Pray for Stellan (also homey stuff and bump photos!)

Just a very quick post as it's so late and I need to go to bed! The days are full and busy as anything right now, but I'm getting into the swing of things better than I remember before. I have great energy levels right now, the best so far this pregnancy. I'm still following the Motivated Moms checklist every day - amazing for me to still be going at something after 5 or 6 weeks!! :) It's working for me, it really is! I'm noticing all sorts of changes in myself as a result of doing the Motivated Moms thing (mostly subtle ones) that I hadn't expected, but it's all good stuff so I'm really happy about it!

Our dishwasher broke at the weekend and I haven't even had a millisecond of complaining in my spirit even, which is UNHEARD OF for me. Instead I have been washing a lot of dishes by hand every day. Arthur is my drier! He is so proud and loves his job so much. Today I can't believe I actually had to check his attitude over whining about wanting to do the washing up for many hours in a row!! ;) We are going to get a replacement dishwasher but we just haven't had chance so far. Neil is pretty snowed under at work. The other day he stayed at work till 11pm and AGAIN with the cheerful spirit for me - I was so surprised by it. I think it's a combination of God answering my prayers, better energy levels, and the WONDERFUL influence of many blogs of some godly mothers-of-many that I've been soaking in now for a year or more. Reading posts at MOMYS is also influencing me a lot, and that's very helpful to my attitude of heart too! Anyway, it was fine the day Neil worked late. I made spaghetti bolognese (the boys will eat this!) and then bathed all three and put them to bed - the part Neil usually helps a lot with. It went okay, and I wasn't completely done in by the time they were all asleep! When Neil got home, his portion of dinner was ready in a pyrex dish with a lid on, and it took all of 3 minutes to make it piping hot and ready for him in the microwave. He was so tired. I feel so wonderful and happy and fulfilled when I have a day like that one! I am having plenty of not-so-good moments though, believe me! I'm still yelling at my kids when I should NOT ever be yelling at my kids! Urgh. Arthur and Matthew are still SO incredibly disobedient. I am so rubbish at keeping the discipline consistent enough so that it takes effect, which is daft/annoying/crazy of me. Today I have been more consistent. I lose my temper easily when they push the right buttons. And they do like those buttons in particular these days.

But, I'm doing the housework so much better than I ever have before, and the little ones are involved and enjoying it ever so much! It's Wednesday and so far this week the house is hoovered, the bathroom completely cleaned, the porch decluttered, the bedsheets changed, and the various daily things kept up with (more or less) - things like the kitchen floor kept swept and clean, the laundry always kept up with (seriously! Me! Can you believe it?!), the dishes done, meals planned, children read to and involved in housework. I am LOVING IT!! And hoping I won't just flop hideously once the 3rd trimester stuff kicks in, or when I have a new baby around again! I'm not sure how to pick it up again if I flop.

Anyway, this is supposed to be quick! I wanted to post mainly because I want to ask people to be praying for Stellan. He's a sweet baby boy who was expected to die in the womb with heart failure when his heart was beating crazy fast and couldn't be slowed down. But God healed him, and he was born perfectly healthy! Now he has suddenly gone back into the same tachycardia that he had in the womb, and he's really poorly. They can't slow his heart rate right now, and it's dangerous for his little body. Please be praying for him, if you haven't already seen this news at another blog you read, or if you don't already read MckMama's blog religiously (probably a bunch of you already do!)! Click on the button below with the picture of this beautiful baby boy, to go to his Mama's blog and read more:




I'm so incredibly thankful for my healthy children right now. Nathan has fussed and woken 4 times already this evening (can't figure out if it's wind or teeth, but he seems annoyed about being awake so at least he goes back to sleep for a bit quite easily), and I just feel so blessed to have him here, whining and complaining about normal run-of-the-mill healthy baby stuff! It makes me feel breathless to think of what MckMama is going through with Stellan. She also has 3 older children the same kind of ages as my three (well, packed in slightly closer together!). So incredibly overwhelming. I'm praying for them, and thinking of them a lot at the moment, having followed her since Stellan's diagnosis in the womb. Her faith in God inspires me so much.

Well, I MUST go to bed. Neil wants to leave earlier than usual for work in the morning because of the crazy amount of work he has to do tomorrow, so I should have been in bed a long while ago! Nathan's wakings stretched the evening out, and I made a Tesco delivery order for tomorrow morning, so that took a while.

Oh! I keep meaning to respond to various questions that have been asked of me lately, but always forget when I update! Melanie, I can't seem to leave a comment at your blog re. your question about Facebook. Can you email me? Kaitlyn, thanks for your questions left at my pregnancy diary about things I'm writing here - I do plan to answer them! I'll try not to forget! Now see, I've even gone and forgotten who else asked me things, when I meant to acknowledge everyone just quickly! :S Well, suffice to say I am not trying to ignore questions, and will answer them eventually!

Neil took a really lovely belly picture for my 24-week photo, and I posted it at Facebook and my pregnancy diary. I love it so much that I want to post it here too! There are two, pretty samey, but I can't choose which I like best. I love them because I wanted all my little ones in the photo with me (which I've never done before), and they came out nicer than I expected. I'm wearing my denim pinafore dress that I mentioned last time I updated here! :) I have won a few more dresses at eBay since then and some really nice feminine tops. I do have a hog load of maternity clothes in all sizes already, obviously, but I plan to downsize my collection and make my maternity wardrobe things that I love wearing and which will be flattering to me. I hope to be using these clothes for a good many years to come yet! :)