Oh, the irony...

I was just thinking about my username - my online persona - and what it means.

"Mother Goose" came to me one day as I was walking from store to van with my then 4 little gosslings trailing behind me. It is a commonly enough used username that I needed to add a number to it so I chose my anniversary to tie in my husband. I feel it identifies me perfectly.

518.

Caleb was born at 5:18.

I have 5 living children. I have held 1 dead child. I have 8 children in Heaven.

Wow.

Things I swallow every day, and why...

This doesn't include ibuprofpen taken to manage chronic pain, or Tylenol PM to help me sleep at night. Neither does it include the asthma inhalers that I use to treat and manage my asthma.

Fish Oil - just started this today because it's a good idea. We don't eat nearly enough fish and I have a family history of cardiac issues. Also with my pseudo Thrombophilia diagnosis it seems prudent seeing as it also promotes circulatory healthy.

Prenatal vitamin - because I am in my child bearing years, was recently pregnant and breastfeeding, and hope to be again soon.

Vitamin D - because I am deficient and because it helps to boost the immune system as well as help with joint and bone aches and pains.

Folic Acid - because of my recurring pregnancy losses and because it helps to prevent clotting in people with Thrombophilic diseases. I've noticed that without it my skin erupts with lesions that do not heal, but when I am taking it regularly my skin is actually quite healthy.

Baby Aspirin - because of my recurring pregnancy loss and pseudo Thrombophilia diagnosis. The idea is to keep my blood thin and prevent clots from forming in the placenta leading to poor fetal growth, preeclampsia, and fetal death. So far I'm 1 for 3 in this being succesful and with my next pregnancy (assuming there is one) I will also be receiving daily injections of Lovenox (a blood thinner similar to heparin).

B complex with B12 - I just started this today as well. I've known I needed to take it for a while, but I just can not swallow it in pill form without immediately gagging and vomiting. The smell alone is enough to make you keel over, and the pills are large enough to choke a horse. Today I found it in liquid form and found it to be very doable, so I am adding it to my daily supplement regimen. Folic Acid is a B vitamin, and is metabolized more effciently when taken along with the B complex and B12 vitamins.

Prozac - all of my chronic health issues cause my body chemistry to be consistantly out of wack. In addition, I live with chronic pain (headaches, joint pain, muscle tension caused by Hyermobility Syndrome) which leaves me in a constant state of over stimulation. These things combined leave my nerves very "raw" and lead to a constant state anxiety, tension, and irritability. Prozac is not my first drug of choice, but it is the safest drug for use during pregnancy and since I am still in my child bearing years with the potential (and hope) to become pregnant this is the best for my current situation. I do not take it during pregnancy, rather I will stop as soon as I find out that I am pregnant and stay off of it for the duration of the pregnancy.

I'm toying with the idea of adding Vitamin C to my regimen, but have not made that decision as of yet.

The Cemetary...

"...he has crossed over from death to life. I tell you the truth, a time is coming and has now come when the dead will hear the voice of the Son of God and those who hear will live."
John 5:24,25

Day 75: My little bit of happy ~ a new memory card for my camera.

I wish I could explain the feelings evoked in me when I drive past the cemetary. To know that just a few yards away from me, close enough to touch if it weren't for the dirt and plastic between us, lies the precious little body that housed my son for those wonderful weeks that I carried him inside of me.

Unless you have looked down into such a little hole and watched it swallow up your child, or held a tiny little box containing all that is left, there is no possible way to even begin to know what that feels like.

It's an odd sort of feeling. For me the cemetary doesn't bring me pain or sorrow, but an odd sort of comfort. A physical, visual reminder that he was here and that I know where he is.

No, he is not in the ground, though it is so easy for me to picture him there, and I can almost even visualize the other sweet babies that surround him. He is Home, in Heaven, and he is waiting for us. As I drive past the cemetary I am reminded of how temporary and fragile this life is, and that there is something more waiting for me when I am through here.

Stop the presses, she's speechless!!!

Ok, that's not all together true. I have plenty to say, just not a whole lot I can go into here. Soooo... I'll take stream of conscious for $500 Alex...

We have sickness at our house, the nasty kind. We traded in our yearly strep fest and frankly, I'd rather we all have strep. We are taking turns having gastritis. The nasty kind where it comes from both ends. It is going around at church in varying degrees and it aint fun! Sarah woke up with it on Thursday morning. Super Hubbie has it now reeeally bad. He had to go to the doctor today for IV fluids because of dehydration. Joshua had it yesterday but seems to be ok now. I've had something mild that I think is related, but not vomiting (thank You Jesus!!!).

I. Hate. Vomit. Give me blood, and give me gore. But do not! give me vomit!!! *shudder*

It got cold again. As they say on Facebook, DISLIKE!!! I was so enjoying the warm sun shiny days. They'll be back, of that I have no doubt. In the mean time, our April showers have arrived early. It is grey and dismal outside, and a bit chilly. Next week is spring break and I'm hoping for beautiful weather so we can be outside!

Several years ago I dubbed the week of spring break "Family Fun Week". Coming on the heels of winter we all have cabin fever, so I try to do something fun outdoors each day of the week. We pack picnic lunches and head out. This was much easier to do in NOVA as there are several Nature Centers where you can visit for free and hike their trails. I've not been terribly succesful at finding many things like that down this direction, but I'm still working on it. Also, the last couple of years the weather has not cooperated, which has been hugely frustrating! There are so many things I want to do with my kids next week, I pray the weather cooperates and we are all healthy!

My oldest is finally hitting a big growth spurt. He's still much smaller than his younger brother, but I still predict he will catch up and possibly eventually overpass him. He's now taller than me. I noticed it the other day when I was playing around with him and I had to look up at him when he was standing next to me. I have mixed feelings. On the one hand it's a relief to see him finally start catching up to the other boys (although he is still skinny as a rail - for ROTC they had to tailor make his pants! I tried to tell him and Super Hubby that there are not pants on the market that will fit him right, but no one wanted to believe me!). On the other hand, he is looking less and less like a little boy every day. And boy howdy, does he ever have the teenage attitude to go with it!

