momma of 8 sick people needed comfort, its now!!

progress and homeschooling

Hello saturday... You greeted me this morning with a weigh in of 244. 245 occasionally, depending on which way I stood on the scale. So, either way...i will take it. I had a pop yesterday, a small one, but that's all it took to get that gosh darn craving out of the way. I don't even want one this morning, so it didn't kill me.

I exercised on the treadmill 2 times yesterday, and i can feel the soreness today. That is the hardest part about weight loss and exercise...the soreness that makes you feel like you can't move. I know logically I just need to keep at it, and eventually the soreness will fade, but getting there is difficult.

Went and spent 200.00 on test prep books for my kids today. I have no idea if they are at grade level, and so we are gonna check. This california homeschool law is scaring the crap out of me. I think I am safe because it is written in our constitution that we can homeschool, but who knows which lawmaker is seeking to change it and whether they can. I know the schools are ticked that they dont get funding for the children they dont teach, but they sure as heck get my house tax money. that is bad enough.

off to get them started on their tests....I hope I am pleasantly surprised.

progress day whatever it is

Doing good. Still have headache and not much energy today...Weight was 243 no pop, no fast fod. so very tired. I walked 1/2 a mile on my treadmill today and yesterday too. Did I mention tired? I have kids to take care of and I cant find the energy to do it. This sucks.........

musings about my baby

I need to make a post about Rachel again. I promise, I love all my children equally, but working through Rachel's disability is one of the reasons I made this blog. I am going to have seperate posts about my other kiddos soon.

Her head is soooo tiny. I love it so much. It fits into the palm of my hand and it fits in the crook of my neck.... I also hate it, because it represents what is causing her disabilities. Can you love something and hate it too? Over this past year and 3 months, I have had an infant. She has truly made me keenly aware of infanthood. That usually is a stage where its gone in a flash, and you wonder what happened? Honestly, I love having a little tiny person to still snuggle with and kiss. Her tiny fingers, and her tiny toes...All little baby things. I know she is growing some...its evident on her scale weigh ins. Last one she weighed 16 pounds...so she is moving up there. Her head isn't so lucky. It still is 15 inches in circumference. That is 2 inches bigger than birth. I know the bigger her body gets, the smaller her head will look. I am okay with that....I think. I just wish I knew how to make it grow.

I worry about seizures and development. I mean, she is trying to crawl, and she is now doing a little version of the army crawl. It's slow, but it's there. She loves~ loves~ loves toys. I can keep her happy forever with just a toy. She is so different than all my other children, because they were so uninterested in toys. They wanted to be held, fed, nursed, played with, and fed some more. She is so content to just look at people, and play with toys. Sometimes, i can forget that she is here, because she is so happy and content. Truly, when she cries, there is SOMETHING wrong, because she never cries.

Will she always be this content and happy? Will she develop seizures that cause her pain? What will we do then? This is the life of a parent with a child who has disabilities....the every single day of uncertainty. I know....parents in general-people in general even, deal with uncertainties. Will I get into a car accident? Will I lose my job? Whatever the case may be. But it's different in the disabled world. Everyday life is or could be compromised. It's so damn frustrating! Doctors, specialists, medicine...they are all fleeting at best and useless at worst.

progress day 2

Well, another day gone with no pop! WOOHOO! What I ate? Let's see. We had CiCi's pizza last night, but I had a huge salad, small plate of noodles, and 3 thin crust ole pizzas that have hamburger, pizza sauce and lettuce on it. Tiny bit of crusty brownie. (I shared with Rachel...you should have seen her face) For lunch I had a little bit of macaroni with steak strips. For breakfast I had a bacon and shredded cheese tortilla. 1/2 a donut. Handful of whales crackers. water water water...I am floating! I dreamed I was pregnant and my belly was already getting big! Woke up, and realized it was just my bladder. Good lord....does this part go away? I forget.

After CiCi's my husband and I walked all around the strip mall, and we parked far away. Then we went shopping and parked as far from the place we wanted to go as possible, and walked again. So I got the exercise in!

Scale again said 245. I know its a bad thing to weigh yourself every day, but its a habit. I tend to get excited at the littlest loss, so if i see it, its motivation.

me me me me me

See that there pooch in my midsection? It housed 9 children....it served me well. I just don't much care for it, either. It could house another child or 3 much smaller. I have seen skinny people give birth before. It does happen. But this is me every day...big clothes, comfy pants, and crocs.

Most embarrassing post ever!!!!

Pardon the goofy shorts. I just wanted to wear things that showed my sheer "beauty" and these were it. I was NOT going to wear a bathing suit! That would be ewww...Look at my arms, and my neck. It needs to go! Out darn fat...out.

Words from Rachel

Hey everyone...my mom is gonna look good in a few weeks...just wait and see!!!

Progress report

What did I eat yesterday? Bowl of rice crispies and milk. 1/2 bag of peanut butter ritz (small bag) one of those tiny bacon cheeseburgers from wendy's. Piece of toast with cheese. Macaroni cheese and grilled chicken strips. One doughnut and a small hunk of chocolate bar. Water water water....

This morning I have had 1/2 a doughnut and lots of water already. Usually the second day of no soda kills me. That would be today for those not paying attention :) Had headache yesterday all day and its still here today. It usually gets worse.

Scale said 245 today.

Rachel.......

Lookie who just finished a whole jar of baby food squash and didn't end up spitting it all back out. No, its not me....I am not dieting that much...yet.


Isn't she cute?? She has always been this cute. She hasn't however always eaten her baby food. She loves the experience, but generally gags and spits it all back out. This time, it was a success!

Tuesday check in for weight stuff

Okay, so....I am trying this weight loss deal. I still dont have my measurements, but does fat all over cover it? If so...then great.

Scale this morning said 247. Oh boy! I was finally down to 242, but that's gone. I have eaten a bowl of rice crispies and milk, and have cleaned my house like a mad woman. I will confess to have taken my phentermine diet aid, so maybe the energy is from that, but hopefully its just from the fact that I feel good again now that my "friend" is gone.

Its 1:22 and I am still not hungry from breakfast. I have drunk lots of water, so that is helping. Update later with rest of todays food and or excersise stuff. I will probably do this alot in the first few days just to keep myself motivated. I dont expect either one of you to do it. If you want to, then great....but dont think I am setting the bar for you to. K.

Pray for me.......and I will pray for you also!

scrappin' sis

My daughter is scrapbooking again. She has many different types, and this is her latest. I am serious when I say a scrapbook can be whatever you want it to be. This is Nathan. She has lots of pics of him. I got my new camera and I took way too many photos, and she got the excess.

ewwww...face shot

My face photo from today....2 minutes ago as a matter of fact. I don't know why but my face bothers me more than my whole body. Maybe the reason is because I see it more, and vanity perhaps overshadows all. I do know that my arms bother me, and my legs. They used to look GOOD, let me tell you. Now, I have fat on my knees. Why do you get fat on your knees?? Anyway, here I am in all my glory. I am cleaning house, so give me a break. I am also on the phone with my honey. He just asked me if I wanted a pop. I said NO! Wish me luck.

HI JOANN!!!!!!

I do know what you look like, but it's not an up close shot...so it's not the same. You will have to post one too. LOL. And I am glad you are still here. You should join our challenge. We can all get skinny together. :)

HI ROBYN.

Nothing to report, but I notice you've been here, so I wanted to give you something new to read. How about answering my email? Hmmm? You know...if you have nothing better to do. Oh, and you can post a current photo of you, ya know....to help with the challenge, and just to see what you look like now. If you want to.... :)

The zoo!!!!