Large Family Bloggers - a call to stand in the gap!

I really love to read about large family logistics. I love reading blogs by moms of many! I have, however, noticed a discouraging gap in support for those who, like me, are the first generation to even think about letting God plan their family and are at the stage of only having toddlers, newborns, and buns in the oven. ;) It's so discouraging to go to large family blogs and find a few that seem to have this condescending air toward moms that don't yet have more than 4 or 5 kids as though they are not serious or are so pathetic for being so lost with so few kids. Or to blogs by moms who are purposely done with having kids by the 2nd or 3rd child and some have this attitude like 'Hey, if you were dumb enough to get pregnant again then you deserve to be run ragged.' There are many more blogs by women who seem to love the Lord than I had thought, and was again surprised to find that among all those there is surprisingly so little compassion and advice for the young growing family. Nobody tells you when you have 2 or 3 toddlers hanging off your ankles and are 6 months pregnant what you could be doing to help things go more smoothly or validates that there are unique challenges when you don't have any older kids or relatives to help out. You hear the "Give the older ones chores and have them help with the littles!" or "Let your family help you!" or "Combine preplannable tasks with friends!" but what if you don't have any of those options? What if there are no nearby likeminded people, no close family, and no older kids?
Speaking as a mom of a 1.5 year old, 3.5 year old and a bun in the oven, I feel like how can I hope for God to bless us with more children when I feel like I fail so very much in being organized and together with the ones I've got? I can't keep the house clean and have to start getting everyone ready 2-3 hours in advance to get anywhere on time. I try so hard and my kids are such sweethearts but they are toddlers (therefore messy, loud, and needy) and I have no family nearby, we have tried countless churches and left disheartened at the overwhelmingness of a church so large that you never see the same person twice, let alone fellowship! Or in smaller churches by the blatant sin and lack of love for the Lord. My nearest friend who doesn't work outside the home lives an hour away and has 3 kids 3 and under herself. I'm the only woman I know who wears a headcovering. I get dirty looks from strangers and aquaintances if my kids so much as step one toe out of line, and I have no mentors to turn to. For those in my boat it would be SO heartening if someone who has been there would validate that it's not supposed to be a smooth cakewalk when you are raising only babies and toddlers. That this is a stage of life and it has it's unique challenges, and that those challenges will get easier later as new ones begin- rather than it just getting more and more impossible and out of control with each child. That of course when you have 2 kids in diapers and one potty training and you're the only adult home to change or remind them it is going to take time and patience. That it's not a failure when you have a child going through a phase and your days are spent teaching and character training so your carpets don't get vaccumed as much and the sink is full of dirty dishes. It is the most heartbreakingly discouraging thing to be pouring your heart and soul into praying for your husband and children and loving, teaching, training, disciplining, and building up your children and then to have someone who seems so together and perfect come along and make you feel like you're going to hell (and pointing your babies that way) because you didn't wash dishes before bed between nursing sick kids and being "morning sick" yourself and listening to hubby tell about his day, or dinner last night came out of a box or can instead of made from fresh produce from the garden and wheat you ground yourself, or your living room looks like the toybox exploded. When that happens it really does so much for Satan's cause to discourage a young family from continuing to leave it up to God, out of fear of somehow wronging the babies they already have. Nothing says, "You won't make it. You aren't a fit parent. You should just give up now. We don't want you in our club. God doesn't want parents like you reproducing. You're dragging your kids down. You're a bad example to other parents." like someone who has been there and should be helpful and compassionate instead showing disgust for those problems that are so "beneath them" now.

So to those who are in the same boat as I am, with having only toddlers and under (whether you feel called to have more or not- it's still a tough age!), keep your eyes on Jesus! It may seem like things can only get crazier, and there is little Godly advice for us specifically, I know, but remember they don't stay little forever! As much as your overwhelmed tears are crying out that things are out of control and you can't do it, please keep in mind that no, we can't do it, but we can ask for the strength and wisdom from the One who can! We are not here to please other mothers, we are here to please our Creator. He won't give us blessings that He won't help us raise for Him if we keep our eyes on the goal! **HUGS**