Having teenagers is exciting and frustrating all at the same time. It's exciting to watch them grow and mature. While we all complain about our children growing up and changing before our eyes, and we make jokes about wishing they would stay little, there is something so very heart breaking and distressing about a child who doesn't hit all those important milestones. I have a precious friend who is going through this right now and it's really testing and stretching her in so many uncomfortable ways.

It has been such a relief to see Luke blossom over the past year. We went through some very difficult months with him during a certain stage of puberty where we were really very concerned and had many doubts that he would ever learn to function on his own in society. Not that he is slow, but rather he is "absent minded professor" smart. His brain functions on such a high level that he has a hard time functioning "down here" with the rest of us. There are still some issues of quiet rebellion and a difficulty in submitting himself to authority, but when I look at the big picture of the Luke I've known these past 5 years I am so encouraged by the changes I am seeing in him. The struggles of a few years ago are gone, and have been replaced with the normal struggles that every parent and child face. He is becoming someone who can be counted on. At one point I seriously doubted that would ever happen. I am feeling hopeful for his future and I know that if he continues to stretch himself and mature that one day he will do the big things we all know he is capable of!

11 weeks...

"My health may fail, and my spirit may grow weak, but God remains the strength of my heart; He is mine forever."
~ Psalm 73:26

Day 72: My little bit of happy ~ wii fit plus!

I wonder if and when I will ever be able to think of Caleb and his birth without my heart absolutely clenching in my chest.

Flashback Friday....

Saturday, January 10, 2009
Only the REAL mother...
Only a real mother can diagnose her kid with strep throat before he even complains of a sore throat. And yes that is exactly what I did. Joshua was complaining of nausea and a severe headache, felt warm and his voice sounded swollen so I called at got him an Urgent Care appointment this morning. On the way out I gave him some motrin because he looked like and was acting like death.

Before we even hit Fredericksburg he was looking and acting fine. I considered canceling thinking maybe I had over reacted. Anyone who knows me know that I am not a run to the doctors office at the first sign of a sniffle kind of mom. I only take them for well child visits, ADHD follow ups, and when they are the kind of sick that requires antibiotics. I am thankful that I decided to listen to my gut and not question myself because I was spot on. Sure enough the culture came up positive for strep. AND I think I even caught it early enough that it is possible that he didn't infect our other kids.
In the mean time, bio mom is still riding the bus to crazy town. She still hasn't seen them since July of 2006.

And just today we got a box full of bizarre junk from her. "Christmas presents" - only a couple things that were appropriate, nothing for Luke as usual, and a ton of stuff for Emelia. How bizarre is it that she keeps sending clothes for Emelia and I?!?!?! I'm pretty sure she's the queen of crazy town.

"For He has not ignored or belittled the suffering of the needy. He has not turned His back on them, but has listened to their cries for help."
~ Psalm 22:24

Day 70: My little bit of happy ~ my Bible study ladies.

Dear Caleb,

Mommy is missing you today. A whole whole lot.

A couple of nights ago your daddy was off, and so we were downstairs watching a movie together. As I was laying with my head in his lap he rested his hand on my empty belly. Something he does often. Immediately my mind was flooded with thoughts of the little boy who should be playing there. I found myself trying to picture you inside of me when you were still alive. Before your heart stopped beating and you were born looking so sad.

I closed my eyes and tried to imagine that amazing little body moving and wriggling and dancing. Touching your face, your placenta, the walls of my womb, reaching for your cord. When I sing to your sister Sarah I remember the times when I sang to both of you and dreamed of what it would be like to snuggle up with you in between us and your sister kissing you and stroking your head.

I keep looking at the picture of your hand on mine. What I would give to touch it one more time. To feel your moving within me. Such big defined movements they would be now. You would be all knees and elbows at this point. I would be preparing for your arrival now. Since my body can't handle pregnancy to 40 weeks I have to make sure that when 35 weeks hits I'm ready. We would be at 28.4 today.

I would be starting to slowly make those preparations now. Getting another bench for the van. Turning Sarah's carseat around and installing yours. Buying another seat for daddy's car. Setting up the crib and cradle. Organizing clothes and diapers.

Instead you will always and forever be my little 17 week baby who never wore a diaper or saw his mama or came home from the hospital. I'll never again touch your little hand, kiss your feet, or hold you to my chest.

Oh, if I could only reach you...
~ Mommy

Crazy weird wonderful horrible day...

Today was such an odd odd day. It started out really nice. Warm, beautiful, the sun was shining... our church was participating in an AWANA games event in Richmond and I had plans to drive down their with some of my kids for that. My mind and prayers were with the Dyer's who's day consisted of baby Amelia's memorial, but at the same time I was focused on having a wonderful day with my children and friends.

Before that could happen however, I had to put gas in the van so I made a quick solo trip to the gas station to fill up Oh, and to grab a coffee as well... yummy caramel vanilla latte! I decided to take the route home that would take me past the cemetary so that I could "duck in" momentarily. I'm not sure why I felt the need to be there, but for some reason I wanted to stand a moment at Caleb's grave with the sun shining down on me.

As I pulled into the cemetary I was in very good spirits. My body is healing from my recent illness and my heart was worshipful. I got out of the van and walked over to the little baby area. Each time that I go I take inventory. I try to see if anyone else has been there since my last visit. Are there new flowers? Any new markers?

Immediately something seemed different, and initially I chalked it up to the fact that it was such a beautiful spring day. But then I noticd that the dirt on Caleb's grave looked a little neater, and a little fresher. Feeling a bit disoriented it finally dawned on me that there was a fresh little grave right beside his. And I do mean RIGHT beside his.

And it looked almost exactly like his did when he was freshly layed there, minus the little name plate, balloon, and cut flowers. In place of those someone had stuck some pink silk carnations into the dirt. That was it. Just the freshly moved earth and some faux flowers stuck in the ground.

I almost thought I was imagining it, and once I realized that this was for real, my entire spirit just plummeted. It was so overwhelmingly emotional to know that there was another little life snuffed out by this cruel world. Another little baby had been laid in the ground beside mine... close not just in physical proximity but also in time. Another mother's heart has shattered into a thousand pieces.

The very few pieces of the story I've been able to gather make it all the more devestating. The baby was only a few weeks older than Caleb was when he died. But this baby was born to a very young single mother. I can not even imagine how this compounds the grief process. Or the feelings of guilt.

My day was pretty much down hill from there. Stupid stupid stuff, inconsequential and maddening. Mixed with fun and happiness. It was just weird.

