2 things

This picture is almost 2 years old. It was April of 2009 in Baton Rouge. Ella took it, of course. I just thougth it summed up this post. Contemplative yet tired. I am not that tired. It is just that my brain is.

The past few days I have been trying to figure out what I am doing as far as feeding this baby. People keep asking if I am nursing. My response is, "I don't know what I am doing. I am 99% pumping but trying to work nursing back into the equation." However, as of two minutes ago I now know. I am only pumping. I just nursed her for an hour and then had to feed her 4 oz of pumped milk to get her full. I have milk. She just does not get it out. Chip says nursing her is like giving her a tranquilizer. She knocks out and therefore does not get a full feed. I know pro-nursers with 1 kid would say to make her uncomfortable, put ice on her feet, strip her down etc. I don't have time. I nursed her all during school today. It ain't gonna work. My brain finally clued in that this is Nate all over again. He was a very lazy nurser and therefore he killed my supply. I want to keep up my supply therefore I will be pumping exclusively. Sometimes just having a plan is liberating.

This brings me to my second thing. I have been trying to figure out what to do about Nate and preschool next year. I thought about taking him out completely to save money and time and just to have him here with us. With homeschooling it would be way more convenient not to have to take and pick him up but rather just have him at home. I also thought about just putting him in MDO two days a week. It is time to register for next year so it has been on my brain (what little space is left) the past few days. Today I was also thinking about how and where I can squeeze money out for a maid. I know it sounds frivolous but again, I just can't do it. Maybe its because Lucy is just 6 weeks. But maybe its because I have 4 kids now and I homeschool. Maybe its because 6 people make a lot of laundry. Maybe its because at night Chip and I are tired and need to relax, not clean. So, as I looked at the MDO paperwork and the preschool paperwork and saw $115-$175 a month it hit me...there is my housekeeper money! I breathed a little easier once I had my epiphany. Chip will be thrilled when I pass this info on to him.

N is for Nate

(I took this picture upon his request)

Last week Nate's preschool teacher had to resign due to some family obligations. I was so sad. It is his first teacher and she loved him. She would allow him to be a boy which I think is just great. For instance, she thought it was awesome when he showed up at school dressed in a Power Ranger costume for his show-n-tell. It was pretty great. I wanted to get her a small present and I found something at Hallmark that was just perfect.

On the "N" page I added his name and a picture of him.

*Feel free to copy this idea all you preschool mommies out there.

We Love Lucy

Streed was helping me watch Lucy while I was doing something else, probably pumping. I love that Ella and Streed really can help. I can ask them to hold Lucy while I get something done quickly and I know I don't have to worry about her safety. I think when I took this picture I had asked Streed to sit by her for a minute. I came back in to find him laying beside her. He had even covered her with his blanket. So sweet.

5 1/2 weeks of life and this is her first picture with her Daddy. Chip has loved her from the get-go but is getting more entranced by the day as she gets more alert and vocal. Apparently she smiled at him today, again, while I was pumping. (I am glad I can pump. It seems at times that all I do is pump. I know this phase of life will be over too soon. Even though she is only a month old it seems to be going by really fast.)

I need a cape!

Chip has been out of town since Sunday morning. Therefore I have been handling the day to day and night to night business around here. My den is a disaster at the moment with 3 laundry baskets and a chair full of clothes. Not to mention the 3 super heroes running around with Nerf guns. Actually only one is holding the gun. I will let you guess who that might be! Streed and Ella are at a friends house today. Nate opted to stay with me under the pretense that his two buddies could come over. So, after I pumped 8 ounces,
I called my friend and asked her to bring her two boys over. I fed Lucy and then fed the 3 super heroes! Now, I am blogging. Not folding clothes, but I think I need a cape nonetheless!

about the pumping: At Lucy's one week appt we found out she was losing weight. She had lost from one of her bilirubin checks to the one week check. So, at that point I started pumping and feeding so that I could know for sure how much she was getting. At two weeks she was back to her birth weight--9 lbs 6 oz. I have since tried to nurse once but actually prefer the pumping. It has become a nice 15-20 minute break where I actually read and have a moment to myself. Besides the bottles I have to wash I cannot complain. I have 53 ounces stored up in the freezer already. Twice today I have pumped 8 ounces. (I actually spilled 3 of those!!!)Currently she only eats 4 ounces at a time so it is working out nicely.