And to my friends and acquaintances who are mom-of-many bloggers, this post is NOT an accusation! This is not to call someone out or make you think I'm pouting about being done wrong. Of the bloggers whom I have noticed the condescending trend among and I don't think any of them know I exist, let alone read my blog. The purpose of this post is to show a need and ask for help. If you have any advice or encouragement for those of us in this gap, then please share it! Please write blog posts that contain tips for young families too! Please encourage us and build us up! This can be such a fragile stage and you can be such a tool of God for encouragement and hope. Your words can make or break a newly budding conviction to leave the family planning to God. You have experience and even though I'm sure you don't have a magic formula written down somewhere for raising perfect kids, what you DO have is the chance to point the flashlight in the right direction for someone who is standing in the dark. So keep up the great work posting about large family logistics, and, if next time you're writing about meal planning you think of something that could help those with only toddlers, please mention it! It's wonderful to share big family meal strategies, but if you want to mention something you used to do that took stress off Mom and pleased both the hardworking hubby and the toothless tot crowd, please share! :) I look so forward to reading your posts about large family living, and would look forward to it even moreso (if that's possible! ;) ) if I thought there might be a tip in there that applies my budding family too.

Realistic Art - Toddler Tales Tuesday

4/8 Trying to keep her quiet and occupied during Buggie's nap, I asked Chicklet (3 1/2 years) to draw a picture of the new baby sister or brother that is growing in Mommy's belly. She drew a little stick person and beside it she drew a circle with a tiny circle in the middle and squiggley lines all over it. It took me a minute to decypher the circle with squiggley lines until she told me that the circle was my belly and the stick person was the new baby. It was then that it dawned on me that the squigley lines looked an awful lot like stretch marks... Lol!


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If you have a sweet, cute, or funny Toddler (or kid) story, I'd love it if you'd share it! :)
If you would like to post a Toddler Tales Tuesday on your blog, please leave a link to your post in my Linky below, AND post the code for this blog hop in your Toddler Tales Tuesday post! ;) The linky will remain open for 2 weeks following the date of this post.
If you don't have a blog or would prefer it, you may share your toddler tales here in the comments.

Ultrasound results are in!

Yesterday morning I had my ultrasound and I am pleased to announce that our newest addition looks to be a GIRL! :) Chicklet and Bug are so excited to be getting a new baby sister! Okay Bug really couldn't care less, but Chicklet was absolutely adamant that the baby NOT be a boy so I'm sure she's relieved that it's a girl ;)

A few months before I became pregnant I had a dream that I gave birth to another baby - a girl with a beautiful name. When I woke up I told my husband that we would have another baby and her name would be this name from the dream. He kind of scoffed at both the name (he wasn't fond of the name) and the idea that we would be having another child. Well when I became pregnant I reminded him of the dream. :) I think the name must have grown on him because he proudly announced it to his friends and family when he called them following the ultrasound to share the good news of the baby being a girl! Either that or he decided that when the wife has a dream that comes true, ya don't argue with the details. ;)

When I was 5 years old and my little sister was 2, my mom and dad told us that Mom was pregnant. They kept it a secret for a long time so Mom was pretty far along by this time. I immediately insisted the baby would be a boy. My parents tried to impress on me the importance of enjoying the blessing of a new baby no matter it's gender. I staunchly replied that God knew I already HAD a sister and needed a brother so I was SURE it was the missing brother. Lol! Well no matter what my parents said I was not to be swayed. And sure enough it was my longed for baby brother! I think I'd have been quite dissappointed if I hadn't gotten a brother.

Chicklet reminds me of myself so much sometimes. She is 3 1/2 years old now. When I first told her there was a baby growing in Mommy's tummy, she didn't care about the gender of it, just rejoiced in the wonder of it with me. She likes to help me rub my stretch mark oil on my belly- "to make it SOFT for the baby" she says! She kisses my belly and talks to the baby inside. Pretty soon she became aware that the baby would have to be a boy or a girl and became curious. I asked her which one SHE thought it was and she immediately declared the baby to be a girl. I didn't try too hard to dissuade her, remembering myself insisting even harder to my parents that my unborn brother was indeed a boy. Besides, I had reasons to think she was probably right. I was severely sick with Chicklet herself when pregnant, but not with Buggie. This time I have been severely sick again. I had mother's intuition telling me Chicklet was a girl before I knew she was, and telling me Buggie was a boy before the ultrasound proved he was, and this time around I felt I was carrying another girl, but I didn't want to get too set on that idea in case it was just wishful thinking from that dream I'd had before I got pregnant. Or perhaps I was fooling myself due to the similarity of this pregnancy to my first. But I still felt so strongly that it was a girl that I told people my hunch, and didn't try to convince Chicklet otherwise.

