Forget-Me-Nots Along The Way

The proper way to eat a birthday cake

Let me tell you of a story about a little boy who turned one year old on Thursday. He really enjoyed his birthday cake ..... really!!!!

Let me show you the story of how it went.

All gone!!!

Happy Birthday Sweetie Pie!

my sister

Due Date And More...

Dear Friends,

Today was another mile-stone for us.  We had our first OB appointment with the High Risk specialist.  The appointment was 3 hours long and quite eventful. 

We started out at the desk where we filled out the usual paperwork and back I went to run to the bathroom stop.  I went into a room on my own as the nurse (Karen) asked for information.  I am 35 now, and not considered a spring chicken anymore, so they asked right away for genetic testing and an Amnio.  I denied the tests and signed papers denying each genetic test.  While I'm sure they have their reasons for them, I find no cause for us to have them.  If God created this little Miracle and has since continued to care for him or her, I am faithfully trusting HE will know best and there is no reason to cause fear and discontentment.  God doesn't create trash and thus, our baby is wanted no matter the outcome.  While we pray our baby is healthy and happy, we also accept it's diversity if he or she has a genetic predisposition.  I find no good in this testing for me and actually put more trust that God knows what He is doing with the miracle He has created as our Great Physician.  Praise Be To God for such a miraculous creation!

My husband was brought in the room shortly after, where we discussed insulin questions and agreed to focus on getting the "pump" for insulin regulation.  We want to keep this baby safe and having regular "good" readings  through pump regulation will help lessen a WHOLE lot of stress.  So I'm doing the paperwork as we speak, will call the company on Monday who will get the ball rolling with our insurance company ((please pray Pomco doesn't give us any problems. The sooner I get on the insulin pump, the better and healthier it is for me AND the baby)).  If all goes well, in a month or two, I will be hospitalized for 2-3 days to place the cathetor and pump inlay.  I'm hospitalized because I'm pregnant and they MUST watch the baby.

After our questions were answered, I asked if they would give me a sonogram to date the baby and make sure our baby was doing well.  We got into the room, and the Dr. couldn't see anything or hear anything.  My heart skipped a beat...but I just kept praying that God would again provide a miracle to see the baby and hear his or her heartbeat so early.

He got up and asked to have a pelvic sonogram done to get a closer look.  While we waited, I had the basic checkup done, breast exam, paps, heart rate, etc.  Then was led to the room with the sono technician.

She too had a hard time seeing the baby and then had me put both hands under my back and lift my bum up.  Sure enough...there was our wee little one with a heart.  The heart monitor was flat and I began to pray again to ask God to help us hear the babys heartbeat.  Please God....Let us hear the babys heartbeat.  Bless us dear Father with Your presence.  Give us confirmation though many have said it's too early.  Sure enough......We heart the heart beating.  Praise God!  129 was the heart rate.  Not only was there a heartbeat, but a GOOD heart rate.  We prayed and God answered.

Shortly after, we found out we are 6w3d and are due February 23, though the Dr. is confident it will be earlier.  Would you believe our Wedding anniversary is February 9th?  What a blessed month in February....when most find winter to be a time of death and spring to be a rebirth, I have found nothing but LIFE in the winter.  God has been VERY good to us and my life is an absolute testimony to His grace, love, protection and mercy.  I do not deserve anything I have, yet I am blessed by His gifts and am content where we ARE.

Again, Praise Be To God.  My Cup Runneth Over!

happenings

My parents made it here safe and sound.  We are so happy to have them here.  We went and saw My Sister's Keeper yesterday afternoon.  It was a tear-jerker for sure.

The same old things have been going on around here in the day to day.  The weather has been a little cooler during the morning and early afternoon then warming up mid afternoon.  Here is a picture of our weather station thingy that tells us the indoor/outdoor temp, how to dress, the time, and the humidity.

My daughters are busy baking cookies and boiling homegrown potatoes to make a homemade potatoe salad.

We are going to visit my sister today and have dinner there.  I better get things in order.  Write more later. 

anxious heart...July 2, 2009

Tomorrow (Friday) at 1045am, we'll be going to the high risk OB for a checkup, to deal with the diabetes numbers as well as maybe fit in an ultrasound to date the baby. 

We could really use your continued prayers.  We're praying our little one is developing on target and HCG numbers are continuing to double.  I pray daily with thanksgiving for our little miracle and ask the Lord to strengthen my womb as the baby's home for 8 months and help give me an environment with less tension.

God is good and I know He created this miracle.  Seeing other women who have PCOS as I do and hearing their excitement tailed with skepticism is making me slightly anxious though.  I have had to take several steps back from mothering sites with women who deal with PCOS as I do.  I just find it hard to keep faith in Gods plan and not look to the "what if's". 

I'm early and sometimes I have wondered why I'm not feeling this way or that way.  But in the end, I know God is creating and developing this little miracle and I cannot RUSH Him, nor should I question or control His outcome.  I have gathered over the years that HE knows best and loves me SO much.  This waiting stuff has me out of my comfort zone.  I cannot control my surroundings, nor any outcome.  Isn't it just like God to say, "hey!  I created YOU, I know what I'm doing and you need to get your hands out of the control box and let ME do what I DO". 

