Hannah Pollyanna VBAC Birth Story

  

     Welcome to this sweet girl and baby number 10!: Hannah Pollyanna, born at 5:24pm January 9, 2023! She was born at 37 weeks weighing 6lbs 4oz and 18.5 inches long! She is just as sweet and perfect as can be! What a blessing to have this pregnancy come to a beautiful ending today! 

     After having a traumatic birth with placental abruption at 32 weeks, emergency c-section, and 17 day NICU stay with our almost 2 year old, finding out we were expecting again came with alot of anxiety!  I went to the OB just as soon as I possibly could in the first trimester to check things out. Before my c-section I  kind of took pregnancy and birth for granted having had 8 perfect natural births in a row. That confidence in pregnancy and birth all changed after having an emergency birth situation. Every OB appointment I feared for the worst and always left relieved to hear baby's heartbeat and growth were perfectly normal.  At about 11 weeks we found out through bloodwork it was a girl!  Who even knew they determined gender through bloodwork these days...lol?  The excitement grew each week that passed and when I made it beyond 33 weeks the age when Luke was born, I felt pretty relieved and just wanted to make it full term and get the baby out!

      I was very careful not to do too much and push myself into preterm labor. I would lay down many times throughout the day anytime I had braxton hicks contractions  fearing it would bring on real labor. I would also obsess with kick counts and make sure I felt some good movement from baby before getting back up. I'd drink ice water and wiggle my belly to wake the baby up all the time just to be sure she was still alive.  The kids would often ransack the house while I rested, but I knew I needed to keep baby in atleast until 37 weeks!

       Once I hit 36 weeks and 5 days I felt a sudden urge to clean everything and was close enough to term to feel confident with going into labor. The kids and I deep cleaned the Nissan NV, washed all the carseats, and scrubbed the kitchen grout on Friday and Saturday! The next day was Sunday which is a long day at church with all the kiddos and no place to lay down. I had lots of contractions on Sunday, but figured it was just from being up all day and not resting. However, going to bed Sunday night I was woken up all throughout the night with strong contractions.  When 7 am rolled around and no slow down of contractions I decided to go into labor and delivery! I normally would have labored at home longer until the contractions were more intense and closer together, but I needed to hear the baby's heartbeat for my peace of mind. 

     Chris got up with me and we got to the triage room around 8:30am to find I was at 5-6cm dilated. Because of my most recent birth being a placental abruption with fetal distress the hospital of course wanted continuous monitoring on the baby.  The fetal monitor was really finicky and only liked to pick up good heart tones while I was on my back in the hospital bed. I labored like this for 6 hours fearing the heart rate would be lost with each movement I made! I had so many contractions coming just minutes apart one on top of the other and hours later had only progressed to 7cm. Laying on your back is the most painful and unproductive way to labor naturally and  unmedicated, which I knew, but was willing to suffer through it just to hear the heartbeat continuously. Finally around 3pm the midwife seeing the pain I'm in on my back and lack of progress had the nurses put a wireless fetal monitor on me and brought a birthing ball to sit upright and move around to get things moving! 

     Since labor wasn't progressing very fast Chris left to go check on the kids and take our oldest son to work at Walgreens. Chris called me at around 5:15pm. to tell me he is on his way back to the hospital.  The contractions were becoming unbearable at this point and I asked for pain medication...lol.  The midwife suggested not doing pain meds since it could stall the labor even more and make the baby drowsy thus lowering the heart rate. She assures me baby will just shoot right out soon, and she was right! About 10 minutes later baby Hannah made her grand appearance! Chris didn't get there until about 30 minutes after she was born! I didn't even really care at that point he missed the birth because I was just relieved to have her out safe and healthy! He's missed 2 other births on overseas deployments so having him there shortly after the birth was good enough for me.

 

     This pregnancy and birth was a true test of faith and caused much prayer from the moment we found out we were expecting. Hannah was the perfect name for a child greatly prayed for. The middle name Pollyanna is after my mom, Polly Anne❤ because I couldn't think of a more kind hearted person to be named after.

      Thank God for answered prayers of a full term birth and successful vbac!

1 Peter 5:7 Casting all your care upon him; for he careth for you.

Rooming in with Baby

As a large family mom when you announce you are expecting a new baby some will ask, "Where are you going to put another one?" No matter how small a space we have had to work with we always find space for just one more! Little is much when God is in it! We like to keep our babies close by us for atleast the first year. Our last baby stayed until she was 2!  A pack n play bassinet works great until they are ready to move in with the big kids.

Here is little Luke napping in his bassinet at 4 weeks old, but just 38 weeks gestation since he is a preemie.

Molly kept her spot by the window and just loves baby Luke, she gets up each time he cries to check on him.

I created a little space for Luke in my closet. There was actually an unused little nook in the corner of my closet that ended up being the perfect spot for his things! We were very blessed with gifts for our little guy so I had to pull out my organizing skills that are mostly on the back burner these days of my crazy life.....lol. I ordered the shelf and all bins from Target to create a functional storage space. 

