A Titus 2:4-5 wannabe..

Things have been tough..

2012-01-15T23:15:00.000-06:00

With a whole variety of health problems myself, and a few sprinkled throughout our familyover the past few months.. and on going even now. I feel the need to share one of Joni's devotional e-mails, to explain how an why I still smile.. even now when I may be in pain, weak, ill, or otherwise had a stressful day.. I can still smile!

Taken from Pearls of Great Price. Copyright © 2006 by Joni Eareckson Tada

A Borrowed Smile

For You have been my help, and in the shadow of Your wings I sing for joy. --Psalm 63:7

In a crowded ladies restroom during a break at a Christian conference, a well-dressed woman putting on lipstick turned to me and said, "Oh Joni, you always look so together, so happy in your wheelchair. I wish I had your joy! How do you do it?" Several around her nodded.

"I don't do it," I said. "In fact, may I tell you honestly how I woke up this morning?" Several women leaned against the counter to listen. "This is an average day. After Ken leaves for work at six, I'm alone until I hear the front door open at seven. It's a friend coming to get me up. While she makes coffee, I usually pray, 'Lord, my friend is about to give me a bath, get me dressed, sit me up in my chair, brush my hair and teeth, and send me out the door. I don't have the strength to face this routine one more time. I have no resources. I don't have a smile for the day, but you do. May I borrow yours? I urgently need you, God.'

"So when my friend walks into the bedroom, I turn my head on my pillow and give her a smile sent straight from heaven. It's not mine, it's God's. Whatever joy you see today--" I gestured at my paralyzed legs-"was hard won this morning." I have learned, as I hope those women learn, that the weaker we are, the harder we must lean on God. And the harder we lean on him, the stronger we discover him to be.

Where do you feel weak today? When you borrow from God the strength, courage, and joy you don't have, people can't help but notice. Just make sure they know where it came from!

Lord, be my strength today-not only in the areas where I know I am weak, but also in the areas where I think I am strong. And may all the credit, all the glory be yours.

Blessings,

Joni and Friends
www.joniandfriends.org

What happens at a babywearing meeting?

2011-10-23T21:12:00.000-05:00

Many of you have likely noticed me posting on facebook, e-mailing you, handing you a flyer, or inviting you in person to our local 'babywearing group' meetings. This post is to help clarify what I'm talking about so much about right now :)!

So what happens at a babywearing meeting?I'm sure many must wonder that, and a few even directly ask just that!

Well first.. I might need to back up just in case.. and explain what babywearing is (since not everyone knows that either).Babywearing is a term that refers to carrying your baby arms free, with them attached to your body in a 'baby carrier.' Baby carriers can range from hard frame back packs for hiking, to soft buckle carriers, or even just long strips of (specially woven) cloth to wrap and tie a baby on with (plus several variations inbetween). To learn more about the different variety of baby carries be sure to check out this page on the Babywearing International (BWI) website :).

Okay now on to the main point of this blog post..
We are now hosting a monthly meeting in my home (Northland meeting/2nd Tues of the month, from 10am-12pm), which is a branch of the local Babywearing International (BWI) of Kansas City group.

BWI teaches and encourages babywearing safety, and at a typical Northland meeting if you arrive at 10am, you will find that we have 'Volunteer Babywearing Educators' (VBE's) that are certified & insured by Babywearing International. We start our Northland meeting after a brief introduction with 'Babywearing 101' in which case we will explain the basic range of babycarriers and may demonstrate how to use them. Then at approx 10:30am we will switch to a 'get help with your carrier' format, in which you may go to one of the available VBE's and request they help you learn how to safely use your carrier. Whether you are just learning a new position in a carrier you are familiar with, or trying a entirely new to you carrier/position our VBE's are here to help you learn in a safe environment.

And just one final 'what is it' question..What is Babywearing International? I'll answer that with a quote and a link to their mission statement:

Babywearing International Inc. is a nonprofit organization whose mission is to promote babywearing as a universally accepted practice, with benefits for both child and caregiver, through education and support.

For More Info about 'Babywearing International of Kansas City' please visit them on facebook and look them up under the above name. Also they have a blog located at: http://bwikc.wordpress.com/

If the Northland meeting doesn't fit your schedule, BWI of Kansas City also has a Mid-Town Meeting (3rd Tues of the month 10am-12pm) as well as a Overland Park/Happybottomus meeting (1st Thurs evening of the month 6pm-9pm) so be sure and check into those if they will better suit your needs :)!

And thanks for listening.. as I carry on about carrying babies ;). Babywearing has been a huge blessing to my family, and I hope to share that blessing with any who may want or need to know more about it :).

~Mama Rae~

*Pictured below is my son Peter in a wraparound baby carrier*

4 boys- 1 doctor.. and 1 Mama all crowded into 1 small room..

2011-10-07T12:34:00.000-05:00

This morning,

Was doctor checkup day for all the boys :).

Three annual checkups and one 4 month checkup!

General consensus is they are healthy and doing well :)! (Despite our minor cold/virus.. that 'everyone' seems to have.)

Nathaniel is 6 (almost 7 yrs old) and is 48 inches tall (4 ft even) and 51 lbs.

Ian is five yrs old and 43 inches tall and 44lbs.

Samuel is three yrs old and 37 inches tall and 36lbs.

Peter is 4 months old and 26 inches tall and 12lbs 10oz :)!

And the 'Big' news was..
That Samuel (who 2 weeks ago jumped off a window seat in our home, painfully injuring his leg/foot and was unable to walk for days and needed a special supportive boot to help him walk) was examined for his leg/foot injury and the doctor has removed his boot, he could not find any tender places on Samuel's leg/foot and is inclined to think it might actually have been a sprain or twist but did say the boot helped him if that were the case. So at this point we are to let him roam free without the boot and if he continues to walk well and not complain of pain we're good. But if he starts to have trouble walking again or says it hurts we need to put the boot back on and call our doctor back. But if pain returns then maybe it was a break, in which case he'll need to wear the boot longer (weird how toddler can break a bone an it not show on x-rays for weeks, makes it a bit more of a trial an error issue to care for them when a break is in question).

Anyway Samuel got to walk out of the doc's office without the big boot on and was so very happy about it. He's walking a little stiff/awkwardly, not quite a limp but not a normal gait either, hopefully that will even out soon. He says it doesn't hurt now.

Here's a recent photo of the four boys together (taken 8-30-2011):

Nathaniel (8-30-2011):

Ian (9-11-2011):

Samuel (9-26-2011):

Peter (9-27-2011):

I finally finished and printed Samuel's Baby Photo Book

2011-07-20T20:43:00.003-05:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

I made a special memory photo book for my last pregnancy..

2011-07-20T20:41:00.002-05:00

Click here to view this photo book larger

Family update :).

2011-06-28T22:22:00.002-05:00

For some reason I've been busy lately ;),
and a month has slipped by since I last posted on here.

I thought I should go ahead and give an update on our family. My husband Phillip and I are doing well, though we are well an thoroughly worn out trying to keep up with two houses (still praying for our previous home to sell), and recovery from pregnancy/birth for me, which means more of the household work/needs fall to Phillip (poor guy is doing a LOT, and it's truly quite a blessing how much he's willing to help out around the home and with the kids). Besides still working full-time at his regular office job as well.

It's quite impressive the range of events that can happen at night around here.. anything from as mediocre as a newborn needing to eat/diaper changes.. to a 2 yr old still waking up several times a week at night.. to thunderstorms waking up all 3 older boys.. or even fireworks waking the kids up (fun, some of these neighbors started their party early this yr).. or even losing power in the wee hrs of the morning (which means the kids white noise machines shut off). Oh and I almost forgot the whole house maintenance issues such as spending most of the night before Father's day trying to stop a water problem UNDER the house (the one we just moved into), which we have temporarily fixed but will need further attention (and $$$$) soon.

So to say we are tired, exhausted, or even sleep deprived on a regular basis.. is kind of just stating the obvious. To say we are rethinking and changing our priorities is also likely stating the obvious, things don't get done as speedily, or as thoroughly as they might normally but most of them 'eventually' get done around here, and if not then they must really not bug us much lol.

