Happy Easter!

Blessed Easter, and paid-it-forward-forgiveness.  Thank you, God, for your sweet blessings and grace undeserved.

Before we left for church : )  We only took one, so I was hoping it would turn out!

And one at Gigi's-again, I only took two!  I was just enjoying the day today, not so many pictures.

We've had a busy few days (and too much rain and hail damage-to both our vehicles!).  Our trees and grass (and my ferns) are mighty thankful for the abundance of rain, but it's standing-room only now.  Please let it stop.

And BaSKeTs!  I got the Easter baskets finished yesterday:

Clay got a gift certificate for some track...and he turned it in to the shop owner like cash, while Ches was chasing Ethan! haha

This is the front of Clay's..

and the back with a Food Magic kit I got on clearance at Border's-hahaha-it's been fun! : )

Mary Claire's basket..with a new piggy bank!

and Ethan's with lots of cars and his left-handed pencil : )

oh-and the back of Ethan's with a new night-light!

We've seen movies (Water For Elephants, Hop, and African Cats), eaten out (Chili's and Mom's-yum!), and hunted Easter eggs till we have no more dust hiding in our crevices.  We had church this morning, and we always prepare the kids for an hour and a half or more of Mass, so they are mighty thankful that it goes so (relatively) fast.  Ethan was the only one causing a scene with his climbing around, trying to pull my shoe off, etc.  We escaped with only one crayon mark on Clay's pants (thanks to Ethan). : )  green, of course!


I raised Mary Claire's basal rate last night after a disappointing visit to our endocrinologist's office on Thursday (I was finally brave enough to do it).  Her day time blood sugars are totally wonderful, and her night times...not so wonderful.  What I didn't realize (when I'm letting her stay a little higher at night to keep her alive..) is that:
6 hours of bad night time blood sugar + 18 hours of good day time blood sugars = high a1c.


I'm sure this computes to other people, but I'd never thought of it that way.  I always thought of it more like taking 10 blood sugar readings, dividing by 10 and getting a pretty good number for the day.  It doesn't work that way.  You have to weight each by the length of time between each check...which makes the morning check worth so much more!  Ugh. more math to mess me up.  So he convinced me to raise her night time basal to improve her a1c.


Anyway, we started the day at 121, and after lunch, three desserts (it was Easter, and she couldn't decide), she was 114.  I totally thought I was rocking the carb counting...until..the dinner check.  She was 446!  Shock.  Um..can I have a do-over?  She was on a square wave, I did round up, but still didn't get it right.  I swear, those carbs just jump into her blood and multiply like rabbits.  I know, it's the three tiny desserts (she didn't even have 1 inch of pecan pie), and I know, this is part of the a1c problem.  It's just so hard to say no, Jesus died for you, I adore you, but no dessert.  I know, I have the problem.  Please forgive me.

Moms

FiSH in my braces!  Oh golly, I've started eating "better", but now I can see problems forecast ahead...I am really having to use that little purse toothbrush to keep my teeth clean.  Anything bread- or potato-related really gets lodged.  Then there are the cucumbers (ack-with peels!) that feel like they are going to break a wire!  I can feel the pressure.  I'm easing back into breads, but still having oatmeal for breakfast and yogurts or soup for lunch.  (and yes, I've lost 4 pounds!)  Not bad for a three weeks with braces (ya'll just wait, it'll catch up with me!)

I had a wonderful lunch today with one of my old students and her (*gasp!*) husband and son!  Am I old enough to have a second grade student married and with child??  Yes, apparently I really am.  She is beautiful-and I mean on the outside and inside.  She has a precious spirit which doesn't give up easily, and she is an awesome mom doing her very best.  I'm so proud of her!  (I have to tell you, this is why Mary Claire's middle name is Elizabeth-that girl would make you want to name your child Elizabeth too!)  I was so thankful to get to see her (and her family!), share a meal, and catch up!  Ethan was a little crazy, but it'd already been a long morning, and he'd been so good.  He was wearing thin!

Next we went by Mom's for a visit (an hour to kill-woohoo!), we played dominoes till Ethan got bored, then he played outside and visited my dad in his shop-and got to have a snack down there.  Dad has a refrigerator stocked with drinks (for his friends), and snacks to keep his blood sugar up.  The kids all love stopping in and having a "break" with Papa!  They feel so sneaky having soda (usually with sugar, but not today-but Ethan didn't know!).  It's a "secret"!

Then we came home to recharge, and after Ches got home, we all went to a matinee: Mars Needs Moms!  It was a sweet movie, and I was getting really stressed for the mom at one point!!  I thought it'd be all about moms, but it wasn't!  It was more or less about the son that hitched a ride on the spaceship back to Mars, and him rescuing his mom, who was "asleep" in a seat-belted pod-thing (totally unaware!).  It was still good--the son, Milo, met one other human who'd followed his mom there in the 1980's, was now an adult, and they became friends on the rescue mission.  It was good, and the boy really was touched and loved his mom.  Good movie.

