On to the next thing

Mastitis seems to be fully thwarted. I feel great. I'm so glad it came on slowly enough that I was able to treat it myself. Warm compresses of heated rice in a cloth bag was definitely the winner for me. I kept that compress on almost around the clock, as hot as I could stand it.

When I wasn't using the compress, I used cabbage leaves as a method of drawing out the infection. I'm not sure whether or not it helped.

The crowning moment of it all was yesterday morning when, just as I was really confident that I'd kicked mastitis, I realized I am battling thrush.

Yeah, you read that right.

(Not the same side so, no, I don't think there is any connection.)

For the past 24 hours I've been treating it myself, and so far it's not gotten much worse. I'm hopeful about it, which is a big deal for me since just the mention of thrush is historically enough to make me curl up in the fetal position and cry.

Maybe I'm just optimistic because it's been *so long* since I last had it and I can't remember how brutal it gets. (Hey! Seven months is, like, a record or something for me!) Or maybe it's that I've been faithfully taking a great probiotic I know has made a huge difference in my body's bacteria-yeast balance. Or maybe it's that I'm encouraged by recent home remedy triumphs. Or maybe it's just that I'm finally secure enough to know that a prescription anti-fungal cream isn't the end of the world or even a sign of incapability as a mom.

At any rate, I'm moving onward and upward.

I think.

Doctors are like mechanics

I'm afraid to tally up the number of trips to doctors and hospitals that members of our family have made in the past year. I think it would frighten me. I mean, you know it's bad when a week without a doctor's appointment is novel.

This afternoon was my turn to see the doctor. I had a mole removed from my knee.

Holy moley, the excitement never ends around here!

If it's not an echocardiogram, it's an open biopsy. Or strep tests. Or blood draws. At the very least, somebody needs to be weighed or measured.

I think seeing a doctor is kind of like bringing your car to the mechanic. You bring your perfectly fine car in for inspection. When you pick it up, your bill is $1000 because of all the needed repairs and you have to bring it back in to have something else checked.

My point: you have no idea how many things could be working better than they currently are until a professional opens the hood.

P.S. I write this all very tongue in cheek. I'm thankful for doctors, I really and truly and from the bottom of my heart am. I don't resent their efforts to keep my and my family healthy one bit!

Unpleasant

So I've been battling the initial stages of mastitis yesterday and today. I'm not in the full-blown infection stages-- no fever or chills-- which is allowing me time to try home remedies before resorting to the antibiotic that's sitting in my kitchen, just in case.

Last time I had mastitis, the cause was transitioning from pumping bottles for Aubrey to actually nursing her and all the readjusting my body had to do with milk supply. This time, I think the cause was the combined lack of sleep, stress and exhaustion of the past several weeks. Just the other day, Daniel was commenting on how tired I am, how long it's been since I got a good night's sleep. Truth be told I don't really mind these infant stages of interrupted rest, but right about now it's definitely a bummer.

My "treatment" so far today has been lots of rest (thanks to Daniel during the day and now my dad tonight, who's hosting a sleepover for Gabriel, Bronwyn, and Jackson), hot compresses, cabbage leaves, hot showers, and tons of breastfeeding. These efforts have kept the infection at bay, but haven't seemed to reduce the symptoms either, which is what I'm really hoping for.

Any bits of wisdom or advice on other simple home remedies I can try?

Free Cloth Diapers

Check it out!

On The Move

As of Saturday evening, Aubrey is officially crawling.
(Which is when Daniel got this video clip.)

Tonight, she crawled from our family room to the dining room without stopping.

Now the fun really begins!

Bronwyn's Adventure, Part 4

We're home.

*sigh of relief*

It was a long day that began at 4:45am for us. Bronwyn really did very well, both physically and emotionally, but it was still a tough day for her. I guess there's simply no way to adequately prepare an almost-4-year-old for an operating room, masks being held to her face while her hands are restrained, etc. Yes, there were lots and lots of tears.   Overall, though, it wasn't too bad.

The surgeon confirmed that the lumps are what he originally thought they were: juvenile rheumatoid nodules (or granuloma annulares). That's great news, since it means that they're nothing serious. I'm still not totally sure of what exactly they are and how they come to be since this particular doctor isn't the sort that "teaches" the way many will take the time to do, but the knowledge that they're harmless and will eventually go away is enough for me right now.