I (Rae) am doing gradually better the further I get out from being pregnant. It does feel like it's taking a while to get back to regular life after this baby, he just turned 5 weeks old today, and I'm still only doing 'some' of my regular house hold duties. Thankfully I did have a wonderfully healthy/relatively easy birth, but the pregnancy was difficult and I think that's what I've been healing from this time. That and the reality of 4 small children in my care at once, busy doesn't even begin to describe me these days. My health issues are still here, and still rearing their ugly heads though. My joints (ehlers danlos syndrome) are still very loose, and easily slip out/cause pain from normal activities. At 6 weeks I'll be able to gentle start exercises to rebuild my muscles and hopefully reduce the dislocations and pain again.
I'm so very grateful and blessed to be able to 'wear' my babies in wraps as it only takes a short while holding in arms for my shoulders to slip out or wrists or.. any number of joints to start hurting me. The wraps do a excellent job at holding the baby's weight to the core of my body, and greatly reduce the wear and tear on my joints (Praise God!). My digestion is still very poor, though I am working with my doctor on this, he (and I) believe it may be related to my loose connective tissue disorder (ehlers danlos syndrome), but neither of us have come up with a solution just a probable cause at this point. I'm still unable to eat 25 or so 'regular' foods and struggling to keep enough foods in my diet to sustain the baby and I. But all I know to do is just take it one meal/snack at a time, and keep going. My low blood sugar (hypoglycemia) has been touchy since the baby came too, probably due to the lack of sleep/added stress I'm under but it does a good job of reminding me to eat every 2hrs .. as getting ill is not optional when you have all these little ones depending on you.

The older kids are all doing well considering the new baby in the family. We've seen various responses to having a new baby in the family, some are more clingy, some are more distant, some are louder (to draw attention to themselves) etc. All of them have struggled in one way or another with the changes our family is going through, but none (thus far) have been upset with the baby, they all love him and 'try' to be gentle (but being boys.. that is definitely a work in process to learn what gentle is!). Samuel being 2 and formerly extremely attached to Mama.. has surprised us by transferring his attachment to Daddy now.. but not just mildly attached, rather he's obsessively a Daddy's boy now, jealous if Daddy holds baby Peter, or hugs Mama etc. Even rejects Mama's affection or help at times, saying 'I want Daddy' .. sigh .. hopefully he'll settle in to a new spot in the family soon (since he's been 'promoted' from baby to big boy by all this). But one thing is for sure, Samuel LOVES being a 'big brother' and as he says nearly every night before bed 'I luv you Peter' while giving Peter a gentle hug :).

And the baby..
Is affectionately referred to as 'Peaceful Peter' because thus far he's been far more peaceful then any of our others as newborns. With a gentler personality then some of our babies, and thus far NO acid reflux it's been very nice to actually 'enjoy' the newborn period. He still eats a lot and needs a lot of diapers, but so far we haven't had several 'hours' a day of crying like some of them would do. I think in reality he's 'normal' .. as in he can be fussy when hungry, might get angry during a diaper change, and if he gets over tired you'll hear about it. But once his needs are met (even if that just means holding him/wearing him) he's okay :)! Peter has smiled and laughed in his sleep from birth, and he started socially smiling at 2-3 weeks old! Which reminds me Peter is now 5 weeks old and today at his checkup he was 9lbs 11oz, 22 3/4" long, with a 15" head :)! He's long and somewhat thin, mostly his arms and legs are still thin, but body and head/neck are definitely showing some weight put on.

So this post is probably useless without pictures huh? Here's a image from Peter's 'Pro' Newborn Portraits taken at 1 week of age (click on the images to see them bigger):

And a link to the whole album: Peter's Newborn Portraits

and one more picture in closing.. taken by Mama :) (at 4 weeks old/June 21st):

I'd better go for now.. I hear my 2 yr old crying..

~Mama Rae~

Announcing the birth of..

2011-05-30T11:52:00.002-05:00

our 4th son..
Lovingly born at home, on his due-date (40 weeks)!

Peter Daniel Gaeddert
born May 24th, 2011
at 11:51am
8lbs 1oz
21 inches long
13.75" head

Peter within a couple hrs of his birth:

Peter and Daddy (couple hrs old):

Peter and Mommy (couple hrs old):

The whole gang (Peter's about 4 days old here):

39w2d and still going :)

2011-05-19T14:56:00.001-05:00

Well this baby has met and exceeded our expectations for staying in the womb,
Might even go all the way to 40 weeks we'll see. I've always wondered how big/healthy a 40w newborn would be for our family. My 1st came at 37 weeks (12:57pm) 6 lbs 2.2 oz, 2nd at 39w2d (12:30am) 8 lbs 6.2 oz, and 3rd at 39w1d (1:59am) 8 lbs 1 oz.

Some days are still going well with little pain and discomfort, other days are pretty rough with lots of joint pain and exhaustion. Never know what kind of day I'll have. But I do know baby is still growing, active and healthy, and that's all that matters.

My prayer that I would ask you all to join me in is that baby will come 'whenever baby is ready,' though at times I wish it was NOW I know it's best for babies to come when they are completely ready :). I've had a couple of 'false' starts that have made us wonder if baby was ready, but so far they've just been a tease, the real deal is still to be looked forward to.

Thanks for all the prayers, support, and encouragement.
~Mama Rae~

Edited to add a few photos from 39w2d :).

36 week update (with maternity snapshot!)

2011-04-27T22:01:00.000-05:00

Okay I'll try to make this brief,
as I still have a few more things to do tonight before bed.

But I wanted to update on how the baby and I are doing. 'We' are at 36 weeks in this pregnancy meaning there is 4 weeks or less left till baby comes. Since I have given birth anywhere from 37 weeks to 39.5 weeks (the other one was 39w1d), I hope to be 'ready' by next week. But most of all I hope to wait until 39 or 40 weeks to actually give birth this time. So baby is plenty big, healthy, and happy :)!

Meanwhile.. Mama is tired and sore, contractions are now a way of life and joint pain is my near constant companion as my body is weary from carrying this little one around. Some days I have moderate pain other days it's a pretty high level of joint pain, and that of course can vary throughout the day. Prayer for my stamina, and peace of mind/heart would be much appreciated in these last few weeks.

My prenatal appointments are still going well, baby and I are both checking out as healthy (despite my issues with foods, and physical limitations it's surprising how 'well' things truly are going).

I definitely waddle most of the time these days ;).. as is to be expected I suppose. Here is a couple of snapshots that I got Phillip to take of me yesterday (36w exactly):

I'm so grateful to have experienced this pregnancy, despite all the pain, and trials I've gone through during it, I am so blessed to have another child on the way. And am excited to meet this little person and come to know his/or her personality :). Every one of my children has been a unique blessing to our family, as I'm sure this new baby will be as well.

Well I'd best be going now..
Thanks for reading my update :)!

~Mama Rae~

Quick post here..

2011-04-26T23:16:00.000-05:00

More later.. but things are going great with baby, and Mama is hanging in as best she can!

33 week checkup for Mama and Baby..

2011-04-07T21:22:00.000-05:00

I had my 33 week checkup today (yea yea I know we are off kilter on the schedule oh well), and baby and I are doing well midwife is very happy with my urine testing fine, blood pressure still normal and in all doing well at this stage in things.

Personally I'm getting tired of BH, and just plain tired and hungry all the time lol.. but only a few more weeks now (less then 7.. but who's counting ;)). Granted I still have a lot less BH then I did in previous pregnancies, these waited mostly till the 'end' of PG instead of being constantly around for the whole PG.. but they are stronger (of course since this is my 4th) and more annoying.. or maybe I'm just more tired lol.

I do feel a bit sorry for my body though as in conversation with the midwife on some of the things I'm feeling/experiencing at this stage.. she told me she normally doesn't hear these types of complaints till a Mom is having her 6th-8th child .. thinks with the loose connective tissues I have (ehler-danlos syndrome) that my body is more stretched out/worn out then others would be at this point.

I think 'we' are about settled on a girl's name.. and 'I' am really fond of a boy's name but DH is still undecided on the boys name lol. Course we'll wait till the birth to announce the name.. but it feels good to have some idea of what it might be now lol.

I picked up a few pink outfits (newborn) just in case.. thought it would be nice to have around, plus we have a drawer full of 'gender neutral' stuff too (and tons of boys clothes of course). And have had some friends help me find other similarly useful/nice to have items too.

So now I'm mostly down to washing/prepping newborn diapers and organizing/preparing some final details for the birth :).

Still feel somewhere inbetween time flying by and time going way to slow lol.. I'm starting to be ready to not be pregnant anymore.. but still a little hesitant on diving into the work of baby bootcamp for the 4th time around LOL!

But over all I think I'm doing well, and feeling very blessed to be moved into our new home, it has helped ease my joint pain considerably already (yay for no stairs!), and it's nice to have a fresh spacious place to live in :). Still getting the final details of our old house cleaned/fixed so we can get it on the market asap, but hopefully within a couple days we'll have that completed as well.