We had dinner (late!) at Red Lobster in honor of Spring Break (that almost started today) (and a Lenten Friday!)!  By this point, Ethan was plum silly and goofy.  He was getting argumentative, he was hungry and sleepy, and almost without reason...But.  I had Play-Doh!  It always pulls him back from orbit.  He was starving (I had five coconut M&M's left that I gave him, and a piece of Extra's new mint chocolate ice cream gum-yum, by the way!), and we made orange play-doh cars and colored (I always buy about 20 packs of Crayola crayons at back-to-school time when they are 19 cents! and then dish them out s-l-o-w-l-y! I love new crayons!).  Totally did the trick!  We made it through a long dinner-from lobster dip (gag!) to salad to crab legs..Can you tell seafood is not my thing?  It's always a long Lent...

Anyway, when we got home (because I was in the mood!), we all got out our beautiful rosaries (Mary Claire's is delicate pink Swarovski crystals) (well..Ethan's is chunky wood beads!), and started a rosary (we got through the second decade).  I was super-impressed that Ethan kept his little fingers on the right beads the entire time, prayed the prayer he knew (the Our Father), and didn't fall asleep or go nuts!  The Holy Spirit was definitely with us!

I'm praying that you decided on something to give up (or something good to add?), and that you are successful, with God's help!  Only five weeks and two days...can't wait for Easter!

A Future and a Hope

It's been busy.  Well, not that it's ever not.
Saturday was a long day, and I slept on and off.  I got up to make baked potato soup that morning, to fill the crock pot.  There was pain, and I started bleeding a lot more by afternoon.  I stressed out and went to bed.  I got up around 3:30, as Easter doesn't wait on me to feel better, and we started our little rituals.  I boiled a couple dozen eggs-maybe 28? and then we cooled them, made the dye and laid out stickers.  Clay was at baseball practice, and we didn't want to start without him.  While we waited, we made 4 dozen sugar cookies to frost.  About the time they came out, Clay came in and they started coloring eggs.  I was hurting worse, so I asked Ches to help out.  I got dinner ready, we ate, then I finished frosting/sprinkling cookies-the kids took off outside-it was so nice.
I got up Sunday with more blood, and called the hospital, then paged the nurse on call at my doctor's office.  I was really getting worried.  It'd been going so well, then downhill.  I was in pain (even on my medicine), and was scared to be up too long.  We didn't end up going to church, and the kids just played.  I missed going.  I knew it'd be a hard day when we saw our church friends again, as they'd either not know, and I'd have to tell them, or they would, and I'd cry.  It was probably better we didn't go.  I didn't know if I'd make it physically, or emotionally.  I'd planned to wear this toile maternity dress, and it would've made me cry too.  Mary Claire was disappointed about not wearing her new dress we got in Dallas, but there was nothing I could do.
We went to Mom's for lunch, and the kids played and hid eggs all afternoon.  I came home, got ready for bed, and was asleep by 7:45.  What a day!  It's the most I've been awake since last Wednesday. : )
Today, I have been up-someone had to sort all those clothes in the dining room to get them cleared out-what a mess!  Tomorrow, I have to get to packing.  We leave for Disney on Sunday, and it's kinda been on the back burner.  It's time to pack up-laundry's done, but my sweet girl is growing out of her clothes!  I have to find at least 6 or 7 outfits to get us through.
I am planning to make a run to Branson to get the kids some clothes on Friday.  My goal had been to go in late April/early May when we found out what the babies were, so I was waiting..well, she needs clothes now.  The boys need some shorts too.  And..I have to pick up her first communion dress at Strasburg.  They've been holding in since the first of January, and I haven't had it shipped yet, since there was a tiny chance I'd be up there.  Even if it's a quick trip, it'll work.  I'm planning to take Ethan.  He has such fits when he's not with me, so I feel bad leaving me.  It might not go quite as smoothly, but he's a sweetie.  I think he'll be fine.  As long as I get some kid clothes and her dress, it'll be okay.  I can save shopping for me till another day.
Ok, getting sleepy...I'm still going, so everything is okay.
I have scheduled an appointment with a high-risk specialty doctor in Little Rock for May 3rd.  I am hoping he can give us some insight into what might be happening, and what our chances are for a successful pregnancy in the future.  We need more input.  Please pray for some answers, our discernment, and healing for all of us.
For I know the plans I have for you," declares the LORD, "plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.  Jeremiah 29:11 (yes, again-emphasis on future tonight)