My baby is a blessing...

I'm lying here in bed resting, because that's what you have to do when you have a disease like Dysautonomia. Also because my OB told me yesterday that resting and hydration should help with the Braxton Hicks I've been having. Ya know, I don't believe I ever had ones that hurt with either of my pregnancies with my girls. I had the tightening sensation but that was closer to the end of my pregnancy and was more of a comfort issue than a painful one. This little boy makes being pregnant SO different! I've been having BH's that actually hurt for more than a month now. The first day kinda freaked me out because I'd never had them like that before, but now I know they are normal just not fun! :)  But in either case rest is the answer along with staying very hydrated. Two things I understand well after these past four years of my diagnosis. Rest and hydration are more than important for me, the are very necessary to keep myself from having what I call "crashes". I've had a couple episodes since becoming pregnant this time around and both times were during times I wasn't resting more than I was doing. There is a fine line you have to find and balance on with this disease. Add in the extra fatigue from growing a precious tiny human and finding and balancing on that line is a new challenge! But having said all this, I am not complaining, just stating how things are as of now.
  My mother made a comment below a facebook photo I had taken showing my growing belly. She stated, He sure is growing.  I think you enjoy your pregnancy more than anyone else. LOL. I love you."  I can't argue with her statement at all, in fact this was my reply. "That's because I know how blessed I am to carry this little boy! I thought for sure I'd never be able to have another!" And it's completely true! I never thought, even though I so desperately wanted, that I'd ever have another child. We'd randomly discussed it many times over the last four years and I would say to my husband that I probably shouldn't because of the disease and all. Then one day in December of 2012 we threw caution to the back of our minds and a few weeks later learned we were having another little baby. Just one single night and this beautiful baby boy I am now carrying was created and began growing into something beautiful! My girls were beyond thrilled! My oldest had been wanting a baby brother for the longest time and my youngest had recently declared she'd like a baby sister. (She has adjusted to the idea of a baby brother now, at first she wasn't thrilled though!)  In the beginning most of those close to us were very concerned. I understand that completely because I, too, had been concerned at times. But the sheer joy of knowing another blessing was on it's way pushed those concerns further into the back of my mind and they only occasionally pop up.
  Knowing that this broken body of mine is carrying and growing such a miracle gives me such joy. Every moment he kicks, even when they hurt, I'm so happy! When we have our appointments and hear that beautiful heart just beating away, my heart soars! The times we had ultrasounds and saw him for the first time and for the first time learned we were having a son, I can't explain the joy! For someone who is so dependent upon others for help so much of my life, this is one thing I get to do for someone else! I get to shelter him, care for him, love him, and carry him for my entire pregnancy and there is no one else who is able to do that. It's all me! Well, me and my Heavenly Father who has blessed me with knowledge enough to know how to care for my body so that I can care for my son. It is truly an amazing and wonderful feeling to know that even at this very moment my body is doing something other than failing me... it's helping support a tiny blessing that I'll soon hold in my arms and love on. A tiny blessing that I'll soon be able to introduce to the world and say, "See, here is a baby who will bring love and laughter. A baby who will soon grow into a boy who will love Jesus and share that love with others. A boy who will do amazing things and will grow into a man who will be kind and caring. A man who I will be proud to call my son as he walks and talks the ways of Christ."  Some will say that I can't say those things with certainty. I say that I can. Because the Bible tells me that if I train up a child in the way he should go, that when he's older he will not depart from it. (Prov. 22:6)  Just as my husband and I do with our girls, our son will learn the ways of Christ, so that when he is grown and has become a man with his own life and family, he will then pass the torch on to his children.
  Yes, I am very blessed. I am very happy. I am beyond thrilled to be carrying this bouncing (and he does!) baby boy. And I am privileged that I'll get to see him grow into the man he is destined to become. And at the moment, I am more than overjoyed that I get to be the one, the sole caregiver, for this baby boy. It's not often in my Dysautonomic lifestyle that I get to say that! That in itself is my miracle!
  Be thankful for the miracles in life and strive to recognize them when they appear! Sometimes, others may not see that situation for the miracle it is. Be sure to remind them! Be sure to give Jesus the praise when He bestows blessings and miracles upon you! Have a wonderful day and be blessed in the Lord!

