3 little Miracles

3 little Miracles

Thursday, August 26, 2010

J's first dental appointment

My little man did FANTASTIC at this first dental appointment, it seems he LOVES to have his teeth brushed by ANYONE!
 
 
 

Good Job little man!!

Wednesday, August 25, 2010

D's first day of Kindergarten

 
 
 

Good Morning God

If you read my last post, you know I was up in the early morning hours fretting over the new turn of events with Rachel.  After I typed it, I went back to bed to see if I could get a little rest before the boys got up for the day.  When my alarm went off, this is what song was on the radio.

Healing Hand Of God lyrics
Songwriters: Camp, Jeremy;


I have seen the many faces of fear and of pain
I have watched the tears fall plenty from heartache and strain
So if life's journey has you weary and afraid
There's rest in the shadow of His wings

I have walked through the valleys, the mountains, and plains
I have held the hand of freedom that washes all my stains
If you feel weight of many trials and burdens from this world
There's freedom in the shelter of the Lord

And I have seen the healing hand of God
Reaching out and mending broken hearts
Taste and see the fullness of His peace
And hold on to what's being held out
The healing hand of God

And I have touched the scars upon His hands to see if they were real
He has walked the road before me, he knows just how I feel
When you feel that there's not anyone, who understands your pain
Just remember all of Jesus's suffering

'Cause I have seen the healing hand of God
Reaching out and mending broken hearts
Taste and see the fullness of His peace
And hold on to what's being held out

Cast all your cares on Him for He cares for you
He's near to the broken and confused
By His stripes our spirit is renewed
So enter in the joy prepared for you

I have seen the healing hand of God
Reaching out and mending broken hearts
Taste and see the fullness of His peace
And hold on to what's being held out

The healing hand of God
The healing hand of God
The healing hand of God

And hold on to what's being held out
(Hold on)
And hold on to what's being held out
(Hold on)
The healing hand of God, oh, oh

Listen to song HERE

Thank you God, I needed that!!! 

What does low Amniotic Fluid mean??

As you can imagine my brain won't stop working and I am up in the middle of the night.  I can't keep my brain from going places I wish it wouldn't.  I would much rather fully lean on God for our current situation with Rachel and trust fully that He will heal what is wrong, but my human nature is thinking of the "what if's" and the "could this have".  I would much rather turn off my brain from thinking about all the beautiful clothes and preparations we have made for Rachel in her room, clothes and preparations that our little girl may not see.  I don't want to think of that, even at this moment it's as if she is saying "stop thinking that way mom" because she is kicking inside of me and proving that she is still here, still vital, and not planning on leaving me any time soon.

When I had bleeding earlier in my pregnancy I started to do research online for what it meant, what was the treatment, what could happen, etc.  But the more I read, the more I decided I needed to stop looking for answers because it was drawing me away from fully trusting in God to get us through.  This time I feel like I need to educate myself a little more so that I can ask questions next Wednesday and be more of a participant in planning the "game plan" for the rest of this pregnancy.  TOP on my list is drinking the water that I hate.  My husband actually started laughing last night when we were talking all this over after the boys were tucked in, he said, "God sure does have a sense of humor."  You see, I had bragged all morning about how after the 3D/4D ultrasound I could stop trying to tank up so much on water and go back to drinking my decaf tea sweetened with splenda.  BUT NOW, I have to keep drinking the STUPID water that I hate.

I am not really sure how to carry out the other part of the doctors order, which was to get as much rest as possible.  My dear MoG is working pre-shift right now, which means he leaves at 4:30AM and doesn't get home until around 4:30 in the afternoon.  On top of that he is trying his best to work on our project list to get ready for Rachel, so he is spending all evening in the garage working on furniture or at his co-workers wood shop working on the bookshelves that go in our room (a result of giving our office up for a nursery).  So this means the full care of the house and boys is on me and right now we are in high gear because D starts kindergarten tomorrow, J starts preschool September 2nd, and in between is me running the roads for doctors appointments, errands, etc.  So where does REST fall into all of that.

You see what I mean. my brain won't turn off!!!  Here is what I have learned so far about what is or could be happening in Rachel's little world.

What is low amniotic fluid?  What could have caused it?  What does it mean to the baby and mom?

Leaking or ruptured membranes
A small tear in your amniotic sac can allow some fluid to leak out. This can happen at any point in your pregnancy but it is more common as you approach delivery. You may notice you are leaking fluid, or your practitioner may discover it during an exam. Occasionally, a tear will heal on its own, the leaking will stop, and your fluid will return to normal levels.

