Ice, Snow & a stomach bug

A couple weeks ago, the world outside the Nest was covered with something our Florida babies had never seen before....."milk" as Owen called it when he first looked out the window.

They spent much of the morning in excitement watching every bit of sleet & snow that fell from above. Rob worked from home that day & started a little later than usual which provided the opportunity to post our "Snow Day Rules"...

Some took them fairly seriously which made for a little more fun while (mostly) trapped inside. I overheard Charlotte mediating a scuffle over a chair between two little guys. She said very sternly, "If you continue to fight over the chair, you must move outside." Ha! Like I said, some took it seriously ; ) She is ALWAYS drawing something & halfway through the morning I found her by the front door sketching Daddy's truck covered in snow.

The boys didn't know what to think about how it felt outside but bundled without mittens was enough to wander around & even mow the yard. We were happy when we realized that our old squirrel hunting boots for the girls fit the boys perfectly. 

"Bella Boo" as the boys call her was like a new pup with more energy than we have seen in years! The first morning when Rob let her out to go potty, she made it about 8ft into the snow, stopped & looked back at him like "what on earth?" It didn't take her long to realize how much fun it was to race across the yard as fast as she could & made us all laugh until she nipped Eloise's frozen finger. Her fingers were frozen because she insisted on wearing socks on her hands.

On that first icy day, Baby V #5 was our little family secret. 

The "more sleet than snow" melted & turned our back yard very muddy rather quickly & we were sad to see it go. Thankfully just a week later, a true "Snow Day" came along with a good 5 inches over the course of a morning! This time as the snow fell from the sky, sweet Owen was yelling "BUBBLES!" We bundled up again with Eloise coming to the realization that socks as mittens were not sufficient. She decided to just let her fingers turn into popsicles instead. She looked happy to me! As I am trying to remember which day was which, I am all confused & they are blending together due to a HORRIBLE stomach virus that took over our home somewhere after the following picture was taken & the last pictures were taken...more on that later. All I know is that even if Charlotte is not grinning ear to ear....this might have been one of the happiest days for our bunch since the end of February ; )

This was just as it began looking out from our front porch.

Anson would not stop eating the ice in fact all four of them could not resist. I just gave up....maybe that's where we got that virus? Anson with some ice & Owen practicing his death defying leaps off the porch. I was surprised he never injured himself & didn't mind that his footed jammies got wet when he crashed!

 I'm not sure where Owen & Anson got the idea to eat any of that stuff....

They were most excited when Daddy got home early & went outside

It's coming back to me now...the 5 inch snowfall happened overnight while Owen was the only one sick. We woke up to our Texan "winter wonderland" & the girlies were chomping at the bit to get outside! Sadly I was quite busy cleaning up vomit so it wasn't until nap time that I got them set up to head outdoors. Daddy got home early & got the girls outside to build a mini snowman & make some snowballs. The snowballs were a little painful to be hit by but we all enjoyed Bella catching them in her mouth when we tossed them up in the air! I loved the burst of cold weather but I much prefer warmth so I was happy Rob played outside & even grilled our dinner that evening. He also loaded the girls up & took them down to the waterfall section of the creek where Eloise was so excited to see "ice cream stones" aka icicles.

It turned VERY slushy after that day & Charlotte spent time kicking it up in the air & all over poor Bella. Soon our back yard resembled a complete mud pit you could have driven monster trucks through & there was no more playing outside for at least a week. It didn't matter anyway because a horrible stomach bug had entered our home & was ready to attack as many people that it could. 

I won't share all the gruesome details but in summary:

