Trying some new things...

Our church is doing a church-wide fast for the month of January. I've really only heard about it through the grape-vine because I haven't been to church in almost 2 months!! So hard to believe, but things have just been coming up every weekend. Out of town and sickness mostly. So I really don't know all the details, and at first I was honestly like "I'm not going to fast." Very callous of me...

Then I started getting convicted. And I've realized that I've really stumbled pretty far. My quiet time is pretty much non-existent, and not very deep when I do have it. And I've become very selfish. Having a newborn can really shed some light on just how selfish you are. Early morning feedings plus fussy babies leave me pretty ungracious. I'm not a nice person at all. And not a very fun person to be around.

For the past several days, I've really felt my Father coaxing me back into his arms. I've been running and not dealing with things as they should be. As He wants me to. And I'm being shown what needs to change in me. I was shown that I needed this fast. For my health and sanity, and for my family.

A meal fast is not really an option right now with breastfeeding. Plus I'm usually eating on the go, so fasting a meal would probably not be very beneficial anyways. So I started thinking and praying about what I should be fasting. I was shown two very clear ways to go. Facebook. I don't know why or how I get so consumed in it. But I sit down to look at a few things while I'm nursing, and then all of a sudden I've wasted so much time. I never intentionally do it, but it always draws me in. So I'm going to fast it for a month to teach myself discipline concerning it. After the month is through I'll see where God leads me to next.

The other way to go is to eliminate sweets. I've been so emotional about my body since Rachel was born. But I've not done anything to help it get back. And I've found that I eat out of boredom ALOT! Like when the kids are napping I usually go and find the most unnutritious thing in the house and sit down and eat it. It doesn't help that I feel like I'm starving all the time. So I'm going to fast sweets for a month. I really need to get in the habit of eating more healthy. For my body right now, and for the future. I've had gestational diabetes with all 3 of my kids, and they say you have a higher risk of developing diabetes if you've had it. So I want to take control of that situation now before it's too late!

So that's the plan. No facebook or sweets for a month. I'm super nervous about this, which tells me that it's definitely the way I need to go. But I'm also very excited to see what's in store! I'll still blog when I have a few moments, so I'll keep you posted on how it goes!

No time to write anymore...

I really wouldn't say I'm so busy to write on this thing, but the only time I really have of sitting down is when I'm nursing and then my hands aren't very free to type. But I can read all I want, but writing is another story! So this might just be a short recap of what all's been going on with the Folsoms when I have a spare minute. Right now, Rachel is still sleeping and I'm sitting here enjoying the quiet with a cup of coffee. Wonderful! Sure there are several chores neeeding to be done, but they'll eventually get done..

Well, a lot has happened since I last wrote. Let's go back a few weekends! The weekend before Christmas, Josh and I decided to go down to Florida and look at another truck. It happened to work out to where we could get his parents to watch the older two kids while we went down ourselves. So we decided to take advantage and have a date night on Friday on our way down. We had an old gift card to Applebee's, so we stopped in Valdosta and ate there. Rachel slept the whole time! So it was nice to be able to just focus on each other, and actually finish a conversation! :)

Then we drove down to Branford, to stay at the river that night. We woke up early to drive down to a town called Englewood, Fl. Which is a little south of St. Pete. Very long drive! Anyways we looked at a truck and ended up buying it! It's a 1999 Toyota Tacoma, and needs some work. But Josh has really been enjoying mechanicing so he bought it to fix up. Anyways, we decided to drive all the way back that night, so we could go to church the next day. We drove for a while, then stopped and ate at Cracker Barrell! Yum! And I fed Rachel. (You know, breastfeeding in public wouldn't be that bad if everyone wouldn't STARE you down!) Then we got back on the road. Not 10 minutes later, Rachel started screaming at the top of her lungs! I called Josh and we stopped. I thought she might have needed some more burping. As soon as I picked her up she stopped. Tried burping for a while, and got a few little ones and she was completely happy. So we got back on the road. And she started screaming again! I knew she just wanted to be held, so I tried driving for a while to see if she would fall asleep. She basically screamed for two hours straight and then fell asleep the last hour of the drive! Very exhausting! But it did keep me awake!