I forgot to put the van in park. I got a speeding ticket because I still forget that the highway speed limit here is NOT what it is back home. The cop informed me that the registration I handed him was not the current one. I poured cider down the front of my shirt. I sound like an angry goose when I talk. The Super Hubbie was in a stinky mood when I got home. I got chastised for something church related that wasn't directly my doing.

But at the same time I wasn't terribly sad, or irritated, or even unhappy. I don't think I can even pinpoint my feelings today. The vascilated (sp?) so much and so fast that there is no one thing I can point to as defining my day. It was a bad day, but it was also a wonderful and beautiful day.

I got to go on a road trip and play the music of my choice at the volume of my choice. My kids had a blast. I got to take a ton of pictures without worrying about keeping track of Sarah. I got a yummy cider from Starbucks. The Super Hubbie and I ran away without *any* kids for about an hour to grab dinner for the family. I rode shot gun and took a ton of pictures of the sunsetting through the trees. He pulled over and let me get some shots of a swampy lake area. We heard TAPS playing on the base from where we were parked. We had chinese food for dinner.

I'm glad today is over, but I'm not sorry it happened.

And now, I need to call our internet provider and find out why I can't see my own website unless I access it through another ISP.

Flashback Friday...

Originally posted on my old myspace blog:

Monday, January 12, 2009
The lengths to which a mama will go...

I believe very strongly in setting my children up to succeed. I leave very little room in for failure, making it clear what is expected and what the consequence will be if they do not follow through. Because ADHD is in so many ways the theme of our home our days are built on structure and routine and I work very hard to keep our lives organized. Sometimes this structure resembles obsessive compulsion but it is vital to the success of my family and of my children.

Each child is color coded - socks, water glass, bathroom stuff, school bags, lunch boxes... if everyone has one it's color coded. This avoids me yelling "who's ____ is this???" and hearing a chorus of "not mine". I have even gone to the lengths of buying a small chalkboard/greaseboard easel which sits on my dining room table. I use this to mark who's day it is to do laundry, reminders about stripping beds, etc. Another project I have planned is to create chore "manuals" for each child. I have bought binders, color coded them, and put dividers in for each chore. I have strips of magnet to put on each page so they can check off each step of their chore as they go. I just have to find the time to sit down and write down the step by step instructions for each chore.

Part of setting them up to succeed is creating boundaries - bedding stays on the bed unless it is being washed or they have explicit permission to bring it down stairs. No toys are allowed in the bedrooms except that which they have chosen to be decorative. No books are allowed in the bedroom except their Bible, unless they have been given specific permission to have one up there. Beds are to be made first thing every morning - dress your bed and then dress yourself. Clothing is to go straight into their OWN dirty clothes bag which is to be tied closed and kept on the floor of their closet. They each have their own set laundry day on which they wash, dry, fold, and put away their own laundry. You would think this would mean that things are always neat and tidy upstairs... Hahahahahaaaa... think again. They are children after all and not prone to putting much thought into their actions. We fight the same battles day after day after day... I feel like a broken record and I often despair that they will never "get it". But my job is not to have perfect little children now - my job is to prepare my childen for adult hood. They aren't there yet, I shouldn't expect them to be. Yes, there should be progress, but I also need to remember that it will happen so slowly that I will miss it if I don't actively watch for it.

I have one child in particular who is turning out to be a very late bloomer in the personal responsibility department. His ADHD is so severe that in many ways it is like having a 9 year old toddler. He requires nearly constant adult supervision in order to accomplish anything. Frustratingly, I just don't have that kind of time. It is very likely that he will end up being homeschooled so that I can better work with him on peronal responsibility skills. He is medicated, but we are having a very hard time finding the proper dosage of the proper medication. It helps with his impulse control issues (immensly!!!) but does little to help him focus. It is frustrating for both of us as he moves to comply to directions but quickly get lost, forgetting what he was supposed to be doing. As soon as he is brought back to the present you can see his entire being fall as he realizes that he has failed once again.

Because of this I work to limit his distractions - which in a family of 7 people and 3 animals is not easy. This afternoon I reorganized the playroom putting EVERYTHING except for Sarah's toys behind a closed closet door. I had already moved the toys there but today I removed everything from the book shelf, and moved the bookshelf into the closet. This involved prying a piece of wood off the wall so that I could remove the rod in the closet! I will be buying a padlock for that door so that anyone who wants something in there needs to first get the key from me. I hope that this will help for things to be done at the time they are supposed to instead of people playing or reading when they are supposed to be working!

"I fine..."

"Now may our Lord Jesus Christ himself and God our Father, who loved us and by His grace gave us eternal comfort and a wonderful hope, comfort you and strengthen you in every good thing you do and say."
~2 Thessaolonians 2:16,17

Day 62: My little bit of happy ~ beautiful weather allowing us to spend time OUTSIDE this afternoon!!!

My little Sarah Hazel-nut is sick. Last night when we got home from my doctor's appointment and running a few errands she popped a fever and became miserable. She was pointing to her face and saying "ow" as well as complaining that her eye hurt. She kept telling me, "I sad, I want my mommy".

There is just something that happens in the heart of a mother when her little one tells her that she is sad! It completely melts you! So I gave her some motrin and stripped her down to just a pull up (cloth of course!) tucked her into my bed next to me where I "sc'atched" (tickled) her back as she quickly drifted off to sleep.

She woke up a few hours later to find me gone. I was sitting here finishing up my blog, but my baby came to me crying. Once again her skin felt warm and she snuggled into my chest saying, "I need you..."

So I quickly finished up my blog entry and hit publish, leaving the proof reading for another day when my baby's need for my attention wasn't so immediate. I closed my laptop, gathered my feverish little girl in my arms, and carried her off to bed.

Crawling into bed together she burried herself under my covers and nestled herself up against me in a way that would provide her as much skin on skin contact as I am willing to allow. And then she looked me in the eyes with the happiest smile and said, "I fine."

And I melted all over again. Such a simple act was all it took to solve all of her problems. No longer did it matter to her that her that her body was fevered, her nose stuffy, and her lungs irritated. No longer did she care that her body ached. She was snuggled up in her mama's arms and that made EVERYTHING ok. She was fine.

