7 Quick Takes - I had to drink an entire pot of sweet tea to get this post written!

1. My hubby and I survived our
first C-Section three weeks ago. 
My, what a crazy and unforgettable experience!

Of course, there are a list of things I WISH I HAD KNOWN BEFORE HEADING INTO THE O.R but didn't! So, I'm working on a post with all of my lessons and will publish it ASAP (Girls, I can't wait to write about my fourth birthing experience!

Now if I could only find the time!)

 

2.  THE "DIRE" OF DAILY BALANCE:





"The first hour of the morning is the rudder of the day."        Henry Ward Beecher

With adding this fourth child to our already booming household of kids, I've been really convicted about how to manage my daily duties and desires as a wife and mother.

 I know you all agree -there is SO MUCH TO GET DONE AND SO LITTLE TIME! Adding around-the-clock nursings has just made the day feel even shorter and the hours seem to fly by before I'm exhausted at the end of the day.  

If you are a mom, can than you certainly relate! And sister, I have a challenge for you! Each morning, keep a notepad at your bedside or kitchen counter and turn it to a blank page. As you get ready for the day, silently pray that the Lord would help direct your intentions and your energy for the coming hours. Ask for clarity to identify the top three or four "tasks" of the day that you really want to get done.

This is not, "Lord, here is my list of things - please bless it!" No! I have tried that method and it does not work! Instead, this is, "Lord, show me what YOU want me to accomplish today. May my hands and heart be in your will."

I'm finding, that for me, I have to "knock out" these three tasks early, otherwise I loose the energy and motivation to get them done. I've found that this helps me be better present for what else might come up during the day (lately this has been broken elbows and emergency doctor visits for yucky kiddy-viral infections). I've found that I also am able to show my hubby more attention and love at the end of the day when I know I have completed at least three pressing chores.  Being purposeful with my time has been a blessing to our entire family and has set the tone for the entire day.

For example, today my "dire" list included:
1. 30 minutes with Trippy doing uninterrupted school time
2. washing, folding, and putting away (yuck!) 4 loads of laundry
3. making a dent by writing at least 10 thank you notes for all of the baby gifts and meals we have received
4. cleaning out and wiping down the entire fridge

Of course, there is the normal making of meals and cleaning up messes and reminding the kids to tidy up the playroom before bed. The list of "dailies" is always there and always will be.

The other thing I have learned is to show my self major GRACE when I just don't have the energy to do another thing on top of the "survival" list. Girl, if you find you are having one of those days - show yourself some major GRACE too! We all have days when we are wiped and need a break. As stay-at-home-moms we have to allow ourselves to breathe and relax. We can't be a slave to our lists of things to get done!

Remember, our worth is not in what we accomplish -it is in WHO we belong to! We are beloved daughters of the Eternal King! Our identity comes FIRST through our relationship with Him. Let's marinate in that on our most tired of days.

3. Our three "babies" meeting our newest addition...

 

4. PLEASE DON'T TELL MY HUSBAND....

Yesterday, in my barely-had-any-sleep-cause-I'm-up-all-night-nursing-haze, I went out on a limb and just ordered a product promising to REVITALIZE my hair!

 



For those of you who know my sense of humor - that was written very sarcastically, but the truth is I really did order something new yesterday and I'm praying it helps heal my blond, high-lighted hair before I'm tempted to chop it off again (like I seem to spontaneously do and regret after delivering every baby).
We don't have cable tv, but DJ bought a set of rabbit ears so we get a few local channels (if the weather is clear). Needless to say, during my long nursing sessions I've been mindlessly clicking through and kept pausing on an infomercial for WEN - it's a hair product with "amazing" results. Don't ask me - ask the list of celebrities who splashed across my screen promising this "no lather" miracle cream has transformed their hair.

Anyway, don't tell my hubby. But I ordered it. (And yes, this is when you can leave a comment below begging me to come back to the real world and out of my post-partum, sweat-pants, crappy-tv watching slump!). I'll keep you posted on how my hair turns out (uh-huh...in just ONE WASH my mane should look like Jessica Simpsons!)

5. I thought my C-Section was tough....but laboring like this would have probably have put me into the grave! Meet the police officer who delivered a baby on the icy, Atlanta interstate.

http://ac360.blogs.cnn.com/2014/01/29/meet-the-police-officer-who-delivered-a-baby-on-icy-interstate/?iref=allsearch

6. MOTHERING - AS A DAILY ACT OF WORSHIP. 

  "Only God Himself fully appreciates the influence of a Christian mother in the molding of character in her children." ~ Billy Graham



 7. My first (and hopefully last) attempt at a selfie! Annabelle was just a few days old here. BLESSINGS, JODI