Anyways, I probably would have stopped again with her, but we got a call from Josh's parents that Hannah had hit her head on their headboard and gashed her forehead open! So I was panicky about that and trying to get home quickly. We finally made it home, and she did hit it pretty good. It was still bleeding almost 3 hours after it happened and the cut just wouldn't close up, so we decided to go to the ER with her. Josh took her, and I went home with the other two. They were there until almost 3, and she ended up getting 3 stitches! But apparantly she was a real trooper and did really good! So that was that weekend, and we ended up not going to church!

Last week was a time to recuperate. I don't think we left the house all week! Hannah and Elijah both had colds and plus there was lots to do before Christmas. Wrapping presents, baking cookies, cooking sides for all the dinners. So we were busy!

Then it was Christmas eve already! We got over to Josh's parents and eat a fancy meal together. Then we open presents from Josh's grandmother. We watch a movie together and then go to bed!

There were several people sick this year, which kinda put a damper on the whole thing. Eli and Hannah were still getting over colds. And Josh and his mom were both really sick with like a flu-like cold! Not pretty. And not easy for me because I was doing everything while Josh was pretty much out of it for like 5 days straight! But Christmas still came! We had a good time that morning at his parents, and it was exciting to watch the babies open their gifts. They are really understanding now, and it's fun to watch them get so excited! Rachel slept the entire time! Then we packed up and headed to my parents where we ate a big lunch and then opened more presents! We hung out all afternoon, and then went back to Josh's parents to pick up our stuff. We ended up staying for dinner and then decided to just stay the night again. Then Sunday we packed up and headed home. We didn't go to church again because Josh was still really sick. So we just had a nice leisurely day at home. Which I definitely needed. I was exhausted! Josh is finally better, and back to his old self! Boy, am I glad to have him back! :)

Now we are just enjoying time at home. So many new toys to play with! Elijah and Hannah have been constantly busy!

I can't believe that the new year is only a few days away! We've decided to take another trip down to the River house for the weekend to celebrate. We usually do this with Josh's entire family, but this year it will probably be just our little family. But I'm excited! It's nice to get away because you're forced to spend time all together and we've been missing that lately!

I have some pictures of all our adventures, so I'll post them again in another blog later! Gotta go, Rachel's stirring...

Just some pictures..

Rachel is two months old! Trying to catch her smiling...

Hannah got her nails painted in Nashville for the first time. She was really happy!

Elijah and his cousin Winston really bonded and played so well with one another on this trip!

They were inseperable!

My hair before we went to Nashville. It was ridiculously long that I was wearing it up all the time. The only time I could get a picture of how long it was, was right after a shower.

The new do! I really love it! It's just so much lighter!

Gosh, it's been a while!

Well, I wouldn't say life is "busy" right now, but it is very much "full" of babies. That's really all I do! Here's a run-down of a typical day: Rachel usually wakes up around 7:30, and I nurse her in the bed usually. Sometime during that, Elijah and Hannah wake up and usually play in the living room. When I finish with her, she usually goes back to sleep. Then I get up and go fix breakfast. Give them breakfast, and then I usually try and get things done around the house. Wash clothes, clean kitchen, clean up after breakfast, and take a shower! Then by that time, Rachel is back up again. I feed her and then make lunch. Clean up after lunch, and then it's time for a nap. We read a book, then I put the babies in bed. Go in several times to tell them to lay down, and stop throwing toys. Then it's time to feed Rachel again. She nurses and I lay down with her. For some reason she won't nap at this time unless I will lay with her. So when she goes to sleep, I will either take a nap too or go enjoy some silence in the house. :) Then the babies wake up, and I get them some type of snack. Rachel wakes up, and I feed her. Then I try and go about making dinner. Rachel likes to cluster feed during this time, so I'm usually trying to feed her and make dinner at the same time. Josh usually comes in around this time, and can a least monitor and play with Elijah and Hannah. Get dinner ready, and we eat. I'm usually feeding Rachel and taking bites here and there. Then it's time for bed. Elijah and Hannah get baths every other night, and pjs on, a book read, and then back in their beds. I clean up after dinner and give Rachel a bath and then nurse her again. Josh and I usually watch tv during this time. Then he goes to bed, while I finish up with her. She's usually asleep around 12, and I go and zonk out myself. Then we start it all again! That's usually how it goes down, but there are variations. Not to mention all the diaper changes, and disciplining. A good day is when mommy gets a shower, Elijah and Hannah play nice together, and Rachel gets her naps in! :) It may not be an interesting life, but it's mine right now. And I wouldn't trade it. One day I know God will have something more challenging for me, but until that day comes I know I'm just supposed to care for my children and get a healthy, warm meal on the table for dinner!