My mind of course had to travel to my sweet Caleb. The now familiar pang of awareness that I will never offer him the same comfort. He will never again find comfort and security in my body and my presence.

While I mourn that, I realize that it is something I am only mourning for myself.

Because really... if something so simple as being wrapped up in her mother's embrace solved all of Sarah's problems and brought her absolute comfort and security, what must it be like for Caleb who is in the embrace of his Heavenly Father?

I can not compete with that. I can never out love God. I can never care for my son more, or hold him closer. Caleb is missing nothing, and I am missing everything.

I can almost picture him, looking into the sweet face of Jesus and whispering to Him in the dark with a soft sweet baby voice...

"I fine!"

The ugly cry...

"I pray that God, the source of hope, will fill you completely with joy and peace because you trust in Him. Then you will overflow with confident hope through the power of the Holy Spirit. I am fully convinced, my dear brothers and sisters, that you are full of goodness. You know these things so well you can teach each other all about them."
Romans 15:13,14

Day 61: My little bit of happy today ~ my independant 2 year old needing extra mommy love. (Unfortunately though it is because she's getting sick.)

Dear Caleb,

It's been a long week for your mama. I've been sick physically, and emotionally spent as I have been grieving over another mama's recent loss; as well as reliving those first days after you left us. My emotions have been running full tilt these last fews days. Illness, hormones, exhaustion... grief.

Christ calls us to bear one another's burdens. This world is a little less lonely and scary when we have brothers and sisters in Christ sharing the weight of our world on their shoulders, being God with skin on for us. Too often there is nothing we can DO. We can only BE. And pray.

I rarely let myself fall apart any more. I don't have the time. I usually keep my grief and sorrow closely guarded. It took almost 4 years of marriage before your daddy figured out that when I disappear into the bathroom it's because I've gone to fall apart in private. Now that he knows he doesn't let me do it any more. He loves me too much.

Which is both wonderful and infuriating. Because sometimes I just need to fall apart and there's nothing anyone can do to help hold me together. So most of the time I hold my emotions at bay. The tears might trickle and my voice might crack, but I do everything in my power to hold myself together.

And then there are nights like tonight. Daddy is at work. The four biggest kids are each in their beds and Sarah is tucked into mine (and every night when she tucks herself in next to me I wonder what it would be like to have you tucked up in between us). I am up way longer than I had intended because of needing to eat and medicate myself before I can go to bed.

As I sat here eating a quick bite and giving myself a nebulizer treatment before crawling back into bed I was reading Stephanie Dyer's blog, and as I often do I left her page open to listen to her play list. She and I have a very similar taste in and relationship to music. It's how God reaches us, and how we reach Him when we are too broken to reach Him any other way.

And Angie Smith's song, I Will Carry You came on. This is a song I've heard countless times before, but usually have to cut off because it's just too emotional.

Tonight it was my undoing. I had to feel. I had to weep. And so I took my glasses off, and I held my arms up to my chest as if I were holding you there under my chin. And I rocked. And I fell apart. And I did the ugly cry. Twice.

I fight the ugly cry because... well, it's ugly! But it is so cleansing and sometimes we just need to feel the deep raw excruciating pain. It's part of the healing. It's part of growing. It's part of acknowledging and being real in the situation.

There were photographs I wanted to take
Things I wanted to show you
Sing sweet lullabies, wipe your teary eyes
Who could love you like this?
People say that I am brave but I’m not
Truth is I’m barely hanging on
But there’s a greater story
Written long before me
Because He loves you like this

"Long beyond the empty cradle and the coming years, I will carry you..."
~ Your heart broken mama

Another week, another loss...

"Even though the fig trees have no blossoms, and there are no grapes on the vines; even though the olive crop fails, and the fields lie empty and barren; even though the flocks die in the fields, and the cattle barns are empty, yet I will rejoice in the Lord!I will be joyful in the God of my salvation! The Sovereign Lord is my strength! He makes me as surefooted as a deer,able to tread upon the heights."
~ Habbakuk 3:17-19

Day 60: My little bit of happy ~ slowly recovering from my respiratory illness and being able to breath easier, even if only a little bit.

Today marks another week that I "should" be pregnant. And while I think it and feel it, I feel foolish saying it because it is so far from the truth. I was never suposed to be pregnant a day longer than 17 weeks and 4 days.

And yet I sit here, caught up in my flesh, marking off another week of my short lived pregnancy. 27 weeks. The start of a whole new trimester - 2/3 of the way there. But not for me and my sweet boy.

Last Monday I posted that my little bit of happy was a secret. You see, I had a positive pregnancy test. It was technically too early, but I was getting sick (oh how sick I ended up becoming!) and I needed to know if it would be safe to take the medicines my body would need to fight it off. But that positive was followed by a series of negative tests and then today I began bleeding.

I now have had my 4th very early miscarriage. Another "chemical pregnancy." A little soul passing through for but a few days before joining those in Heaven.

Here's the thing that galls me about these types of pregnancies. Our society is desperate to dehumanize the unborn! A chemical pregnancy is considered a "false positive" in the pregnancy testing world.

What is a chemical pregnancy? "Chemical pregnancy - This is a pregnancy that has a positive pregnancy test but the embryo or fetus do not develop."

Ummm... human life begining at human conception is a scientific FACT! If there is no embryo implanting in that uterine wall then there is no positive result of a pregnancy test. A chemical pregnancy is NOT a false positive. It is an early miscarriage. It is the death of human life. It is the loss of a child.

And I have to be honest. While I am disappointed at this turn of events, there is a very small part of me that feels relieved. After the initial excitement of seeing that positive, panic and fear set in.

My heart is still so fully wrapped up and focused on Caleb. I know that love does not divide, it multiplies. If I have enough love for Caleb and all of his siblings that are here for me to care for, then God will certainly create love in my heart for another one. And I do want another one, I do.

It just scares me.

I'm scared of loss, yes. But more than that I'm scared of not being able to connect. I'm worried that I wont be able to bond. From loving and longing for Caleb, from fear of another loss... I want to enjoy my next baby just as much as I enjoyed Caleb. More so. I want to grab onto it with both hands, and jump in with both feet. No matter how long or short my next pregnancy lasts I want to enjoy that child with heartfelt abandon. I don't want to hold anything back.

In my flesh I know I will never be able to do it.