• Owen started it & threw up for 11 days total with a 36 hr break in there. He lived in isolation with a large blue tarp under his crib extended out 4ft on each side. He ended up having an Upper GI X-Ray series completed to check for a structural issue after all the projectile shows he provided at the dinner table. He was all clear on that front but continued to vomit & is now doing well with Zantac twice a day. The goal is to let him recover for the month then take him off. He's now eating like a horse making up for all those calories lost. 
• I called my parents crying when Owen started up again after I thought he was better. My mom was in the car within a couple hours & came to the rescue. We were thankful to have an extra adult around to allow me to be an attentive nurse to my patients & keep things moving around the house. She was amazing. 
• Charlotte was next but didn't start until day 10 following the first mass exodus of dinner from Owen's mouth. She took it hard & couldn't keep anything down for 48 hrs. She was in quarantine next to my bed. She slowly improved after much rest & recovered more quickly than the rest of us once she began eating. Her favorite part was watching lots of TV. 
• I joined Charlotte the following day & felt pretty crummy. It made since for me to keep taking care of her in hopes that no one else would be infected but it was rough. The worst part was when I would hear her start up & I would dive across my bed on my stomach to give her the bowl. YUCK! I slept as much as I could, prayed that no one else would get sick & watched so much Doc McStuffins that the theme song has been on repeat in my mind. Since recovering, I could not be more thankful for just the general nausea & fatigue that comes with early pregnancy versus that plus a bug. I left the house once in two weeks to go somewhere other than the doctor! Ahhhh! 
• Eloise moved into the infirmary before anyone was discharged & followed the same course as Charlotte with nothing down for 48hrs & lots of TV. She was the most miserable of all & it made me cry to sit next to her while she was sick. Poor girl, she requires hours of snuggles to survive a day & I was the only snuggler available. She has taken the longest to return to normal & just when we thought she was okay, she took a swig of milk yesterday & promptly returned it to the kitchen floor. I'm glad she is energetic & chatty now. 
• We began NEVER making anyone eat anything. If they took a bite of dinner & said "I'm not hungry" we would say "alright, no problem" while thinking we would be happy to avoid cleaning that certain meal out of someone's hair or the carpet. Okay, that was kind of gruesome...I'm sorry : ) Our bedroom had our king size bed in the middle with a twin on each side. It looks amazingly huge now. 
• Robby, Anson & my mom have immune systems of steel.....that's all. 

I want to bring this back around to the season of winter. You may remember a post called Autumn at the Nest where I shared lyrics from a favorite song called Every Season by Nichole Nordeman. Outside the Nest last November we watched the trees forfeit their leaves & as we experienced colder winds we reflected on what we were thankful for, past & present. The next part of the song is this....

And everything in time and under heaven 

Finally falls asleep 
Wrapped in blankets white, all creation 
Shivers underneath 
And still I notice you 
When branches crack 
And in my breath on frosted glass 
Even now in death, You open doors for life to enter 
You are winter

After a beautiful interlude between autumn & winter much like we physically experience, the music fades to simple piano for the first few lines. It reminds me of how I felt when I stepped outside the morning after it snowed. I looked from my porch to the creek. The air felt crisp, it was so very quiet & the scene before my eyes was stunning. There was no need for a loud chorus to proclaim the beauty before me. Just as she describes in the song "everything... finally falls asleep, wrapped in blankets white, all creation shivers underneath." It did look like a beautiful blanket covering the ground & I was shivering so I am sure what was below was shivering as well ; )

The tempo picks up & instruments are added as she sings of noticing God in simple things like branches cracking or breath on frosted glass but leading into the climax of the song, she sings of death providing "doors for life to enter" as winter changes to spring. Immediately I think of the pictures of friends who live up north that experience month after month of winter where much of what is covered actually dies before spring comes, unlike Dallas.  I also think of people around us or that we read of who are suffering as they approach death or experience the pain accompanied with losing loved ones yet recognize the entering of new life. This could be through the promise of an eternity in the presence of God or through the changing of circumstance when a chapter closes, another begins & the Lord remains faithful to provide what is best for us however that may look.

The final thought it brings to mind is what I believe this entire song revolves around....a life in Christ where He is revealing His glory & holiness every second of everyday to make us more like himself.

Death to Life, Christ on the cross to a Risen King, separation to regeneration, hopelessness to sanctification & glorification, dying to self to being ALIVE in Christ. What a gift to receive from our creator who reaches out to us when we can offer nothing in return.

"We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.

For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we shall certainly be united with him in a resurrection like his. We know that our old self was crucified with him in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin. For one who has died has been set free from sin. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with him."

Romans 6:4-8

What we can see with our eyes as the seasons change from winter to spring is such a tangible way to understand something much greater. Our old self is put to death, we are no longer enslaved to sin without a way out but instead have been rescued & brought to a life that looks vastly different where we can know the God that made us. I pray that you, whether surrounded by snow or absorbing more Vitamin D in one day than we do in a winter month (you who reside in the Sunshine State) would be made new in Christ. This could be for the first time ever, returning after running from a God you can't actually ever get away from or dealing with a certain sin that is keeping you from a closeness with the Lord. It doesn't matter what season it is, He loves you, He brings you out of death & into life.

Here we grow again!

We must have a family motto such as "the more the merrier" as we add one new little birdie to the Nest this fall! I had grand plans of a super adorable announcement with pictures of each child holding "their" birdie. The past two weeks have been pretty rough on all of us so I decided to be a bit more realistic...

