What that means?

I had my first baby 12 days after I turned 18. Oh man, I was in love with that little boy, still am 19 years later. Over the next 13 years I had my first 3 daughters and fell in love 3 more times. Mike worked really hard and I was able to stay home for those 13 years. Unfortunately due to bad financial decisions on my part (ugh credit cards) we had to make the decision for me to go to school and start a career. So, in the fall of 2001 I started LPN school at our local community college, I graduated in December 2002. I worked at the same local nursing home for most of the next 5 years, working my way up from CNA to LPN then department manager, first managing the Assisted Living for a couple years then moving on to the Alzheimers Special Care Unit. Wow did life get busy the last 2 -3 years I worked. Many late nights, overnight trips I was missing out on more and more time with my husband and my babies who were starting to not really be babies anymore and it was breaking my heart. Now, I need to explain quickly that during this time, even when I started and believed a little I wanted a career I also still knew my heart wanted more children and I prayed for that often. Soo......





In August 06 Mike the girls and I took a little 2 night trip. ( Michael had to work and stayed with his girlfriends family.) I was miserable, had a terrible stomach bug, couldn't eat anything and just wanted to sit, or maybe lay down. We got home on Saturday morning and I looked at the calendar to see what the upcoming week was bringing and noticed, hmmmm, where in the world had my period been for the last 5-6 days??? I did not think I could be pregnant, not really. I had to go to Walmart and pick up a few things that afternoon and grabbed a pregnancy test, I distinctly remember telling the checkout girl that I would probably start as soon as i tested. WRONG!!!! The test was positive before I stopped peeing!! Shock!!! I prayed for this baby for 8 1/2 years and finally.........YAY!!!!! Oh my goodness, Mike is gonna freak! YAY!!! Thank you Jesus!! Thank you Jesus!!! Thank you Jesus!!! Oh my, I'm old!! I'm MUCH older then before!! Thank you Jesus!!!!! Ok you get the picture, these were my thoughts those few minutes in the bathroom before I stepped out to get Mike and bring him in on the surprise.





Now, another little detour, Mike is a wonderful wonderful man that loves his children endlessly, once they get here, he has however not reacted well to a pregnancy since Meg. In the 8 1/2 years since I had Kadie we had many a birth control malfunction, even at times that I was fertile and no babies. In July 06 we were not getting along, only were together 3 times because of this and not at times I believed myself to be fertile, slight change in b/c that should not have made a difference. And, here we were, me 35 almost 36, Mike just turned 41 and pregnant. Again, Thank you Jesus!!! Mike was more like well, maybe a few words I wouldn't choose.








We decided not to tell the children right away, however..............Another detour, I of course did tell my best friend forever, My Rob I call her right away, ironically she was the first person to know about Michael years before, even before Mike, shhh, he doesn't like me to remind him of that. Anyway, though sworn to secrecy she told her parents that live in Georgia so they would pray for me and the pregnancy etc. plus I think she thought it was funny a little. So they mentioned it to her Grandma who lives in our small county who mentioned it to Aunt "J". Ok, so after my first MD appt I'm eating at Applebees with a friend when here comes Aunt "J" and her daughter so happy and excited for me, Congratulations etc. cleaning off the table next to me was a lady from our town, guess what, her son goes to school with Meg, so we told the kids that night, the girls anyway, I had already told Michael the night before to prepare him in advance. At first they all thought we were lying but got excited fairly quickly.








Morning sickness, never had it before until this pregnancy!!! Hard to keep it a secret when I worked with women. Aunt Janice and Rachel figured it out right away, Rachels words were something like " You're puking again and you haven't had cramps yet, you're pregnant!" I was also blessed enough to share my pregnancy with Gina, who had her little Sylvia 3 weeks before I had Maddi. The morning sickness was interesting, and made it impossible to keep my pregnancy a secret. I was so happy about the new blessing on the way that I did thank God even while gagging over the toilet.



In December we found out that we were having our fourth little girl, something I suspected already. We also decided on Madilynn Alyshia, for my sister Lish, I will go into names in another post.




Ok, this is turning very long. Anyway. Through prayer I decided that I should resign my position, not a terribly hard choice since home had been calling me anyway. However, convincing Mike took work. So, in february I gave notice and in March I was done!!



On April 16th 2007 Maddi was born. Her daddy and I and Aunt Lish were there and Aunt Lish cut the cord. She has been an amazing blessing for our entire family and I believe brought us even closer together.



Here is what staying home again means to me. God wanted me here with my children where I belong. In answering my prayers for another child he paved the way for me to be home. Some people might look at the paycheck I gave up, so called prestigious job in management etc. All that I see is the blessings of my life. The joy all my children have now that I'm home again. Life is crazy, but in such a good way.

Behold, children are a gift of the LORD, The fruit of the womb is a reward. Like arrows in the hand of a warrior, So are the children of one's youth. How blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them; They will not be ashamed When they speak with their enemies in the gate.
Psalm 127:3-5 (NASB)