A Rare Family. A Rare Testimony.

Not everyone gets to witness these kinds of lives and deaths. Craig's sister has posted on her blog some of her reflections about Craig's grandma, her husband(step-grandpa) , and his imminent death. Craig's parents have been caring for him in their home night and day. They all trust Jesus. It's amazing. Makes me consider my own life and and death who I want to be for the Lord now. Read the testimony from Craig's sister, Rebecca...

(from Rebecca's blog)

"My step-grandpa is not expected to survive. He is facing two infections, MRSA and another one I can’t begin to even spell. Due to cancer, congestive heart failure, severe asthma and kidney failure, the doctors think this will take his life. Earlier today, while gasping for breath he looked at grandma and said “I love you sweetheart!’ and immediately looked up to heaven and said, ‘Lord, please take me now. I’m ready!’ He was basically comatose for several hours, but woke with shocking clarity before Doug, Audrey and I got there. I had to be completely covered in a gown, wear a mask and basically bathe in hand sanitizer. I couldn’t touch him or any surface in his room. But we spent a good 45 minutes to an hour with him.

He spoke of his love for us all. He spoke of his joy over the triplets. He reminded us about how good God was. He shared his anticipation of heaven, even as much to say, that at moments when he opens his eyes, he’s somewhat disappointed to not see Jesus. He reviewed the words of the song, ‘Because He lives I can face tomorrow, Because He lives, all fear is gone!’ He admonished the 3 of us to be faithful to God and obedient to His Word. He did some joking. But mostly He praised God for all manner of things and clearly demonstrated a peace that passes understanding.

8 years ago while pregnant with Audrey my grandpa passed away while I watched. Now, with triplets due, I say goodbye again. Two men who have prayed so earnestly for me to have a child and then never got to see the tangible answer to prayer. Both my grandpa and step-grandpa were amazingly bold, wise men of God, so peaceful and ready to meet their Savior. It’s truly astonishing to watch.

My grandma has had to say goodbye to two husbands. She faces surgery next Monday. But you all just should see her! She’s joyful, strong, and is busy seeking out doctors, hospital staff, and strangers to witness to! She told my step-grandpa (David) to find my grandpa (Bob) when he gets to heaven. She said, ‘David, You tell Bob that you were the answer to his prayers.’ She did find love and companionship after grandpa. Her eternal perspective shames my heart, a heart that is so prone to wander. She’s so resolute that God’s goodness will continue to sustain her and that her Heavenly Father will continue to be her greatest companion!

We do not know if he’ll make it through the night or what tomorrow holds. But my folks and my grandma are so resolute that God is good. They find the time of waiting as a time to witness to everyone! I think they’re all tickled to be part of an amazing display of God’s glory.

Do pray for us though. We’re exhausted. Pray that we’d take this to heart and examine if we are ready to meet our Savior should he come for us at anytime. We seem to be pondering what will be said of us when we die. What do we want said at our funeral? I know for me, I’ve already asked Doug to get my brother Craig or our pastor Chris to preach their heart out and tell everyone about repentance and following Christ. And I’ve asked Doug, not to be concerned with honoring me, pointing out my virtues (however few they may be) – because anything good in me, is only because of the grace of God. So tell everyone about God, not me! I am a vapor – mere dust, but the goodness of God lasts forever!

And pray for Audrey. This is tough for a 7yr old. 2 deaths in 1 week. She has achievement tests this week. That’s minor compared to the testing God can be doing in her heart right now. She told me today that this is the most interesting week of her life. And tonight when she was tucked in bed, she asked God to help her be content with when God decides to take her loved ones home to Him.

I’ll close with a quote my folks shared with us tonight from Charles Spurgeon. It pairs so well with Romans 8:31-39

“Unerring wisdom ordained your lot and selected for you the safest and best condition. Remember this -had any condition been better for you than the one in which you are , divine love would have put you there. You are placed by God in the most suitable circumstances. Be content with such good things as you have, since the Lord has ordered all things for your good.’

"Tons of Babies" part 2

An email to my sister-in-law part two! And a few more "tips" below that.