Just to add some reasoning behind each birds' whereabouts...

1. Charlotte is my sidekick. She LOVES math & enjoys naptime each day when we get to knock out a lesson over tea.
2. Eloise has a favorite toy, a cat piano. It is not my favorite for multiple reasons...she carries it around & plays it in my ear, it has a setting where each key "meows" & if left on unattended, it does a lion like purring sound & makes me jump every time. 
3. Poor Owen has been throwing up since Saturday night so this is his current diet minus the Lysol wipes in the background. I have wiped down just about everything in this house more than once....I'm surprised I have any left. 
4. Since his best bud has been sick, Anson has been in the playroom A LOT by himself or with sisters. Legos are top on the list. We haven't even picked up toys since Sunday & it could be hazardous to your health to navigate the room in the dark. 
5. Sweet baby number five is making him or herself known by way of nausea. It is a staple symptom of pregnancy for me & happily welcomed. I do love me some crackers & gingerale!

We were so certain that our nest was full after the twins were born. So much so that we passed along all the baby contraptions, bottles & most of the clothes. There is something for us that happens when the baby, or "babies" in this situation don't seem like babies anymore....we want another one! We had decided to wait until my follow up neurology appointment at the end of January to make any official decision but apparently all it took was a mere thought of another baby....and there was a positive pregnancy test.  Coupled with my neurology appointment I had a repeat MRI to make sure there had been no changes from the previous scan. That was the first week of February & I actually had to take a pregnancy test in the office to verify I was not pregnant so they could proceed as directed. It was negative, I had my scan & went on with life.  A couple weeks later I was at a pregnancy center where I have started back as an RN a few hours a week.  I was going through a patient file prior to meeting her & noticed the date of her last cycle & it got me thinking. I had picked up a box of pregnancy tests prior to my MRI & figured I would just take one for the heck of it. It was positive within seconds. Robby was gone for the evening & I was about to have a heart attack! I told Owen & Anson first since they are still capable of keeping secrets. I was SO excited & slightly shocked wondering how it had already happened. I know we have been through this (a few times) but there is still an element of surprise which keeps us going back for more ; )  I shared the news with Rob once he got home & he was just about as surprised as me! 

I called the doctor the next week & within two days had an ultrasound to see how far along I was. I don't think it matters how many times I've been pregnant I feel nervous right when they put the probe on my belly. This time I felt nervous that there would be another set of Twinkies! There happened to be only ONE six week old little baby in there with a healthy heartbeat & we were thrilled. The prospect of another set of twins was hilarious & overwhelming at the same time but we would have happily welcomed them : )   

After another scan today & appointment with the doctor, Baby #5's expected arrival date is October 19th. A fall baby....that's new to us & sounds lovely....and cool!

Here is the first look ....

The morning after the positive test we decided to tell the girls our exciting news. Robby said "do you think it would be fun to have another baby in our family?" They of course said "YES!" to which he responded "well, there is a teeny tiny baby growing in mommy's belly right now!" Their faces were so adorable as they grinned ear to ear. Charlotte could not stop saying "Really? Really? Are you serious?!" As soon as she stopped saying that she asked "Mommy, can I pray for our baby girl right now?" 

A little back story, in December, a friend of a friend welcomed a baby girl named Annabelle with Trisomy 18 & a two chamber heart. In full knowledge of this, they chose to carry to term & waited to see how the Lord would work. She lived for one joy-filled week. I spoke often with the girls about this family as we looked at pictures on Facebook & prayed for them. They watched a video of Annabelle's big brother singing to her "I love Annabelle" & it captured their attention. We truly believe the Lord has used the painful loss of this child to help Charlotte understand more of who God is & how He works. The day after Annabelle died we had someone over & Charlotte said "Do you know about Annabelle? She is this sweet little baby that was growing in her mommy's belly. The doctors told her that Annabelle would die but her mommy & daddy believed God more than anyone else & waited for her to be born. Then she came out & was so small. God kept her alive for six sleeps (which is a week in Charlotte language) & then she died. Her family was sad but now Annabelle's body is perfect & she gets to live in heaven forever with God & Jesus." My jaw dropped & my eyed filled with tears. First of all, the way this couple honored God as the giver & taker of life makes me feel deep sorrow & joy considering the pain in suffering they went through & the hope they have in Christ. Secondly, to hear this story summarized by a five year old whether to her sister or a random person at school helps me know that the foundation is being laid for Charlotte as she learns about who God is & how we fit into His story. I along with the girls have thought often about this family & continue to pray for them as they grieve the loss of their sweet Annabelle. 