Placenta problems
A problem with your placenta, such as a partial abruption, may prevent it from supplying enough blood and nutrients to your baby, which can cause him or her to stop recycling the fluid, and levels to drop. This is a good possibility considering my early pregnancy issues with bleeding and the causes of IT.

Fetal abnormalities
Low amniotic fluid levels in your first or second trimester may be caused by a fetal abnormality. For instance, if your baby's kidneys aren't developing properly or did not develop at all, or his urinary tract is blocked, your baby won't produce enough urine to maintain a healthy level of amniotic fluid.

Maternal Complications- Factors such as maternal dehydration,hypertension, preeclampsia, diabetes, and chronic hypoxia can have an effect on amniotic fluid levels

If oligohydramnios is detected in the second half of pregnancy, complications can include:
  • Intrauterine Growth Restriction (IUGR)
  • Preterm birth
  • Labor complications such as cord compression, meconium stained fluid and cesarean delivery

What treatments are available if I am experiencing low amniotic fluid?

The treatment for low levels of amniotic fluid is based on gestational age. If you are not full tem yet, your doctor will monitor you and your levels very closely. Tests such as non-stress and contraction stress test may be done to monitor your baby’s activity. If you are close to full term, then delivery is usually what most doctors recommend in situations of low amniotic fluid levels. Other treatments that may be used include:
  • Amnio-infusion during labor through an intrauterine catheter. This added fluid helps with padding around the umbilical cord during delivery and is reported to help lower the chances of a cesarean delivery.
  • Injection of fluid prior to delivery through amniocentesis. The condition of oligohydramnios is reported to often return within one week of this procedure, but it can aid in helping doctors visualize fetal anatomy and make a diagnosis.
  • Maternal re-hydration with oral fluids or IV fluids has shown to help increase amniotic fluid levels.
Psalm 9:9 
The LORD is a refuge for the oppressed, a stronghold in times of trouble.


Psalm 18:2 
The LORD is my rock, my fortress and my deliverer; my God is my rock, in whom I take refuge. He is my shield and the hornof my salvation, my stronghold.

Psalm 30:5
Weeping may remain for a night, but rejoicing comes in the morning.

Tuesday, August 24, 2010

Prayers for our baby girl Rachel due October 27th

Today I was supposed to have a 3D/4D ultrasound, it was an appointment David and I had been looking forward to and one we invited my mother to come with us so she could see her granddaughter.  Unfortunately two things happened.  One, little Rachel was not making herself available for pictures today and had her backside to us, so we were not getting a good picture.  BUT this became a minor thing to what the sonographer found during the brief ultrasound.  They have determined that there isn’t enough fluid around Rachel, I should have an amniotic fluid level of 10-12 at this point in my pregnancy (I am 30 wks 3 days), instead my amniotic fluid level is a 6.  At a 5 they put you on bed rest, at a 2 they will have to take Rachel out. 

At this time we do not know the full extent of what this means to Rachel, the sonographer told us that I need to rest as much as possible and take in as much fluid as possible, but that there really isn’t anything I did or can do that will help.  At this point it’s a matter of monitoring me even more closely and making sure the level doesn’t decrease even more, if it does they may need to consider taking Rachel out early.  I will go back for another ultrasound to get a clearer idea of what is happening, and I will see the doctor to formulate a game plan for the rest of the pregnancy based on what they find during that ultrasound.

God placed us on an amazing journey from the time He laid it on our hearts to try and have one more child until the day we found out HE ALONE placed her within me (there is a very long amazing story of the miracle of Rachel one that you can go back and read in previous posts about the pregnancy (just click on the word pregnancy at the bottom of this post) but that today, at this moment, I don't have the mental strength to go into).  God has kept her inside of me through 2 months of heavy bleeding when the doctors said I would more then likely loose her.  So you can understand that we are filled with how amazing our God is and the miracles He has already performed in our lives and in the life of little Rachel who has already touched hearts because of her miraculous life.  We have faith that God’s hand is on little Rachel and He will see us through this situation too.  But we covet your prayers and we seek His peace and comfort in the face of these new worries for our little girl.

Thank you for your prayers

Houses that Inspire

I haven't done one of these posts in a while and so I thought I would share another one of the homes in my area that I love driving by and dreaming about.  This house is in a community called Carolina Colours, this community is set beautifully back in the woods and surrounding a gold course, ponds, and great walking trails.
  Main Entrance
Detached Garage with Bonus Space above
Rear of House, I love the private little deck coming off the Master Suite Sitting Room
Great Room
View of Great room from upstairs Sun Room
Spacious Kitchen, I am not crazy about the island counter material, but otherwise love the openness of the kitchen and the Butler Pantry/Bar
Media Room at back of house
Master Suite with attached Sitting Room and generous size On Suite Bathroom.
Upstairs Sunroom that could easily be used as a home office and guest space

Finally, the house has a very generous size Bonus Space and bathroom above the garage would would be perfect for in-laws visits, home gym, or family game room.