And I'm scared that I wont be able to let go and let God do that work in my heart.

The God of Grave Victory...

This is an excerpt from Max Lucado's book A Gentle Thunder.

I had wanted to use it for Caleb's funeral but had no where near the emotional resources to search it out. But tonight I found it and wanted to share...

As a minister, I'm often asked to speak at funerals. I no longer
have to ask the family what they want me to say; I already know. Oh, I may have
to ask a question or two about the deceased, and that I do, but I don't ask them
about what they want me to say. I know.

They want to hear what God has to say about death. They want to
hear how God would answer their questions about the life hereafter. They don't
want my opinion; nor do they want the thoughts of a philosopher or of a research
scientist. They want to know what God says. If Jesus were here, at the head of
this casket, in the middle of this cemetary, what would He say?

And so under the canopy of sorrow, I give God's words. I share
the eulogy Jesus gave for Himself. The disciples did not know it was His
farewell address. No one did, but it was. He knew he had just witnessed His
final sunset. He knew death would come with the morning. So He spoke about
death. Here is how He began.

Don't let your hearts be troubled. Trust in God, and trust in Me.
There are many rooms in My Father's house; I would not tell you this if it were
not true. I am going there to prepare a place for you. After I go and prepare a
place for you, I will come back and take you to be with Me so that you may be
where I am (John 14:1-4)

What kind of statement is that? Trust me with your death. When
you face the tomb, don't be troubled - trust Me! You get the impression that to
God the grave is a no-brainer. He speaks as casually as the mechanic who says to
a worried client, "Sure, the engine needs an overhaul, but don't worry. I can do
it." For us it's an ordeal. For Him it's no big deal.

The other night I did something every parent has done dozens of
times. I carried my daughter to bed. Five-year-old Sara fell asleep on the
floor, and I picked her up, carried her up the stairs, and put her in bed. WHy?
I knew it was time for her to rest, and I knew that rest was better up there
than down here.

Doesn't God do the same? Doesn't He, knowing more than we, carry
us to the place of rest He created? For God, death is no tragedy. In God's
economy, the termination of the body is the begining of life.

Can you imagine if Sara's sisters objected to my decision to
carry her upstairs? "Don't take her. We'll miss her. Please keep her here so we
will all be together."

How would I answer? "Oh, but she'll rest so much better in the
room I have prepared for her. Besides, you'll be coming up yourselves soon."

By calling us home, God is doing what any father would do. He is
providing a better place to rest. A place He has "prepared for us." Heaven is
not mass-produced; it is tailor-made.

Sometime ago I indulged and ordered two shirts from a tailor. I
selected the cloth. The tailor measured my body. ANd several weeks later, I
received two shirts made especially for me. There is a big difference between
these two shirts and the other shirts in my closet. The tailored shirts were
made with me in mind. The other shirts were made for any hundred thousand or so
males my size. But not these two. They were made just for me.

As a result, they fit! They don't bulge. They don't choke. They
are just right. Such is the promise of heaven. It was made with us in mind.
Elsewhere Jesus invites us to "receive the kingdom God has prepared for you
since the world was made" (Matt. 25:34).

The problem with this world is that it doesn't fit. Oh, it will
do for now, but it isn't tailor-made. We were made to live forever, but on this
earth we live but for a moment. We were made to live holy lives, but this world
is stained by sin.

This world wears like a borrowed shirt. Heaven, however, will fit
like one tailor-made.

By the way, I've often thought it curious how few people Jesus
raised from the dead. He healed hundreds and fed thousands, but as far as we
know He only raised three: the daughter of Jairus, the boy near Nain, and
Lazarus. Why so few? Could it be because He knew He'd be doing them no favors?
Could it be that once someone is there, the last place they wan to return to is
here?

We must trust God. We must trust not only that He does what is
best but that He knows what is ahead. Ponder the words of Isaiah 57:1-2: "The
good men perish; the godly die before their time and no one seems to care or
wonder why. No one seems to realize that Godis taking them away from the evil
days ahead. For the godly who die shall rest in peace" (TLB).

My, what a thought. God is taking them away from the evil days
ahead. Could death be God's grace? Could the funeral wreath be God's safety
ring? Why does an eight-year-old die of cancer? Why is a young mother taken from
her children? As horrible as the grave may be, could it be God's protection from
the future?

Trust in God, Jesus urges, and trust in Me.

She never will forget me...

"You will show me the path of life; In Your presence is fullness of joy; At Your right hand are pleasures forevermore."
~Psalm 16:11

Day 58: My little bit of happy ~ a whole slew of drugs to help my poor ailing lungs recover.

I've been super sick this week with a minor cold turned severe asthmatic bronchitus. Tonight Sarah and I were cuddled up together in my bed watching videos on youtube together: Sesame Street, Wiggles, Kidsongs, and finally Baby Songs.

The last song on this video says:

"My mommy comes back, she always comes back... she always comes back to get
me...
My mommy comes back, she always comes back... she never would forget
me..."

I guess that is part of what drives me to go and stand at my son's grave. Because his mommy always comes back. And no sweet Caleb~boy, I never will forget you!

God said no...

Dear Praying Friends,

In the weeks following the death and birth of our son Caleb I have been reading the blog of Stephanie Dyer, mama of Amelia Rose Dyer.

Baby Amelia was given a fatal diagnosis at 24 weeks gestation when a level 2 sonogram found several congenital anomolies that are incompatible with life. Amelia was not expected to live to term and her parents were urged to terminate the pregnancy.

Being followers of Christ, and knowing that life and death are His alone to give, Steven and Stephanie continued on with the pregnancy. The coming weeks would be spent trying to pack a life time of Amelia memories into a few short months, rejoicing in her life, and preparing for death. This included trying to help their 3 older children navigate through their own grief and fears.

While I prayed and believe in faith that God would "provide a ram" as He did for Abraham after asking him to sacrifice his only child, Isaac, Amelia's parents request was simple.

They simply hoped for Amelia to be born alive, so they could hold her in their arms before she left this world. Stephanie prayed that she would be allowed to nurse her daughter just one time. One of their children simply wanted to spend his birthday, which came a few short days after Amelia's due date, with his baby sister. His birthday is tomorrow.

God said no.

Amelia lived to her due date. On March 9th, Amelia's due date, the family visisted the midwife.