 

Baby Luke's Birth Story

     

  * This birth story is a little traumatic and so different than my usual peaceful natural births from our previous 8 children.* Read on with caution*

   Last Tuesday I went in for an ob appointment and everything looked great into my 3rd trimester. I had passed the glucose test, blood pressures were fine, baby was growing on track and head down already! Over the weekend I was feeling pretty crummy with back, hip, pelvic pain, and Braxton hicks contractions.  It was getting painful and uncomfortable to walk up and down the stairs, go grocery shopping, or just going to bed. I hate to complain about pregnancy because I know it is a gift and priviledge so many never get to experience. I didn't think anything of it, and chalked it up to being 8 months pregnant and 36 years old. 

     On Tuesday evening I got ready for bed about 11:45pm. I fell asleep a little after 12am, but was woken suddenly around 1:30am with a gush of fluid. I went to the bathroom upset knowing I was not at full term expecting to see clear fluid, but when I turned the light on I saw bright red blood and lots of it! It lead to a bloody footprint trail back to the bed like a murder scene. I  immediately told Chris my water broke with blood and we needed the hospital asap. My placenta had detached from the uterine wall and myself and baby were in great danger. I put on a skirt over my nightgown, grabbed my phone and  charger and headed downstairs for the van.  I brought a towel to sit on in the van and Chris started driving.  Our security camera has us driving off about 1:45 am.

    The 20 minute drive seemed to take forever. I sat perfectly still as I could trying not to release anymore fluids. I called or texted no one and prayed silently in a state of shock and worry. Chris asked if I could feel the baby moving and I honestly couldn't tell and feared we had lost our little guy.  Once at the hospital we checked in and told them it was an emergency so we got to skip the covid questions and test. They hooked me up to a fetal monitor and baby's heart rate was very low and dropping. I was just 2 cm dilated and no time to waste to try a vaginal birth. They ran my bed over to the OR, got me put under quickly and got our baby out in time to save his life. Luke was born at 2:43am, weighing in at 4 pounds 5 oz. His first Apgar score was just a 1!  Chris got to see him shortly after delivery and made some fb posts to let everyone know to pray for us. I had to wait until that night to finally meet baby Luke. 

He is perfect and precious. I am hoping he will not have to stay in the Nicu too long. Chris went back home with the kids and will take off work until I get discharged. Our church is giving us lots of meals and I will spend the next several weeks recovering and pumping milk for baby Luke until he can come home with us. 

Oh, and baby Luke was also born on Gideon's birthday! So funny because Gideon was my favorite birth with the very caring midwife we had in Missouri at our first homebirth and this birth with Luke was the scarriest! Chris made Gideon a cake and called me on video chat so I could sing happy bday with them!

The Answer to Racism

Can you find me? I was one of 3 white girls on the T.C. William's varsity cheerleading team in 2002 in Alexandria, Virginia right outside of Washington D.C.

     Truth be told I am not even "full" white. My maiden name is Flores, my dad is an immigrant from Honduras with brown skin who came to this country with nothing besides the clothes on his back and hope to live in a free country where if you work hard, you can make something of yourself despite any privileges you may not have been born with, like growing up in a home where you are taught to speak the english language. I thank God for the diverse upbringing I had. I learned very quickly that racism, respect of persons, prejudice, or whatever you want to call it does NOT exclude any nationality or skin color.
     I don't care if you are a Planned Parenthood supporter who wants to eradicate non whites, a Hispanic who hates all "gringos", or a black person like my neighbor who told my family white people are devils who are only good to be murdered or enslaved when "Yah" comes back; racism is ugly and sinful no matter who is perpetrating it.
     I am so thankful for God's word that tells us racism is foolishness, because He hath made all the nations of the earth of one blood, that there is neither Jew nor Greek nor bond nor free, but we are all one in Christ Jesus. His word tells us that God is no respecter of persons, and that God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten son that whosoever believeth in him shall not perish, but have everlasting life.
     I thank God that my husband as a black man in America has no doors shut to him, that he can go out everyday and work to provide for our family of 10 on 1 income and that God gives the increase. 🥰
      God's word is all my family needs to fight racism and it will be a cold day in Hell before I ever support an antichrist group whose mission statement is to dismantle the God ordained family where the husband is the head of the wife, even as Christ is the head of the church and seeks to replace it with a "village" where sodomites are exalted, like Black Lives Matter group seeks to do.

Family photos 2019

Since we have moved, I don't know a good local photographer. We decided to go the traditional route of the JCPENNY photo studio this year! Enjoy these precious memories.

Going almost 15 years strong with this handsome guy!

            Look at all my babies together!!

               Christian at 13 is looking way too tall and handsome these days!

Noah at 12 is having  a hard time deciding which smile he is confident with...lol

Joshua at 10 is still just adorable to me.

Rachel at 8 is growing so tall and I am not ready for our oldest girl to be so big!

These 2 guys, Gideon at 6 and Moses at 5 are two peas in a pod.

