My MIRACLE turns 3!

May 24, 2010 · Filed under 1 · Tagged , , ,

Pirate Cake made by my friend.... it was AMAZING!

Daddy Pirate.... Judah Pirate!

Pirate 'Helpers'....

I LOVE this Man.... :-) He's a HOT Pirate ;-)

My BABY turns 3.... :-(

Favorite Gift.... thank you Sally ;-)

The picture say's it ALL... Exhausted from turning 3!

My baby turned 3! What a three years it has been… he’s a non-stop ball of joy and energy :-) I love him so much and feel truly blessed to have him! He’s a miracle baby… if he had been born a week later, he would’ve been born dead! I had developed ‘Cholestasis of Pregnancy’…. which affects 1 in 1000 pregnant women, it is also hereditary. With Cholestasis, your liver and gall bladder shut’s down and poison’s your blood and eventually poisons the baby… and they die! The signs and symptoms are SEVERE itching (I itched so bad I scratched my skin off until I bled), elevated bile acids in your blood (mine were through the roof), and depression. The following website helped me (along with the Holy Spirit) save Judah’s life: http://www.itchymoms.com/home.html.

By the time I hit 35 weeks I was having suicidal thoughts because of the symptoms of the Cholestasis… to say I was miserable does not begin to describe how I felt. Jacob was SO supportive and very concerned! At 36 weeks I told Jacob I had to go to the ER because something was WRONG! Without hesitation, Jacob loaded me up and had a the kids taken care of… we were admitted to labor and delivery with minor contractions! My blood pressure and blood work were not great, but stable. They ordered another bile acid test (which takes 3 or more days to results), and did an amniocentesis (which drew blood, so the results were inconclusive)… I was packed with ice to stop the itching and given a strong dose of ‘Uridiol.’

I was admitted over night…. feeling exhausted, frustrated, relieved, depressed…. not in a good place :-( By the next morning, Jacob and I had a strong unction from the Holy Spirit to deliver Judah IMMEDIATELY! My doctor (whom I didn’t care for, but was an expert in Cholestasis… so I got stuck with her) encouraged me to stay on Uridiol for a week (in the hospital) and then deliver Judah. Keep in mind the Uridiol only masks the symptoms, it does NOT treat the Cholestasis… the only cure is to deliver the baby! Jacob and I told her that we wanted to be induced that day… not up for discussion. RELUCTANTLY, my doctor agreed! Telling me that being induced early meant the risk of a C-section when up considerably and complication with the birth was inevitable! By this time, my sister had arrived and was with me (Jacob’s family was out-of-town at a graduation).

I was induced at 11am (3 cm) and given some petocin… feeling uncomfortable, I request my epidural :-) The doctor broke my water at 12pm, and labor started good and strong (5cm)… 12:30 my epidural STOPPED working and I was in FULL TRANSITION!!! Jacob was at the cafeteria and Amy was by my side…. I sat up and hysterically told Amy to get the nurse, because I could feel EVERYTHING!!! Amy frantically got the nurse… who checked me…. and told me I was at 9cm!!!! I didn’t care, I wanted DRUGS – IMMEDIATELY… I was informed it was too late for that!!! Jacob was gone, I wanted to push, and my epidural FAILED me!!! The nurse called for the doctor, told me not to push and I told Amy to help (because I was going to push). Amy was wide-eyed and scared! Jacob ran into the room right behind the doctor and I was pushing… within seconds I PULLED Judah out and placed him on my chest… 12:49pm Judah was born (4 weeks early). He stopped breathing and was given CPR and placed in the ICU!

Judah stayed in the ICU for one week and came home completely fine… At my six week follow-up appt. I was given my Bile Acid test results that confirmed that Judah was a MIRACLE and shouldn’t have been born ALIVE! The poison had reached him and he was taking it ALL in through the umbilical cord!!! Judah LITERALLY flew out of me and was saved!!! Thank you Holy Spirit – you are a true helper! Jacob and I knew He was a MIRACLE, the doctor’s report just confirmed it!!! It is understood that Cholestasis pregnancies NEED to deliver between 32 and 36 weeks to save the baby… otherwise it’s a stillborn delivery! If I had listened to the doctor, Judah wouldn’t be here… Again, the urgency of the Holy Spirit told us EVERYTHING would be OK, but we had to deliver – IMMEDIATELY! So we did, and Judah is with us today… Happy, Healthy, and Full of Life!!!

Thank you Jesus!

