Well, life is back in full swing. Winter break is over... the kids started back up their regimen of dance and piano lessons; I may as well mention the homework every day. So my week is full again of busy-ness!

Mike started back up in school. He is taking his final prerequisite before he can apply to nursing school. We are still unsure of how that is going to turn out, but we both strongly feel it is the right direction and he has the Lord's blessing. We have both been assured that all will be well and it will work out... it is just a little scary not knowing HOW it is going to all work out! There is one thing I know for sure. Heavenly Father wants me to be home with the children and He will open the door for a way for Mike to work and go to nursing school.

I am grateful for a husband who is such a hard worker and takes pride in being able to provide for his family. He has certainly blessed me with the wonderful opportunity to be a stay-at-home mom and take care of all those things on the homefront.

I am now in my 35th week of pregnancy. Just chugging along. I do miss my feet and I do miss being able to tie my shoes without grunting and panting, but I figure this is the last time I ever get to be pregnant, so I will enjoy carrying new life inside my belly. I am relishing in the idea that my body is nurturing and protecting our unborn child. I love feeling the baby move inside me and the bond that I already feel with this little one. It is difficult to describe; but it is there the second I find out there is life inside me.

So, though I am not getting much sleep now, I will enjoy it because it is more than I will be getting in little over a month. It is unreal how quickly this pregnancy has flown by. The kids are all so very excited to welcome a new sibling into our family. As for me, I am excited as ever to see and hold and kiss and love this little one in my arms. I have been wondering what kind of personality this new little person has to offer our family. By the way I am feeling, I truly believe this person is a mellow one. We shall see!

J's Surgery

So yesterday was a bit nerve-racking for me. My little J. underwent eye surgery. It is a pretty straight forward and inevasive surgery, but he is my baby and all I could think about was the fact that they were putting him under anesthesia. He has a lazy eye that is not getting corrected with his glasses and so they clipped the eye muscles and reattached them to each eye after movign them a bit. The Dr. said there is an 80% success rate, so we figured after much prayer that we would go ahead with it.

The entire surgery lasted for only about an hour and the Dr. was very pleased with how well it went. His recovery wasn't so bad either. Mike and I took turns holding him and rocking him in the rocking chair during his recovery. He just whimpered a bit. But as soon as Mike took him and sang to him while rocking him he calmed right down. Funny thing, it's a Grateful Dead song that he sings to all our children to comfort them and they all LOVE IT!

He didn't have any nausea and began eating and drinking fairly quickly. He is still having a bit of discomfort, but all in all is doing very well. He is acting up a bit by disobeying and being grumpy, but we were told that is normal... children behave differently after surgery. I think I would be grumpy too after what he went through if I were him!

I know that it was the prayers of family and friends that made it such a calm experience for me. Days before the surgery I was a wreck, so very nervous. The day of the surgery I was extremely calm... it was almost scary how well I was coping. There was only one time I ALMOST cried. It was right before he went back to surgery. I was holding him in my arms and he had just been given a dose of that medication that basically knocks you out so he wouldn't have a memory of going back to the OR. As I looked down at this precious little bundle that I was holding I was overwhelmed with so much love for this sweet little boy who has blessed my life abundantly. It was in that moment I was able to reflect on just how much he means to me. I asked Father in Heaven to please watch over my baby and protect him... and I know He did.

It was funny, before he went back and after he was doped up he pointed to the ceiling and said, "Look, there's a grandma." I looked up and didn't see anything, but I wondered, "Is he seeing somebody there?" I know angels attended him, I'm certain he saw some. I am positive my grandparents were there with him. I am so grateful for the power of prayer. It is real. I sometimes struggle with prayer; I suppose it is my own pride that gets in the way. But I am telling you now that I have a testimony of prayer. It's power is real, it is the direct line to Heavenly Father and when I am open I hear His answers! Thank you to all of you who were praying for our family, it meant the world to me.

Now we get to wait about a month to find out if the surgery was successful. So I will be offering more prayers in my son's behalf... hoping that those eye muscles will cooperate and begin to function properly.