A Blessing from My Hospital Visit

Life is just downright busy.  I think most of you know but in case you missed it, Matthew and I are expecting Baby Brooks #6 in January.  Very excited but no time to post monthly updates on my pregnancy like I may have done for Baby #2 or #3.  I am now 33 weeks along and feeling VERY pregnant.  I've been awarded with entrance to an even more Advanced Maternal Age category for women over age 40.  I am really soooo appreciative!  Any how I had an OB check up on Monday of this week.  Matthew would meet me there for the appointment so I brought Juliet, Rylan and Sully but left Philip and Braewyn at home as I was thinking I'd be gone no more than 1 1/2  hours.

After being on the NST monitor for about 35 minutes and being told the baby looks great, I saw one of the doctors.  Dr. Allen delivered Sully so it was fun for her to see him again at almost 2 years old.  She asked how I was doing.  My answer is usually, "I think I'll make it." But I also added that my left leg swells while my right leg just feels numb.  I wonder if it's because I carry Sully on my left hip when I do carry him.  She looked a little concerned and said, "It really could just be due to the pregnancy, but it could be a blood clot.  Thankfully our bodies clot more readily when pregnant so we don't bleed out during delivery.  But I just can't let you go another day without knowing for sure if your leg swelling is from a clot or not.  I want you to have a vascular scan today so I'll call in a referral."

Ok.  Not what I expected from this appointment but the idea of a blood clot really didn't worry me.  I'm sure it could be easily handled.  Now we just had 2 kids at home and 3 young ones with us and I was told to go to the hospital.  I drove the little ones and Matthew followed me over to the hospital parking lot.  We parked outside the cancer center as it's next to the heart center where I was told to enter.  By this time Sully was asleep in the car so I asked Matthew if he would just stay in the van with the kids and I'd go in alone.  Let them watch YouTube on your phone!

Into the hospital I walked and was instructed to take the elevator up a floor, walk down the hall, turn at the end and enter the surgery admission and waiting area.  The hospital.  This hospital.  I had not been inside since June of 2015 when Dad spent 2 weeks in Neuro ICU and then his last three days in Pallative Care.  When I arrived in the waiting area, it brought back a flood of memories.  I did not want to be here!

I gave the receptionist my form and she asked for some additional information.  Then I sat down to wait.  Thirty minutes before, being in the hospital was not even a thought and here I was back where I never wanted to be.

Being pregnant and knowing a delivery was in the future, I've had an underlying dread of going to the hospital.  My mom told me at one point that she didn't know if she could bear coming to the hospital to see the baby without my Dad.  I didn't know if I could bear lying in a hospital bed with monitors hooked to me and remembering seeing Dad in his bed.  Being a patient of any kind did not bring happy thoughts.

But here I was sitting in the waiting area which was where we sat (or very similar to) while waiting to hear the outcome of Dad's brain surgery.  I didn't know if I should just cry out to Jesus for comfort for my breaking heart or text several friends to pray for me.  After a few minutes of silently praying, I decided to tell the receptionist that I would be right back if my name was called because I had to take my key down to my husband outside.   A few minutes of fresh air was what I needed now.

Matthew had pulled up to the outside door once I called to tell him I was on my way down.  I didn't know how long the wait for my procedure would be so I encouraged him to take the younger kids home and relieve the older two of their "home alone" status.  He gave me his key to our other car so I would be able to drive myself home.  Reaching for the key I said, "Please pray for me as being up there in the same waiting area where we were when Dad was here is freaking me out." Tears filled my eyes and my voice cracked.

Walking back inside I didn't make eye contact with the people I passed.  Thankfully after arriving back in the waiting room, my name was called about 15 minutes later.  My ultrasound technician Catherine was so very nice.  She assured me I had no blood clots.  Praise Jesus!  We chatted about other things... this being my 6th pregnancy, her never feeling the desire to have children, people who say whatever is on their minds about both situations and how I said goodbye to my Dad in this hospital summer before last.  I told her about my hesistancy to come to the hospital since Dad passed away but how being there today took the sting out of thinking about coming back to have the baby.  Saying goodbye to her, I heard a sound I've always liked to hear at the hospital.  Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star playing over the intercom.

When a baby is delivered at our hospital, a member of the family can push a button on the wall of the Labor and Delivery area and this well known tune plays throughout the hospital.  I had heard it play three times while there for my vascular scan.  God was telling me that good things, miraculous things do happen here.  Not only sad things.  I have delivered five beautiful, healthy babies in this hospital.  It will be devastating knowing Dad won't be coming to meet his newest grandchild when I deliver this baby.  Even still God told me that day when I unexpectedly went to the hospital about a possible blood clot that when the day comes for me to deliver this newest little blessing, it will be a happy day.  No more fear of returning to that same hospital for the first time since Dad passed away.  I've now been there, done that.  Next time Matthew and I will enter Labor and Delivery.  And Lord-willing our children will push that little button to announce to everyone in the hospital their new little brother or sister was born.  I pray others in the hospital that day hear Twinkle Twinkle, Little Star and are also reminded that blessings are all around us.  We just need to be looking for them.

A Weekend Spent Camping

Camping is one of those activities in which I look so forward to, wonder why I ever decided to go while there, and then once home kind of wish I was still there.  My parents took my brother and I camping many times as teenagers.  We always stayed in a tent and always ate pasta salad because it only involved boiling water.  Camping was all about free time, roasting marshmallows, and breathing in that crisp, clean air in the morning upon emerging from out tent.

