Hitting the wall today

If anything can make you feel like a failure as a parent it is parenting a child with severe ADHD. For me it is just one of those things I dont like to discuss because if the floodgates burst open I dont know if I will be able to keep treading these waters. The most heartbreaking thing is when a child with this condition feels that they are 'bad' and 'worthless' and the cant do anything right. Because in the parents heart the blame is self-focused: what is wrong with me as a mother if I cant even teach my child to make his bed every day or stay in his seat in the classroom or not torment the teacher. What have I done wrong?? Why does my precious child have to struggle with every little basic life skill??
And when you look into ways to help your child you see the same old stuff- strict routine, orderly envrionment, lists, schedules, positive reinforcement, clear expectations and consequences...blah, blah blah! There are no answers when you are already doing all of the above! It is the worst feeling when a day passes by with your child doing literally every single thing wrong- from wake up till bedtime. Where do we go from here? Is this merely a road without an end? Welll, when you are a parent the idea of giving up just isnt an option. So you make a new chart, apologize to the teacher, give your 5 millionth reminder and you stay the course. And sometimes, when you least expect it there is a good day. And your heart bursts with both pride that your baby is smiling and hurt that every day cant be like this. Then the next morning you wake up and try again. And you love him every step of the way.

Queen of her Castle

As the only girl in our house Savannah has her own room by default :-) When we were expecting her I was thrilled to finally paint a room pink! I am so thankful she loves babies, princesses, hairbows, and all things girly :-) Savannah loves to read stories like Little Mommy and Baby Dear and then play pretend with her own baby dolls. She adores having her hair styled with clips and bows and she always puts her hair accessories neatly on her shelf when we are done.
I am so thankful for our precious little daughter <3 she brings joy to my life every single day!

Lucky #7

Sweet baby Aaron! Our last baby, our grand finale, our lucky #7! I am so in love with him! He is 8 months old and growing up way too fast! He has 6 teeth and likes to bite! He is a fast and furious crawler and is cruising furniture like a pro. He is hitting these milestones much earlier than our other babies and it makes me sad because I want him to stay little! Aaron likes to squeeze and pinch when he is excited or frustrated and that can be painful for whoever is holding him ;-) He is a good sleeper and eater- just an all around happy baby boy. He is adored by all his brothers and mothered by his big sister. If only he would slow down and stop growing so fast!

Many Hands Make Light Work

And they were 7!!

Today Cameron John & Benjamin James turn 7! I continue to be amazed at the blessing of having twins. They have such a special relationship, even when they fight. Ben & Cam want to be together constantly and they have the sweetest ways of caring for one another. If one is behind in school the other will try to do his brothers work. If only one is rewarded with dessert for eating all his dinner than he will sneak some of his treat to his twin under the table. They truly are best friends.

Cameron is such an outgoing kid! He will sing and put on a show for anyone who will listen. He is easy going and has a great attitude with his schoolwork. He seeems to have the closest attachment to Baby Aaron out of all the other children. He likes to write his own books and attempt to sell them to relatives.

Benjamin remains my sweet sensitive boy. He has a stronger temper and guilty concience. He just has very strong feelings about everything. He is our artist and loves to draw and create. He dotes on Savannah quite a bit. Ben likes to tell me that he loves me more than any other kid does!

We are so thankful for our Terrific Twosome!!

precious savannah...you are one year old today. The sun is shining and the breeze is bowing through the windows just like it was on the day of your birth. As the sun is going down I am remembering this exact tie last year, how I was laying in my bed holding you in your pink gown wrapped in your pink balnket. The evening sun was coming through my back window and there I was finally holding a little person all in pink. I dreamed of you for so long savannah.
and tonight I rocked you to sleep and sang to you. We always sing you are my sunshine,jesus loves me, jesus oves the little children,and amazing grace- in that order. And then I pray to the Lord with thanksgiving and praise for blessing me wth you. You are my lifes greatest accomplishment, you completed me as a woman and as a mother. I wil cherish you each day God gives us on this earth. You are my precious sunshine.
today we took cupcakes to the park and I pushed you in the swing. Your brothers fussed over you all day. Daddy brought you yourf irst dozen roses tonight. And on sunday we will celebrate you with our friends and extended family.
you are such a silly gilr savannah! You laugh so loud, blow raspberries, sign milk and eat, scrunch up your face and smile. You still love to be held by mommy daddy and B. You just started pulling up on your feet and you still crawl on your belly . You love to eat, yogurt seems to be your favorite. You are a good sleeper and very strong willed. You make your opinion known very loudly. I love hearing you say mama and dada. We love you so very much. Nothing on earth has ever touched my heart like you have. I am so thankul to be your mommy.

