Just want to take a moment and say hi. Alot has changed here since I last posted. I had my new baby girl January 22. ONe day before her due date. She was 9lb and 5.8 oz. Big Baby. We labored all day in vain. She was just too big to fit. Had to have my first (and last) CSection. Developed an infection in my uterus and staph infection in my incision. IN and out of ER with high fever and antibiotics. Finally got it cleared up (for the most part) Lost 30 lbs in 2 weeks. That is cool to watch yourself shrink that fast. I lost more than I gained so I was really excited. AM breastfeeding though I let my milk dry up (fever helped along believe me) and then three days later regretted it, got a hospital pump and meds and now we are nursing again. (Baby still does a bottle too- will do formula or pumped milk- and I have afreedom I didnt with the other two) SO my spirits are up.
We had our first meeting inour home Friday night. We are planting anew church and have four families (18 people all together) We are all so excited. Still dont have a name but my husband is so at peace and I am so thankful to the Lord for giving us direction. But basically our neighbors just outright asked us to start a church. THey have not been in church since they were children and they are so hungry. How could we say no. And the Lord has just settled my husband in it which is something I have waited years for....that knowing. SO I am doing all I can to aid him and I am excited too. Tired and juggling all the demands of a new one in the house but still excited. Taking it one day at a time and just trying to have success for that one day. That has helped.
Cant really tell how, but we made up without realizing it with our former pastor in Mississippi. Somehow the tension left when we decided to quit focusing on all the hurts and should have's nad could have's and they have blessed us so much through this baby. My dh was off work for two weeks to help take care of me (I tell you I was sick...104 fever for over a week) and they paid our bills up and just loved us. Really touched me.
So all is great here. Just wanted to pass it along. Gabriella Faith is such an angel. SHe is a spitter like my second one so I need a larger warbdrobe to accomdate changing clothes fifty times a day! haha But I am in love. We are ALL in love with her. The girls think she is amazing.
DH is sceduled for a vasectomy. After the rough time I had he decided to be the one to take care of the baby issue. I am pleased. Three is plenty for us. I am absolutely so scared of getting pregnant again. I cant wait for him to get this over with. Dont get me wrong...Gabriella was a pleasant surprise in that I got pregnany on the pill unplanned. But I dont want another long hard pregnancy and labor and csection. There is always this question in your mind (or so I am told) when you get something final done about it....has anyone else found this to be so? Cause I know I dont want anymore. But....do you get over the nagging doubt of it?
Hi, Cassandra: It's great to hear from you. Congratulations on the new baby. I know she's an angel. It is wonderful to hear of all the wonderful things God is doing in your life. I had my tubes tied after my last pregnancy. We have 3 & definitely don't want any more. As for me, in almost 3 years, I've never had any lingering doubts. I'm glad I did it. There's so much more freedom & I'm not wondering "am I gonna get pregnant?" Keep us posted on her progress! Trace
Hey Cassandra...it is SO GOOD to hear from you. Seriously, I was thinking about you YESTERDAY! I had my PP sweatshirt on and you came to mind and I thought, "I hope we hear from her soon..." wha-la, God must have heard my prayers.
I am so happy for you about your beautiful babe, the new church plant and how happy you sound. It's been a long time coming.
Okay, re: getting fixed permanently...I love it! After all I've gone through on our behalf, my dh decided to get it done too, and he had a vasectomy about three years ago now. It's awesome. He calls it our "season pass."
For me, I knew on a practical level I definitely was "done." Do I sometimes want another? As crazy as my life is, yes. Until I come back to reality and see that it's usually because I've had an unusually smooth day with the kids with no "issues" or...I am rocking someone's baby or dedicating a child or something (like we did today! Such a little angel...) And then I realize, 99 percent of the time it's not like this. Kids are an enormous amount of work and energy as you well know. Reality is - I'm at my maximum capacity. I have all that I can handle. I feel that to purposely plan another child at this time in my life (and to fail to plan IS to plan on a baby) I would be unwise because sometimes I fall short of managing what I have. So my energies really need to go toward the three I have.
Talking it through with Larry and processing all that, we realized...we're complete. If God gave us a "surprise" despite our precautions, it would be totally HIM, and we would love the child and handle thing through His grace. But...purposely? No. So we prayed about it, and felt we were acting on wisdom in our situation to have the vasectomy. I have never regretted it, at all.
I believe it's taken us to a new level in our relationship. After going back to get tested and make sure everything was clear to not use any other protection, I felt an even greater confidence than I ever had before in our sex life. It was always good, however...in the back of my mind before, during and after would be such careful thought and planning so as to not slip up...sometimes we even used two forms of birth control to ensure protection. I didn't take any chances, not even once. We were always overly cautious. Before the vasectomy if I was even a day late with my period, I would agonize. It was a serious stress to me if I ever thought maybe I was pregnant. I started mentally planning my trip to the a/g counseling center! Seriously! But now, this is NEVER a thought in my mind, before, during or after sex. It is very freeing to never have to worry about this.
If you are certain that you dont want any more I would highly recommend this. For your dh, it's a rather simple procedure, and taking some rest a day or two afterwards with a frozen bag of peas or carrots as an ice pack, and he will be back to normal and just fine. Compared to all we'd have to go through, it's easy. Dh has encouraged all his friends to do it. He's so happy he did.
Hope that helps...stay in touch, we have missed you, girl!
Seriously! But now, this is NEVER a thought in my mind, before, during or after sex. It is very freeing to never have to worry about this. 