Every time the conversation of gender came up, Chicklet would declare louder and louder that the baby is a GIRL. At first calm and serene, if asked too many times in a row she would get downright frustrated that you weren't paying attention by the 3rd or 4th time she repeated that it's a GIRL baby. I began to wonder what we would do with Chicklet if the baby was not a girl! She would obviously be upset. Friday, I was telling Chicklet that "tomorrow we get to go see if the baby is a girl, or a boy!" She glared at me as I said the word boy and went, "Uh!"
I said, "If it's a girl her name will be ___ but what if it's a boy? What should we name him?"
Chicklet looked happy until I got to the word BOY and then looked terribly upset. Her reply was, "A boy?! A BOY?! Ma-mAAA!!! It's a baby GIRL!" She was very upset at the thought that it might be a boy.

We were thrilled to find out yesterday that the baby is indeed a girl! For Chicklet's sake of course, but especially because we love to know ahead of time and get very excited about getting to know our new blessing by name! :)

Pregnancy update

It's been 2 1/2 weeks since my last update. Where to start?
We have scheduled the ultrasound! My new birthing center does not have an ultrasound machine so we have to go to an independant ultrasound place to have it done so it is scheduled seprately from my prenatal appointment.
My next prenatal appointment is Monday. I get to have my blood drawn. Oh how exciting. Hold me back.... not. Had some trouble getting my records transferred over from my previous births to the place I'm going this time. I hope it's finally all straightened out. If not it means they have to retest me for everything as if it were my first baby (since it will be my first baby with them) and that means more blood. Oh joy. I really hope it is all straightened out. As sick as I've been I just don't know how much blood loss my body can handle. :p So if anyone remembers to say a prayer that the old place stopped stallijng and sent all the requested records to the new place I would be forever grateful!!!! I will admit that I'm a stresser- I worry about everything to the point of making myself sick over it and this is one of many things I'm getting grey hair over right now. It would be such a huge relief to have it go off without a hitch and all the records be there and no problems.
Oh did you want to know when my ultrasound is? Or maybe you just want to know if we're finding out the gender? Well yes, we do hope the baby lets us in on whether to get out the pink stuff or the blue stuff... ;) I know some people think the fun is in waiting but not for me! I'm a planner and I hate unisex. So for me the fun is in finding out and then spending the rest of the pregnancy talking to the baby by name insteaed of calling him/her "it", and going through all the appropriate gender baby things in anticipation, picking out a coming home outfit, and in general looking forward to meeting my baby like a kid looks forward to Christmas. And this time my oldest is old enough to understand that there is a baby coming so it will be nice to teach her the baby's name and help her get excited about a baby sister or a baby brother.
I had absolutely no hopes of the morning sickness vanishing with the first trimester like some lucky women experience! But that tricksy ick fooled me twice! First I started getting better! Much to my surprise. Then I started to get all tired and queasy again. *sigh* Ahhh well I never really thought I'd be home-free now anyway... I did find something to help me combat the worst of it but it took 2 weeks to start working. It's an herbal supplement called Mommy's Bliss Morning Sickness Magic. I haven't been taking it as faithfully since about Friday and I'm regretting it now because I've felt just horrible, worse every day, since Sunday. Guess that'll teach me!
I suddenly feel really lightheaded and think I'd better get off the blog. So I'll leave you to share with me the anticipation of hopefully finding out the gender! :) Oh yeah you wanted to know when didn't you? Okay okay, my ultrasound is scheduled for about a week after Easter. :) That's as much as you're gettin'! ;)