The very next day, Amelia was quiet. Stephanie tried in vain to awaken her daughter, and finally in the evening they headed to the midwife dreading the worst but, I imagine, begging God that they would hear their daughter's heart beating.

Instead they were greated by silence. While Amelia's body still inhabited her mother's her soul had already joined countless other's at the Throne of Heaven.

God's ways are higher. The Dyers did not get their wish to hold and love on Amelia in their arms before she died. However, neither will they have to watch her suffer and die. Amelia was spared any earthly pain and discomfort.

Please pray for Steven, Stephanie, and their remaining children as they navigate these pathways of grief. Their faith and love for the Lord is strong, and this will benefit them greatly. However nothing can change the fact that they are "but dust", living with human emotions and understandings. And instincts. Even after your child has died the instincts to hold and care for them are SO strong. I can not even describe to you how lost you feel in those first few days and weeks.

You can find Amelia's story here: http://carriedthroughgrief.blogspot.com/

Because God is good ALL THE TIME,
~ Melodie Miller
Caleb's Ministry
calebsprayer@gmail.com

Snuggling Caleb...

"I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me."

~ Galations 2:20

Day 56: My little bit of happy ~ holding Caleb in my dream!

Dear Caleb,

I held you in my arms today... you were older, bigger, and so incredibly alive. It was a very strange dream in so many ways, but absolutely lovely.

I pitched Caleb's Ministry to the ladies group at church last night. An added blessing to Caleb's Ministry that I didn't expect is that it is keeping you alive in my heart. On the days when I am most involved with Caleb's Ministry I go to bed at night and have the most precious dreams of loving my boy. I wasn't expecting this, and am finding it to be such a sweet gift.

Oh, how the Lord Jesus rewards us when we walk in obedience and surrender our hearts to Him! Blessings we could never have imagined.

In my dream, you were a micro preemie and for whatever reason it had been some weeks since I had been able to visit you. The NICU was situated in a mall type building which had both a Starbucks and a church in it.

Hey, it's a dream, it doesn't have to make sense!

I entered the mall with your 5 brothers and sisters, and a baby gate I currently have in my van to give to another mama at church. I stashed the kids and the baby gate at Starbucks (!) and went into the NICU to see my boy. As I stood at the doorway I washed my hands before entering. The door to the NICU was a split style door that you often see in church nurseries and day care centers.

As I entered the nursery I discovered that you had been moved from where I was expecting you, and as I approached the bed I was surprised by what I found.

Expecting a scrawny red micro preemie fully dependant on machines, what I found instead was a very tiny baby in a reclined position. He had a trache in his neck, and an IV. He was wearing nothing but a diaper.

He was so tiny, but he had the softest creamiest skin I've ever seen. His head was covered in baby fine brown curls. And his eyes were brown and clear, the same "tiger eye" color of your daddy's.

And I new he was you. My heart soared and I reached for you, as I put you to my shoulder (you were suddenly clothed in thin jammies) I asked, "can I hold him???!!!"

And in my dream I sat there for what seemed like hours just soaking you in. Your warmth, your softness, your beauty. YOU. Oh Caleb, it was so undeniably YOU! I was aware of my other children needing my attention, but I didn't care. I just wanted to hold you and never let go.

You fussed and were given a pacifier. I had an awareness that I had "allowed" my milk to dry up and that I would have to relactate for you. But I had the thought that maybe you would comfort nurse even if there was no milk and even though you never had and didn't know how. And so I offered you my breast, and you latched on like you'd been doing it all the time.

Tears poured down my face. Here I was nursing the baby I thought I would never nurse. And it was the most precious moment.

And then I woke up to reality. The reality where your body lies cold in the ground, your hair never grew long enough to form curls, and I will never know if your eyes would be the same beautiful shade of brown that your daddy has. The reality where I will never nurse you, never stroke your creamy skin. The reality where I will never again kiss your little head or feel you squirm.

And it was bittersweet. It was SO hard to wake up, but at the same time it was so wonderful to have had such a realistic dream. And to remember it! In such detail! Oh, I hope there are more! The disappointment of waking up was so worth it.

Thank You Jesus for letting me visit my son in my dreams!

I love you Caleb Enoch, and I miss you oh so much!
~ Mama

2 whole months...

"Therefore, I urge you, brothers, in view of God's mercy, to offer your bodies as living sacrifices, holy and pleasing to God—this is your spiritual act of worship."

~ Romans 12:1

Day 54: My little bit of happy ~ is a secret!

Dear Caleb,

Today is your 2 month birthday, and also the day when we would be finishing our 26th week of pregnancy and coming to the end of the second trimester. How sad that makes me! You've been gone from us for 2 entire months, and we still aren't even close to your due date!

I still haven't changed the "What To Expect When You're Expecting" app on my iPhone. It is still tracking YOUR pregnancy... each week that you aren't here my phone still remembers where you would be. Each milestone I reach with a quiet belly.

I long for you. And I don't see that every going away. I can't even imagine it ever fading.

And I have to wonder... when there is another growing beneath my heart will I be able to think of anyone but you? Will I be able to see the individuality of that child, or will the torch I carry for you outshine him or her? Will I be able to enjoy that child for who they are?

And what of when I hold my own baby in my arms again? Assuming she or he is alive... will they be able have their own shining moment, or will my heart still be with you? Will holding them bring the healing I long for, or intenify my hurt?

I need to keep my eyes set before me, and live in today. You are not in my todays. You live only my yesterdays, and in my memories. It is there that I hold you.

I dreamed of you the other day. I had been at my friend's house discussing Caleb's Ministry and we looked at several pictures taken the day of your funeral that I had never seen. And that night, you were in my dreams. Unfortunately the demand of your older siblings yanked me out of my dream so abruptly I wasn't able to savor it and the details were quickly forgotten. I don't remember what I dreamed about you, simply that you were there. And that it was a sweet pleasant dream. I wish for more of those

I love you my youngest son.
~ Mama

Lives will be touched....

"But My servant Caleb, because he has a different spirit in him and has followed Me fully, I will bring into the land where he went..."
~ Numbers 14:24

Day 52: My little bit of happy - lunch with friends and the gift of a necklace memorializing Caleb!