Bec...
I know my last email probably sounded crazy/funny and a bit sad! But I remember so many people asking me how I made having 4 children under 4 look "so easy". I majored on the majors and ignored the dust in the corner...though I have to say I am still working on prioritizing and don't always spend time as well as I should. I also found that having people over during those difficult months, kept my mind on serving others and I actually did better emotionally/spiritually and with time management if I was able to keep up with relationships or reach out to others. It was motivational! You could combine the time of having others over with praying together with the other family, letting them help you feed babies, etc. At that time, we usually had people over for desssert...pillsbury cookies and coffee, (amazingly delicious) Razzleberry frozen pie made by Marie Calendars, etc. Even a bowl of ice cream in foam bowls would suffice. But I thrive on fellowship and am such a people person, that this really helped me get out of the mommy bubble a little...and no, the floors were probably not clean :). Lighting a candle and fellowshipping around the coffee table (with the kids going to sleep in cribs upstairs) during those tired times was such a blessing. Maybe this will be an encouragement to you, but I don't expect every family to be the same.

Oh yeah, after the twins came I became the queen of one liner emails. Short and sweet! I began to laugh (or groan) about the fact that that was all I had time to write!!!!

Alright 'nuff said for now. Keep praising the Lord for His wonderful works to the children of men!

Love,
Tiffany
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--Paper plates, paper plates, paper plates!

--Get a babysitter and go out with your husband (even if just for coffee and conversation).

--Train infants and toddlers to be able to play in a playpen/crib out of sight of Mommy.

--Do not pick them up every time they wimper. I found that after my babies had an illness and I picked them up alot...they were fussy even after they were perfectly healthy. They had realized that by fussing, they could be assured of my attention. Tough calls, yes, but there is such a thing as training a baby to be a whiny toddler :(. I actually think this helped them to be extremely happy babies!

--To save on heating bills, get a soft fleece bunting for them to sleep in (since they never seem to stay covered up for long). This would be for non-newborns.

--Let other responsible people hold them. Then they will get used to being around others and will not struggle as much with stranger anxiety. Teen girls at church can be a mother's best friend!

--When someone offers help...TAKE IT!!! Ask them on the spot what might be a good date/time for them to come over. Otherwise, good intentions may not materialize...and you WILL need the help. It will be a blessing to you, your family AND to the person offering help. They will be blessed for helping in your time of need. My church family was amazing and offered six weeks of help, with people coming into my home several times a week. It was an amazing blessing that I will never forget.

--If you don't have a dishwasher, buy one. No brainer. C'mon--a couple of hundred dollars spent will save you 30-45 minutes a day for the rest of your life in your home!

--Instead of spoon feeding baby food/rice cereal to your multiples (which can be very messy and time consuming), use a baby bottle with the top snipped open a little extra and put the "mixture" in the bottle. I remember standing in front of the high chairs with two bottles of baby food in their mouths. I wouldn't do this for every feeding, since they will need to learn to use a spoon at some point. I would mix different ingredients and make all kind of baby food concoctions to be fed this way. Yum!

--On chopping and dicing food: do as little as possible. My favorite non-choppable finger foods were: diced ham (usually used for omeletes) comes pre-chopped! Black or pinto beans (black beans are smaller-not a choking hazard and are a "super-food"). Cheerios of course. Rice crispies. Any tiny cereal--cereal comes in a variety of grains, so they can get lots of nutrients from enriched cereals and can be served at any meal. Scrambled eggs are soft on tiny teeth and easily smashable. Oyster crackers. Smallish pieces of ground beef...which I fished out of the pan before putting together the rest of the family's meal. Canned green beans take very little chopping if any. Canned tuna or chicken is mushy, easily smashed up. Tiny pasta pieces, like orzo or ditalini. Shredded cheeze-no chopping required. Corn or peas--mushy canned ones are best. Sunflower seeds, raisins--for bigger babies. Moral of the story, don't spend your life chopping!

--Buy 1 or 2 (or 10) bibs at Target or Walmart that have a gigantic pocket that hangs open. This is probably my favorite baby item. These vinyl bibs are wipeable. They can also serve as a "high chair tray on the go". Just put the food (cherrios, peas, whatever) into the pocket and whatever would normally fall to the ground falls right back into the bib pocket. Snack time, anyone?

That's enough for now!!

Very Random Musings on Having Tons of Babies All At Once

Here's something I emailed my sister-in-law today (she's expecting triplets!) Hopefully you will find something in here helpful for your family or your life, or give you a peek into the sweet insanity of motherhood.
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Dear Bec,

I started out this email for you, but then it morphed into something for my blog. So you'll see a few inconsistencies in here...but hey I still have 4 young kids and no time to edit...so hopefully this will help you to keep first things first and save time with your rapidly growing family. I wanted to get all this down on paper before I forgot what it was like to have 3 in diapers!!! I will also copy and paste an email I sent to my friend (now a mom to 5 little ones) before the birth of her twins. That will be at the end. Enjoy!