In other news, we sold Josh's trailblazer (don't try and keep up with the vehicles he's had!) and we are now looking for a new truck. So that's really been consuming our weekends. Last weekend, we went down to Florida to look at a Silverado. It turned out to have a lot of issues, and wasn't worth buying. So next weekend, we are planning another trip to go and look at some Tacomas. I hope it works out!

We also just took a long trip up to Nashville for Thanksgiving. I was nervous about the trip, but all the babies did very well! I don't know how they know, but they always get fussy/cranky in the last 30 minutes of the trip. But we played alot of games, and watched a lot of movies, and they slept a good bit. And we had a good visit with family in Nashville. Elijah and Winston are at ages were they can actually play together, and I honestly think they did the most bonding out of the whole family! They were so ridiculously cute together. Each year, the kids will be able to play more and more together, which is really exciting to me. Thanksgiving day was a success too with very many delicious dishes! And we recorded another Folsom Family album! I only wish that the whole trip was longer! Oh, and I got all my hair chopped off when I was up there, and I LOVE it!!

Now we are just trying to stay warm, it's been freezing! And getting ready for Christmas. We got our house decorated this weekend, then we went and helped decorate at Josh's parents last night. Now we just have to go and help my grandfather next! :) And then I need to finish all the Christmas shopping!

This year has been crazy. Up until I had Rachel, the year has gone soooo slowly. I honestly felt like I was pregnant for years, and there was no end in sight! Then as soon as I had her, the year has flown! She's two months old today! But it feels like I just had her last week. We weighed her last night, and she's 9 1/2 pounds now! So she's starting to pack it on. Her body is much more fuller now, and her face is getting plump!

Anyways, that's about it. I was going to post some pics, but the camera is in the car and it's way too cold right now. So I'll get it and post a picture post later!

Third time's a charm!

For babies! This time around has been soooo much easier than with the last two. And everyone says that it's because you get more experienced, which is true I'm sure. But Rachel is such a good baby! I have to give her credit. Thank you Jesus for giving me such an easy going baby during this hectic time period. He definitely knows what He's doing. I can't begin to tell you how stressed out I was imagining handling two toddlers and a newborn. But He never gives us more than we can handle, why do I ever doubt??

Honestly, I have not been strict at all with Rachel with schedules. I figured I would just take it like it comes for the newborn stage, instead of stressing over it. Well, the last few nights she has slept for about 7 hours!!! Yippee, hooray!! You feel like a new person when you get that much sleep! And I can't even take credit for it, she's just been an amazing sleeper. Here she is snoozing the morning away!

And breastfeeding is better this time too. I actually enjoy sitting down to feed her. I did not enjoy it at all with Elijah and Hannah. I was just doing it because it was good for them and honestly, because it was free! I'm so glad that I've finally had that enjoyable breastfeeding experience!

Speaking of breastfeeding, I made some nursing pads. I was going through so many of the disposables that I thought I would try some cloth ones. I was going to buy some, but then decided I would just try making some. Why had I never thought of this? And I still didn't think of it, I had help from a friend! (Thanks Kayla for the idea!) Anyways, here's the finished product. I had a couple of trial runs, but these work great! I put a vinyl cloth on the back, so they don't leak through, and I figured I'd go all out and get a cute fabric for the front. I love zebra print!

I have a one month old?

(This was written over several days time, sorry if it's disjointed!)

