Our days...

Time to get back to blogging! More pic's to come... eventually... :)

Our days have changed a lot here lately with the addition of Lynae. It's not necessarily her presence at all that has changed things though! She is fairly easy going and when she's not, she's really portable :) So having her in one hand while I make lunches or unload the dishwasher or whatever isn't that big of a deal. And I understand that crying is like exercise for a newborn and they need a little bit of that too! LOL

The biggest things that have impacted our days are my not being able to drive until the dr officially gave me a green light yesterday and I still cannot lift much. This means that with 2 kids that don't get in and out of their beds alone, up and down from their highchairs alone, in and out of the house alone, up and down out of the van/ carseats alone... and even the wheelchair weighs 30 lbs... I can't do a whole lot that I used to do every day.

Now I get up with Mike in the morning and instead of getting the kids up, dressed, shoes on, and to the breakfast table while he takes a shower... I get up and make breakfast, get medicines ready, finish up lunches and add cold packs, finish up backpacks by adding lunches and anything else that wasn't put in the night before, and brush the kids' teeth then sometimes help bring backpacks out to the car or walk one of the little ones out to the car holding their hand. Mike's had to get all 3 little ones up, dressed, diapered, and to the breakfast table then out the door and in the car. He's been bringing them to school (right around the corner from his work, thankfully) and walking the preschoolers to their classroom. Most days he's been picking them all up as well with my mom filling in where he can't or where it just makes sense for her to get them if she's helping me right after.

It's been a great blessing to have both sets of grandparents close by. Though I know we would have made things work if we didn't have any help, it has been great to not have to do that. Our family is not the 'traditional' family where the kids are at least a year apart and more like 2-3 years... and the older child is walking and somewhat independent in some areas of life. Instead I have two blessings that came to me through means other than birth that depend on me for their every need. And they're heavy. :) So an extra set of hands with the kids has been great.

I can honestly say I've not been the 'star mommy' this past few days though... now that I'm home more with the 5 kids on my own whenever there's not a meal or nap happening that I need help with. Yesterday I was sore from a doctor's appointment and after school my kids came in the house and... played. That's it! I sat on the couch and watched them play. Eventually Brianna asked for Signing Time and I turned that on for her. For the other 2 hours I watched the 4 older kids play from the vantage point of the couch and did nothing.

I am also very grateful that many at our church have stepped up and provided meals for us. Many families have brought enough for 3-4 dinners! I have frozen dishes so we can have them again and nothing will go bad. Days like yesterday knowing that I didn't need to get up and make dinner is a great relief.

I remember after having Brianna that when she was about 2 weeks old I felt badly that people were still bringing us dinner. I was up and around, I had just a newborn and almost-2 yr old to take care of, I'd had a c-section then as well so I couldn't lift, but Kristopher was at about the developmental level that Brianna is now and I could handle everything I needed to with him. What a difference it makes when it's the second baby than when it's the 5th :) I'm so grateful to God that He's given us each and every one of our babies and our 'big kids' in the way and the time that He has and that He's surrounded us with a support system that has enabled us to enjoy each of them as they joined our family.

Yes, we are blessed and very much so!