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--Baby shoes: Robeez baby shoes--or similar style keep toes warm and don't fall off. Our kids wore theirs to bed too like slippers. Shoes that fall off are a waste of time. For new walkers/toddlers I recommend crocs or cheap imitations. They are lightweight (don't "trip up" the baby and give more traction than socks on slippery floors. They are EASY to put on and don't fall off. Say no to any shoe that requires lacing them up! Bulky shoes trip up toddlers.

--Baby socks. Color code by sizes with a dot of a different color sharpie marker. By a few Walmart bags of each size-like 30 socks--all identical white. I CANNOT EMPAHSIZE THIS ENOUGH--MUST have a strong tight cuff so they don't fall off. Remember how much babies kick and lose socks (then have cold feet)?

--Cleaning floors. Wet old bath towel+ older kid= clean enough foors--no soap/rinsing. Much faster and cleaner floors than a mop or swiffer could ever produce!

--Bathroom cleaning. Use all purpose cleaner (like windex) to clean the whole thing--I keep one in each bathroom and the kitchen. Flylady (the cleaning guru lady) once said "soap is soap--basically true! So I spray some on the outside and inside of the toilet and over all sink/counter surfaces. Wipe down the toilet with toilet paper. Have a toilet brush in each bathroom. Wipe around the toilet floor with TP/windex. Wipe down counter sink and anything else nasty with a wet washcloth/windex. Shine up faucets/sink w/ dirty hand towel. Replace w/new one. Have a stash of washcloth "rags" in each bathroom...washcloths/towels work best for cleaning in my opinion. Then you just toss them in the wash to get all the nasty stuff out. Cheaper and better than any swiffer or clorox wipes! All my white washcloths are for cleaning purposes...that way they don't get mixed up in the linen closet. You can also clean the floor w a wet old towel (we use these for bathmats and always hide them inside the shower curtain when not in use. Cleaning the bathroom should only take 3-5 minutes with this approach. It will not be perfect, but it will be MUCH better than if nothing were done!

---Baby Clothing: Put them only in Onesies then swaddle for warmth or use only 1 piece outfits. Nothing that wrinkles. When a little older, use sweats/comfy clothes (mix and match colors only!!!) or any clothes that baby can sleep in and wear during the day. ONLY CHANGE BABY WHEN CLOTHES ARE DIRTY. Don't put jammies on them when they can very well sleep in sweat pants or one piece outfit. Changing into and out of jammies can equal an extra 30-60 minutes of work each day when multipied by two or three and is uneccessary--they'll be spitting up and having diaper blow outs enough to get clean clothes on those occasions.

---Don't fold baby clothes or baby blankets. Instead use BINS or BASKETS! Throw clean baby clothes in a drawer or basket nearby the changing table...unfolded. Baskets keep things "organized" without wasting extra time working. People love folding baby blankets as they tidy up--I think this is a strange behavior as those blankets would need to be refolded about 40 times daily!!! Use a bin instead :). Have a bin on the sofa full of unfolded receiving blankets. Baby blankets will take over your house if they don't have a central location.

--Have a plastic bin or bag for nasty infant laundry right next to where you feed and change the babies. You will need a spot to toss it without stepping away from your baby at the changing table. You will need a spot to toss the diapers too...right next to the changing table--eliminating the walk to a trash can 30 times a day (I had three in diapers-we were doing 24 diaper changes a day--that walk to the trash got old and time consuming til we wised up!!) We never took stinky ones outside to the trash or wrapped them up nice and tight. We skipped that step and just avoided the trash can area of the room! I know--a little nasty, but hey, we were sleep deprived! It was emptied about once a day.

--Keep your babies in the living area of the house until they get older. Mine slept ,ate, and got changed in the family room...so I didn't have to keep running up and downstairs to get them, check on them, etc. They were always close by.

--Schedule those feedings--every three hours unless they are not gaining weight. Get the schedule down and live by it. Change diapers only after feedings (this is when they naturally pee and poop), unless they are poopy. Don't continuously check to see if they are wet. Modern diapers are good enough so we don't have to change them every time they are slightly wet. We followed the ""Eat, Awake time, Sleep time" model of a schedule. I never nursed a baby to sleep or put them in bed asleep. They were put in their crib tired but awake. They absolutely thrived on this schedule and were very happy babies.