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My Children

May 17, 2010 · Filed under 1 · Tagged , ,

NON-Stop ball of energy :-)

My Morgan... so grown up.... so sweet....

My Mattie... such a sweetie :-)

My life is full…. I love my children!!!

Blessings,

Heather

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Living Life, Loving Life!

May 10, 2010 · Filed under 1 · Tagged , , ,

My 'NEW' ring.... long story, but OH SO HAPPY!!!!

 

I LOVE ‘old’ things….

View from my bedroom window.... BEAUTIFUL!

 

Jacob is so good to me... He's such a godly man... I LOVE him!

 

Soooooooooooooooooooooooooo many good things have happened to me this year (and we’re only half way through)!!! I want to preface by saying, ‘It’s NOT about the things I’ve been blessed with, it’s about the heart behind the gifts.’ Sometimes it’s just the kind words and encouragement spoken to me… other times it’s small thoughtful gifts to say ‘I Love You.’ I don’t know what I can say to express how thankful I am for my family and the church God has entrusted to us! I am in awe of HIS goodness and grace that is showered out on me on a daily basis… HONESTLY, I wouldn’t change a thing about my life!!! 

I want to say that homeschool has gone VERY well this year (we definitely had some rough patches). Mattie is already done (6 wks ahead of public school and straight A’s). Morgan has 5 wks left, I don’t like the program we used for her, I will be ordering A Beka books for her next year!!!… I had some GREAT people to talk with throughout the year (Amy D., Heather O., Alisa C.)… We have decided to continue with the homeschool journey :-) I am a little nervous about Judah man…. can I really teach him how to read? Both Morgan and Mattie went to private school through second grade (Morgan third grade), so they already learned how to read…. I’m teetering with the idea of enrolling Judah in the same private school for the first two years (K5 and first grade)…. not sure… any thoughts??? 

Jacob and I are doing fantastic! We’ve worked hard on our marriage this year… really focusing on quality time and communication. We will be married 12 years in November, and I can’t stand how much I love him!!! I have so much respect for him… he truly is the epitome of a godly man! He loves God with a fierce love that spills over into EVERY area of his life (which is good for me ;-) ). Plus, he spoils me rotten :-)  

The Martin children…. where do I start??? They are sooooooo busy! They’ve blossomed so much this year, and I love them dearly. Morgan is 10 going on 16 (literally….. pray for me). Mattie is still a ‘small’ (8 yrs. old still wearing size 6 clothing) princess that wants to play Barbies all day long. Currently I’m working on how Morgan and Mattie get along… they have been bickering a lot more these last few months and it has frustrated me greatly! I’m trusting the Holy Spirit to guide me through this :-) Judah….. oh Judah….. my baby Judah…… can we say ‘Whine’? He has gotten into a phase where he whines over everything! I ignore this behavior and sometimes discipline (depends on the cause and severity). He is a non-stop boy in every way (so different from the girls)! I love him so much. There are times when I could burst at the cuteness of things he does :-) I’m still teetering on whether I want to add just one more??? When the kids have a ‘great’ day, I DEFINITELY want another Martin baby…. when we have a challenging day (which seems like they’re more frequent), I DON’T want another Martin baby :-( Your thought’s??? 

Enough chit chat from me, how are you? 

Hez 

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My Life this Week…

May 5, 2010 · Filed under 1 · Tagged , , , ,

Tis the Season for opening the pool!!!! We LIVE outside in the Summer.

Set up the patio furniture in honor of opening the pool!!!

Morgan got a HORRIBLE splinter in her foot.

A piece of the splinter... it was thick!

Enjoying eating 'Good' while getting in shape :-)

Morning 'Devos' with Dad.... He's such a good teacher!

'Cooking' time for the kids... they LOVE doing this!!!

The life of the Martin family is a life that revolves around family time and church time… it’s ALWAYS one of the two and sometimes both :-) Since I was a youngster (7 yrs old), I said I would marry a pastor and work alongside him whilst raising our family for the Lord. Thus far, my dreams have come true…. the only problem??? I’ve surpassed my dreams and lived a life that I don’t always feel I deserve… My husband, Jacob, is the absolute best part of me… He can take FULL credit for who I am (besides the Lord, who always comes first)! I will be married to him for going on 12 years, and I can’t stand how much I love him! I am more attracted to him than ever, I trust him explicitly, and live to please him! My children are the BEST! I often pray that I would be more patient and enjoy them more… I tend to obsess about ‘order’ and ‘control,’ instead of just enjoying where life goes… I love them so much and want them to know that more than ANYTHING!