It's Not "Just" Socialized Medicine

I know you've been waiting for me to say something now that the bill has passed, since I was so vocal about it before it passed. Not to dissappoint, I've just been... well... kind of flabberghasted really that this actually happened in MY lifetime. Depressed, dissappointed, scared, and then finally determined and trusting in God. I've come full ciurcle through a whole range of thoughts and emotions and I didn't want to post until I knew I had something to say that would actually make sense.
Lately among the small part of the population who was in favor of the bill, and among those from countries that already have socialized medicine, I've been noticing a theme. First of all they keep referring to it as "free" healthcare, and second of all they wonder what is so wrong with socialized medicine in the first place that has most of the US all riled up? Well here's my thoughts on that very thing...
It’s not JUST “socialized medicine” it’s so much worse than just a government that can’t handle their finances or their programs as they are taking on a HUGE private sector and thinking they are going to do a better job with it. And forcing individuals to purchase a product that they will later be fined for not purchasing if they cannot afford! Yes, it's is not "free" after all. Instead of giving healthcare to those who cannot afford it like some think, this bill simply forces everyone to obtain health insurance, and if you don't? They take it out of your tax return. So it's not free at all, and you WILL pay for every penny of it. For several years before you can even start to use it.
What’s worse than that is all the things that are in the bill that open doors for the government to gain future control of other things. Think about it. If they control who gets what treatment when and how much of it, then they will also control what types of treatments are even available. Perhaps they will decide that it's no longer your choice to vaccinate/circumcise or not, but that if you don't do what they "reccommend" then you are "abusing" or "neglecting" your child. Here comes CPS to take your kids because you obviously can't be trusted to do what Uncle Sam deems best for them. And what about Naturopathic Doctors? Midwives? Will home births become illegal? Will even Midwives themselves become illegal? Remember how much paperwork you had to fill out last time you went to the doctor or began prenatal care? It will look like nothing compared to the amount of nosey detailed information Uncle Sam is going to want from you every time you darken the door of a medical establishment.
But that is not even the main number one most awful and unbelievable thing about it. This country was founded with freedom and democracy in mind. The government is supposed to be a government OF the people, BY the people, and FOR the people. Well the government has become it’s own entity, an elite society, and it is definately not a government of We The People. It’s become They The Government. And not only that but now they have just drawn a line in passing this bill that declares they are no longer BY the people either. Our system is SUPPOSED to be that our laws reflect the majority will of We The People. Well the MAJORITY was crying out to be heard, peacefully protesting and signing petitions and writing to their representatives and instead of voting what the people they represent told them (begged them, demanded) that they vote, they completely ignored We The People and voted AGAINST the wishes of the people and against the Constitution which our country was founded on and has thrived on for so long. They voted this bill in against the people. They voted an illegal law into place illegally – and yet because they are now their own entity that doesn't care what we want, and they are so big and powerful, it’s going to take alot of peaceful and well-thought legal maneuvering for We The People to get our country back from the tyrants who have just stolen control with the illegal passing of this healthcare bill. As Glen Beck said, we can’t let them make us out to be the radicals. We can’t get mad or get even, we must get on our knees and get right with God! God’s favor once rested on this country and it can again if the hearts of We The People turn toward Him! Because God is bigger than They The Government.

Please excuse the typos... it's midnight and I haven't gotten much sleep lately with Z-Buggie teething and being pregnant and having insomnia issues to begin with! So my typing skills are definately suffering for it. ;)

Religion and Legalism

Legalism is a bit more complex than some people think I believe. What might seem legalistic to some might not be, or vice versa. Some might see me as a legalist because I now wear a headcovering, when that's just not so. It's something I struggled against and ignored and excused and took lightly at various stages of my life. Now for the Amish (most of them) I believe it is legalistic because they do it because that's the rules and they have their rules about what types of headgear are deemed headcoverings and what types are not deemed to be headcoverings... for instance the Bible says that a man should never pray with his head covered and a woman should always cover her head when praying- The Amish interpret that to mean that the woman must ALWAYS cover her head in readiness for prayer but there is a double standard. Amish men wear hats which the Amish have decided are not "headcoverings" by their customs! So for women the passage is taken literally and constantly but for men it is taken neither literally nor constantly -they made up new rules to suit themselves. Amish woment don't wear a headcovering or not wear it out of a heartfelt leading from The Lord, they wear it because those are the rules. That is legalistic. Again, I don't think that all of them are this way, just that alot, likely most, are because this is how they are raised. I'm sure some do what is right for God rather than because of the Ordnung. God bless them for it! It's very hard to find a right attitude about something you have been raised to do religiously or legalistically because you have some internal sense of pride in the fact that you always do it right. God looks at your motives though and if your motive is pride and/or habit- not good. (I wonder is it better to do the right thing for the wrong reason like the Amish or the wrong thing for the right reason... I don't know.) I wear a headcovering now because after all that running around it and toying with it for so long (putting my hands over my ears and making excuses as to why it didn't apply to me or to my time period or culture or...), I finally got into a deeper relationship with God and then it CLICKED that it wasn't about the rules (following all the rules just because they are the rules is called RELIGION and religion is legalism! I don't want Religion, I want a Relationship!), it was about something I do for my creator to say, "I love you and I respect you!" Just like you don't have to get hubby's opinion before you go places or buy things, but you do it because you want him to know that you respect and love him. If he were to force you to do that or you do it out of fear then that's like legalism, but when you do it from your heart it is not legalism, it's something truly beautiful - a sweet relationship!

