Thank you for your "Faith"fulness!

Faith is doing so much better! She is gaining weight and looking and feeling great! Thank you so much for all your prayers! The power of prayer is amazing!

Here are some recent photos that I have taken. I am not as good about taking pictures on my camera...I take so many on my cell phone!

Micah checking out his new sister....well trying to rock her!!

Hey brother:)

I'm awake!

My photo session with my mom:)

Sticking my tongue out!

LOL! I love all the faces babies make!

So sweet!

Hi Mommy!

The best biggest brother!

Like my hat??

Loving her! xoxo

Where's Micah??

No more pictures Mom!!

There he is....busy with cars!!

Must be doing something right....

Since Faith has been sick we started saying prayers over her and laying our hands on her. We also started doing one decade of the rosary as a family the other day. Today Hope did the entire rosary for Faith by herself just because she wanted to! How sweet is she! We did another decade tonight and Hope wanted to do the whole thing again! Even Micah sits through it and holds the rosary for us! I love it when you just feel God's grace and peace as you pray as a family! God is good!

Update on Faith

Friends and Family...we took Faith to the doctor for the 5th time and took the test for RSV and tested positive for it. We ask that you continue to pray for her. She needs it. Please ask our Lord and Savior for a healing and quick recovery. Thank-you all for your faithfulness in this.

Where to Begin....

It has been almost 10 months since I blogged! Crazy! But I find it hard to find time to write.

So where do I begin....I guess right here and now!

As most of you know, we were blessed with another baby girl who arrived on Christmas Eve! Faith Kateri 8lbs. 0oz. 20 inches at 1:40pm. She was the exact same weight and length as her sister Hope!!! She also reminds us a lot of her.

Since she has been born she has definitely thrown us for a loop and God has made sure he is first in our lives. Our prayer life has never been stronger and I think we needed to be reminded to always put God first (which can get pushed aside when you have 3 now 4 very demanding children! ) We also saw a movie which really makes you appreciate and cherish every moment with your children.

Here is the update on what has been going on with our baby girl....

1. We went to her 3 day old visit and her weight was only at 7lbs 5 oz. which she lost more than 10% of her birth weight so...

2. We had to go back the next day to weight her...She weighed 7lbs. 8 oz!! Yeah! So we were cleared to go!! But...

3. The next day she ended up with blood in her poop....I mean her whole diaper was blood! Scary! So we went back to the doctor (did I mention it is 40 minutes away!!) They thought it was from me nursing (since I was cut so bad due to very bad nursing pads), dairy and a cut on her bottom. So I had to stop dairy and nursing. I had to pump and feed her a bottle which is double the work and time. I felt like I was pumping and nursing all day! Then...

4. We had to go back the next day to check for blood in her stool again! They were sure there would still be some but wanted to make sure she was better. When they checked...it was a miracle!!! No blood whatsoever!!! Woo hoo! So it was just from me...yuck! Poor baby! We were cleared again and had to schedule her 2 week check up for the following Friday. But...

5. On Wednesday afternoon she started to sound congested so we changed her appointment to Thursday. Faith has caught her brothers and sisters cold and is congested and chokes on her snot...very bad!! It is scary and she has a hard time catching her breath! She also is not back up to her birth weight which they were worried about too. So...

6. We ask for prayers for Faith. We pray that God's healing hand come upon her and heal our sweet baby girl. We ask for prayers that she gets healthy and keeps growing and getting stronger every day!

*****What else has been going on...*****

Isaiah turned 6!! Crazy! He is in Kindergarten (home schooled). He has his first loose tooth! And he is still SO LOUD! LOL!

Funny Saying: Mom when are you going to fall into labor?? LOL!

Hope is going to be 5 in a couple months!!! She is also in Kindergarten with Isaiah and keeping right up with him! She is all girl...mostly sweet but can be sassy too! She is the best big sister and would hold Faith all day if I let her:)

Micah is going to be 2 next month!!! He is really a very funny kid! He loves to be silly and talks up a storm! I can't believe all the words he knows! He is adjusting to having a new baby in the house. He loves her but wants and needs A LOT of attention!

Hope you are all well. Happy 2012!

Micah snuggling his big brother Isaiah!

Silly boys!

Welcome baby girl Faith Kateri!

Mama tired after delivery!

Faith's first bath...not happy to get her hair washed!

Bath time!

Our Family!

All the kiddos meeting their new sister!

Faith and the boys!

Hope with her new baby sister:)

Christmas afternoon...time for gifts!

So excited and so patient!

Mama with all her kiddies!

Hope loving her sister!

Micah loving his new baby doll! LOL!

Happy New Year!! Silly kids!!

