Monday, November 20, 2017

Mosaic Institute


This past summer we had to name our school (according to North Carolina law). 

What a joyful and fun experience! We so enjoyed coming up with ideas and laughing over our silly suggestions ;)

Anyway, we did come up with a name that we both loved:
Mosaic Institute 

Why? Here are some of the reasons behind our choice:
  • I have always loved mosaics and found them mesmerizing. How all kinds of pieces of different shapes, colors and sizes can come together to compose a new and beautiful work of art. We want God to take the different shapes and sizes and "colors" of our kids and then nurture them into a coherent whole for his glory and purposes. At the same time, we want our kids to discover the multifaceted world around them, developing an appreciation for the truths of God in all the fields of learning and the beauty of God in all the people groups and natural wonders of the world. When all the various peoples in the world come together to worship and praise the Lord, it’s exquisite and glorious!
  • The word "Mosaic" is derived from Moses. When you go to the House Chamber of the U.S. House of Representatives, there upon the tops of the walls are marble relief portraits of famous lawgivers and rulers throughout the history of the world. All of them are depicted in profile, with their faces looking toward the same spot in the back of the room… all of them except one. The one they all look toward is the one whose face is not in profile, but whose face looks straight out toward the center of the room. That face is the face of Moses. He is the progenitor of much of civilization in the free world, civilization built upon the mores of Judeo-Christian foundations. Furthermore, the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom (Prov. 1:7). Moses, as the author of the Torah, the instruction of God, is in a sense a figurehead of that very fear, that very reverence, of the Lord, and as such he is someone who encapsulates wisdom. Finally, and somewhat controversially, there is even the theory that the development of the alphabet originated with Moses in writing the Ten Commandments and the Torah. The theory suggests that Moses streamlined Egyptian hieroglyphs into a system whereby unique sounds correspond to unique symbols in a one-to-one ratio -- not pictures symbolizing whole words as in hieroglyphic writing -- thus forming the concept of an alphabet, and it was from Israel that the Phoenicians then disseminated knowledge of an alphabet around the world. If this idea be true, then a school named in honor of Moses is all the more fitting, as literacy is one of the essential cornerstones for any development of knowledge.
  • The Mosaic Institute = TMI = Too Much Information, just what we want for our school!
  • Mosaic Institute = MI = Mission Impossible, exactly what we feel like we are attempting to do (me homeschooling as I am impatient, not a kid person, in a wheelchair, have a nerve disease and a speech impediment, cannot read aloud or write, unable to drive...), but God’s grace and strength are enough to cover all my shortcomings and inadequacies! Nothing is impossible with God (Mt. 19:26, Lk.1:37)!

Friday, November 17, 2017

Full Finishes and Fresh Finds

  • First week of October: We went to the OB/Gyn, chiropractor, and community pool. Ricky's dad and brother visited and took the kids to the Renaissance Festival :)
  • Second week of October: We took dinner over to share with some friends; I was 2cm dilated at my OB/Gyn appointment this week; we had other friends over for dinner another night; Ricky's mom flew in for a 10-day visit; went to community pool; a dear man from church handmade a crib modification and a changing table for me and brought the completions to us (they are beautiful and high-quality!); while Ricky's mom took the kids to the Renaissance Festival, we hosted a missions' meeting and then attended a conference about the Reformation; went to small group; and, completed our last week of school before taking our long break until the new year!
  • Third week of October: We went to see a new neurologist about my dopamine deficiency; I was 3cm dilated, 50% effaced, and the doctor could feel baby's head at my OB/Gyn appointment this week; MIL took kids shopping and to four parks; enjoyed shaved ice; took Aolani back to doctor; Micaiah had a bad reaction to a spider bite on his toe; and, went to community pool the same day early labor started...
  • Fourth week of October: crazy week with MIL flying home, my mom coming, preparing and cleaning, getting ready for baby; I was 4cm dilated, 85% effaced, and had completely dropped at my OB/Gyn appointment the day before L&DRaphael's arrival; Raphael's first doctor's appointment (he had lost 10% of his body weight before my milk came in and fattened him up); Ricky led our church's annual flag football game again; Ricky took the big kids to church to lead the International Day of Prayer for the Persecuted Church (IDOP) and then to our church's Fall Festival; and, my dad brought his parents to visit and meet Raphael :)
  • Aolani's antics: She loves to hold and dress the baby, telling us, "I’m preparing to be a mommy."; She asked Ricky on her own accord a common question, "Why don’t they put a computer in my daddy’s courtroom so you can play with me?" ;)
  • Micaiah's mishaps: He would often adore baby Raphael and tell us, "He’s so cute I can’t take my eyes off him!"; He informed us that coy means sneaky; and, he lost his first tooth (it wasn't loose) and spit it on the ground outside (so it's really lost)!
  • They are both making really astute observations and asking wise, insightful questions! I do a poor job at recording them :( 