I can hear His gentle voice reassuring me that all is well and think of how much I REALLY love my Heavenly Father.

At a time when everything is up in the air, HE is the only thing that is the same yesterday, today, and tomorrow.  I can ALWAYS count on Him and HE gives me peace in my spirit.

Even as I type this, I see my Title and think, what have I got to be anxious for?  God says, "Be anxious for nothing, but in EVERYTHING by prayer and supplication, with thanksgiving, let your requests be made known to God; -Philippians 4:6

Thanks for listening as I share my heart with you today.  I look forward to tomorrow with hopes that we will see our little one in the ultrasound and hear his or her heartbeat for the first time.  Oh Lord, Hear my prayer.....please grant me this desire to hear my babys heartbeat and for us both to see that he or she is doing well under YOUR great hands as The Great Physician.  Thank you for this gift Lord and thank you for the greatest gift of Salvation.  I pray our child/ren will grow up seeking YOU and be Godly young men and women.  To YOU be the Glory Father.  Praise be to God.  Amen!

Homegrown Dinner

I made a yummy salad tonight from the garden.  It had green onions, red sails lettuce, swiss chard and beet greens.  I made up some ranch dressing from scratch and threw in some chives.  I had a few leftover cooked shrimp that Rod had caught and sent down for me.  Fresh shrimp are SO good!  This is the first time I've had swiss chard and I really like it!

Tonight I started moving dirt into the last two garden beds.  I filled up the skinny one first to satisfy that part of me that needs to have immediate gratification.  Then I hauled a few loads into the big bed - I have a ways to go on that one. 

Once the skinny bed was full, I planted eight of the red currant bushes that I rooted from thinnings this spring.  I just had them in water to see if they would get roots - which they did!  I have 18 more of them that I think I will plant in pots for now until I decide where they should go.

Last night I potted up some strawberry starts.  The runners take over the garden paths pretty quickly - I and just hate to pulll them up and throw them in the compost, seems like such a waste.  So I dig up the ones that really have roots and plant them in little 3" pots.  I also try to pot as many extra runners as I can.  I set out a bunch of little pots on a bench at the end of the strawberry bed.  I picked up some runners that had little plants starting and put one in each pot, using a rock to hold the runner down until the plant establishes some roots.  Once the plant is secure, I will cut it from the runner.  Then I will start again with more pots.  Strawberry plants make a good barter item  :o)

I've been thinking about trying to propagate some blueberry bushes.  There are some really productive ones over by one of the storage buildings.  I have some powdered rooting hormone that I could use, or I may trim some willow branches from the tree across the street and try that.  Maybe I should try both and see which one works best.  There are blueberry bushes everywhere along the side of the road, but it would be nice to have a good, productive patch of my own.  Then I won't have to worry about someone else finding my favorite picking spot  :o)

Things look pretty good in the garden.  The red currants are just starting to turn pink.  I have two baby zucchini.  The potato plants look good.  I pulled up some radishes and green onions and sent up to Rod in Skagway.  The strawberries are loaded with unripe berries and more blossoms.  The raspberry patch is buzzing - lots of bumble bees on the blossoms.  The new rhubarb patch looks great - I think the plants must have reached down into the layer of chicken manure I put in that bed - they have really taken off in the last week.  In the greenhouse, I have one little green pepper and a bunch more babies just starting to form.  Nothing on the cucumbers yet, but they are getting bigger - I need to put up a trellis for them.  The 3 tomato plants are getting huge - there are 6 little fruits forming now.  I notice though that some of the leaves are turning yellow, brown and dry on the ends.  I need to look that up and see what is going on with them - must be something about being too cold, too much water, or not enough ventilation is my guess.  I picked some mint leaves and calendula blossoms and dehydrated them to use in my soaps.  The chickens are doing good - getting only 3 or 4 eggs per day though.  If they don't pick up soon, we will be putting them in the freezer.

The Nursery Decor

Beatrix Potter Murals

So we haven't got a home yet, but I'm having fun coming up with ideas for the nursery that are gender neutral.

I would like my walls a darker kahki with white crown molding in the middle.  I'd like a mural of Beatrix Potter at least on one side of the wall.  This is the one I've chosen so far. The site has wonderful ideas.

Bike rally and here come da police...

Good morning! I hope these long hot days are not slowing you down too much. Here on the homestead things are still moving along, but it sure is hot! We had some baby chicks hatch out and I am glad that the mommas are not sitting on eggs as hot as it is in the henhouse.

This week-end we rode up to the city on the motorcycle to the big bike rally they had at Bricktown. It was a long ride in the heat coming home but we sure met a lot of nice people and enjoyed seeing a lot of nice bikes too. I must say I did not expect the thousands of bikes that were there.

Little Miss and I have been going for our 2 mile walk at 8:30-9:00 in the evening. It helps not to have the sun bearing down on us and the dogs are now waiting on us on the porch as they have gotten used to what time we go.