As some of you know, I am in the process of answering God's call to start a ministry known as "Caleb's Ministry". In the days and weeks following Caleb's death, as I have gazed at his pictures, the Lord has strongly impressed upon me that I am to share Caleb with the world.

I have started a group on Facebook called "Caleb's Ministry" to introduce and define the ministry. Please check it out and share it with your friends! On Tuesday I will be "pitching" the ministry at the monthly Ladies Ministry meeting at church.

What is currently going on with Caleb's Ministry:

The website is being designed and built. Caleb's Ministry will provide pictures of babies who have died of natural causes through all stages of gestation. If you would like us to consider your pictures please email the full size image(s) to calebsprayer at gmail dot com. Obviously you will need to edit that a little bit in order for the email address to work, but it is necessary to post it that way to avoid spam.

These pictures will be used to inform those who deny the humanity of the unborn child, to aid in prenatal bonding for family members, and to "prepare" those facing the immediate death of their unborn child.

In addition to the pictures the website will have testimonials of women who have lived to regret their decision to abort their child or children, as well as the stories of women who have lost children to natural causes between conception and the first year outside the womb. There will be a section to help parents in the process of planning a memorial for their child.

The website will host a trimester specific forum for parents who have lost or are losing their children.

Forums will include:

* First Trimester Loss Support
* Second Trimester Loss Support
* Third Trimester Loss Support
* Parents carrying to term after receiving a fatal diagnosis for their unborn child
* Antenatal loss 0-6 months
* Infant loss 6-12 months
* Pregnancy after Loss Support

* Support for post abortive mothers who regret their decision
* Support for post abortive fathers who either were not given a say in the decision to end their child's life, or who regret making that decision

In addition to the website we will be developing and producing a video to be used in Crisis Pregnancy Centers, churches, and schools around the world as well as materials to be handed out promoting awareness of the complex humanity of the unborn. I am also having thoughts of marketing bumper stickers, t shirts, etc. To raise money for these materials as well as to provide sonogram machines to Crisis Pregnancy Centers.

There are certain logistics that still need to be worked out. Like whether we will need to file as our own 501 non profit organization, appointing board members, and figuring out who will handle the financial aspects of the ministry.

Lives are already being touched! I emailed a friend of mine who is a professional photographer tonight and asked her if she was a photographer for NILMDTS and if not, why. She responded that she had never heard of NILMDTS before Caleb and that she was definately looking into it, wanting to provide for others the gift that was provided to me. Praise be to God!!!

To know, or not to know... which one is better?

"You go before me and follow me. You place Your hand of blessing on my head. Such knowledge is too wonderful for me, too great for me to understand!"
~ Psalm 139:5,6

Day 50: My little bit of happy ~ a lovely lunch with friends... and a photography lesson!

Today I was talking to my dear friend Christina about a blogger friend, Stephanie, who is carrying her daughter to term despite a fatal prenatal diagnosis. Stephanie will not see her daughter grow up, and though she has made it to 39 weeks she is not expected to survive long after birth if she is born alive. Baby Amelia is already a miracle though, as she was not supposed to make it this far!

As I have followed Stephanie's pregnancy, and Amelia's life, in the weeks since losing Caleb I have wondered if it would be preferable to have those weeks to "prepare" yourself mentally and emotionally for the coming loss of your child. Really it's such a preposterous question.

For one thing, how can one call such a thing preferable?! Yet death is an absolute, and it will come at God's appointed time. He alone knows the exact day and hour, for He planned it from the begining. That being as it is, I wonder if it would be better to know in advance that your unborn child was going to die or if it is better to live blissfully unaware until the awful moment comes?

Secondly, it is impossible to prepare yourself mentally or emotionally for the death of a child. Even when you've walked that lonely road before there is just no way to know how it will feel when the time comes to give birth to that child. You don't know until you actually walk that road how hard it will be to try to pack a life time of memories into the few hours that your child spends in your arms. You don't know until you hold your son or daughter's lifeless form in your arms what it means to watch death take over their tiny frame. There is no such thing as preparation.

You simply brace yourself. And in both situations, you collapse spent into Jesus arms and let Him carry you through and hold you up.

I've decided that each has it's own blessings and it's own curses.

Stephanie's blessing is the bumps, rolls, and hiccups. Her daughter will be big enough to wrap up inside her arms. Her body will not be as touched by the affects of death.

I on the other hand do not have to live with the worries, the fears, and the dread. Each day of my pregnancy up until that fateful day we were blissfully unaware and were able to enjoy each day to the fullest.

The journeys are different, but the destination is the same. We've both had the rug yanked out from under us. We are both grieving the loss of not only our children but all the dreams we had for them. In the end we will have the same sleepless nights, the same night mares, the same hormone fluctuations, the same emptiness, the same instincts to care for our babies.

But most importantly we serve the same God. The God who knows our hearts and hurts over our sorrows. The God who made our children for HIS purpose and will use their short lives to profoundly touch this world. The God who says, don't look at the waves... the waves will drown you. Keep your eyes on Me... don't look away, not for a moment, and I promise I'll keep you from drowning in your pain.

In The Potter's Hands, Experiencing God day 3...

Day 49: My little bit of happy ~ snuggling Hosea to sleep during church.

Tonight's Bible study lesson was so convicting. This actually comes as a relief to me. My initial impression of this Bible study was that for me it would be more milk than meat, but my position on that is that even the most mature Christian needs some milk once in a while. It's good to constantly review and simmer in what God has taught us so we wont rot.

I have been a rotting Christian in a lot of ways. I have allowed the stresses and exhaustion of parenting all of these children to interfere with my walk with God. I have stresses that other mother's don't have... mothering 2 children who I did not meet until they were 8 and 9 years old, as if they were my own. When we married we each suddenly went from 2 kids to 4, none of them babies. And I have stayed home with them full time, fully investing myself in them. It has been lonely, and it has been stressful. There have been days when I felt like the burden of mothering these children was more than I could bear. There have been days when I scared myself with the realization that I could easily walk out the door and never look back, so exhausted and frustrated was I with the job set before me.

All because I was failing to make time for my Lord. "Take My yolk upon you, for My yolk is easy, and My burden is light. I failed to rest in Him. He had brought me so far, and then I foolishly set out to make it on my own apart from Him.