  • School verses: Micaiah -- Psalm 34:13, Isaiah 45:22 ; Aolani -- 1 Corinthians 10:31, Romans 6:23
  • Verses I memorized: Matthew 5:40-44

Thursday, November 16, 2017

Raphael's Birth Story

It’s so neat to me how every birth is so different and completely unique! 

For most of October, I had sporadic contractions that were not really intense and varied in length. Sometimes I would have them off and on for three hours. The uterus was just working out, but they were plentiful enough to dilate my cervix 3cm. 

Then at 8 o’clock at night on Sunday, October 22nd, the contractions started again and wouldn’t go away despite being the easy, bearable ones (the ones you can talk through). I lost my second mucus plug. After the contractions continued for more than four hours, I called my mom to alert her. She decided to leave her home and drive here in the middle of the night. 

The contractions lasted for 25 hours but never really got more intense. I climbed into bed at 9 o’clock Monday night exhausted from staying up the entire night before, and the contractions stopped. I slept nine hours straight! Apparently, it was all early labor. 

Then on Tuesday, not only did I not feel like moving but the baby got still and hardly moved at all. (This happened with my other two the day before labor —storing up energy for the big journey down the birth canal.) I, also, had another Ob/Gyn appointment — baby had dropped super low, 85% effaced, and 4cm dilated now. The doctor thought I would most likely not make it to November or even to the weekend. So, all those contractions the day before were doing something! 

I had a feeling that I’d be up again that night, so I headed to bed early again at 9 o’clock. I slept for two hours and woke with contractions. We timed them for over an hour before getting up. I had lost a third mucus plug and called my doula to tell her what was happening. We woke my mom. I spent the next hour drinking lots of water, changing positions and locations, and going potty. The contractions were bearable but would not go away. 

I internally agonized over whether or not to head to the hospital yet. In the past I would not go there until the contractions became intense and active labor started. I really did not want to labor much at the hospital because I’d feel the pressure to progress in labor instead of just relaxing and letting my body take the time it needs to birth my baby. But I knew that there were a lot of signs I couldn’t ignore — early labor, dropping, dilating, stillness, mucus plugs, pottying a lot, and constant contractions. And this was my third labor, so I didn’t know what it would be like. Maybe active labor would be super quick, and I was not prepared to have him at home or in the car. 

All things considered, I felt like he was coming soon. We should just go. 

Called the doula and the babysitter (to stay with the big kids) to tell them to come on over. 

Still having bearable contractions. 

We left around 3 a.m. for the hospital. After we got in, they put the fetal monitor on for a little (with my permission) and gave me an hour to dilate more before admitting me. The stress I didn’t want! 

An hour passed, no progress. And Ricky napped during this uneventful time. They called my doctor to ask what to do. (My OB/Gyn said to call him even if he wasn’t on call, and he would try to do the delivery if he could.) He said to give me two more hours before checking me again at 7 o’clock. 

I couldn’t wait to get into the nice, big bathtub in my room. So in I went! The water came up high. Ricky sat on the big corner ledge and napped again. We played worship music (Will Reagan) and relaxed! 

Half hour later (6 a.m.) I had my first contraction that I couldn’t talk through — active labor had begun! No going back now! (Note: It was resting in the water that allowed my uterus to relax and let the contractions intensify.) 

When they checked me again, I had dilated 1cm, putting me at 5cm. I could stay. My doctor was going to stop by on his way to work to check on me. 

Just as it became eventful, Ricky took his third nap. My mom and the doula stayed up with me while I labored. 

Doctor came at 8:15 a.m.; 7cm dilated now! He said to call him at work when I felt the urge to push. 