In the Old Testament, they attained salvation by legalism. They followed the rules and made a sacrifice (another rule) to attone for any rule-breaking. In the New Testament, we were freed from legalism by the ultimate sacrifice of Love. The parallel in our personal lives; our relationship with HIM replaces legalism with Love. We're still following the same rules, but a right motive conveys love, a wrong one conveys pride. As a parent, which means more to you: when your kids do what you tell them just because it's the rules, or when you see that they are doing what is right because they love you?

PART 1: Judge Not Lest Ye Be Judged
> PART 2: Religion and Legalism
PART 3: God Bless The Pioneers of New Ideas
PART 4: Incorrectly Politically Correct
PART 5: Feel-Good Theology
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Counting down... are YOU being heard?

Time's a ticking! If you have not done so yet, STAND UP AND BE COUNTED- and I don't mean for the census! I mean let your voice be heard on Healthcare reform! Big Government thinks they can sneak or push the healthcare bill through against our protests! They think they don't have to listen to us and if if we let them, they will get away with it. DON'T LET THEM GET AWAY WITH THIS BLATANTLY UNCONSTITUTIONAL maneuver! Just because health care needs help, doesn't mean we should go socialist! That's not going to fix anything. They can't handle public schools or the US mail, what makes you think they can handle medicine? And if they get their finger in that pot... well then they'll have even more control and become even more dangerous to the people they are supposed to be protecting. Can't you just see it? When they run low on their healthcare fund with their tradition of out of control spending, who do you think is going to get healthcare then? They will pick and choose who gets help and who doesn't. Will you be too old? Too sick? Too young? Will preemies have rights? Will the elderly? Will they cut pain meds for the terminally ill? The only way to inspire someone or something to greater eficency is NOT by creating one owner to run the entire system... no, it's COMPETITION. Free enterprise is one of the foundational freedoms that has made this country great! Government run healthcare will eliminate that.

Have you contacted your representatives? If they oppose the bill it's still important to contact them, expressing your support! They're dropping like flies, or so goes the rumor... check THIS out guys. Is it true? Are we losing the fight because our own representatives are chosing to vote against us? Well I don't know what will happen but I do know that it's extremely important for each of us to let them know if we do or don't approve of the way they plan to vote. They can take strength from the people backing them against this bill, or get scared of crossing the people they are supposed to represent by voting in favor of it. What we have to do is be loud and clear. Let your voice be heard!

If you don't know how to find out what's going on in the American government, check out my friend's post HERE! It's a great post for reference and contains a link on how to get your representatives' contact information. USE IT well, my friends! Contact them! Let's let them know what we want and what we don't want! They are supposed to represent US, so lets let them get to know the wishes of those they represent.

And if you still have not signed the Kill The Bill petition, you should really check that out right now!

Kill the Bill!

Have you signed the Kill The Bill petition to STOP the healthcare bill? If not yet, click the link in my sidebar and please please check it out! We have to stop this. They are trying every underhanded tricky way to get this bill signed into law, completely IGNORING that the majority of American are AGAINST IT! This is the precipice where we can stand and fight, or watch Democracy die. Stand up people! The time has come!

Have you noticed all the earthquakes lately? I know you have. Well whether you are afraid of the end times or not, it pays to take heed. Keep your lamps burning. Keep watch. Be vigilant. Don't stand by and do nothing while people with selfish intentions run roughshod over the wishes and freedoms of the people they are supposed to work for.

Lets KILL THE BILL!

SAVE DEMOCRACY!