Police Son now really is a police son as he got the news that he gets sworn in on Wednesday for the Pauls Valley police dept. and will be badge number 118. YAY ....... this has been a long hard uphill climb for him but he is actually there now!

Here he is on interview day.

Here he is trying on his uniform. (he is not crazy about the bulky bullet proof vest!)

Over the week-end my nephew got married. He and his bride (and their precious baby) had a sweet outside ceremony. It was hot but it was well worth it to see them take wedding vows.

Little Miss is so excited that next week she is going to camp! Yep, it is hard to believe as this is the one who goes nowhere without mom. Albeit, it is just a day camp and Cowgirl Cutie will be there as counciler, but she is going everyday without me. She is so excited as she will get to ride horses everyday. (I think I am being traded in for a horse!)

We are getting everything ready here for our upcoming river trip. We will leave on the 10th and get back on the 19th if all goes well. Frontier Man is so looking forward to a break. He is working out in this heat everyday and sometimes it is just a struggle to make it through one more day. I pray for his safety and his health and do the best I can to feed him well and make him rest when not at work -that is also a struggle most of the time because he sees so much that needs his attention round here. It is also so nice to get to see family too -hope to see you soon Sunshine!

Thursday is The Littles 1st birthday. I can't imagine him already turning one. The time sure goes by fast and our little ones sure remind of us that as they grow.

Happy Birthday Sweetie Pie!!!

Well, today is bread baking day so I better get to it. You all have a great day on your 'steads!

June 29th

I'm unsure exactly how far along I am.  The testing a couple of weeks ago said I was 4 or 5 weeks along.  Right now, I could be 6 or 7 weeks.  I would LOVE to be 7 weeks along.  I'd just like to get out of the first trimester where there could be complications.  I say could be as I have been told in the beginning the numbers were low and I could miscarry.  Ever since, I've tried to hold back a bit.  HOWEVER, this is Gods little miracle and He's planned this according to HIS plans for HIS glory.  There is purpose.  So I continue to put my faith and trust in HIM.  This little miracle wouldn't have happened without Him.

I have an appointment on Friday with the prenatal high risk specialist.  Because I am a type II diabetic, I have to be closely monitored.  My sugars are somewhat higher than I'd like them to be, but aren't anywhere near what they've been in the past.  I've been EXTREMELY strict with myself.  Getting rid of sugar substitutes and having tea or water.  I have slipped an iced coffee or two, but nothing obsessive and I care more about this little life growing inside me, than I do of my own cravings.

Cravings -

                     For the most part, I'm not sure I have any right now.  I know I LOVE salads.  This is the season for all kinds of salads, pasta salads, fruit salads, green salads, etc.  My favorite are green salads with chicken and SPICEY ranch.  YUMMY.  Mexican, I LOVE mexican spicey meals too.  I've liked them before, but they just taste good to me right now.  I'm out on whether this is a craving just yet.

Doug seems to amaze me with each new day.  At first, he was distant a little.  I think part of it was the surprise of it all, another part was the potential of losing this little miracle and last, maybe not being able to feel first-hand what is going on in my body.

With each new day though, He's becoming quite the doting husband and daddy.  He has been doing more things to be sure I don't lift anything too heavy or do anything too strenuous.  His mind is spread thin with getting re-preapproved for a home of our own, having moved from his parents to our friends home for awhile and in a month or two, moving again somewhere all while dealing with a pregnant wife and watching out for our little one.  The thought of a new life to be responsible for may be an issue for him too. 

As each day comes, he's been more and more involved in fun things.  Looking online to see what the baby looks like at this stage, coming up with names and helping figure out what we'll need for baby in the future.  I think all in all, the most important is nurturing baby though.  Material things aren't as important as taking care of baby.  We are excited though to see what our little cutie looks like and who he or she will turn out to be.  My only hope, is that he/she/they come to know the greatest gift in life through Jesus Christ.  To raise our son or daughter to Love God and Serve Him.  Our baby after all, is HIS. He created him or her and blessed us with such an awesome little miracle that it's hard to comprehend any other way other than Gods way to create such a beautiful little baby.  Praise God for all He has created.

So friday is our appointment and I'm praying they'll do a sonogram early to be able to date our little baby. 

Please continue to pray God will strengthen him or her, the numbers will continue to grow, and we'll have a happy, healthy baby in 8 months.

God Bless You!

Rebekah

Soap Business

I spent some time this weekend working on my website for my soap business - Homesteaders Cache.  I redesigned the entire site and am pleased with how it turned out.  I reserved a few more names also and they all point to the same site - juneausoap.com, alaskahandmadesoap.com, and alaskansoaps.com.  My goal is to improve my listings with the search engines and hopefully attract more visitors - and buyers  :o)

I have added more soaps to my store.  They are all listed except the new one I made recently - White Ginger - that matches the solid lotion bar.

I reserved a spot July 11 & 12 at the Nugget Mall for the Christmas in July Arts & Crafts Fair.  Between now and then I'll make up some fresh lotion bars.  I also want to have a sign with my logo and business name - but that will depend on how much free time I have.