Guess I should go rest.. but thought I'd better give an update as its been a long time since the last one :).

~Mama Rae~

Baby update.. 26.5 weeks

2011-02-20T15:11:00.000-06:00

Not much to update,
other then to say things are going well :).

Baby is still measuring right on for our 'guess date' and very active, already seems to have a lot of personality, goes wild if someone or something touches my belly (especially if they/it press into my belly). And often tries to kick things 'off' of Mama's belly already.

Our checkup went great this past week, heart beat was 148bpm.

Baby doesn't know it but Mama and the family will be moving to a new home at the beginning of March this year. So we are all rather busy right now. But hopefully once we settle down into the new home we'll be able to focus more on preparing for baby. For now everything is getting packed away, instead of prepared for baby. Oh well hopefully we'll have enough time to get it all straightened out by the time baby needs anything.

The move should be a blessing to our family, with a slightly larger home that is all one level (much gentler on Mamas joints), and yet still very close to Daddy's work (so he can still come home for lunches even :)!).

Here's a quick picture I had Phillip take of 'the baby and Mama' at 26.5 weeks (today).

That's all for now :).
~Rae~

Are you who you always wanted to be?

2011-02-14T10:28:00.000-06:00

I just remembered this morning..

how as a child I always wanted to be a 'wife and a mother' .... sometimes I wanted to specifically be a Pastor's wife.. but always I wanted to be a wife and a mother. Sometimes I wanted to do something in addition or before becoming a wife and a mother (such as landscape design, home health aide, or even a photography business), but always it was to the side/not my main life goal.

As I'm going through the crazy days of life right now, it's good to remind myself that I am truly 'living my dreams' ....... and that I need to slow down and enjoy them too!

I remember much laughter, and criticism especially as I hit my mid-teens and still had this as my life goal, many thought my goals were to low, that I needed to go to college and 'make something of myself' .. that I would 'have' to go to college in order to meet a man etc. Yet through it all I've always just quietly thought that there was nothing wrong with my goals, and that the Lord could and would bring me the right man at the right time (and he sure did!.. in a way this country raised girl never would have dreamed of). I think most people would have called me the girl most likely to 'stay in the county,' marry a farmer and live in a small town all my life. Little did any of us know that the Lord would call me to marry a computer programmer who lived in a metro area 3.5 hrs away from my home town/county!

Some know, though some don't that through a serious of events on-line I ended up meeting my now dear husband Phillip through a Christian Internet discussion forum (not a dating service). It started out as him just encouraging me, but both of us not even considering anything about each other, but eventually a friendship formed and we realized this could very well be serious. I still remember him telling me that he was sure that God had a special man for me someday. We gradually got to know each other through e-mail, chat, and with time we began to speak over the phone, after a couple of months we met in person.. and within approx 7 months of first 'meeting' on-line.. we were married! We are both a bit more quiet, a bit more reserved in person, so meeting this way allowed us to probe each other with questions and deeper thoughts without really being in each others personal space, it also allowed us to have a healthy courtship without to much physical contact (aka 3.5 hrs drive between us).

I feel so blessed, to be living my dreams, with my Christian husband, and three soon to be four children who call me Mama!

Though I've been given many trials in living this life, with multiple health problems, loss of family members, and daily smaller trials (such as raising the children we've been blessed with), through it all I must remember the blessings. And today I count among my blessings, the knowledge that I have always wanted to be exactly who and what I am today!

Thank you Phillip A. Gaeddert for saving yourself for me, and choosing me to be the wife and mother of your children. I love you beyond words.

Time for a PG update again :)

2011-01-23T16:38:00.001-06:00

Well I had my 22.5 week checkup,
baby was so active we could barely even get a heartbeat check, as baby just flipped and wiggled away so much. Did finally get a 145-148 range on the heartbeat this go around, and a 'very active baby' description of the baby LOL!

I'm measuring right on at 22.5 weeks along, and was told I'm doing well with my eating and work to stay healthy.

Here's a couple of new 'belly' pictures a friend took for me while visiting the other day (22.5 weeks along).

Unspoken Love

2011-01-11T11:51:00.000-06:00

Unspoken Love

Dishes clanking in the sink,
Gravel crunching under tread,
Quiet sounds otherwise unheard,
You forget that nothing's said.

Thunder rumbling through a storm,
Everything goes on the blink,
Cuddling in a candle lit room,
No reason to even think.

Little feet go rushing by,
Joyful sounds their mouths do make,
A kiss, a hug, or just a smile,
Sweet expressions with your mate.

Wishing for that special day,
Just wanting to be with you,
To joy, to cry, to laugh, to love,
Yeah, guys dream about it too. :)

phillip

[I found this poem as I was cleaning out my bible that Phillip wrote while we were dating, I know he also had an additional/alternate verse he used after he asked me to marry him, maybe he can add that on here if he likes :)]

Written in 2003 by Phillip Gaeddert

Update on Rae/the new baby (20 weeks along)

2011-01-04T07:29:00.002-06:00

Well it's past time to update on here,
I can't believe we are already half way through this pregnancy (20 weeks/5 months)!!

Things seem to be going both extremely slow and yet somehow amazingly fast all at the same time.

My most recent checkup was at 18 weeks, baby measured right on for our guess-date, and was/is do surprisingly very well despite all that is going on. Baby is growing at the proper rate, which means that the ridiculous amount of protein I'm eating must be working :), to feed and grow this baby properly.

I'm still struggling a lot with my health, but learning day by day that God's Grace is sufficient for me, no matter the circumstances, whether my digestion has weakened me to a ill state (happens a time or two per week still), or whether my joint pain is almost disabling, HIS Grace is still sufficient to get me through it. Often times it seems easier to just give up and say it's to hard, but yet somehow when I remember to rely on Jesus.. it becomes much easier to bear whatever the current trial is.

So far I'd say that this pregnancy has gone much better then I'd expected, and yet has also been far more difficult then I'd hoped. I had expected much more pain, and limitations, and far less digestion issues. Instead I am still daily struggling with poor digestion, and though I do have increasing levels of joint pain they aren't as bad as last time. And hopefully with diligent care we can improve my digestion, and keep my joint discomfort down as much as possible.

I'm thrilled that my body is still able to carry and care for the new baby, and really loving this stage of pregnancy as I can enjoy the baby wiggling around, and get frequent reminders of the wonderful being God is creating inside of me. Some days when I'm feeling discouraged or the pain is getting me down, a little kick or wiggle from inside is just such a blessed way of reminding me to look up and smile :)!

On a side note for my own health, I'm approaching the 1 year mark (mid-January) of when I found out I have Ehler-Danlos Syndrome. And as I look back over this past year (that also marks the beginning of exercise/therapy specific to my condition), I'm amazed how my life has changed, not only my health, but my perspective even. My pain levels over all (despite being half-way through a pregnancy) are lower this year, and my knowledge of what I can and cannot do is much higher. My outlook on life is more laid back, and I'm definitely far closer to my Lord Jesus.

Trials are never easy, but they sure can teach you a lot.. if you let them. That's probably a trial in itself.. to remember not to fight against the trial but to look and see what can be learned in and through it instead.

I do appreciate my friends and family's prayer/support, as our family is both blessed (with the new baby) and going through trials with my health.

It's often hard for me to admit my pain/discomfort, but if you see me sitting more then other people around me or not as active as others it's probably just that I can't handle those things due to my health. I sometimes wonder if people think I'm backwards/shy or otherwise refusing to take part in things out of rudeness, I know that it's hard to tell someone has a chronic health problem just by looking at them.

Well I will try to end this update on a happy note,
we finally remembered to take a belly picture for this pregnancy.. so here I am on Christmas Eve (18.5 weeks along):

For those who don't know me very well keep in mind this is pregnancy #4 for me, and I'm about 5' 10" tall... I know it's 'fun' to think about belly size so I thought I'd give detail to explain my size (whether you think I'm small/large lol.. everyone has a different opinion, so far personally I think I'm about average FOR ME that is :)!). Also you may click on the image if you'd like to see it larger.

Thanks for taking the time to read our little update,
and I hope you all are doing well ((((hugs))))),

~Mama Rae~

Our Family Christmas Card 2010

2010-12-17T10:47:00.000-06:00

Let us rejoice together as we remember Christ's Birth!

Merry Christmas from the Gaeddert Family!

Journey To Christ Religious

Create personalized greeting cards and invitations by Shutterfly.

View the entire collection of cards.

I wasn't able to get this done in time for Christmas.. so we just went with the digital copy, no actual prints were made.. but thought it'd be fun to at least share a 'Digital Christmas Card' this year :).