Back to when Charlotte asked if she could pray for our baby girl...

We smiled & said "yes, please do." Praying aloud with our family is something new for Charlotte & we love when she asks or offers to pray. This morning it was simple "God, please protect mommy & the baby girl. We really want to have our baby home & please don't let her die after six sleeps. Amen." She has prayed that last part many times since finding out & says often, "I hope our baby doesn't die mommy." It kind of catches me off guard but the Lord has allowed us to have conversations with them about how some babies do die & how in death they are made perfect. We have been able to talk about trusting God when you are scared or sad. What a wonderful opportunity it has been to visit with these little ladies who have no filters & pray that they would know the goodness of God.

As far as my health goes, I am feeling great. My medication dosage had to be increased at the beginning of January & was finally therapeutic two weeks later. The seizure medication I am taking is safe for pregnancy but has a few risks associated with it & I will be closely monitored by my neurologist & a perinatologist. We are used to that "high risk" monitoring thing after last go-round. My immediate response to "risk" is to panic & to ignore the fact that the Lord is all knowing & does everything for His glory & our good. Basically this means me ignoring everything we teach our children.  Thankfully the anxiety was short lived last week, although I am guessing I will have to fight against it at other points during this pregnancy but, I am calling to mind His faithfulness in the past...the only way I know Him to be. 

The girls still say about a hundred times a day "I can't believe there is a baby in your belly, is she going to come out today"-Charlotte or "Mommy, your belly is looking really bigger"-Eloise. To that last comment, I will tell her once she is a few babies into motherhood that it is a relief to find out there is another bun in the oven & you don't have to suck it in anymore ; ) Also, they are certain it is a girl & like the names, Annabelle, Clarabelle & Violet. Charlotte said the baby must sleep in their room at night & she can take care of her. Eloise chimed in to say that she would feed the baby milk from her breasts. Oh my, hard to not burst into laughter but instead hold that sweet little mini mama & tell her that I love the way God made her. All that to say, I think I will have it made once we are home from the hospital with two live in nannies to provide night time care to the new arrival.  I feel fairly nauseated again especially if there is a banana within a mile of my house. The kids are sweet though & stay near me at all times whether I'm leaning over the sink or toilet. Eloise pats my back & says she is sorry I'm so sick. She also told me today that she hopes she never throws up because she doesn't want to make those yucky sounds I make. Haha!

Owen & Anson at almost two seem like babies compared to how we looked at Charlotte & Eloise at that age. By 22 months of age with each girl, we had a newborn in the house! I think this time around will be very different with potty training & big boy bed transition knocked out but a challenge with two almost three year olds. The boys LOVE any baby that comes to our house & say "touch'em, touch'em!" Anson is often spotted carrying a baby or two in the kid size Ergo & Owen is very nurturing with his puppies that sleep in his bed every night. They will love having their very own baby brother or sister come October.

What a way to start the year off! I cracked four eggs yesterday morning when I was cooking breakfast for the kids & this is what I got in this order....single, single, double, single. Hilarious which was exactly what I needed after being thrown up on by Owen just hours before. A friend of mine asked if I gave any thought to continue cracking to see what might happen next....I'm thinking five, six & under sounds good. 

One other story that brings a smile to my face is this. I went to the pregnancy center on Monday, four days before finding out about this little babe. When I walked in, the first person I saw was a friend named Jan that I used to volunteer with before we moved to Florida. She & her husband had prayed that the Lord would give us a baby way back then & actually had lunch with us in Orlando when they came for a visit. I was barely pregnant with Charlotte & we got to share the news. A couple weeks ago, when I stopped by the center, it was a chilly day so I had on lots of layers & a jacket that had a tie up above the belly area. She gave me a hug & put her hand on my belly & said "is there a baby in there?" I said "oh no, not at the moment but there have been four in there in the past six years which is why it looks like there may be!" She apologized while I reassured her that I never take offense to that comment. Four days later I took a test & six days after that it was confirmed via ultrasound that Jan & God were the only ones that knew what was going on ; ) 

In the past few months God has merged our lives with old friends & new that we are so excited to walk through carrying & welcoming our first true Texas baby. Robby used to joke that we couldn't have a 5th baby born in Texas because it wouldn't be fair to the others. Ha! Well, now it's happening! We are thankful for those of you who have loved us & prayed along with us through the filling of our nest & hope you will continue asking the Lord to protect this little one as they grow & to prepare our family for what is ahead. Thank you.