Night 2 Without the Pappy

Hope did great! Dave put her down and it only took her 30 minutes to go to sleep. She only cried for a few minutes!! She did wake up a few times but Dave just covered her up and she whimpered a little bit. She still asks for it every night but is going all night without it! I am so proud of her! We went to buy a little gift for giving up her pappy...(I was going to buy it anyway but it worked out perfect that I could buy it for this occasion)...she got a Dora suitcase for all of our travels! She was so happy and rolled it around all day. We are also cutting nap time...only due to the loss of her pappy. I didn't want to make her upset about it. She was only sleeping about 45 minutes if she would go down anyways. I think she needs an occasional nap...but I think it will be in the car. Keep the prayers coming!

Hopey is 4!!!

I cannot believe Hope is 4! Where does the time go...seriously! It seems like just a little while ago she was a baby. And now...she is losing that baby look and becoming such a big girl! We celebrated Hope's birthday yesterday. It was so much fun. It was small but so nice and relaxing...which birthday parties usually are crazy for me. We rented a clubhouse room at a park like we did for Micah but this one was better. Enjoy the pictures!

She wanted a monkey theme for her birthday! I love how sweet and innocent she is:)

Her godfather Randy with his two kids made the 3 1/2 hour drive down for her party...and then back up!! What a trooper he is!! Hope loves her godfather:)

Some of the kids couldn't make it last minute and some where late...but we started the craft and then they joined in! The four little ones...with their monkey masks they made! Isaiah did an awesome job coloring is! So proud of him:)

Pin the tail on the monkey! Well....at least we didn't have any cheaters! LOL! Isaiah was the winner with the green tail in the middle:)

Happy birthday my little monkey:)

Trying to get together for a picture!

Presents!! She didn't have many to open because a lot of us ordered online and the didn't make it here yet! So she is excited to check the mail tomorrow!!!

Singing time!

Pretty Rhea!

So excited for her twin babies...she named them Tyler and Brooke:) (She is the hardest person to name her babies!!)

And now...the pappy release to heaven!!

So happy here:)

I LOVE HER!

Bye bye pappys!

She did great releasing them...no tears! And is was so much better than Isaiah's. It was a cloudy, windy day so they were gone fast! Nighttime...not so much fun...poor baby. She cried for about an hour and woke up a few times during the night and cried. She was really upset. I never realized that she used to play with it too when she went to sleep. Today is night #2 so we will see how it goes. Dave put her down tonight and they was less crying so that is good! Just pray for her! The only thing that kept me from not giving it back was to keep telling myself that the right thing to do is not always the easiest thing to do!

A Couple Quick Things...

1. Micah is walking all over the place. He started taking a few steps a week before he turned 1 (Superbowl Sunday). But two days ago he started walking more than crawling. I am actually very happy about this....I didn't think I would be but...its mostly a germ thing...I think crawling everywhere on the ground is so dirty and gross. So happy he is walking:) LOL!

2. We took Micah to the allergist today. We were going to have him blood tested but she talked us into skin testing since we would have the results today and if they weren't OK then we could blood test. Micah was a champ. Not even a cry, tear or anything. He was actually laughing. Turns out he is allergic to milk and eggs and slightly allergic to nuts (which we figured anyway). She said he would probably be fine with eggs in baked goods but not scrambles eggs. So, I was going to but Micah on organic toddler soy formula....not really many options....but she said that since he is allergic to milk if I put him on soy he could become allergic to that too?? Any thoughts?? The positive to this is that most kids outgrow milk and egg allergies between 3 and 5. So keep him in your prayers!

3. Lent....this year the kids are more involved in lent. Dave gave up sweets! (I couldn't do that...I need something to get me through the day since I cant tolerate caffeine). Instead I gave up facebook. I found myself always checking it and need a break from it. I also decided to give Dave more time at work so I am going to get up every morning at 7 instead of 7:30. The kids gave up a toy and they will get it back Easter Sunday! Isaiah is very excited about it. What are you doing for Lent?

4. Hope is really funny and using her cuteness to get what she wants. Today as we were running to put more change in the meter she kept telling me...."Stop running honey. Why are you running honey." LOL! So funny!

5. Please keep Isaiah in your prayers....he has had this dry cough for more than two weeks. He went to the doctor in the beginning of it and he thought it was allergies...but we are going to take him again tomorrow. It is so weird...he doesn't cough when he is playing or running around at all....more when he is laying down or sitting. I will keep you posted.

6. I saved the best for last (well the best for me that is)...Micah is sleeping through the night. Before Kerri and Joe got here we were desperate. Micah was waking 4 or 5 times a night and the only way to get him back to sleep was to nurse him. I was exhausted!!! So we decided to change the sleeping arrangements around. We put Micah in his own room and now we have a dorm with with the kids! LOL! There are three mattresses on the floor. Micah cried the first night for an hour when I put him in and than on and off for 1 1/2 hour during the night. Usually he sleeps all night but cries out here and there. I am so thankful for all the sleep we are all getting. We truely needed it! God is good:)