Another photobook finished at last :)

2010-12-03T10:32:00.000-06:00

I finished and ordered our photobook from the Gaeddert Family Vacation.. to Colorado in May 2010. Only took 7 months to get through 400+ images and design a book of memories to enjoy :).

Anyway some of you may not get a chance to see the hard copy version so here's a digital one.. to get an idea of how nice it'll be. I will bring it to RBBC for those in our class who might like to see it in person, however it 'is' the Gaeddert version ;) starring our family and the mountains of course ;).

Now if I can get Samuel's baby pictures sorted through and make his baby photobook, before the next baby comes I'll be thrilled :)!

Click here to view this photo book larger

While I'm posting photobooks..

2010-11-20T21:55:00.000-06:00

Here's a photobook I made this past spring for Mother's Day (err for the Grandma's on Mother's Day.. though I had to have one myself too).

This was obviously made prior to any thought/knowledge of Gaeddert Baby blessing #4..

But it was still a fun book :).

Click here to view this photo book larger

Ian's Photobook

2010-11-20T21:45:00.000-06:00

BTW since I did just print/post about Nathaniel's photobook,
I might as well add in Ian's photobook, which I actually printed a year or two back (shhhh don't tell the kids who's book got done first lol..)

Now I just need to try and get one together for Samuel..

Click here to view this photo book larger

Nathaniel's Baby Book...

2010-11-20T21:38:00.001-06:00

I finally got around to printing Nathaniel's Baby Book,
the night before he turned 6 years old..

At least I did make it right lol!?

Click here to view this photo book larger

Still doing good..

2010-10-14T14:07:00.002-05:00

So far so good,
with Baby #4 we had our first check-up last weekend and all seems to be well, almost thought we heard the heartbeat but the baby moved so fast it's hard to be sure. Maybe next time :). We are guessing that I'm just over 8 weeks along, though it's truly just a guess. If that's the case I'll be due around May 24th, 2011' ...

Oh and for the ever obvious question 'do you want a girl this time, or are you happy with your boys' ....... the answer is a resounding YES ! I know we'll be happy either way, there is some 'fear' of the unknown gender, but some longing as well...... and a definite entrenchment/love for our current set of boys.

The trick this time.. is we aren't planning to find out the gender until the birth (our first time of waiting) so....... you all get to be patient with us haha...... we'll let ya know when he/or she gets here LOL!

My three boys..

2010-10-08T19:53:00.000-05:00

Recently we took the three boys in for their annual checkup,
Nathaniel was about 46lbs and 46 inches I think, Ian was 40lbs and 40inches, and Samuel was 28lbs and 33 inches (didn't match.. oh well lol).

Nathaniel got a clean bill of health report, as did Samuel (apart from needing to get his cavities taken care of .. sigh), but Ian was referred to a foot doctor for further review. We asked about his appearance of flat feet and complaint of foot pain, our family doctor checked him over and encouraged us to take him to a specialist.

Ian saw the foot doctor today, we talked, had a exam of his feet and x-rays of his feet. The doctor said he has over-flexible feet that flatten when he bears weight on them, we can't tell yet if it's just the Gaeddert flat footed problem, or complicated by Ehler-Danlos Syndrome (EDS) from Mama. But the doctor said either way his treatment for it would be the same, he is to have custom orthotics (arches) made to support his arches in the right manner. They will take molds of his feet within the next couple of weeks and have them custom made (we'll have to have new ones made each time his feet get bigger). The doctor is also referring us on to a Pediatric Orthopedist to be certain he doesn't have further joint problems such as in his knees or hips complicating the flat footed issue.

Apparently at this point his bones in his feet are shaped like Daddy's (they are in a Z pattern), except for the over flexible part. Phillip also has custom orthotics for flat feet, and it does seem to run in the family. Catching it early can at times correct it (though with the bone structure issue it may not, we will have to wait and see).

Prayer for Ian adjusting to the new arches when we get them would be appreciated, as Phillip says they can be painful as the foot learns to hold a correct position, and often take a couple weeks of wearing them for gradually longer periods before they are comfortable (eventually it should feel better to wear them, then to go without though).

At this point Ian thinks it's all fun and neat that he'll be like Daddy.. if only we can keep that excitement about things as he gets through the adjustment period.

Well that's about all for now..
Hopefully we'll have better news next time around.
~Mama Rae~

Samuel wanted to share this with you all....

2010-10-04T20:34:00.000-05:00

We are all excited to announce the coming of our 4th child, who should make his or her appearance somewhere around the end of May 2011. The Lord never stops amazing me.. in the midst of my poor health He has blessed us with another child! Just when it would seem nearly impossible for this to happen.. He makes it happen :)!

Though there are some worries/concerns with my health, we are going to do our very best to keep Mama and Baby healthy, and to praise God for being all wise in HIS timing..! Prayer that I will remain committed to daily exercises that strengthen my joints, and a proper diet to support the little one and myself, would be much appreciated :).

TTFN,
~Mama Rae~

Nathaniel..

2010-08-11T11:59:00.000-05:00

Is growing up way to fast..

Although he's still 5 yrs old he looks far more like 6 here lately (his birthday is in November!).. and in just a couple of weeks he will start Kindergarten here at home.

Here's a recent shot of him as he was running through playing, I got him to pause in the hallway for a picture.. and this was the grown up look I got!

He's so full of questions these days, that one day when I was quite exhausted from all his questions and he asked yet another one I asked him in turn 'why' he asked that question.. and of all things his response was "Because I thought it." Probably the most honest, to the point response I've ever had from him LOL!

I pray that this first year of homeschooling will be fun for all of us, and that we'll all learn from it.
And I thank the Lord that we are able to provide for his schooling at home.

Guess I'd better go make lunch, Nathaniel is already asking for some.. and lately he has been eating twice his usual large amount.. wonder how big he'll be after this growth spurt?!?

~Mama Rae~

Three blessings..

2010-07-30T19:49:00.002-05:00

in my life..

Thank you God,
for the many blessings you've given my family..

~Mama Rae~

A time of clarity and peace

2010-06-22T15:33:00.000-05:00

So much of my life is chaos these days,
that I've really been enjoying a little taste of clarity and peace lately. It's really just a change/shift in me that I know will soon flip back to craziness but for now it's such a joy to be at peace, to accomplish much without over doing things, and to have a bit more patience with the kids again. If only this could be my 'normal' instead of the 'abnormal' sigh. I've got so much done around home, and life has been much closer to living the blessedness that is mine, instead of drowning in it barely able to survive.

Mid-July I see my doctor again and am hoping to somehow be able to have enough clarity of thought and peace at heart to explain to him the CHAOS that is going on within my body most days. I fear the hormone treatment I'm on may be making things worse instead of better, but we'll see what his opinion is at that time I guess.

For now I just thought I'd give a shout out and say I'm still 'me' and I still LOVE all of YOU.......
and I'm sorry that I'm unable to maintain this joy on a daily basis.. but maybe someday it'll happen :).

Here's a couple cute pictures of Samuel from his 20 month portrait session.. taken by Mama Rae of course ;).

The boys are all doing well,
Samuel still needs to learn to eat more and sleep more, but someday that will happen, and it will greatly help my health I'm sure when it does. As for now he loves to give hugs, cuddles, and of course still loves his mama milk. He's well known for completely falling apart if he can't have/see/be with Mama still, but is gradually becoming a little more of a Daddy's boy, and gets very excited when Daddy comes home from work. He has begun to show some independence in wanting to walk more often, but still needs carried a fair bit as well, Praise God for babywearing.. as Samuel is nearing 27lbs now and hard for me to carry without the support of a wrap these days.

Ian has learned to ride a bike with training wheels this summer and is loving life, he still is an extreme child for emotions either extremely bubbly happy or full out tantrum in the floor. Ian is very quick to learn things, but at the same time if he doesn't want to do something he can give you the opinion that he has no idea how to do it or is completely incapable of doing it (manipulative at times) while he melts into the floor wailing about it.

Nathaniel is struggling against authority and has trouble controlling his temper, he often takes a little 'wrestling' from his brothers as rights to crush them... ahh the joy of having boys I guess. Nathaniel starts Kindergarten this fall (at home) and is really excited about it, he wants to learn to read and I think he will thrive on the structure it should bring to his life (if only the Lord will grant me enough rest so that I can GIVE him the structure he'll need for that time). I often think Nathaniel gets the short end of the stick being the eldest, where more is expected from you, but less parental time and energy is given to you.