We're having a ...

Well, it's now been over a months since our anatomy scan. First off the baby is doing great and growing right on track as of my last appointment. And we found that we're having a SON! Yep, it's a boy! We are very excited about his upcoming entry into this world! Here's a sneak peek of him. In this ultrasound image he is face down, head on the right, and he's got his right hand at his mouth!

Since my last post so much has changed! My dad came up twice and has done some work on our place getting us ready for our baby boy. Still have some painting that needs to be done. After our baby boy has gotten here and we are a little adjusted then my dad will be back up here and we're going to replace all the flooring in our kitchen/living/and girls bedroom. I'll be so glad when it's all non-carpet!  Carpet is a disaster for someone who has a disability, 2 almost 3 small children, and pets!

As far as my dysautonomia and this pregnancy I'm doing ok.  I have however already been keeping my activity to the bare minimum and now my OB has stated that getting hot is a no-no and bed rest may occur sooner than I'd anticipated. But until that moment arrives I'm still taking it very easy. My heart rate is staying elevated even with my beta blocker I was allowed to stay on and the further along I get the more it becomes an issue for me making resting even more mandatory. So far my BP is good though. I have fainted a few times but had the foresight to sit before hand so there was no injury which is great. I have my 1 hour glucose test in 2 weeks and although I'm not looking forward to it I don't anticipate any problems.

Well, please continue to keep us in your prayers as we face these last 16 weeks of this pregnancy! I have my scheduled C-section for the 4th of Sept. Before long we'll have an adorable little boy here to make life more exciting! Until next time, be blessed!

Meet Baby Powell #3

We had our ultrasound and our little one was measuring right on time!  Here is a photo from our ultrasound and for those who don't really know what you are looking at there is a photo that I diagrammed! 

 It is always amazing to get that first glimpse of the tiny being that God has blessed me to protect while it grows!  I am constantly in awe that there is a tiny human inside me and completely dependant upon me!  I am so very thankful and grateful to God for allowing me to enjoy becoming a mother for the 3rd time!

Maybe the next time I make a quick post about our newest blessing it will be to show it's next picture and maybe to let you know whether it's a little boy or a little girl! Until then...

And then there were more...

Today I have been thinking constantly on my upcoming ultrasound appointment.  In fact for the last 6 days it's been constantly on my mind. Is my baby healthy? Is my baby growing properly? Will he or she have the same problems I have? Is there just one baby or more than one? Will my health hold up for the duration of this pregnancy?  See, I have LOADS of questions!!!  So many thoughts are running rampant through my mind that it can really wear me down if I chose to let it.

However there are so many less worrying thoughts that I can choose to focus on! Am I right and this baby is a beautiful boy? I can't wait to see my daughters faces as they meet their sibling for the first time!  I can't wait to teach this new little one all about Jesus and His loving sacrifice for us! I can't wait to hold my baby, talk to him/her, sing songs to him/her! There are so many exciting things to think about!

Sometimes at night when sleep is seemingly nowhere to be found for me, I find myself lying in bed just thinking of the baby. It's such a miracle at how this tiny grouping of cells came together and day by day and week by week they merge and grow and shape into this beautiful tiny little human!  I get these little updates via apps on my kindle. I didn't have these when I was carrying my two daughters!  It's so neat to get little daily snippets of what's going on inside of me!  Being able to quickly share these cute little updates with the girls and my husband is fun!