Natey Baby...

Nathan Joseph Michael...
You are 6 years old. You have lost your little boy look and you seem so grown up now. First grade homeschool is smooth sailing. You are an excellent reader and your favorite subject is math. You are a unique blend of innocence and maturity.

Moments

Dinner of beans and rice with cake for dessert- all made by daddy.

Daddy washing dishes.

Brendan avoiding chores.

Ben and Cam sweeping the floor and wiping the dinner table.

Savannah playing tea party in the tub.

Aiden laughing at her.

Mommy bathing toddlers.

Nathan gently bouncing baby Aaron in his chair.

Aaron has the hiccups.

Mommy puts lotion and soft fleece pj's on Aiden and Savvy and combs their hair.

Daddy corrals little ones downstairs for family time.

The chore avoider is caught and gets to mop the floor.


These are the moments to remember.

Adjusting Aaron

Poor baby Aaron has really been struggling with gas pain since birth so today we took him to the chiropractor to see if she could help. Most people wouldnt even think that a newborn could benefit from chiropractic care but the changes in Aaron's level of relaxation was instant and he is sleeping his first real long stretch since birth. The doctor said he was out of allignment in the exact areas that would cause digestive discomfort so we are very hopeful he will have some relief from the awful gas pains.

Aaron is an absolutely stunning baby, he reminds us so much of Nathan. All the other children are thrilled he is here. Aiden is so happy to no longer be the littlest brother and Savvy just loves taking care of a real baby. We are so blessed that God has given us our precious lucky number seven! Daddy is home with us for 4 weeks of paternity leave which is a new experience for us and I am thrilled to have so much time to focus on Aaron and my own recovery. I spent time before birth preparing the house, freezing meals, and creating schedules so things are going smoothly all around.

Introducing Aaron!

Our 7th child, our 6th son joined our family on February 11th 2012 at 1:25am. Aaron Hurley Adkins was born at home in the water while his Daddy looked on and his brothers and sisters slept.
On Friday I was very uncomfortable all day and I told Shane I felt like labor would come on soon. I expected it to start sometime that weekend. By 6pm I told him we would probably have a baby within 24 hours. It wasnt long after that contractions were unmistakable real labor. I walked around doing small tasks like laundry and preparing the birth supplies. Shortly after 8 Shane began filling the birth tub and I called the midwife to tell her what was going on. We agreed to call back in an hour with an update.
At this point contractions were ranging between 2 and 8 minutes apart with varying intensity but i could no longer move around through them. I would lean onto a stack of pillows and moan or sway my hips. Shane was continuously adding pots of boiling water to the tub. At 9 he called the midwife back and told her things were getting more intense so she decided to head over. I continued to work through labor as it grew stronger. I was anxious to get in the shower to help with the back pain and I did that a few times through the night. Just like I did during Savannah's labor I wrote Aaron's name in the steam on the window. Between showers I kept my Bible open to Psalms and I would focus on passages that encouraged me to cry out to God. Throughout the entire labor I was praying and reciting scripture in my mind.
When pain had increased I wanted to get into the birth tub but I was nervous that it could be too soon and it would slow things down. I finally got in because my body was so tired of standing. The water felt wonderful and Shane and the midwives continued to add hot water to keep it warm. Pain was intense but contractions were spaced enough that I could rest inbetween. I could feel my body bearing down with each one and I was worried I wasnt ready but the midwives assured me to let my body do its job. I was frustrated that it did not feel like the baby was moving down at all but shortly after that my water broke and made me feel relieved.
In the next most intense and painful contraction I reached down and felt my baby crown and be born into my own hands. It was an indescribable feeling. I brought him to my chest and was overcome with gratitude, thanking God for bringing me through and blessing me with such a perfect gift.
Shane stood behind me and kissed me on my head and we looked at our son- our last baby. We waited for his cord to stop pulsating and then Shane cut it. Aaron was handed off to Shane and wrapped in warm blankets while I moved to the bed. The midwives helped me get situated and I was amazed that I did not need assistance or extra care for bleeding like all my other births. Shane gave Aaron back to me and I held and nursed him in bed. My mom arrived to see him and we watched him get his check up. At 8lbs 2oz he was my smallest singleton baby. I diapered and dressed him myself and we snuggled into bed while everyone prepared to leave us.

So many prayers were answered in Aarons birth, I am in awe of a God who is so gracious. Aaron is the final piece of our family and we wouldnt be complete without him.