I alternated between sitting on the edge of the bed and the toilet. I kept my eyes closed most of the time because I was so tired and I needed to focus on the contractions — not fighting them, relaxing, and even welcoming them! I kept reminding myself that they were massaging the baby and bringing him to me — I want contractions! The more I have (and don’t resist), the quicker it’ll be over and I can see my baby. Let them do their work, bring them on! 

When Ricky wasn't napping, I had him reading the Scriptures aloud to us, for us, and over us.

Laboring continued for another three and a half hours before I asked for the midwife on call to check me. 9cm. Not 10 minutes later I felt the urge to poop. Twice. But I knew I didn’t have to because I had nothing left after having several bowel movements that morning. It was 11:55 a.m. I knew I’d have to push soon. Time to make the phone call to my doctor! (We joked how God timed the delivery for the doctor's lunch break so he could attend!)

He walked in 20 minutes later, and I let them know that I had to push now! 

Pushing was harder than I remembered, and I screamed a lot. The doula kept reminding me to push low, and that helped because I felt like I could do that. (Doulas are a necessity to me!) Pushing felt like it was taking a long time, but in reality it was only 15 minutes. I remember yelling, "Get this baby out of me!” :)

Ricky was beside the doctor and said how impressed he was with the doctor’s skill. I only tore a little and got one stitch.

I gave two shouts of joy once Raphael was out — one of relief and one of victory! (The rush of hormones right after delivery is overwhelmingly strong!) I couldn’t wait to hold my baby. Everyone was saying that he was perfect and healthy. They laid him on my chest, and Ricky cut the cord.

The staff said Raphael did not look 10 days early, except that he didn’t have any vernix yet. He got the highest Apgar score of all our babies. After they measured him, they gave him back to me. He was eager to nurse, which he did for two hours! 

The babysitter brought the big kids to the hospital to join us. They were elated! 

We had friends visit that evening and left the hospital the next day. 

This hospital was the best experience we had for a birth. The staff kept it dark and quiet with minimal intrusion during the labor. We only saw our two nurses, and they not only read our birth plan but were quoting it to us! That hadn’t happened before. They didn’t avoid us or walk on eggshells around us like we were the weird or difficult patients. They were understanding, respectful, and kind! 

Overall, the labor and delivery were the opposite of the rough and tough pregnancy! Natural and vaginal birth with no medication or intervention. No complications and no GBS. Six hours of active labor and 15 minutes of pushing. Postpartum healing is going well. Raphael is healthy and is nursing well. (It took three days for my milk to come in.) We were in disbelief for a while with how flawless everything went! 

We are just so thankful to God!


 

Saturday, November 11, 2017

Surprised by Joy

  • First week of September: My mom left and took Micaiah with her to spend his week with my parents; they did a lot (see slideshow below). Aolani had her week alone with us -- tea time, ice cream shop, date, sleepoveer at friends' place (all three of us), baking, daily movies, and lots of company! We, also, had small group here and a friend come visit, and I had blood work and an Ob/Gyn appointment. And, we met my parents to get Micaiah back ;)
  • Second week of September: We had friends over for dinner; Ricky's paternity/family leave (FMLA) started (paid time off using sick days), which he has 12 weeks of and ends after Thanksgiving; Ricky went to a church meeting; we went to a little girl's birthday party; we visited my grandparents and aunt/uncle (which was a joy); and, we went to small group.
  • Third week of September: Ricky and Micaiah went to a little boy's birthday party; another Ob/Gyn appointment; had the new neighbors over for dinner; took Aolani to the doctor; went to the indoor community pool to exercise and get my legs moving; and, enjoyed a day visit from a friend.
  • Fourth week of September: A friend came over to share prayer time; my mom visits, and we go to the pool, a pumpkin orchard, and my baby shower; and, we went to small group.
  • When we went to Mexico and left the kids with my parents, I think that scared Micaiah. He grew frightened that we might not return to get him. So, he did not want to go to my parents' farm without us (that included his week alone with my parents at their house). But after Aolani's week at DaySpring and all the fun she had, Micaiah started to warm up to the idea of having his own week there. He grew more eager to go as the time grew near, and he ended up having a blast, of course!
  • School verses: Micaiah -- Exodus 20:12, John15:5, Hebrews 13:8 ; Aolani -- Philippians 4:8, Lamentations 3:40, Isaiah 41:10
  • Verses I memorized: Matthew 5:35-39