Daddy is doing well too,
his work keeps him busy lately, but he still finds time for his children, swinging them up in his arms when he comes home (which all THREE still love..) and guiding them in their scripture/biblical learning. Lately he's added a few children's songs with motions into our family worship time and the kids absolutely adore that, amazing how much better they sit still for the scripture reading after getting some wiggles out first :). Daddy Phillip has also taken up his trumpet again lately and is practicing up so if you go to RBBC be ready because he'll be joining in from time to time with the music sometime soon ;). We still make it a priority to spend time together as a couple, and try to encourage and bless one another as best we can in between caring for the kiddos.

We truly have a blessed family, and I can only Praise and Thank GOD for giving us these blessings. And I pray that these times of peace might come more and more often.. till someday the (personal) chaos is the abnormal, granted I know life with three boys will always have chaos.. but I desire the peace at heart that transcends understanding :).

Well tis time to wake the littles from their naps,
and maybe take them to the local pool..
Off I go.. much love to all :)!

~Mama Rae~

Free clothes

2010-04-11T15:53:00.003-05:00

Ladies clothing free in the below sizes..

Rae's big house cleaning/organization has started:

Ladies Clothes:

Size 16- 2 pair jeans (spoken for)

Size 12, huge lot of jeans, shirts, and even a dresses maybe. (very full kitchen trash bag) (on hold till Friday)

Size 10 huge lot of jeans, shorts, capris, shirts, dresses. (very full kitchen trash bag) (on hold till Tues afternoon)

Nursing clothes (Breastfeeding),
small bag of size Large nursing shirts- (grocery bag)

Big bag of XL nursing shirts AND dresses (kitchen trash bag, over half full). (spoken for)

I will keep this stuff for approx. 1 week, before sending them to thrift stores/crisis pregnancy centers if no one claims them. (Or if someone claims them but can't pick them up right away I can hold for a reasonable amount of time)

If you don't like my prices (Free) feel 'free' to make a donation to Haiti Home of Hope http://www.haitihomeofhope.org/ as 'payment' for these items :).

Call Rae at 816.872.7199 or message me on Facebook to 'claim' some of this good stuff. Most of this clothing is in like new condition, or gently used.

Samuel is 18 months old.. 1.5 years old.....

2010-04-01T22:53:00.002-05:00

Wow.. how did my 'baby' that I just gave birth to.. turn into a 18 month old little toddler/boy,
who walks, runs, and plays, and clings, and nurses, and talks, brings me wraps (his way of asking me to wear him), and loves everything to do with being outside??

Samuel's 18m check-up went well, he's now 25lbs 4oz and 32inches tall.. average weight, above average height, and way above average head ....... so in other words.. perfectly normal for my family LOL!

Things I never knew..
would be the case at this point in his life.
I never knew he would spend as much or more time in my bed then I do.. I never knew he'd prefer crunchy foods to anything soft or gooey.. that he'd still hardly drink anything other then Mamas milk, I never knew he'd be as loving and cuddly as he is, I never knew he'd already have had two hair cuts and be close to needing a third, I never knew he'd stay up to 10 or 12 at night.. almost every night! I never thought.. he'd be my last baby.. and wish I'd been treasuring every second of his and his brothers lives..

I'm sure that the blessings of having all three of these little boys in our home will forever create lists of things 'I never knew,' and I'm so very grateful for all three of them, thank you dear Lord for the family YOU have entrusted my husband and I with..

Here he is just a couple of days ago:

What a blessing from God :) Samuel truly is..
~Mama Rae~

Are any of my readers/friends..

2010-04-01T21:49:00.000-05:00

Really into cleaning/sorting things.. so much that they'd be at all interested in helping me?

I kid you not.. I'd love to have a friend come over and help me 'pick trash from treasure' or whatever you want to call it.. to thin down the piles in my home. I'm tired of looking at them.. but fear attacking them alone.

Closets and other hide away spots are my worst enemy.. for tidiness in my home. It's not to hard to keep the main areas picked up.. especially if you have a couple of closets you can shove everything into (blush).

You might call this a 'spring cleaning' urg.. though it's been heavy on my mind for the last year or so to be perfectly honest.

I'm sure we could work something out.. to make it beneficial for us both (maybe some of my junk would be treasure to you..) :).

Just leave a reply here.. e-mail me.. or even give me a call.... if you feel up to jumping into the hidden treasures of my home with me :)!

~Rae~

Infantino bag sling recalled at last,

2010-03-26T22:03:00.001-05:00

The CSPC has announced a recall for the Infantino slingrider baby carrier see their official notice here:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml10/10177.html Sadly the company has been aware of the dangers of this sling since 2003, despite several deaths over the years they are just now recalling it.

Please keep in mind the above sling is so poorly designed that there is far to many risk factors to wear it with a newborn, please immediately discontinue any use if you own one, and consider a safer designed sling, your baby's life is at risk in bag style slings such as the infantino one.

There are other brands of bag style slings that have not as yet been recalled, if you own any brand of a bag sling please do not risk your babies life.

Remember there are many safe baby carriers, and with some basic safety knowledge you can safely carry your baby hands free. Please see my previous post on babywearing safely for hints and tips on safely wearing your baby, and links to show a variety of safe baby carriers being used properly.

And as always here's your gratuitous 'safe' babywearing photo, Mama with Samuel (around 17 months old) in a back wrap cross carry with our 4.6m Vicky Storchenwiege woven wrap.

Babywearing safely

2010-03-19T16:54:00.001-05:00

So some, not all, have heard about the cpsc's recent warning on slings used for baby wearing.

However the statement was somewhat incomplete and very confusing for many people, especially if you did not know much about baby wearing to begin with.

Women have been carrying their babies with strips of cloth and various styles of carriers for centuries, this is not a new fad, but rather a very old way that mothers have used for who knows how many generations to keep baby close and safe has become 'popular' once again.

It isn't that all slings are unsafe and must be avoided, though there are some slings (bag slings, like the infantino sling riders) that are so poorly designed it's nearly impossible to safely position your child in them and many babies have suffocated in these bag style slings. Still other slings are uncomfortable for parent and child (such as bjorns and snugli type carriers) the latter may cause to much stress on babies pelvis/hips and puts baby's spine in a unnatural position (plus they aren't comfortable for parents either).

Good carrier options if used properly would be carriers such as:
Ring Slings, Pouches, Mei Tais, Soft Structured Buckle Carriers, and Wraparound carriers (like I primarily use). If in doubt about what carrier you should trust or which one to choose consider joining a baby wearing community such as the one at TheBabyWearer.com, I've found it very helpful to connect with other people all around the world who 'carry' their babies in a variety of carriers.

But just like with anything intended to be used with small babies/children you must learn the 'safe' way to use them in order to prevent injury or death. Here is a great printable pdf that explains what baby wearing is and how to do it safely: http://www.slingsilove.com/babywearing101.pdf

Also here is another great resource for proper positioning newborns 0-4 months old in carriers: http://www.thebabywearer.com/articles/HowTo/Positioning.pdf

And one more link with great info: http://babywearinginternational.org/

The major babywearing 'do nots' are.. do not let baby curl into a chin to chest fetal position in your carrier as babies airways become blocked in this position and they can easily suffocate (no matter WHAT style of carrier, if baby is in there wrong.. it can be dangerous), often people speak of a 'cute' wheezing sound their baby makes while sleeping curled up in their carrier WATCH OUT that is the sound of a blocked airway!!!!!!!!! Also ALWAYS make sure there is a clear airway for the baby to breath without being pressed into mother.

If you nurse your child in the carrier ALWAYS make sure baby has room to pull his head back to breath and check on the little one frequently so your certain baby's airway is open and unblocked by the carrier or mother's body.

And of course always be certain that whenever you attach baby to you with a carrier no matter how experienced or careful you are.. ALWAYS double check that everything is in place securely so there is no chance of baby falling out, baby's airway is open, and the carrier is positioned comfortably for mother and baby.

This is not a post to freak people out about babywearing, but rather to remind people just as with all other things used with a baby it MUST be done Safely!

Babies die in carseats/strollers, and automatic swings, for some of the same reasons of baby's head falling 'chin to chest' and the airway becoming blocked. Babies cannot tell us something is wrong so we MUST do OUR PART in protecting them and keeping them safe no matter where or with whom they may be. The rule is always going to be .. Safety First :)!

Baby wearing has been a huge blessing for my family personally and a very useful parenting tool as well. It's great to snuggle close with your baby (especially high needs babies) and still be able to care for your home and other children. So long as you do your part in learning which carriers are good and what carrying positions are safe, your family can be blessed by it as well!