Page 17 of the Experiencing God study declares the following:

My understanding of a servant is depicted by the potter and the clay (see Jer. 18:1-6). The clay must do two things:

1. The clay has to be molded. It has to be responsive to the potter so he can make it into an instrument of his choosing.

2. The clay has to remain in the potter's hand. When the potter has finished making the instrument of his choosing, that instrument has no ability to do what it wants. It has to remain in the potter's hand to be effective. Suppose the potter molds the clay into a cup. The cup has to remain in the potter's hands so he can use that cup the way he chooses.

I did the first. But I failed at the second. Completely and utterly failed. So it is with meekness and humility that I place myself back into my Potter's hands so He can fix the cracks caused by misuse of the vessel He has made, so that He can use me for HIS intended purpose.

"Speak Lord, for Your servant is listening..." ~ 1 Samuel 3:11

Hi-ho, Hi-ho... to the Rheumatologist I go...

Day 48: My little bit of happy ~ visiting with my friend Julie!







Today I went North. Because we have Kaiser and the only Rheumatologist available to me is (exactly) 75.2 miles away from my house. That's ok though, it gave me a reason to stop in and see a good friend we don't often have the chance to visit with!



Why did I visit the Rheumatologist, you ask? Because Kaiser denied my referal to the geneticist. Which I am NOT happy about. At all! So my primary care doctor refered me to Rheumatology instead. She did some x-rays and ran more blood work for more auto immune disorders that I have not previously been tested for. I'm praying for a diagnosis, but after 30+ years I'm not holding my breath! Frustratingly, Ehlers-Danlos is not one of the things she is testing me for. At least not right now.









One common misconception about homeschoolers is that they often get out of doing work. Oh contraire mon frere! See, my little chil'ens are hard at work right there in the Rheumatologist's waiting room! There were TVs on and they were having a hard time finding a way to work without too much distraction (both have rampant ADHD, and today was not a great ADHD day... could have been so much worse though!). This was the solution they came up with!

And THIS is how a bored out of her skull active 2 year old entertains herself when her mommy drags her along to the doctor's office!

This is also a good example of why my camera travels with me EVERYWHERE I GO!!!

Letter to NILMDTS...

Dear Madame,

I am writing to make a plea on behalf of parents who lose their children in the second trimester, following the loss of my son Caleb in January of this year. Caleb’s loss was an unexpected blow and with him died so many hopes and dreams we had for his life. Caleb was born at 17 weeks and 4 days, and though his body showed the affects of 5 days worth of maceration he was in every way perfect and exquisite.

A dear friend of mine is a photographer and when she asked me what I needed I simply asked her to come to the hospital and take pictures of our son. I knew that her camera and her abilities would leave us with something far better than what my own camera would provide. This has proved to be very true, while the few pictures we took with our point and shoot camera captured my son’s body when he was more fresh from the womb, they are grainy and very poor quality.

I cannot even begin to describe to you what having these pictures has done for me and the gift that I have been given. To have Caleb’s little life so honored and validated helps me tremendously in my grief. In addition these pictures can be used to help other families as they go through their loss and provide awareness of second trimester fetal development. Being able to pull up these pictures and once again see our son’s face, and his amazing little arms, legs, and feet… My heart hurts for moms, dads, siblings, and grandparents who don’t have pictures that show all the wonderful amazing details of their tiny little ones. And that they were indeed here. If I didn’t have these pictures of Caleb I’m sure I would doubt he was more than a dream.

After Caleb was born it was brought to my attention that he and babies like him are not accepted by NILMDTS. I’ve been told that a baby must reach 25 weeks of gestation to be eligible for NILMDTS.

This is a travesty! How is my son’s life… and the lives of others like him… less valuable than that of a baby a few weeks older? Were his hands and feet less precious?! Was he less amazing?! Was he less of a person because he was “only” a second trimester baby?!

I assure you, we mothers and fathers who lose our children in the second trimester grieve just as heavily as those parents who lose older babies. I felt my son move within me. We watched him dance and play on the sonogram. I held his cold little body in my hands, and I kissed his little face. He was perfect, he was ours, and our lives will never again be the same without him here.

Please, please don’t deny other parents the gift I have been given simply because their baby is too young. I beseech you to reconsider this guideline. The life of a 25 week gestation baby is not more valuable than that of a 16 or 17 week gestation baby. They are not loved or missed any more.

Sincerely,
Caleb’s Mommy

Made it through another week...

Day 47: My little bit of happy ~ finding Caleb's balloon!

Friday was Caleb's 7 week "birthday". Today we would have made it to 25 weeks and my boy would be a giant compared to the size he was at birth! It is still so hard to believe we will never bring him home, but this new normal is starting to settle a bit more comfortably with each passing day. There are of course days which are still quite heavy, but I don't cry every day and I don't feel panicky every day.

On our way back home from town that evening I realized that the snow had finally melted away and that I would finally be able to see Caleb's grave again, so I made a quick stop to the cemetary before AWANA. I thought I was going to try to retrieve remnants of the balloon we had placed on his grave, but to my surprise I found it still there, fully inflated. The snow had pushed it over at an odd angle, but hadn't squeezed the air out or popped it! I was beyond thrilled to find it there! So, instead of retrieving the empty balloon to put in Caleb's box I instead righted it and left it there where it belongs. The flowers are still there as well, but they have definately seen better days! I really need to order his marker, but The Super Hubbie and I haven't had a chance down and come to an agreement on what we want.

I saw this little baby outfit last night at Walmart, and it was like a punch in the gut. I wanted to buy it for Caleb. I almost did, just for the satisfaction of doing so, but decided against it.

Today I started a new Bible study with some women at church, and I am very excited about it! We have all been hemming and hawing about starting a Bible study and finally decided to just do it! We are doing Experiencing God, which I've really wanted to do for some time. I have heard only wonderful things about it!

In preparation for doing my first lesson I went out tonight and bought some pens.

I am a total pen snob. There, I said it. I haven't done much in the way of Bible journaling for the past few years because my kids always steal my pens and I will not use regular ole pens. Plus having a baby made it really difficult to sit down with my Bible, a journal, and a pen. But I'm going to start again! I just need to get a journal... kind of forgot that when I was out. I'm hoping the pens I got work out... my favorite pen maker stopped making my favorite pens so I have to find a new favorite. Not cool!!!