Bronwyn woke up about 30 minutes after arriving in the recovery room. She hasn't felt at all queasy or seemed particularly tired since then. She also hasn't had any pain medication since whatever it was they administered in the OR-- and every time I ask if she needs some, she tells me no. Since arriving home an hour ago, she's even hobbled around a bit and put pressure on her foot, so she must be feeling OK.

To say she's happy to be home is an understatement!

Daniel and I are pretty happy to be back, too. I wasn't prepared for how stressful it would all feel. It's good to have it [mostly] behind us. In two weeks, we'll have to see someone to check on her incision. Hopefully that will be our official conclusion to this adventure!

Bronwyn's Adventure, Part 3

We're off for the next installment of Bronwyn's adventure this evening. She's scheduled for a 7:30am open biopsy on her foot tomorrow morning, and since we have to be at the hospital at 5:30am, we figured we'd drive the 140 miles today and spend the night (again!) with friends.

Here are things I'm praying for, in case you'd care to join me:

1. no hospital scheduling hiccups
2. peace for Bronwyn as she undergoes unfamiliar procedures
3. wisdom regarding anesthesia (we won't make our final decision about local vs. general until meeting with the anesthesiologist tomorrow morning)
4. no bad effects from the anesthesia for Bronwyn
5. totally benign and problem-free findings

The boys will stay here with aunts. Daniel and I are both going. Aubrey is our default breastfeeding travel companion, so we'll be a foursome.

I'll update as I can.

Drummer Boy

He's so cute. And getting better and better!

Lately::

:: Aubrey has made more serious attempts at crawling. The sand at the beach yesterday proved to be quite the incentive to move away from the middle of the beach blanket she had been placed on.

:: I've been wrestling through how to go about the open biopsy Bronwyn is scheduled for first thing Tuesday morning. I still haven't been able to get through to our family doctor to hear her thoughts on why general anesthesia is worth the risks, so the plans to go through with the procedure are still very tentative.

:: my summer phlox are finally (!) blooming a bit, but they're very small and pathetic. My original plan for the front Tulip Bed was to plant astilbe around the tulips for summer blooms, but then I thought annuals (which these phlox are in our zone) each year-- that I start from seeds to save $$-- would do the trick. Not so much. I think I'll go back to my original plan.

:: speaking of flowers, I've now got some things in my Fence Bed, after having the sod turned-- and then re-turned-- for over a month! Forsythia in the far corner to anchor the garden, bee balm, cone flower, black-eyed susans, hollyhock, iris, and batchelor's button to start with. Mom also gave me a peony plant that I want to plant near the retaining wall and then add more to.

:: we spent the afternoon at the beach yesterday. Fun! I love seeing my kids splash around and enjoy the water for hours. Not to mention, even peanut butter and jelly tastes better when you eat it outdoors.

:: I've been line-drying most of my laundry and am really happy with the results. It's saving us money, plus the laundry smells so good!

:: one of the things we did while we were away over the weekend was visit a church in the Deep Creek, MD area. It was a smaller congregation and I think our presence blessed them. I love visiting churches when I'm away and seeing firsthand that there are people all over who love Jesus. True, they didn't look exactly like me, they didn't worship quite like the way I'm accustomed to, their family demographics weren't like mine, and they talked/sang with a southern drawl, but there was a kinship in Christ that far supersedes the differences. Amazing!

Pictures

Daniel, Aubrey and I hit the road Thursday afternoon to begin our trip to Maryland for Daniel's cousin's wedding and we returned last night at about 9:15pm and almost 1200 miles later. We had a really, really, really great time. I'm very glad we went, if rather tired today!

We stopped our first night at the home of the Trelease's in the Syracuse, NY area and had a wonderful time of visiting, eating steak (!), taking a walk, and enjoying them and their home.

Eric & Jen's daughter, Eleora, is just 1-1/2 months older than Aubrey-- it was fun to watch them try to figure each other out!

Eric reading the girls a bedtime story

We arrived in Maryland Friday afternoon and did a quick settling in our hotel room and changing before the ceremony at 5:30pm. It was a beautiful wedding-- every detail was accounted for and even the weather was gorgeous.

Daniel, Aubrey, and I immediately following the ceremony on the church steps

Daniel and I especially enjoyed the exceptional live music at the reception, as well as the unbelievably good food (fillet mignon and stuffed shrimp, among other things-- yum!). Aubrey entertained herself much of the evening with spoons.