OF COURSE as with most dreams (that's why they are called dreams) this house has a generous size price tag to go along with its generous size spaces and design.
Price:  $699,000
Htd SF:  3,336
Beds:  4
Bath:  3.5

A True Southern Retreat of Extraordinary Carftsmanship
Large home site overlooks 2nd fairway tee to green
Spacious outdoor entertaining decks
Over-sized Charleston brick
Low maintenance Hardie siding
Well appointed kitchen with walk-in butler's pantry
Built in entertainment bar
Gathering room opens to second floor
Media room with sound system
Private first floor master suite
All seasons/home office
Top of the line appliances and fixtures
Detached garage with full guest quarters
Exceptional attention to exterior and interior details
Fiber optic wiring


Hope you Enjoyed the Home Tour of a House that Inspires!

Saturday, August 21, 2010

Finally some success in the fabric search

I finally made some headway in the department of finding fabrics for little Rachel's room.  Here is a sneak peak at the fabrics I have found based on matching it with the Pottery Barn Kids CoCo Dot nursery bedding collection.
What isn't clear in this picture, is that the pale pink at the top of this bumper is the fabric on the reverse side.

Chocolate and Hot Pink linen.  The Chocolate linen is what I am using to re-upholster my La-Z-Boy rocker, with the Hot Pink as the welt on the arm and at the base of the chair.


This Spring Dahlia fabric from the Farmer's Market collection by Sandi Henderson will be used as the center panel in the baby quilt.  I will also use this solid fabric by Amy Butler called Mist, along with some chocolate and whatever stripe fabric I am able to find which I am hoping to use as the crib skirt.
the reverse of the Crib Quilt will be this Pink Minky
The Crib skirt is stumping me right now because I fell in love with this stripe fabric I found in a Baby Gap sundress, it has ALL of the colors that are on the bumper and it would be perfect.  
Unfortunately I can't find the fabric, and I can't get it out of my mind as my inspiration.  BUT HOPEFULLY I will find it soon and when I do I plan to layer it with this chocolate and pink tulle under it to make it really full and look like a skirt.

I could not pass up this cute embroidered Pink Monkey fabric when I came across it, so I picked it up to use as an accent fabric either on toss pillows, the Boopy pillow, or as a valance above the window, we shall see.
Who knows maybe when I have all of the fabrics in front of me I will end up re-arranging some of my fabric assignments, I will keep you posted ;-)

Friday, August 20, 2010

American in Paris


I love this new look called American in Paris over at Baby Gap, it is designed for little girls up to 24 months and it has so many beautiful separates that you can mix and match to create your own adorable outfit for your princess.


Head on over to BabyGap.com to check out this fashion forward collection for your beautiful little girl.

Follow me Friday

My Wee View
Fun Follow Friday hosted by Simply Stacie and My Wee View. The goal of this hop is to get new Google Friend Connect Followers for your blog and be introduced to new blogs to follow! They wanted to keep it fun and easy so all you have to do is add your blog link and start blog hopping and following away! You aren’t required to write a post for your blog for Fun Follow Friday unless you want to (but they really appreciate it if you do – to help get the word out).


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Friday Blog Hop hosted by Mama to 3 Blessings and Melissa at Home Grown Families! They invite you to join every Friday to make more blog friends and to get more blog followers as well as the opportunity to follow other great blogs out there!  Click on the picture to find out how to join the HOP.

Welcome to the 14th edition of Hop Along Friday, hosted by My New Life As Mom,Chubby Cheeks ThinksTake A Mom's Word For ItThis Adventure Our Life andBelly Charms!  Hop on over and link up to follow even more friends in Blog Land.

Monday, August 16, 2010

J's 3rd Birthday!

For J's 3rd birthday we kept things simple and just celebrated with our family. Mom and Dad had just gotten back from their month and a half long cross country vacation, and so they were happy to be home just in time for J's birthday. Sheriff Woody stopped in to say Howdy to J and grandma even brought J his own personalized metal Sheriff's badge from Texas.
 
 
 

J's cousins and my beautiful nieces Hilary, Cassandra, and Calli.

Happy 3rd Birthday J!!!