I know personally as I deal with my own health limitations (Ehler-Danlos Syndrome) that having a carrier to help support my child as I carry him reduces my pain and allows me to hold him more often then I would be able to without carriers. For me carrying in arms/on my hips without a carrier causes joint displacement and a great deal of pain, so I am truly thankful to know about and use baby carriers safely for our family.

If you have any further concerns or questions about baby wearing please feel free to contact me, if I don't know the answer I can probably find out the answer for you. Thank YOU for taking the time to read about safely wearing YOUR baby :).

~Mama Rae~

P.S. I can't leave this without a couple of 'good' babywearing pictures :):

Some verses to ponder

2010-02-27T21:56:00.000-06:00

In my reading of late I have run into these verses and feel that they ought to be drilled into my head..

at such a time as this..

Psalms 42:11 (ESV)

Why are you cast down, O my soul, and why are you in turmoil within me? Hope in God; for I shall again praise him, my salvation and my God.

2 Corinthians 12: 7-10 (ESV)

So to keep me from becoming conceited because of the surpassing greatness of the revelations, a thorn was given me in the flesh, a messenger of Satan to harass me, to keep me from becoming conceited. Three times I pleaded with the Lord about this, that it should leave me. But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly of my weaknesses, so that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong.

-- -- -- -- --

Oh that I might say this with all my heart, know this, own this, and live these words!

The 'my baby' is growing up to fast.. post

2010-02-17T16:07:00.001-06:00

Recent photos that tell the story..
Of how grown up 'baby' (toddler) Samuel is getting..

So if the pictures weren't a good enough explanation, then let me summarize it by saying we've moved from high chair to booster seat (16m), crib (err my bed to be honest) to toddler bed (15 almost 16m), crawling (9m) to gradually walking (14m), almost running (16m), and even playing in the snow with his brothers..

BUT he still loves to cuddle with Mama, have mama milk, and be held lots and lots. There's still a trace of baby in there.. but at 16.5 months there are days when I hardly recognize him he looks so big, talks so much, fights with his brothers, and otherwise acts just like a big toddler!

Living with EDS

2010-02-17T11:18:00.000-06:00

So I'm now three weeks from my dx of Ehler-Danlos Syndrome (EDS),
and beginning to more fully grasp it day by day what this will mean in my life.

At first it was like a bad dream, that I was sort of hoping would go away if I just did 'this or that,' but the truth is this is reality for me. And I'm realizing more all the time, that I've dealt with an unusually high level of pain for years without hardly thinking about it. I don't know why I never looked into the reason for my pain, but it was I guess just so easy to blame it on this or this that. Recently I told my husband that before my dx I would have just complained that I was sore and tired, but now that I'm more aware of what's going on I can pin-point that certain joints have dislocated 'today' and the surrounding muscles were very sore from that.

For instance, today when I woke up my left shoulder was dislocated in my sleep (arm was over my head), hurt crazy bad, and I rotated it several times and heard a few pops eventually, now I'm just left with tender muscles. My left hip was also dislocated in my sleep but it went back in when I rolled over, and is a little tender but such a 'normal pain' to me that I hardly notice it (since carrying the kids regularly puts it out of place). I also finally realized why my right foot has hurt so bad since I vacuumed my bedroom yesterday morning, in massaging it this morning I realized the pain is in the joint of one of my toes.. aka even toes can dislocate. But I have no idea how to get that one back in, hope it just works back in itself.. sigh

As I've read and researched about EDS, I've found out many things in my life that I thought were normal, are not. My excessive amount of stretch marks are common with EDS, my struggle with muscle cramps for years (waking at night with painful foot/leg cramps) are common with EDS, and regularly 'sore/painful' muscles are not from being out of shape or weak.. as I used to joke.. but actually due to overly loose joints that partially dislocate or even fully dislocate on a weekly or even daily basis.

Probably the hardest part of my EDS dx,
one I'm even hesitant to write of, because it's such a tender issue for me. Is that due to complications from EDS, it may be unwise for me to go through any further pregnancies. As a couple we are in prayer and would appreciate your prayers as well over this matter of the heart. Some might say it's a matter of wisdom in not trying to have more children at this time, others might say our faith is weak, and we should trust that God will bring me through just fine. At this time it seems to us unwise, to endanger my health, as each pregnancy was progressively worse, primarily with hip/pelvis dislocations and severe pain, to the point that with my 3rd I could barely move at night, and was in unbelievable levels of pain. I did NOT recover from the last pregnancy, though the pain has lessened, the muscles/tendons in my pelvis and hips were damaged, and it's questionable whether exercise and time will ever heal them, but my general understanding is that EDS weakens those joints greatly. It is apparently not uncommon for women with EDS to end up temporarily or even permanently in a wheel chair from complications of pregnancy.

The sort of good news,
is that the majority of these dislocations work themselves back in almost as easily as they work themselves out, but they do cause sore muscles and if they stay out of joint for a lengthy time they can damage the muscles/tendons causing further pain and longer recovery times.

I have been working on my exercises to strengthen my core for over a month now (started specific Pilates/Isometrics 1-13-2010), and am grateful that my chiropractor had started me on these prior to my dx, because it has benefited my hips especially a lot. My hips were going out a lot, and I would be in excruciating pain unable to get them back into place, it would take a lot of tender work with the chiropractor to get them back in, only to have them go back out within a day or two. But since the exercises, I find that my hips now don't slip out quite as frequently, and they CAN go back in at home now, often during my exercises even. Side-effects of this (good ones) are that my belt now fits down a notch (without losing weight thankfully), and my over-all attitude is happier (less pain, and exercise, both equal better moods).

I am also learning how NOT to do things, like I can't squat, sit cross legged (or cross my ankles), and need to have good posture as much as possible to help keep my joints in place and not irritate things further. I've learned that THOUGH some things such as hip-carrying a child hurt me, exclusively carrying the child to the core of my body.. hurts me to (separated my pelvic bone), so instead I must learn to shift the child's weight around carrying them in moderation from hip, to core (middle), to other hip, and then set them down whenever possible. Also using carriers such as wraps are still very useful if I'm to carry the child for long-term (such as a nap or shopping trip), but I must choose carries that support my joints rather then pull on them.

EDS like my other major health problems (PCOS, Hypoglycemia..) is very humbling and a regular reminder that I am NOT self-sufficient and must not only rely on others, but truly must rely on GOD! It would be very easy to sink into self-pity, depression and anger, as I deal with yet another ill health issue. But I'm determined NOT to do that.. I'm sure I will have minor battles (often on a daily basis) with those issues.. but long-term I want to see this as yet another reminder to care for my body (temple of the Holy Spirit), and look to God.

Sunday's sermon was quite a reminder to me,
of Satan's attacks, and how he could use my illness against me, to embitter me, and was already getting his foot in the door to do just that. Nothing like leaving a service broken and seeking forgiveness for heart matters that most cannot see but God not only see's but reveals to you! I 'thought' I was doing well but at the same time God revealed to me I have far far to go..

It's hard not to grieve the what ifs.. in a process like this. Or to not obsess about the "will I ever" questions that circle around in my mind and heart. But instead I must focus on what is!

I CHOOSE to be Joyful, Thankful, and Grateful, for the life my Lord Jesus has blessed me with, I acknowledge that without these various pains, and issues I would most likely be a very prideful person. I thank the Lord for giving me a wonderful understanding husband who stands beside me, and helps me throughout these trials in life. And I am unbelievably thankful that the Lord blessed us with three little boys to raise, and nurture and disciple in Him.

Praise God with me.. for He has blessed me with all I've ever dreamed of and more.. a God honoring husband, a home to share with him, three children entrusted to our care, and enough illness to keep my attention focused on Him (God)!

In Christ,
~Rae Gaeddert~

Time to ramble again,

2010-01-27T15:37:00.001-06:00

I find myself struggling along,
and needing to express things yet unsure if I should or not. But at some point they just have to burst forth.. whether anyone cares to read them or not.

I am somewhere between the mountain top and the bottom of the valley these days.. sometimes I think I must be in both places at once.

On the one side, I'm full of love and joy, with a wonderful husband and three ever growing boys, who wouldn't be? Someone always does or says something funny every day, someone gives me a special hug, or randomly one of the boys will do something totally loving and sweet for the other boys. I'm reading more in the scriptures these days then I have in a long time, and that is a huge encouragement as well. I've been managing the house a bit better, at least being certain of a meal ready for dinner or almost ready when Phillip gets home, and I strive to get the basics of the house cared for, with the hopes of getting some extra house stuff done some day.