Daddy and his girl

On Saturday we went to a lake house that Daniel's Uncle Ed (father of the bride) and his wife Nancy rented for family to join them at. It was a huuuuuge house right on the water. I was very thankful for the chance to visit with this side of Daniel's family since I hadn't even met some of his aunts, uncles, and cousins before now.

Daniel got most everyone involved in a 1000 piece puzzle at some point or other.
Here he is with his cousin Chris:


The bride (Daniel's cousin) and groom looking at an old photo album with Grand-Daddy Huber


Aubrey loved her second cousin Sophia


Daniel's grandparents (his mom's side of the family)


Aunt Nancy holding Aubrey


We were very glad that Aubrey got to meet her Great-Grandma Huber, who is one of her most faithful prayer warriors

I took lots more pictures-- like the 5 up-close shots of the unique bustling on Jackie's bridal gown that I want to show Carina-- but I'll end now.

I'm glad to be home with kids, pleased with how exceptionally well Aubrey traveled (these were her first overnighters away from home, excluding hospital stays), and so incredibly thankful to have met/spent time with some really great family that Daniel really loves!

It was a fun 5 days.

(Well, except for the 13 hours it took to get home yesterday. )

10 Months

Today, I once again stop and consider how beautiful and lively and very present this wonderful little person is. It is now ten whole months after we were given the report that she very well might not live, and I am in awe of God's faithfulness. I've said it before and I'll say it again-- over and over and over again: Aubrey is a miracle before our eyes.

::She has six very sharp teeth.
::She still isn't crawling (officially my slowest, as my others crawled at 6 months or 8 months), though she hangs out on all 4s constantly and scoots all over the place.
::She finally (!) takes a nap or two every day.
::She claps and boogies to music and regularly plays Peek-A-Boo.
::She loves going for walks in her stroller, playing in her highchair while we eat meals, Mama's shoulder rides, and being in on the action.
::She's still solely breastfed. (Well, she did eat paper off a toy once and sand at the beach on Tuesday, but I don't think that really counts...)
::She had to go for her first Go-To-Sleep-Baby car ride the other night. (It worked.)
::She's so healthy, she hasn't seen a doctor in a month.

Thank You, Lord, for Aubrey. Thank You for ten months of miraculous provision and sustaining power. Thank You for strengthening our confidence in You and Your faithfulness through her. Thank You for watching over her.

We are so, so blessed.

Misc.

:: The Packing List and Instructions for Babysitters have been printed. A fresh batch of tortillas are cooling, ready for quick and simple meal preparation this weekend while I am away, as are four mini loaves of banana bread. This week's ironing is all done and the laundry is completely caught up (for the moment anyway ). The guest room bed has clean sheets on it for sisters who will be watching over little ones in my absence. Daniel, Aubrey, and I will begin our trip to Maryland for Daniel's cousin's wedding tomorrow afternoon after I've started beans in the crockpot, stripped my bed and washed the bedsheets, and packed the suitcases.

:: Yesterday afternoon and evening was spent lounging beachside, building sandcastles, splashing in warm lake water and feasting on picnic foods. I did the unthinkable: I forgot the camera and consequently missed documenting Aubrey's first encounter with sand; but at least I remembered the truly important things-- beach towels, sunscreen, clean diapers, food-- right?

(Can you hear me trying to convince myself that it's OK?)

:: I realized today as I began thinking through the weekend that I must really like using cloth diapers because I'm actually sad about the need to use disposables for the next several days. Yes, cloth diapers take more time and effort (I wash diapers every evening so I can get through the necessary number of rinse cycles before hanging them to dry the next morning), but they are plain old nice to use. I love knowing that there are no harsh chemicals or weird substances up against my little ones' bottoms.

And I love that they're cute.

:: I'm really thankful for the people at church, the community we share and the work we labor in together. In the last few days, I've especially been thankful as I consider the many college students who come in-- many of them otherwise unfamiliar with family and local church processes-- and jump into the work of the ministry: taking down chairs every Sunday after the service, doing nursery during prophetic presbytery meetings, coaching our Upward basketball teams, ushering, helping with the annual Hallelujah Party, and more.

:: It rained all morning. And as much as I was disappointed that it would mean using the dryer instead of line-drying the loads of laundry I needed to do today, I was glad. Sometimes a good rainstorm is just what I need.

