SharonAndAdam.com

Back on the Radar

So, yeah, I fell off the radar here the last few weeks. With the pregnancy, Adam’s long working hours, and all kinds of germs being generously shared through the family, I haven’t had much energy to post anything.

The pregnancy has come with lots of morning sickness usually surrounding most meal times and especially after dinner. But I thank God for morning sickness because it is a sign that I am still pregnant. I’m switched from the progesterone shots to the pills last week. It’s quite a bit less painful, but I have to take it every night. The last two times my levels have been checked, it has come back a little higher than normal. So things are looking good. Thank you for your prayers they are working! Please keep them up.

I think we’re done with the stomach bug. Adam was the last one to fall victim on Monday. At which point I borrowed a steam vacuum from the Roses. Thank you!!! I disinfected the toys and anything that the kids touch on a daily basis. (Our stair banisters and rails were pretty gross.) Then I steamed vacuumed the areas where I remember little Fulton shared his dinner with the carpet. I think I got it all! Now the kids are just getting over some runny noses and coughs that were keeping them and us up earlier this week.

Fulton had his three year well check this week too. (Yes, it’s a little late. Long story but it’s an insurance issue.) He’s doing well. He’s in the 85th percentile for his height and 55th for this weight. He’s going to be tall like his grandpas! We learned that his ear tubes also came out, but are still in his ear canals.  It’s not a problem and they will eventually fall out.  The status of his ear tubes hadn’t been checked since last summer. This is great news because we don’t have to use his ear plugs anymore for bathing or any water activity!!! Woohoo!! Life just got a hair easier.

Gianna is getting funnier and into more trouble every day. She really has a sweet tooth too. Wednesday I had to do some work on the computer and I left our bedroom door open accidentally. Well, Muffin finds her way to our room, climbs up on the chair at daddy’s desk and procedes to tear into his Valentine’s Day chocolates.  When Fulton and Therese went upstairs and I realized it was a little TOO quiet downstairs, I found her with chocolate all over her face and hands and about six chewed on wrappers adorning the floor and desk. Of course she doesn’t know how to unwrap the candy and just suckd out all the chocolate. And funnier still, she spit out all the nuts in the Mr. Goodbars. Then today I made and decorated a cake for our Covenant of Love gathering. Not an hour before I left the kids came in from outside. I went to the kitchen and my back was turned for 2 minutes then I turned around and she had opened the box and poked her hands into the cake! “Cate” (for cake) she says in the cutest voice ever.  She also started saying some two word sentences this week like: “I sit,” when she wants to sit on my lap or next to me; “I see,” when she wants to see something we’re doing (usually a book); and “Read it,” when she wants a book read.  She loves to end our prayers with “amen,” and loves to tell us about her “mess” when she makes one.

Therese has really matured in the last month.  I’m not sure what it is, but she is such a terrific 5 year old! She really has come into her little girl-ness. She really loves to help out and doesn’t complain (most of the time). This is not to say that she wasn’t terrific at her other ages, but she always had a will of her own. Now her will is becoming more virtuous.  She is doing really well in her school work and her reading and writing are really taking off. I’m so proud of her and how she’s grown in the past year.

Valentine Ramblings, Crosses, and Good News

I’m a bit skeptical about Valentine’s Day. February 14 has not been a day attributed to the actual saints named Valentine (yes, there were more than one) in the Catholic church since 1969. In fact, you’ll find that the Roman church celebrates the feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius on this day which is how Sharon and I have lightheartedly greeted each other every morning on 2/14 for the past few years – “Good morning my love! Happy feast of Sts. Cyril and Methodius!” Unfortunately, the day has now become fully overblown, commercialized, and venerated by Hershey’s, Hallmark, and FTD.

But I’ll refrain further from being a total killjoy. Our society could certainly use a day – even if it is secularized – to become selfless and give our time and devotion to the ones we love.

The last few weeks have been very trying for our family. Sharon has already relayed some of our misfortunes in early posts like the stomach bug. In her humility, however, she has not spoken of her own troubles.