With Mother’s Day right around the corner, I don’t know what I could even ask for! I love the Lord so much and love the family that He’s blessed me with… I challenge myself and YOU to slow down and enjoy the life that God has blessed you with… Savor the time, look for the hand of God leading and guiding you in this life He’s given you!

Many Blessings,

Heather

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Our NEW addition….

April 29, 2010 · Filed under 1

Rescued at 5 weeks

He is such a cuddle bug...

Jacob didn't want to get attached.... to late!

Come on, how cute!!!

He sleeps anywhere.... sleeping in the schoolbox!

So……. Shabba (that’s his name, it was unanimous) was found in a gutter…. At 5 weeks old, we couldn’t turn him away!

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Getting in shape…… trying at least!

April 28, 2010 · Filed under 1

13 kids between 5 Moms.... I love it!!!!

Getting in shape…..

Great friends to motivate me!!!

Why is the butt and thighs the enemy???

 The journey of getting my body back into to shape has begun….. I’ve gained 15 lbs. and that is unacceptable!!! (I can’t believe I posted a picture of my bum)… I feel like posting my progress will keep me motivated! We’ll see… I’d love some tips on what you do to stay in shape (things that have worked, things that don’t). I don’t run because of my right knee, but I can kill the elliptical machine ;-) Just keep that in mind when you make your coveted suggestions!

I have also chosen this new journey to inspire me spiritually… After all, we should always be growing and progressing in our relationship with our Heavenly Father! I want to be more disciplined and consistent with my spiritual life… I have daily fellowship with my Father, but I want to have a set time and place where I can go and just be with Him. I feel like some days I just squeeze in the time because I know it’s the right thing to do :-( I want it to be at the forefront of my day… With that being said, I keep praying the Lord will make me a morning person… I have such a hard time getting up early… I want sooooo badly to be a 5am person!!! Pray for me…. will you? :-)

What a ‘full-exposure’ post!!! I’m at a place where I want the advice of friends that want to help…. So ladies (and gents), DISH IT OUT!!!! THE GOOD THE BAD AND THE UGLY!!!

Thank you for caring, and thank you for writing :-)

Blessings,

HEZ (my nickname)

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Hangin with Jesus Culture and Heather Clark!

March 17, 2010 · Filed under 1 · Tagged , ,

So, here I am clear across the country with Heather Clark, and I’ve got a stupid sore throat (left over from my strep throat from last week)! I’m learning so much and enjoying my time; however, being around such talented people: Jesus Culture Band (http://www.jesusculturemusic.com/music.html), and Heather Clark (http://www.heatherclarkband.com/jm/index.php) makes me feel insecure! I’m confident in who I am, but being around these great people makes me feel like I’m not all that great!!!

Everyone here is so nice, and happy to answer all my questions… I’m blown away by the skill and talent of everyone! I am excited to make my CD, and I would love to be able to do it out here! This is such an awesome experience for me, I’m truly humbled that I get to be here!

I’m experiencing a refreshing that I was so hungry for… Heather is an incredibly mentor, and a genuinely good person! She is super intense and power packed in everything she does.

I miss home, and don’t know that I would like traveling as much as Heather Clark does. I’m a homebody to begin with, I love home! I love my family and appreciate them. I love being a mom. I love being a wife.

This trip is blowing me away! I’ll post some pics when I get home.

Blessings,

Heather

Here’s a video clip of Jesus Culture in action:

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Sometimes dinner just is….

March 16, 2010 · Filed under 1 · Tagged , ,

Sometimes homemade fries are just needed!

Hebrew National — The good stuff!Sometimes, homemade fries are the way to go!

Not every dinner is a masterpiece, but at least it tastes good! Every once in a while I have moments where I just want a hotdog and french fries… not the healthiest, but it sure did taste good! The following night we had salads ;-)

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My trip to Redding, California

March 16, 2010 · Filed under 1 · Tagged , , , ,

So, here I am on my first trip all by myself… actually with Heather Clark, and I have to say it feels really weird?! Not being with Heather, but being so far away from home without my family :-( You can really appreciate your family and the many joys (and trials) when you are away from them… don’t take that as a knock against my family, I love them dearly – it’s just sometimes you can so easily take for granted what is right in front of you! You don’t fully appreciate what you have and how much your loved, until you break away!