Yet on the other side, I'm not only worn out, tired out, and even want to drop out at times.. but I'm worn down, and sad and yet.. I often can't explain much if any of what's going on or why.
    Some people know of my health struggles (PCOS, hypoglycemic, thyroid, IBS, etc) others don't, but few realize how much they affect my day to day life.
   Yesterday I had a check-up with my favorite doctor of all time (Dr. B), and we discussed much of my health problems and life in general. He always listens so well, and often thinks of things most medical doctors wouldn't, such as treating me with a combination of rx's and natural supplements in addition to diet and exercise recommendations. It appears that after our discussion yesterday that my hip and pelvic problems I've had since this last baby, are more serious then we originally thought. And not something I can just wait for it to heal, or exercise away. Dr. B started telling me about Ehlers-Danlos Syndrome (EDS http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ehlers-Danlos_syndrome ) and asking me odd questions such as was I at all double jointed (and yes actually I am somewhat). So to cut to the short side of things EDS is a life long syndrome that in the form I'm exhibiting causes hypermobility of the joints. This can lead to situations such as mine especially after the strain of 2 or 3 kids on my body.. where some joints (my hips) don't stay in place they keep dislocating or even 'locking' in pain.
    So now I have even more 'unhealthy credentials' to add to my name.. haha
I'm seriously in a mix of emotions right now about this, it is in some ways a relief, to realize there is something seriously wrong causing all this pain, and yet at the same time THAT in itself is not something I wanted to hear, especially since this is a 'syndrome' meaning it's a life-long issue that can be treated but is not expected to ever fully go away. But at least now we KNOW what it is and we can LEARN how to handle this new twist in things. From what I'm reading mostly this kind of thing is treated with therapy/exercises and learning what and how one can and cannot move/sit/behave.

But always there is another way to look at things..
I have seen and pray that I will continue to see God use my health problems, and limitations, to bless and encourage and strengthen others around me. I can honestly say that if I were 'healthy as a horse' my family would not eat super healthy (like they do), I would not remember to take care of my own body (like I'm forced to, or else I cannot care for my family), and I'm sure I would not look to my Lord nearly as often.. if I were not forced down to my knees, with pain, discomfort, and constant reminders of my own human limitations. Throughout my life I pray that I might in turn bless and encourage those around me, and if anyone reading this has or has had these same problems please feel free to send me a private note so we can share and encourage one another as well.

To GOD be the Glory.. Great things he has Done!

Nathaniel my son.. my 5 year old

2009-12-02T17:52:00.003-06:00

What can I say about Nathaniel?
Most of you who have met him in person realize.. he can say much about himself and often does.. or tell you something random that may have happened a couple weeks ago or even a couple of years ago.

Nathaniel turned 5 yrs old in November this year and was extremely excited about it, he'll still tell you that he 'just' had his birthday and is 5 now :).

At his check-up this year he was 44 lbs and 44" tall (continuing with his amusing pattern of matching weight and height.. for I believe his 3rd year in a row now). He talks up a storm, runs, screams, hollars, roars, and otherwise makes noise, constantly while awake, and only falls asleep at nap time 1-3 times a week anymore, so that's a lot of the day to have noise and movement constantly.. but somehow he manages to keep it going lol. Thankfully he goes to bed relatively easy and fairly early.

He is my firstborn and often times my most challenging child being of a fairly opposite personality of my husband and I. Despite how talkative, out-going, and crazy he is.. he's also boy-tough and rough... yet so very emotional that the slightest disappointment often dissolves him into tears. He seems to prefer out and out in your face disobedience and naughty behavior (whereas his brother Ian.. is more manipulative and secretive about his misbehavior).

Nathaniel is typically not photogenic anymore.. instead preferring to either purposely make goofy weird faces.. or just plain look odd.. eventually if I'm determined enough and he's in the right mood though we can still get some nice photos. Mostly though he and Ian beg for me to take pictures of them.. and then run away giggle as soon as I get the camera out (sigh), such ornery twerps they are.

Thus far Nathaniel still holds the award for being the clumsiest son in our house.. (though Samuel is quickly catching up).. he even managed to somehow fall onto the rocker and black his own eye right before his birthday (sigh) we are still waiting on that to fade out more so that we can try for his official '5 year portraits.' So until we get those.. I will just add some random snapshots to this post to give you and idea who my son is :).

He's our boy and we love him..

So much I don't understand.. (aka another Why post)

2009-12-02T15:43:00.000-06:00

These days there is just so much I don't understand,
some silly some serious.. such as:

Why is it so hard to remember to care for myself, and not just the kids (housework, dog, cat, etc)?

Why must I daily struggle with my health?

Why do children prefer fighting over playing?

Why can I perfectly prepare 2 meals, clean house, care for children, and have time to spare somedays.. and other days can barely get everyone dressed for the day and basic needs met?

Why do I have so many acquaintances yet so few 'true friends' ?

Why don't I feel it's okay to randomly call up a friend for a visit or just a conversation? Especially when I'd love... for someone to do the same for me?

Why must I waver between tears and anger some days? And yet be filled with Joy and Love on other days?

Why am I regularly pushed to the extremes of exhaustion and sleep deprivation?

Are good sleeping babies a myth? Are easy babies a 'myth' ? .. I often think they must be...

Why do I love being a wife and mother so much, and yearn for more children.. even during the absolute chaos that IS my life?!?!?

Why do I ask why so much.. yet hate it when my kids constantly ask Why? ROFL???

Test Post

2009-11-14T10:50:00.000-06:00

Trying to add a gadget for people to leave 'reactions' to these posts, similar to FB's 'like' feature.

Let's see if this works or not.. please 'view original post' (if your reading this on FB that is) and leave a reaction so I will know it works (and if it didn't add the gadget feel free to leave a comment instead).

Here goes...

All wrapped up..

2009-11-13T15:38:00.000-06:00

Samuel is all wrapped up snug and comfy napping away on me.

I'm so appreciative for my wraps and how much easier they make my life. I've heard of this happening but had never had a little one do it before. But a couple nights back Samuel crawled over and started pointing at a wrap wanting it, I thought he just wanted to play with it, but nope he brought it to me (crawling/dragging it) and held up for me. I asked if he wanted to be wrapped and it was just clear he did. I wrapped a quickly smiling baby who snuggled in and nursed contentedly for a few minutes. Then he was done wanted out and took off playing again.

Soooooo super sweet, I love that he loves it, and it often calms him down when he's fussy if he can be snuggled up close to Mama. Unlike my arms the wrap doesn't get tired of holding him close, so sometimes we stay wrapped for hours as he snuggles and nurses, and sleeps etc.

I don't have any recent photos of us wrapped (wish I did), he's currently sleeping in our first attempt at a 'semi-fwcc' in our new Didymos Jeansblau Nino sz2. But I think I can dig up some older pics of us wrapped up :).

First up we have Mama with Samuel at six weeks old in our very first wrap a DIY (spring green) fleece wrap! (Pocket Wrap Cross Carry)

Then in the above image he's around 4 months old wrapped in our Didymos Lisa (back wrap cross carry tied tibetan).

And in the final image that I've found he's around 5 months old in our Didymos blue and white Nils wrap. (ruck tied in front)

That was a fun trip down memory lane.. maybe I can get some new pictures of us wrapped up soon too :).

For now Enjoy.. and I'm gonna go rest with my snuggly wrappee baby :).

Laters :)!

Our usual afternoon has started

2009-11-10T14:37:00.000-06:00

Baby Samuel is crashed out napping in our Nils blue and white standard didymos wrap.. just like he often is at this time of day.

The big boys are 'resting' in their room though I can tell they haven't fallen asleep yet. And I'm left wondering whether it'd be safe to lay my head down and rest a few minutes.. or if a fight will soon break out amongst the supposedly resting children.

I'm considering my dinner plans, and changing my mind multiple times on which meal I will fix with the meat I currently have thawed. Often times it comes down to a matter of time and which meal fits the time-line I have left once I finally get to start cooking dinner.

Lovely classical music is streaming from the 'Net, and intermixing with the sound of ocean waves from the baby's sound machine (no really it's a nice mix).

This is the closest I get to 'me' time anymore.. one kid sleeping on me.. and the others 'resting.' Often I browse and comment on web-forums that I'm a part of during this time, sometimes I slip down stairs (with a monitor on to hear the big boys) and edit images on my computer down there (which is way fun, and refreshing/relaxing for me).