That was then.  This is now.  Now I'm the mom. My husband didn't grow up camping and has no nostalgic memories he's trying to relive. And we have small children with us.  Camping is not very relaxing as there's a lot of parenting involved. ("Get that toddler out of the street." "Don't let him near the fire." "I suppose you can walk to the jumping pillow if you all stay together.")   And never did I know how much my mom had to pack. (I have a hard enough time planning meals at home when all supplies are within a few steps. A spatula is required when making french toast! This time of year we need warm clothes and cooler clothes.  And don't forget pillows!!)

However all that said, I look back through these photos and wouldn't trade the weekend for anything. There were memories made, friendships strengthened, and really yummy food eaten!  It's nice camping with people who know what they're doing!!  (Men with a really big propane griddle who make hibachi chicken for dinner!)

Cherokee KOA Campground or Bust!!

We are blessed to have children who love road trips.

The views from the Blue Ridge Parkway amazed us all.  Jesus blessed us with a beautiful day!  His creation is truly awesome.

Fall foliage!!!

And we arrived!  Let commune living commence.

This is how five toddlers keep themselves busy in the great outdoors.

The Jump Pad was a hit with the preschool group.

Sully learned to slide all by himself.

Down he goes.

And has the static hair to show for it.

Again, again!

Escape from everyday life did feel really good.

The first two times we camped as a family included staying in a tent.  Now with five children and being pregnant, I thought a cabin would be the way to go!

The other four families each have their own camper.  The kids all seemed to embrace our cabin as the community play house.  Big kids hung out on the porch.  Younger kids played "family" inside.

This quaint, two-room cabin fit our family nicely.  Here is the "master bedroom" with Pooh Bear "master bath".  That thing was priceless with having Rylan who's only been potty-trained for a few months.  And it was possibly used by an adult in the middle of the night too who shall remain nameless but didn't want to walk to the bathhouse in the dark!

Sully slept great both nights in his pack-n-play at the foot of our bed.

Philip and Rylan shared bunkbeds as usual, but...

their sisters, Braewyn and Juliet, slept in bunks on the other side of the room instead of in the next room over like at home.

Although we did a lot of group cooking, I found a few recipes I wanted to try over the campfire.

Our English Muffin pizzas turned out really good actually.

Sully enjoyed his pizza despite leaves falling onto his plate.

They must have been really good because lunchtime led right into naptime!!  That boy can sleep ANYWHERE!

Rylan enjoyed sharing some leftover olives with his friend Lizzy.

This campground had lots of fun things to do including an indoor swimming pool.  Swimming while looking at the fall foliage out the windows was a great experience.

All tuckered out.

Not sure if these banana bikes were pregnancy approved but they were pretty fun.  

The rainbow jumping pillow may have been the kids' favorite past-time of the weekend.

I think these kids were the first ones awake each morning in the campground.  I was glad I had packed boxes of doughnuts because they made a good early morning snack on our front porch.

Pajama-clad toddler roaming the street in the crisp morning air.

Thankful for some friends who told me about Mingo Falls, just a few minutes drive from the campground. (Here's a look at the whole gang!)

Some of the older kids ventured up beside the falls.  Made us moms a nervous wreck.

Sully: "Why can't I climb up the falls?"

Ollie: "I'm feeling pretty good staying right here."

Funny how kids react to things.  Rylan was so scared walking along the path (there was a steep drop off on one side) and terrified of every dog that came near.  Looking happy here.

Proof that kids can be happy just playing with dirt.

Sadly, time to return to civilization.

“There is no one like the God of Israel. He rides across the heavens to help you, across the skies in majestic splendor." Deuteronomy 33:26

It was a quiet ride home.

This face right here says, "Camping was great!!!"  Looking back on it now, I think we'll try it again one day.  Sitting beside me while I type this post, Rylan has said about 20 times he wants to go camping right now.

And It's Five Months Later

I am a writer at heart.  My blog is my outlet to express thoughts, memories, and keep everyone up to date.  A lot has happened since April.  We finished our 7th year of home schooling.  We traveled to Washington, DC with some friends over Memorial Day weekend.  Mom and I spent a weekend in Charleston, SC to celebrate / remember Dad over his birthday weekend.  We began telling friends and family that Baby Brooks #6 is to be arriving in January!!  We traveled again to visit family in Kentucky and took a detour through Nashville and Knoxville, TN on the way home.  And our 8th year of home schooling began the second week of August.  This year we joined a co-op which means every Tuesday we spend the morning at a church in town where the kids each have their own classes of 8-9 children learning together.  It has brought both the kids and I new friends and new learning experiences.  Sully also learned to walk this summer and Rylan is now potty-trained.  Braewyn began playing the violin.  Juliet is doing great at learning to read in Kindergarten.  And Philip has moved up into the youth group at our church.  Things are a'changing!

Philip is now 11 and in 6th grade

Braewyn is now 9 and in 4th grade

Juliet is now 5 and in kindergarten

Rylan is now 3 and in preschool

Sully is now 20 months old and enjoying life!!!

Our schedule is busy but we know that God is leading us to these things and the blessings are incredible.  Matthew and I didn't foresee 5 (and soon to be 6!) children in our future 10 years ago but we wouldn't change a thing.  Thankfully, he and I got away last weekend for a short getaway to Asheville, NC for some needed R&R.  We know this season of life won't last forever so it's best to make the most of it.  As someone one told me, the days are long but the years are short!

We're all looking forward to meeting you, little one!