To begin with – and this is not a trouble mind you – Sharon is with child. We are hopeful for the arrival of Baby G VI. However, like all previous pregnancies, Sharon is experiencing morning sickness and a heightened sense of smell and taste. Now, combine these sensations with three vomiting kids over two weeks and you can understand how trying this can be.

But it didn’t end there. Sharon herself caught the illness two days after the last child had rid herself of it. Thankfully, it passed fairly quickly.

This pregnancy has been met with great joy, but also with anxiety. Not too long ago we were confronting signs of another miscarriage. The first ultrasound revealed a beating heart, but an under-developed embryo. We continued with progesterone shots in hope that God would help bring this baby to term. This past weekend we found our hopes fading.

The signs of a miscarriage returned, Sharon was placed on bedrest for the day, and back to the doctor we went the following. Another ultrasound revealed a beating heart and a baby back on track for development! What a relief this brought us. I’d be lying if I said all our fears have dissipated. We don’t consider ourselves out of the woods yet, but we continue on in hope.

Sharon has also been struggling over how she would like to have this baby delivered. The staff have been quite obliging in the past, but unintentionally a hospital can be a stressful environment. Given that she has had three pregnancies, all natural, without medication; Sharon is considering either the Austin Area Birthing Center or a home birth with a mid-wife this time around. This is not going to be an easy decision. First, we greatly admire our doctor and all the work he has done for us and others; but we sense that he’ll take it a bit hard when we tell him we’re considering other options for our birth. Sharon and I struggle really hard when faced with decisions that will cause disappointment. Second, we’re not sure how or if our health insurance would cover any of these alternative methods. From what we figured so far, the cost will be about the same or a bit more than a trip to the hospital. We will be touring the birthing center and meeting mid-wives in the coming weeks so we’ll have more information later.

Lastly, I have been working long hours the past couple weeks. Many nights and mornings, Sharon has fully taken on responsibilities where I normally help out. I know it saddens her that I haven’t been able to give more time to her and the kids; and it saddens me as well. But through it all, Sharon has been supportive and encouraging – from giving the kids their baths to bringing me a plate of cookies late in the evening. She has shared in my joys when I resolved a difficult issue and has been the voice of patience when I have not.

I can’t tell you enough how much I love this woman. She has come a long way in her spiritual journey and continues to bear her crosses diligently. Every day I pray that God will give her the grace she needs to make it through – to persevere in holiness and live the vocation of wife and mother that God has graciously bestowed upon her. I ask you dear reader, to join in this prayer with me… for her… my love… my Valentine.

The Bug Attacks Again

Being a mom, I’ve made my peace with the fact that the kids will get sick.  We’ve had our share of runny noses, coughs, sneezing, fevers.  It usually just makes me remind the kids to wash their hands after every encounter with the outside world especially grocery carts!

This week though, they were hit a pesky stomach bug that’s been going around.  Therese threw up in the car on the way from atrium (their Wednesday school). Fulton got it later that night and shared it with three places in our living room carpet.  They were both fine by Thursday morning. And despite my prayers that she wouldn’t get it, Gianna’s been the latest casualty unable to keep anything down since noon.

Stomach bugs are the one thing that I really really really really really don’t like. I’m one of those people that just can’t tolerate the awful smell. But fortunately, I married a man who loves me so much he didn’t make me clean any of it up while he was around. That’s real love.  Thank you, dear, we’ll just call it an early valentine’s day gift!

In the meantime, I need to figure out how to get that awful smell out of the carpet and furniture. My brother and dad mentioned some ridiculous solution of using tomato juice to remove the smell.  I think they need to visit us more as they don’t realize that we have off WHITE carpet not RED carpet! The feasible solution that I recently read about is to use baking soda and/or vinegar.  And if that doesn’t work, we’ll just have to get the carpets steam cleaned again.

In the meantime, I hope that none of your children get this bug.