So having said that, I'm lying here again thinking about Monday. In seven days I get to finally see my baby! Or babies?  "smile"  Just as a side note, my mother in law told me she's praying every night for twins! It's possible with our family histories so we'll see!   I do know that I imagine and feel like this baby is a beautiful little boy. I was right with my girls down to their hair/eye color as well as their hair texture! Will I be correct again?  Will this baby be a sweet faced little boy with light eyes and wavy strawberry blonde hair? Or am I just so off in my "gut feelings" this time and this baby will look nothing like I see him in my mind?  So many questions and wondering this or that.  I suppose all that I know for certain is that no matter what this baby is already so loved! This baby is constantly on my mind and heart and I pray for him/her daily. I wait for the day when there is more than a flutter of movement that is barely perceived by myself. I wait for the moment when my family can see and feel their baby moving within me! I look forward to the moment when I hear that first cry, have my first glimpse of my beautiful gift from God, hold him/her, nurse him/her, and just love on that which is just pure sweetness! 40 weeks, and I have 10 of those under my belt (quite literally!). We are 1/4 of the way through this beautiful journey and I can't wait to see the finish line that signals the beginning of the rest of our lives as a family of more than four!

2 weeks till Christmas Eve

Today marks 2 weeks until Christmas Eve 2012! My kids are VERY excited. They love all holidays and really get all in to every detail. I am so blessed to have the family I have! This isn't going to be a typical blog from me, it is going to be short... very short! I basically just wanted to take a spare minute and say Merry Christmas to everyone who drops by my little place on the web! I pray you are blessed this Christmas season and are able to be a blessing to others around you! May you have good health and enjoy this time we set aside to celebrate the birth of our Christ. May you enjoy fellowship with family and friends. Be joyful and spread good cheer and show the love of Christ through your actions! Have a wonderful Christmas and God Bless!!!

Merry Christmas from my family to yours!

pics on Sodahead

Miranda's Stitches 4 You!!!

Hey everyone! This is going to be a super short post because it's late and I'm tired...lol  I just wanted to share my handmade items for sale! I am crocheting, knitting, and more to make money to help contribute to my medical bills. We all know how costly they can be with our disease and all it's quirks, and I just want to be able to do something to help my family. Soooo, having said that if you would like to view the items I have made and am selling you can go to Miranda's Stitches 4 You on facebook and I update it with all the items I have made. I can also make each item in the color YOU want! All the details are there and if you are interested just send me a message or email me! It's that simple! And remember, I typically add new items no less than every third day or so. Sometimes multiple items per day! So check in frequently! Thanks again for dropping by my site and if you check out Miranda's Stitches 4 You then I'll say thanks in advance for that! God Bless! Have a great day!!!

Back to the school routine... my body is struggling to adjust

  Hi everyone! While the kids are working on their homeschool work I decided I'd check in and see how my viewers are doing. I know most of you have Dys./POTS or other chronic diseases and really I would like to know how you are doing so feel free to leave a comment!
  So we are in our fourth week of homeschooling for the 2012-2013 school year. The children are doing fabulous so far. I am very proud of them and the progress they have made! The youngest is starting her kindergarten year and my oldest is starting her third grade year.
  At the rate we are going so far, they should be on track to finish school 6 weeks ahead of the local county schools! They are very excited about that and are already talking about where they want to vacation once they are finished! And as for us finishing 6 weeks early, well we started 6 weeks before the public schools here did. That's a great thing about homeschooling!
  So how am I managing? Sleeping a LOT. Pacing myself. Not overdoing it. Resting with my feet up while they are doing work that I'm not needed for. Just basically listening to my body and doing my best to do what it needs me to do. We rearranged our school area and that gives us better organization as well as allowing me to rest on the sofa while at the same time being within reach of their work areas. It works out well. Much better than years past.
  I will be going to my specialist sometime this month, closer towards the end of it.  I'm thinking we may need to adjust something in my meds. Having dizzy spells and short blackouts more frequently with little to no warning at times. This happens though and I'm blessed to have a specialist who will listen to what I say and work with me to get my meds to work for me the best we can.
  Well, that's what has been going on in our little part of the world. Be in prayer with us as I should be having my appeals for my disability filing by end of September. We really need this to work in our favor. God knows I would be out working a full time or even a part time job if I were able, but facts are that I am not able. Sure I may have a great day here and there, but this disease is so unpredictable that I never know from day to day or moment to moment what will happen with me. So please be in prayer with us in this matter.
  Thanks for dropping by and taking time to read my blog. I hope you are having a symptom free day and enjoying it!
~~Miranda