Naomi at 3 is so girly and dainty but very saucy.

The baby, Mary Elizabeth is now 14 months! 

Daddy's girls

Daddy's boys

Mama's boys 

Keepers At Home: Why Christian Women Should Stay Home

 

In 2019 the world is in such a hot mess with gender roles. There are politicians literally trying to approve laws to allow a transgender male to get an abortion if he wanted to????? Just what in the world has happened to people's minds?

I'll tell you what has happened. People have rejected God's word! From the very beginning God created male and female. If you tell people that now, they flip out and call you a bigot for excluding the filthy LGBTQ community. We expect that from the heathen though, and I say let them rage on! But one thing that makes zero sense to me is when Christian women flip out when you say God created 2 different roles for men and women.

It matters not how you feel, no one can convince me otherwise; that men should be the breadwinners and women should be at home, because it is what the Bible says!

Titus 2:4

 That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children

⁵ To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.

1 Timothy 5:14

I will therefore that the younger women marry, bear children, guide the house, give none occasion to the adversary to speak reproachfully.

     These verses should be more than enough evidence for Bible believing women to be stay at home wives and mothers.  It's pretty black and white and case closed to any non-biased onlooker, especially since we as Christians are supposed to believe that the Bible is not up for private interpretation (2 Peter 1:20  Knowing this first, that no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation)

However, you have your basic straw man arguments.........

Straw man #1 The proverbs 31 woman was a career woman: 

I never said women are not allowed to make things and sell them. As long as it is a home based business and not taking away from other household duties go for it. If you read Proverbs 31 you can see that she was making her items in her home as her candle went not out at night and she delivered unto the merchants. She was not the merchant herself and out at the market all day, but merely dropped things off there so she could return home.

Straw man #2: It is a sin to leave the house for any reason

Just stop being so ridiculous. Of course you can go to the store and church and wherever else you want to go. You know good and well that taking your kids to the grocery store is not the same as dumping them at daycare for 8 hours a day, so just stop.

Straw man # 3 : You are saying women who work outside the home don't love their families.

Stop putting words in my mouth, I know moms love their children even if someone else watches them most of the day. That is neither here nor there it doesn't change the facts of the Bible concerning a woman's place.

Straw man #4 : God hasn't called me to stay home.

Since when does God need to personally call you on the phone to tell you to follow His Word????

I am sure there are more straw man arguments and I could go on all day . There are also problems that arise with women working outside the home.

Problem #1 Women become financially independent of their husband making it easier to divorce as you are not depending on him for support.

Problem #2 Women and men who are not married are spending 40 plus hours a week together often develop relationships and commit adultery.

Problem # 3 The children now need another caregiver as both parents are at work and often are abused and raised with bad influences that don't reflect the views of the parents.

Problem #4 Women who are blessed with the gift to conceive and bare children will not  be able to hold a stable career while allowing God to bless them freely. They will then succumb to the societal pressures of birth control that cause a whole host of other problems including silent abortions and polluting the water supply with their nasty artificial hormones.

     I will be the first to admit that I wanted to be a career woman, never get married and have children. I was in college and even aiming to be a military officer.  I was cadet Kelly at Virginia Tech for crying out loud! When I got saved and wanted to know the truth of God's word in more areas of my life, I was hungering for truth. When I was shown the verses on women being keepers at home, I honestly didn't fight it.  Deep down I hated the idea of leaving my children and husband each day. I just can't for the life of me figure out why women fight this! The stay at home life is the best life! Kissing and snuggling your littles, reading stories, making memories alllll day long, having dinner and fresh baked cookies when your husband gets off work... Sure there are hard days but so worth it.

I just get sick and tired of Satan's attack on women; elevating career women. Telling them, you can do it all, not be JUST a stay at home wife or mom. Well I hate to bust your bubble, but if you are a mother and also work outside the home do not fool yourself into thinking you are doing it all. The truth is someone else is doing the more important work for you at the Daycare or school. 

Welcome to Atlanta

     Back in March our family made the big decision to once again move out of state!
We had our hopes up to move for a few years and things just never seemed to line up. So when we got our tax refund back this year we just stepped out in faith, and booked an Airbnb for a month right outside of Atlanta, Georgia. We really wanted our family to attend a family integrated, soul winning, hard preaching baptist church and Atlanta seemed to be the most promising for our family with Stronghold Baptist Church.

   The truck driving job market for local home daily positions was great. The housing prices were not too high.  Also the drive home to VA could be done in a day (8.5-10.5hrs.)if needed.

     Once in Atlanta Chris started interviewing immediately, had about 5 offers in the first week, and decided on a company with a Kroger contract delivering milk.

  The house hunt did not go as smoothly as the job hunt. As a family of 10 you cannot just walk into an apartment complex and sign a lease with so many people. We decided to wait for 30 days of paychecks and get preapproved for a mortgage. Long story short we had to Airbnb for 4 months, and cancel a flipped home nightmare we were under contract with before closing on our new home!

    We love the church, the Atlanta area and are so greatful for our new home.