The Kitten Project.

 

Well, our kitten project has ended.  Here is Luke trying to enjoy his little kitten for the last time.  He is also enjoying the heater and keeping his hands warm! 

The second kitten died the other day and the last kitten died last night.  They were doing so well at first, but once it got cold they just couldn't handle it.  They stopped eating and even though we tried to keep them warm they were too cold.  It was sad, but the kids took it very well. 

I think we were getting tired of feeding them anyway.  I guess it was a little too much of a project for us.  Maybe if the kittens wouldn't have suffered the last couple days it would have been better, but we knew they were going to die, so what can you do?  They just needed their mama.

Silly Brooke

 Last weekend we went to Thayer for a wedding.  We got to see Papa Larry and Grandma Patty. 

 

Brooke had a sucker while we were waiting at the reception. She LIKED it.

 It was very sticky.

She's our little goof.  Always making us laugh.  Brooke is such a joy!

A Sad Day

Today was a sad day in the Marshall house.  It started off great.  Scott was home and made pancakes for us for breakfast.  But then we went outside to feed the kittens.  One did not get up and meow like usual.  The change from being hot to super cold overnight was too much for one little kitten to handle.  Little Susan had died. 

Susan was Addy's kitty.  Addy could tell because she had some white between her legs.  She didn't believe that her kitty had died until she looked and saw the white mark.  Then she cried as she realized that her new little friend would not wake up.  These kittens are teaching more lessons than I imagined.

Our Kitten Project

 

We adopted kittens!  There were some abandoned kittens on our block that were meowing desperately, so we decided to take them in.  The kids were excited to make a "house" for them.

 The kittens don't stay in this house, but the outside toybox Scott made a few months ago is a perfect kitten house. 

 

We have been feeding them a bottle of kitten formula 2-3 times a day.  The plan is to take them out to my mom and dad's as soon as they get big enought to eat on their own.  In the mean time, we will have a fun time learning about kittens. There are 2 girls and a boy.  Addy named the girls Susan and Lucy.  Luke's kitten was drinking the bottle at the time he named him, so that kitten got the name Drinker.  

Sonogram update

 

We had our sonogram to find out what the abnormal bright spot was in the first sonogram.  It is called Congenital Cystic Adenomatoid Malformation (CCAM).  Basically she has cysts on her right lung.  It is not as bad as it sounds, and really is good news!  It is so good to know what to call it and know what the next few months look like, which is very normal.  I will have to have follow up ultrasounds every 6 weeks to check and see if it is changing.  The dr. said that he thinks it will regress and by the time she is born it could be gone!  We'll just wait and see.  If it doesn't regress and keeps getting bigger then she might have some trouble breathing and will have to have surgery shortly after she is born.  But that is the worst case scenario. 

We got a report of all the notes and it was good to see the following:  Very active baby for 22 weeks. Vizualized with normal appearance: head, brain, face, spine, neck, skin, abdominal wall, gastrointestinal tract, kidneys, bladder, extremities, skeleton. 

It was also fun to see her in 3d.  Can you see her cute little face in the picture?  She looks like the other kiddos.  Now we better start thinking about getting her a name!

Tuesday Night Fun!

 

Scott was making up games to play with the kids with a ball.  Here's "Blow the Ball."

Here she is!!!

I went in for a "fun" sonogram today.  I wanted Addy and Luke to get a chance to see their sister since we won't be taking them with us next week to the "scary" sonogram.  I also wanted to make sure it's a girl.

 

 Here is our perfect little miracle girl.  She was movng SO much.  She wouldn't hold still!  I even felt a lot of it!  It was so incredible to see and feel this little baby.  I love the above picture because you can almost see her whole body.  Head to the left, legs to the right.  Just under the baby's spine you may see a whitish triangle.  I think that is what they are wanting to check more into, but not totally sure.  Anyway, she looks great to me!

 

 You may not be able to tell, but this picture says she's definitely a girl!