Sometimes I actually do lay down and rest, sometimes I read the bible (whether on-line, or actually from a bound book), or a novel. I wish I could figure out how to crochet or something creative like that while baby naps on my chest, but I just don't think that would work lol.

Most days I do a little of all of the above. But it sure is nice, to have no one asking me questions, and no tantrums, hitting, or other child like craziness.. for a brief time in my day.

Oh and sometimes I use this time to blog ;) .. if I can get the baby to sleep well enough to use two hands (or I type one handed but it's awful slow one handed, and my posts are often much shorter then lol) for typing out my thoughts.

Anyway.. that's how most of my afternoons go for now :).

Speaking of changes: let's talk about this past year..

2009-11-06T12:21:00.001-06:00

In this past year a lot of things have changed.
Of course just over a year ago we were blessed with our third child, our son Samuel. And admittedly his arrival did spawn some of the changes around here though not all of them.

Three children in less then 5 yrs is a tremendous blessing, but also requires my full and utmost attention and time. And that in and of itself has been a hard adjustment for me. I've had to let go of a lot of things to make this work better.

I was a aquarium keeper from age 13 to age 25.. but alas I had to give that up this last year, because there was no time at all to 'keep' the aquariums, my fish were suffering unfairly, and it was stressful to not be able to give them the care they deserved.

About this same time-line another big change, was that we tore out almost all of the carpet in the house and gradually replaced it with new snap-together hard wood flooring. That was a LOT of work and a LOT of time, yet a tremendous blessing. I went from 20+ minutes of vacuuming to clean the upstairs, to between 2-5 minutes (depending on how dirty they are) of dust mopping the floors!!!!! Amazing difference, granted they 'show' dirt sooner so I am cleaning them on a almost daily basis (sometimes multiple times a day), however they are so much CLEANER and look soooo much better then the old carpet and linoleum that was falling apart and really grungy that I'm truly thrilled with this new flooring :)! Plus I feel way better about my baby crawling on this.. then I ever did about the kiddos crawling on the nasty old flooring.

We also picked up a new dog last April, her name is Lady she's a great dog. But came to us 'used' as a dear friend called it lol. And had several querks that have taken 6+ months to begin to iron out.. she used to be afraid of my husband (Phillip) and would wet herself if he walked past her even sometimes! But now she comes up to him for petting and seems to be fine with him. She used to be terrified of leashes, but gradually I am teaching her to walk on a leash (between a training dvd and LOTS of treats I think we will get there eventually). More and more though she's becoming a joy to have around, and a beautiful warm hearted puppy. From a dog who was found on someone's doorstep a couple days before Christmas delivering a litter of puppies, who spent Christmas-April in a shelter, raised and saw her puppies given away, had surgery (spade), and then the adjustment to a new home with small children and a old grumpy dog... I think she's blossomed marvelously considering the conditions. And look forward to how well she will be in another 6 months-a year :)!

Another related change,
is that our 9.5 yr old dog Lindy that we'd had since January 2006, had gradually become more and more ill with Cushings Syndrome, and was clearly in pain, the pain was making her grouchy, to the point that she had bitten our oldest child and snapped at the baby. It was becoming dangerous to keep her, and sad to see her so unhappy to. So we made the difficult decision to put her to sleep in early September of this past year. I think we must have all been stressed from her illness, because humans and pets alike in this household seemed to calm down after her passing. It was sad, yet at the same time it was okay too. The children never really understood what happened to her, just that she was gone, which as young as they are that's okay too.

Another big change,
is that we joined a Farm CSA, that is about a 35 minute drive from here. And now the majority of our groceries are direct from the farm. We get our milk, most of our eggs, most of our cheeses, our chicken, pork, beef, turkey and various fresh produce depending on the season, direct from the farm now. So that is a big change to no longer have a weekly grocery store run (that's about once a month now), and a big big change in my cooking habits. As I am now cooking what's available in season, and fresher foods prepare differently as well. But it's been fun, tasty, and way healthier for us all. And instead of going to the store every week, I now devote Thursday mornings to going to the farm :).

Other changes that we've mentioned in the past but are worth mentioning again,
are that Samuel is drug free (off all reflux meds since 4.5 months), and I am antidepressant free (since 5 months PP), but still dependent on my blood sugar medication of course. I've found several vitamins and herbs that support my body better and without side effects, and am much happier over all now. People often comment on how happy I and the kids are now :). It feels great to be 'free' of that stuff.

Overall it's been a busy year, and had many changes, some good, some bad, but all for the greater good. Which is of course a God honoring, happy family unit :)! I'm sure I left some details out.. but that's the highlights that I can think of at this time.

So with that I will say.... it's lunch time (yum eggs and potatos, with sausage! And left over pancakes.. !!).. and I must go.

Take care all,
much love.. ~Mama Rae~

Pardon the dust.. as I adjust

2009-11-06T11:23:00.000-06:00

To this new blog application, and try to find a template/redesign one to fit my wants and needs. I know this has changed in looks and setup many times over the past couple of days, and I'm currently testing out the current look. Feel free to comment with your opinion of the color scheme/design of this one.

I'm a Photographer-- The closing of RG Photography

2009-11-05T21:24:00.001-06:00

With the unstableness of my business web-site (http://raegaeddert.com) and the related business blog I'm re-posting my closing note, for those who may not have otherwise been able to see it. Also due to that same unstableness the previously written 'family blog' has now been moved to here (http://raegaeddert.blogspot.com). The e-mail addresses attached to my web-site as well as my road runner addresses are going to be closed soon. Please use my gmail account [Rae.Gaeddert@(nospam) gmail.com] for personal e-mails, I will keep my yahoo address primarily for online shopping and newsletters etc.
Below is the closing note for RG Photography originally posted October 25th, 2009.

I'm a Photographer,

And that isn't going to change, I will always be a photographer.
I have enjoyed photography from my youth, bought my first 'real' camera when I was 11 years old, and used it until I was 16 and could finally put together enough money to purchase a 'real slr' camera. I loved that camera to pieces (still have it) and used it until I was 23 yrs old, when I then switched to a digital slr. I've had 3 digital slr's by now, although I only still own two of them. I've grown and learned many things over the years as a photographer, but the one thing that I don't want to happen, is I don't want to lose my joy in photography.
We came to realize that was starting to happen, which I've heard of it before.. if you take a beloved hobby and make it into a business it can take the joy out of it. There is just so much 'business' stuff that gets in the way of the fun creative stuff.. that I've come to realize I don't enjoy running a business at least, not at this time in my life.
I am living the life of my dreams, and loving it.. I've always wanted to be a wife and a mother, that has been the 'sole' desire (or maybe even soul desire) of my life. And I'm living it! But this primary job of mine, this life-time committment is all-consuming, it takes all that I have in time, energy, love, and life to be a wife and a mother of three sons. When I try to 'shove' something else in with it, I begin to feel stressed and pulled in to many directions.
Though I have enjoyed being a 'photographer' for others, it's time to return to just being a photographer for myself again. I'm not going to say that I'll 'never' start up a business again, or 'never' being a paid photographer, I don't want to burn those bridges. But for right now, at this very moment in time, it is to much, and it is not what I desire.
So this is a farewell message, for now RG Photography is closing it's 'doors' and the photographer is not for hire. I will keep my equipment, I will continue to do my families portraits, possibly a few of my dearest friends. But I will not be advertising, nor 'working' any longer.
Photography is going back to it's rightful status,
of a joyful hobby..
Thank you ever so much for beng my friends and clients, please stay in touch.
Much love to you all,
-Rae Gaeddert

---- Pictured below are my three blessings -----

Who am I?

2009-11-04T10:07:00.000-06:00

Being the first post on a fresh blog,
I feel it best to share about me-Rae the author of this blog.

I am:
A child of God.

By Grace Alone Through Faith Alone In Christ Alone!

I am:
A wife.

It has almost been 6 years since my best friend and I got married. He is every bit the man of God I've always dreamed of, and way better then I could hope for as a husband and a father to our children. I am blessed by him daily.

I am:
A mother.

As a child I always wanted to be a wife and a mother, due to my health problems we were told we might never have children. Yet somehow my dream must have been of God because HE has already blessed us with THREE precious sons in the short time that we have been married.

I am:
A Photographer.

I have had a camera in hand since I was 11 yrs old, I ran a portrait business called RG Photography for approx. 2 years (in studio and on location, closed in October 09'), but most of all I just love to take pictures. Whether it is that ever adorable grin on my middle sons face, or a old barn falling down, a waterfall, or the baby's first 'ride' on a tricycle.. or my oldest just clowning around.. I love to read and share and talk about photography!

I am:

Rae!