I was so looking forward to this trip, and the ‘break’ it would provide me from everything that I do that I didn’t really appreciate what I was leaving. Does that make sense? Don’t get me wrong, I firmly believe in mothers (and fathers) having time to decompress and collect their thoughts! What I’m talking about is appreciating what is right under our noses… our beautiful lives, full of so many good things! Yes, the kids are screaming and the house is a mess… but the big picture is: You have gorgeous kids and a house to raise them in! I believe I have robbed myself of the simple pleasures by simply obsessing over the clean house or screaming kids. Let the house be, let the kids scream – life will go on, it always does.

It’s late and I may be a little of my rocker, but I believe this is a time for families to come together and enjoy each other and how blessed they really are! We have so much to be thankful for!!!

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Each child is soooooo different from the other….

March 12, 2010 · Filed under 1 · Tagged , , , ,

Dirty and loving it!Boys just want to be busy and get into to things....

I love having three children… I thought I wanted to have another, but with homeschooling and pastoring a church – I feel like our cup is full! I’m not in any way disappointed, which somehow solidifies that we are in fact done! I never considered myself the mothering type, but having three children that I absolutely adore shows me how wrong I was!!! Being a mother is the most satisfying thing in my life (aside from being a wife to my wonderful husband, Jacob — he always comes first). It amazes me how totally different all three of them are…
Morgan is the oldest (10 yrs old), and is the most challenging… I still remember calling my mother in hysterics over how ill-equipped I was to raise her! She was (and still is) constantly pushing the limits, challenging every boundary set in place, emotional to the extreme, active beyond words, so incredibly loving, accepting of others, encouraging, passionate, smart, and a true gift from God! Homeschooling Morgan has had its challenges – she is easily distracted, hard to motivate, frustrated over simple things because she wants to rush through material just to get done… yet she LOVES homeschooling! Morgan loves animals more than anything!!!! She researches them, watches documentary’s on them, takes care of them, and teaches everyone around her new things they didn’t know… she is so animated and excited about animals and protecting them that it consumes her every thought! She is most happy when she is doing something with or about animals! I could write a book about this child of mine, and maybe someday I will :-)
Madison… our second girl (8 yrs old). She is the epitome of a princess! Everything she does is girly… she is consumed with fashion and caring for others. As a baby, she was super easy and content (Morgan was colicky, we just didn’t know – partly because she was our first and we thought all babies were ‘cranky’). She potty trained herself, and transitioned through most milestones with ease. Mattie was and still is super cuddly. Homeschooling Madison has been pretty easy… she excels with her studies and loves to learn new things. She gets frustrated when she has mastered a concept and we continue to work on it…. sooooo, I’ve learned to move on once she has mastered something. Currently, she want’s to be: a fashion designer, living at home taking care of babies?! She changes her clothes about 8 times a day (sometimes more, never less). She eats non-stop, and is as skinny as a twig. She loves mothering Judah (he, on the other hand, is irritated by the constant smothering). She plays well all by herself. The one thing that she challenges me with is pestering her older sister!!! She knows how to push Morgan’s buttons and she does it daily! There is a lot of intervening throughout the day, simply because Mattie wants to interfere with what Morgan is doing… Aside from that, she is a perfect princess.
‘Judah Man,’ our baby boy (turning 3 in May)… what an absolute JOY he has been! His name, Judah, literally means ‘Praise.’ He is full of happiness, smiles, laughter, and total non-stop energy! He is ALL boy, loving all things ‘boyish.’ He makes messes all day long… in fact, I’ve learned something: He has a system for making a mess… make one mess for mom to clean up, so I can get into something else without being bothered! We wanted a boy, and we got one… He is absolutely a Mommas Boy, of which Jacob is totally fine with… it is well balanced with daddy time — wrestling, Jedi fighting, and ‘manly’ activities :-) He LOVES to cuddle with Mommy before bedtime, and I soak it up – because I don’t know how long it will last. He is mostly potty trained (minus poo accidents, any suggestions would be greatly appreciated on this one). He eats well, and still naps 2 hours a day (I’ve been known to join him during his nap time ;-) ). He loves anything Pirate – his favorite movie is, ‘The Pirates Who Don’t Do Anything’ (Veggie Tales). He loves match box cars, and shopping! He loves to be outdoors, and playing in the dirt. Bugs do not bother him (yuck). He is everything I dreamed of in having a boy, and I love him dearly.
As you can see, all three of my children are wildly different and I LOVE it! I didn’t consider myself the ‘motherly’ type, but couldn’t imagine my life any other way!!! children REALLY, TRULY are a BLESSING from the Lord…
Blessings,
Heather
 
 

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