 

 This picture is looking down on the baby's shins.  You can see her left knee really well.  And her feet are side by side on the right side of the pic.  SO cool!

 

Here is the profile picture.  Her mouth was a little bit open.  We saw her chewing something!  So cute.

 

It was really fun to do this sonogram and get to see her moving around so much.  Mandy checked out her heart and said it looked really good.  The only thing that was suspicious was a bright spot in her chest.  We'll find out what that's all about next week.  They didn't think it would be anything major. But even if it is it doesn't matter.  It's not major to God and He's in control of it.

It will be so fun to see how God gets this little girl to us.  Every pregnancy really is different!  I can't wait to hold her and I am so glad God chose me to be her mommy.  

Learning about how things grow

 

Every week I try to go out to my grandparent house to help them with whatever needs to be done.  It also is a good opportunity for the kids to know their great grandparents. I think that is a rare treat.  I grew up half a mile down the road from my grandparents and I am glad I get to share them with my kids.  I also get to see my dad when we're there and the kids learn about the farm.  Today it was time to dig the sweet potatoes.  The kids were so excited to help and they really got into it.

 My dad is probably one of the best people that could teach the kids about how things grow.  He loves that the kids are interested in what he does.  Luke never passes up a ride on the tractor or a chance to "farm."  He has a genuite interest in farming right now and wants to go with Papa Mike and help him whenever he can. 

Uncle Bren helped Addy dig up her treasures.  That is really what it felt like.  They found some HUGE sweet potatoes.  They got to help plant the sweet potatoes a couple months ago, so hopefully being a part of the process will help them enjoy eating them!  Anybody have a good recipe for sweet potatoes?  

Enjoying the Day

 

We are lucky to live right next to Jones Park.  We take advantage of all the nature in our "back yard". Yesterday we explored the pond.  The kids LOVED it.

 The shoes came off quickly and they found sticks for "fishing". The sticks also worked well as shovels when they found something buried in the mud. 

 Brooke wanted to get in on the action and see all the cool stuff they were finding.  Luke found a stick that looke like a gun.  That was "really cool."

 Brooke is no baby anymore.  She wanted to feel the mud squish through her toes too.  Don't you wish you could squat like that?

Luke tried to make a nest with seaweed he pulled up out of the water.  Good ole Kansas fun!

On the way back Addy commented on how soft her feet felt.  When we got all cleaned up it was amazing how clean and soft all the kid's feet were.  I guess we found a good natural foot scrub!



Never Be Afraid to Trust and Unknown Future to a Known God. - Corrie Ten Boom

In 2 weeks we have the ultrasound to find out what, if anything, is wrong with the baby.  Yesterday was a wonderful day of fellowship with my family in Christ.  They are the best.  I am being blanketed by Christ's love right now, and there is much peace. I felt like the Sunday School lesson and the sermon were especially for me.  And then we had a sweet time of prayer in the evening.  God is helping me go through this trial.  I am not alone.  He feels so close.  I even have an excitement in seeing what God will do through this. 

I think I am doing pretty well with thinking about the things I know are true, and turning my thoughts back to those truths when the waves of fear, insecurity, and uncertainty creep in.  But I have found that it is much easier to think those thoughts than it is to talk about or express what I am thinking.  I don't think it is possible for me to pray aloud or talk about it without crying. 

So for the next 2 weeks I will wait.  I will trust in the Lord, and I will let Him strengthen me.  I am ready for whatever path He wants to take me down.  I hope and pray for the best.  That there was a mistake and there is nothing wrong with my sweet little girl.  She is letting me know she is here now.  She kicks and moves around. That is so special to me since I was told I wouldn't feel her much because the placenta in on the front of my uterus.  But as Addy told me, "Mama, even if the baby dies that's still good cause she'll be in heaven."  So there is no bad thing that can happen.  Even if she is very sick, has a disability, or dies, my faith will increase. This is a very short time of trial that is good for me.  Where I can say with Paul, "For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and calamities. For when I am weak, then I am strong." 2 Corinthians 12:10