So, Rachel is now a month old! Really hard to believe, it's flown by! She hasn't gone in for her 1 month check-up yet, so I'm not sure how much she weighs. She's still really small, still wearing newborn clothes. But I can tell she's grown a good bit, because the newborn diapers don't swallow her anymore! :)

We're doing pretty good. We have good and bad days, but the good days definitely outweigh the bad ones! Rachel is starting to sleep really good at night. Some nights she has actually slept for about 5 hours in a row, so that's been awesome! It really makes a difference in your attitude when you can get a few hours in a row of consistent sleep! Now if we could improve the time it takes to get her to sleep, we'll be doing good! The other night I was so completely frustrated, and just tired. I put her down like 4 times, with her waking and crying in like 15 minutes each time. I finally got her to sleep around 2, which was the night after the time change so my body was really feeling like it was 3. That was a rough night. I know we'll get through this phase, so I'm trying to stay positive and enjoy this time that she's still a newborn. It passes so quickly..

Elijah and Hannah are really good with her too. Elijah is super gentle. My favorite thing he says right now is when Rachel is looking at him. He says "that baby is lookin at me, her wikes me!!" It's really adorable. And Hannah wants to touch her all the time, which kinda can get frustrating. But at least I know that they like her, and don't feel too threatened by how much time I have to spend on her.

Last weekend we had a small party for Elijah and Hannah's birthdays. With having the new baby, I decided just to do a small family party this year, but it went really good. And they both understood that it was their birthdays, so they kept asking about it. "it's my berfday?" haha, I love talking toddlers!

Josh got a job! He's actually had it for about 2 weeks now. I've been reluctant to talk about it, because it started out as a temporary job. But his boss told him the other day that "he was a breath of fresh air" and that he wanted him to work for him fulltime. So this has definitely been a blessing! It's still in the construction business, which is kinda what Josh wanted to get out of, but he's enjoying this a little more because it's with a big construction company so he gets to do bigger jobs.

During this time of unemployment, God has really showed us alot of things. Things that we wouldn't have realized without going this time. So as hard as its been, I know ultimately that there was a reason we went through it. And we aren't completely out of the fog yet, but it feels like I can see the end. One thing we've learned is how to live pretty cheaply, and to rely on God for everything!! Which is really a hard lesson to learn, and one I'm still learning everyday. Another thing we feel strongly about is that Josh is supposed to go back to school. We are still waiting on exactly what he should be going back for, but without going through this drought I don't think we would have heard this at all.


Anyways, I can't think of anything else right now. And I have some other things to accomplish before the baby awakes!

Well, Rachel is now over a week old and we are doing really good. I'm actually very surprised. I had kinda prepared myself for the worse with bringing home a newborn and still taking care of two toddlers. But we are all settling in to a routine and it seems to be working. Rachel makes it easy though. Everyone kept telling me that their third was really laid back and easy to take care of, and that describes her to a T. She usually only cries when she's hungry, and the rest of the time she's either sleeping or just watching things go on. There's usually a lot of action with Elijah and Hannah, so I guess they are keeping her entertained. And I thought I would have difficulties with them being loud and waking her, but she will sleep through all of it! Even the screaming right by her ear! Here she is just looking around.

Elijah and Hannah are adjusting very well with her too. They like to watch me change her diapers, and when she cries they will run to get me and they'll ask "Baby's hungry, Mama?" It's really cute. I can already tell that they are going to be protective over her. Josh's dad asked them last night if Rachel could stay with them, and Elijah got really upset and said no and that she had to go home with us. :) I also think having the baby has diverted their possessiveness over my attention. They don't seem to fight as often, and I'm catching them playing nicely with one another more. So that's been a plus as well! Here's Elijah talking to Rachel. She turned towards his voice and was really listening!

Hannah wanted a picture with her too!

So, life is really good right now. I feel so blessed to have Rachel. She's just a joy. The only real complaint is the cramping and the boob soreness! My milk is definitely in abundance, and I can't really figure out what I should do to fix it. I've had to pump for the last few nights, because I couldn't even lay down they were so full. But I know if I keep that up, my milk will never even out. You'd think I would be a pro at this by now. But with Elijah, I was pumping all the time because he wouldn't breastfeed for the first couple of months. Then when Hannah came, I absolutely refused to pump. I refused to pump or give her a bottle, because I just wanted it to work so badly. Now this time, I would like to have some stored milk and I would like to try a bottle with her when she's a little older, so I'm kinda new to this. But I know things will get better! And we'll figure it out.

I'm definitely not ready to take them all out by myself, so nothing much going on except for us hanging out at the house! And right now, naptime is calling my name...