Bronwyn's Adventure, Part 2

Bronwyn came flying in the door tonight, smiling ear to ear and talking non-stop. Apparently she had a good day, even if it did include driving over 5 hours just in order to see a doctor. Daniel was able to take advantage of their time together and make it special.

As of right now, the most likely diagnosis is that Bronwyn has juvenile rheumatoid nodules. In this case, there is nothing that needs to be done besides letting it run its course, which I guess can take years. The doctor did tell Daniel that it in no way means Bronwyn has or will have rheumatoid arthritis, which is comforting.

However, there isn't a totally concrete way to diagnose and be absolutely certain Bronwyn simply has juvenile rheumatoid nodules. They must still rule more serious things out, so Bronwyn will need to have a biopsy done on one of the nodules. Unfortunately, this means another trip to Syracuse in a few weeks. Even more unfortunately, it means general anesthesia. (I know, I'm not entirely sure why they have to put her completely out in order to cut her foot and remove a nodule either... I will definitely be inquiring further about this!)

As far as Bronwyn's concerned, another trip to the doctor will be loads of fun. After all, she gets to eat at T@co Bell and Daddy buys her new dress-up shoes!

Today

Daniel left at 8am to take Bronwyn on her newest adventure. They have some errands to run on their way home (here and here and here), so I anticipate an early evening arrival.

I've got diapers on the line and the bathing suits and towels that were used yesterday are being washed. Jackson's bedding also needs to go through the wash because although he sleeps through the night without wetting his bed, we're not always successful with getting him to the potty on time in the morning. (No, he's not potty trained or even being potty trained. It's just that I realized he doesn't wet while sleeping, so I figure I'll save his bottom the diaper time most nights...)

The house has been dusted and vacuumed, and the kitchen is swept. It's already proving itself to be a warm, muggy day and somehow a clean house makes me feel less hot come late afternoon, so I figured I'd get some quick blitzing done.

Aubrey's sleeping (she was awake earlier than usual this morning and, consequently, is already napping) and the boys are playing quietly with action figures. I can't figure out how having one less child around, particularly the one who rarely causes problems or gets in disputes, makes things so much calmer, but it does.

I think I'll take a walk down to Mom's in a few hours, after I've got more laundry on the line and the boys have eaten their promised picnic lunch in the yard.

Beloved, let us love one another, for love is from God;






Beloved, if God so loved us, we also ought to love one another.







There is no fear in love; but perfect love casts out fear,






We love, because He first loved us.



(1 John 4:7a, 11, 18a, 19)

The Empty Cradle

I've just started reading this book, consequently I can't give it either a poor review or a hearty endorsement, but so far I am finding it interesting fodder for thought. Here are some excerpts from the first two chapters:

So it turns out that the modern, secular view of the world rests profoundly on the perception that the world will grow ever more crowded... Capitalists would wonder how they could make profits in a world of scarce labor and shrinking markets. Liberals would be at a loss to show how the welfare state was sustainable. Environmentalists would be robbed of their powerful projections showing human population exceeding the earth's carrying capacity. Feminists could no longer point to the low fertility of educated women as an obvious benefit to humankind.

...When asked how long it will take for the world's population to double, nearly half of all Americans say 20 years or less... Yet... forecasts by the United Nations and others show the world population growth rate could well turn negative during the lifetime of people now in their 40s and 50s, and is very likely to do so before today's children reach retirement age.

...These predictions come with considerable certainty. The primary reason is the unprecedented fall in fertility rates over the last generation that is now spreading to every corner of the globe.

...The global decline in fertility rates, as profound and well established as the trend may be, is hard to spot simply by observing the fabric of ordinary life... That's because, even in areas where birthrates are dramatically below the levels required to avoid population loss even in the near future, the absolute number of people is often still growing...When fertility falls below replacement levels, the population continues to increase for a while through sheer force of momentum. But this momentum is a dwindling legacy of a past effort when fertility rates were still above replacement levels.

Wonderful

I ask you, is there a better way to start a morning than with a cup of really good coffee, meticulously pressed (my husband goes so far as to make sure the water is almost exactly 200* so the coffee doesn't taste burnt) and lovingly left in a carafe for you (Daniel was out the door very early this morning), along with a warm homemade biscuit spread with raspberry jam and your much-loved Bible, in a house that is perfectly quiet except for the whispering breeze through the open windows?

Not really, I tell you.

This is wonderful.