Thank you for your prayers! We are comfortably settled at home, enjoying our time together as a bigger family.
I haven’t gotten hardly any sleep which is to be expected. This is still better than walking around the cold hospital like a zombie to get to the intermediate care unit on the 3rd floor.
It’s been wonderful to watch all five of our kids interacting with one another. This may be it for us. Having three boys and two daughters feels just perfect. Okay…right now, it feels like a lot!
At the hospital, it was quiet most days when I was alone or with Edric. When we got home it was like, BOOM! Kids everywhere. Lots of noise. Big personalities.
I honestly felt a tad bit harassed at first. Edric had to remind me to be cool and patient. I caught myself getting irritated several times. It was such a challenge trying to get Catalina to sleep when each of our other four kids would barge into the room with something to say or a request to ask. If the door was locked they would knock loudly. Or they would run down the hall laughing and calling out to one another.
What a contrast it must have been for Catalina who came from a very peaceful and sterile environment in the hospital. She had her eyes closed most of the time at the IMCU. Since she has been home, her eyes have been open ALOT, probably because her senses have been assaulted by her four siblings. Well, now I know what she looks like with her eyes open!
The reality of five children to raise and parent (whew, and homeschool), is coming to the forefront of my consciousness. Before it was like this fantasy. Oh, let’s have five kids. How fun. How magical.
During the last 48 hours I have been trying to figure out how to survive! This is a challenging stage because of breastfeeding so I know it’s going to pass. But, wow. Five is a big responsibility.
When I started to go a little nuts, I took a pause and went to the Lord. I prayed about being spirit-filled. I asked for supernatural capacity and enabling to be the mom my kids need me to be. And I requested that Catalina be easy to take care of so she doesn’t monopolize my time. This is a good place to be in…feeling overwhelmed. God wants me to recognize that I am inadequate apart from him. I really can’t handle five kids without him.
After I prayed the day went a whole lot better. Catalina slept for longer stretches so I was able to do some homeschooling. In the afternoon, I put her in a sling and we all went to the grocery. Five kids (and a yaya, I am no martyr!). I was able to sneak in some breastfeeding while at the meat section. Catalina was hidden in my sling.
It worked out just fine.
Everything was going great until the driver opened the back of our van and 4 dozen eggs fell out. I was totally upset and annoyed but I didn’t want to fault him. It was the guy from the grocery who packed the eggs on top of everything else. He was the genius behind the disaster.
Well, eggs get broken. It’s not the end of the world. I decided to think of the accident as our version of confetti, in celebration of the new adventure we are entering into as a family.
There was much to be thankful for. I was holding Catalina in my arms — healthy and well. My four other children had big smiles on their faces because we had just spent the entire day with one another. No more hospital to take me away. The Lord has allowed us to come home and he will enable our lives to go on, one day of grace at a time…
May you continually experience God’s love and faithfulness in your life. Catalina is a brand new joy. God bless you!
Thanks Monique 🙂 Blessings to you, too and to your blogging!
I am amazed how you do it. Only by the grace of God can you do all your mother duties, wife responsibilities and homeschooling and still write a blog! Wow!
The Lord is my sustainer! All glory to him 🙂
Beautiful Catalina! Welcome home! xx
Thanks Kaye!
beautiful Catalina. she looks a lot like Edric. but as feminine as you. she looks like few weeks old.fully developed.
very well created by God. I love her smile at you in the picture
Yes she looks very similar to our second son, Edan, who is a spitting image of Edric. 🙂
welcome home Catalina!! she looks so adorable!!
Thanks Leira. She looks adorable but at night…ay!!! he he he. I’m not getting any sleep 🙁 waaahhh.
praise praise God, Joy! so happy for all of you! indeed, God had been glorified and will continue to be glorified in your desperate need for Him. and He will certainly NOT fail you. thank you so much for allowing us to be a part of your journey. God bless. keeping you in prayer.
Thanks Tinette, great to hear from you. Hope you are all well. 🙂
Awww what big eyes!! She is going to grow up to be so beautiful. Wow, you brought her to the supermarket already? When i gave birth my boy didn’t get to go to a public place til he turned one month. I guess i’m just one of those old-school fuddy duddies. =) By the way, if you need a new sling, please email me =)
And no, I’m not selling =)
Sling?! What kind? 🙂 Are you done with babies? Don’t you need yours?
A Suppori sling (you can google how it looks like), someone gifted me a pink one and i gave birth to a boy =) Just gave birth last Feb. It’s nice to use and very lightweight, if not the color. Sayang kasi eh.
A Suppori sling (you can google how it looks like), someone gifted me a pink one and i gave birth to a boy =) Just gave birth last Feb. It’s nice to use and very lightweight, if not the color. Sayang kasi eh.
And yes i am done with babies na =)
congratulations for the new baby girl!! God bless your family!!!
Thanks Ichie!
Congratulations, Joy!!! Catalina is gorgeous! How is Tiana adjusting to bring a big sister? I’ll continue to pray for you , the new baby and your family! 🙂
*being… Ah, typing on an ipad is still a challenge!
What adorable eyes! 🙂 Catalina sure is a sight to behold. I especially love that last shot of her and Tiana. I bet they will be best of friends. God is your strength Joy! The Lord has given you much inheritance for you and Edric have been a good steward of them all! Congratulations to your family and may the Lord bless you abundantly!
I really love how honest your are with your daily struggles — be it eggs falling or kids disturbing the sleeping ritual. The little things can be irritating and can pile on especially when sleep deprived! And yet you still manage to lift it up and show moms like me how to cope and to keep perspective. How refreshingly real you are. Thank you!