Again, cape please!

Totally kidding but I am proud of how well this week is going. I was thinking as I was washing dishes earlier that really as believers we should not worry. He truly does give strength to the weary, be it supernatural or in the form of help from friends. Either way, worry is sin because it leaves no room for faith. Thank you Lord for once again proving yourself faithful in my life.

assumptions

I assume everyone has a facebook account, just like everyone assumes I have texting on my phone. My mom does have facebook but no internet at home. Therefore, she only gets to see pictures while at chemo or the very little time she is at work. Same goes for dear Donna who refuses to get on facebook. So, the previous post of 3 pics is for those who have seen very few pics of the newest Crooms.

The bottom pic is obviously her room. Ella has slept with her brothers for over a year now, so it was a no-brainer that I was getting her double bed out in place of a crib. It is going to be a really cute little room once I get a few things on the walls. The other side of the room has not been straight enough for me to get a picture as of yet. It is home to the changing table and an awesome pink chair that is on loan from a friend--who is also not on facebook!

a few more for gran

big brother

Guess who LOVES being the big brother! Nate loves Lucy so much. He comes to see her first thing in the morning. He has to hold her before bedtime. He calls her "sweetheart". It is amazing to see just how much bigger he is than her.



Lucy at 2 weeks

short and sweet

This is simply a post for my mom who is wanting to see her grandbaby while at chemo.

getting my first suntan (or lowering my billirubin)

going to get my billirubin checked.


Just snoozing this morning.

a sweet surprise

For months now I have been faithfully paying on all of our bills concerning this baby. I paid off the doctor first. Then I started paying towards the hospital. Then I found out the anesthesiologist was not covered in the $6000+ I am paying the hospital. The lady I talk to and pay via the phone at Little Rock Anesthesia is named Eva. She is super sweet and we have chatted a little each time I call and make a payment. Today she asked how much longer I had till delivery. I told her 30 days. Then I just happened to say, "So I have $400 left to pay between now and then." She then told me to wait and call her back after the baby is born and she would give me a discount. She said, "It won't be a big discount but you have been so faithful to pay along the way that I want to give you the discount." I thanked her and hung up the phone and immediately laid my head on Chip's desk and thanked God. I know Eva is sweet but that was straight from the Lord. Since May I have had moments of stress and fear and worry over all of these payments. But I have also had moments of victory where I was able to trust and just pay. I just had to post this for my own memories sake and to give God the glory.

Advent Week One

Our church posted this for week 1 of Advent. I am going to start tonight. I just wanted to post it incase anyone needed a guide. --Shelley

ADVENT WEEK ONE

Theme for the Week of November 27, 2011
Our Need for a Savior

Light the first Advent candle.

Scripture Reading: Genesis 2:7-3:7

Explanation of Scripture:
God made Adam and Eve in His image and gave them everything they needed. Adam and Eve lived happily together with God in their beautiful new home until one day they disobeyed God. Eve was deceived by God’s enemy, Satan, who disguised himself as a snake, and ate from the tree of knowledge of Good and Evil, which God had forbidden them to do. Adam’s and Eve’s disobedience of God was the first sin. Because of their sin, all of us now struggle with living apart from God’s plan for us and hurting other people and God’s creation. This is our sin. The only way we can overcome this sin struggle is if we are saved from it. But who will save us?

Songs: O, Come All Ye Faithful and O Little Town of Bethlehem

Family Activity:
Blow out your Advent candle and turn out the lights. As your family is sitting in the darkness, talk about when sin and darkness entered the world. Romans 3:23 tells us that we are all sinners. Therefore, we all have sin and darkness in our hearts and need to be rescued. God promised us that He would rescue us from this darkness by sending a Savior, His one and only Son. Light the Advent candle again. Light is more powerful and pierces through darkness. Read John 8:12 aloud. Ask your children who rescues us from sin and darkness.

Further Discussion Questions for Students & Adults:
Why was eating from the tree so appealing? (Adam and Eve had everything they needed).
What does this reveal about our hearts?

End with Prayer.