----Throw away the Boppy and buy a "My Brest Friend" nursing pillow. Hate the name, LOOOOOVE the pillow. This is a no brainer. Boppy's are only for people who have never tried a "My Brest Friend" pillow. Michelle Duggar's choice too.

---Mommy's clothes. Buy yoga pants, comfy, but cute tee shirts or sweatshirts, fitted tees, things that flatter, but things you can sleep in. I even found in my desperation, that stretchy jeans were quite comfy to sleep in. Since your days will be drifting into nights and vice-versa, why get stuck in pj's all the time? Wear your clothes to bed and you'll wake up already dressed. Cut your hair in a style that takes less than 60 seconds to fix--and does not require blow drying. Do your best to (quickly) look nice for your number one relationship with your precious husband!

---Pray in the shower (post a prayer list there in a baggie) and while nursing---have encouraging verses posted around the house in advance of babies coming. Spend time while you are nursing reading the Bible online (have your laptop next to you ) since you won't be able to hold your Bible. Or print out some passages in advance to keep by your nursing chair. You will be in desperate need of the Word! Since your mind will be in zombie-mode, quote scripture or pray OUT LOUD so your mind won't wander--if it does wander, you will all of a sudden realize you have stopped talking and therefore have stopped praying. This really helped me!

---Have older children do as much help as possible. Get them ready for this task in advance by setting aside a time each day for them to do chores. The routine of it makes it second nature for them...they will get good at being kind helpers.

---Relationships. Pray as a family, eat dinner together, have a routine date night with your honey, do not neglect relationships in your church body (or even attending church).

---Read the Mahaney ladies' blog (girltalkhome) on kids routines. Amy Scott at humblemusings.org also has good tips for moms.

---Thank the Lord for the reality that children are a blessing! Thoughts contrary to this may creep in. They are untrue, so continuously bring yourself back to reality! This season and these children are God's perfect gift to you! Praise Him aloud and with singing!

Love you BEC!!!!

--------------------------------Here's that other email to my friend below...

"Hey, I'm glad you are still pregnant, tho it doesn't feel very good! Just think, the fatter the babies, the less often they'll be hungry and the sooner you'll have 'em sleeping through the night! Do you plan to schedule them? I fed every three hours...you can't really demand feed with twins or you'll get NO sleep. (even the midwife encouraged me on this).

Well, I also just wanted to encourage you about how it will be after they are born. It will probably be insane for quite a while. Stick to the basics...your family only needs food, clothing and hugs/love from Mommy/wife. They don't NEED delicious food, just sustenance to get by until next year when it slows down a little. Here's a little of what I did to get by. Maybe it will encourage you when you feel like you're not doing "enough". I felt guilty many times, but I did my best. It was just survival mode. Life was turned upside down and we survived! Praise the Lord!

Tips to save time and sanity...

1.-Baths for all kids only once a week (unless they fall in mud or can bathe without assistance-none of mine could). They don't have B.O. yet, so this method worked fine for us :).

2.-Don't put pjs on them. Let them wear comfy clothes until the clothes get dirty. All day, all night... This is especially good for the twins since they'll already be changed alot due to spit up etc. Another mom of twins I heard about only put onesies on her twins and swaddled them....made clothes changes alot easier.

3. Brush kids teeth only once daily in the beginning. I know of a dentist's family that does this!

4. Trailmix, hot dogs,cheese sticks lunch meat, baby carrots and fresh brocolli spears. Blueberry bagels. Crock pot. These are foods my kids liked. We had alot of them. It was all I could do to dole out some trail mix and scarf some down myself and then eat some fresh broccoli for "something green". I never buttered a bagel, or put mayo on a sandwich during that time. Don't stress about food, your kids will survive a few months of semi-unhealthful eating out of a lifetime of more balanced meals. We usually ate the four food groups, but only in the most basic fashion.

5.-Spend time with your honey at all costs. Love him.:) Get a babysitter.

6.-Invest in your kids' hearts...intellectual/other goals may have to suffer for a season.

OK, you get the idea! It was an adjustment....and things were not and never will be the same....so don't expect too much out of yourself! I am used to going without bathing now and having furry teeth :) Our marriage is better than ever too!

The Lord will take you through it and you will have two more babies to love.

I have just been meaning to communicate all of this to you and let you know that I think of you and pray for you often. We love you guys...and are so glad to hear that your room is so close to being done at last. God is good! Praying for your delivery and all you have ahead of you. Night night!

Tiffany

PS-I don't think I mopped my floor (except for touch ups) for about several months after the twins came...I do not jest!!! I just read your status a while back about mopping :)

Christmas pic