http://thesimplewomansdaybook.blogspot.com/

FOR TODAY

Outside my window...  I hear my kids running outside.

I am thinking...  About a friend that just suffered a terrible loss. I'm keeping her in my prayers.

I am thankful...  My baby is sleeping in his bed beside mine; and I feel so blessed to have a healthy newborn baby boy. Life is beautiful!

In the kitchen... A delightful smell fills the air. My daughter just made spaghetti sauce from scratch and my other daughter is cooking some pasta. Earlier, my son made some pizzas for everyone. I can't complain. 

I am wearing...  Some comfy sweats and a t-shirt. Anything that makes it easier to nurse my baby boy is my ideal wardrobe.

I am creating...  Nothing at the moment, just taking time to rest and bonding with my newborn.

I am going... To stay put. I visited my mom out of town yesterday and have been quite busy the past few days. I desperately need some rest.

I am wondering... What the menu for Shabbat  should be. We need to do our shopping by tomorrow.

I am reading... A couple of books. One that I started a while back is titled G-d in Search of Man by Joshua Heschel

I am hoping...  To get work done. I have much house work awaiting me. 

I am looking forward to... My brother-in-law and his family are visiting next week; can't wait to see them. 

I am learning... How important it is to continue studying Torah and specially  living by it.

Around the house...  It seems much quieter since three o my sons went out, and the little ones are in the family room.

I am pondering...  How to simplify my life and get rid of many things that just clutter.

A favorite quote for today...  One who does not increase [his knowledge] decreases it. -Pirkei Avot 1:13 

One of my favorite things... Is holding my baby in my arms. Then again, everyone around here wants to hold him, which means I mostly get to hold him at night.

A few plans for the rest of the week: Set up dentist appointments for my kids. Clean up my family room and library.

A peek into my day...  I haven't taken many pictures lately but this picture about sums it up.

The Final Countdown

The long anticipated day was coming; actually, I carefully counted down the days to my due date, but nothing happened. Every day I could feel the baby move; he was quite active. This is basically the reason for my decision to continue waiting. I know that it is important to receive prenatal care, but due to various circumstances I will not get into, I had not received any during this pregnancy. I have to admit there was times of worry and even anxiety over the baby's development. Mostly, my concern was making it full term. I had suffered terrible losses in the past, and could not bare the thought of going through it again.

From the first moment I realized I was expecting, I felt overjoyed much more than could be expressed. I was hesitant however to mention any thing about it, due to my husband's concern for my health. I came very close to death last year, and it had been something terribly tough for my husband to deal with. Thankfully due to his fast action and quick thinking, he was able get me quickly to the hospital, which in turn saved my life, B'H. Now pregnant once again, I didn't want to see him worry about me. The thought of a such a wonderful blessing was much too delightful to be clouded by those sad memories. So I went through the first three months keeping the news to myself.

The months went by, and my estimated due date was to be on June the 17th. I was growing quite big, and was thinking along with my daughter, the baby would be arriving earlier than expected. But, the day came, and left without the arrival. For several weeks, I had been experiencing contractions, which would only turn out to be false labor. June passed and July began, but the baby was not ready to be born just yet.

Finally on a Friday after a couple of hours of contractions we decided to go to the hospital. I knew that even if it turned out to be false labor, going there was a good decision. And so we went late that night, and as expected, the contractions began to lessen and come further apart. At the hospital however we all agreed that the best thing was for me to stay there and be induce if necessary. So it was that I stayed there with my husband and was induced. After a long tiring night in labor, the baby was finally born the following morning.

With great joy we welcomed our newborn. Ever thankful to Hashem, we rejoiced with admiration at the sight of our healthy, newborn, baby boy. My concerns about our baby's health were now put behind. I was finally able to embrace the blessing I had long awaited.  We now have twelve blessings in our home, and I am greatly thankful for each one of them. Last Erev Shabbat as we sat around our table, I laughed to see our toddler line up for a second time, while giggling,  to receive a blessing from her Daddy. And then, I couldn't hold back the tears, to see my husband bless our newborn child. I was filled with such joy and gratitude at HaShem's kindness in blessing us with such wonderful gifts. May he give us the wisdom and strength to raise up a G-dly generation.

"Every day I will bless YOU and praise YOUR NAME forever and ever."[Psalms (Tehillym) 145. 2 

Greatly and wonderfully,
Blessed@Home

Of Raising Children

When it comes  to children I consider myself far from being an expert. So when my daughter asked me to right a book on raising children, I chuckled at the idea. I know, I have a family which many may consider big and this definitely results in many opportunities for learning; yet while I think, that the time I have invested in my family has taught me many things, there's so much I've yet to learn. My thoughts at this moment, are toward the younger moms out there.Those struggling through those first years and even through the later years. If I could take this opportunity I'd like to just share some of the things I've learned. 

The years spent raising a family seem to have passed rather quickly. Never did I imagined that I'd have a family of eleven children. The fact that I have been able to be a stay-at-home raising a family has been such an amazing blessing in my life. Many lessons have been learned; sometimes through mistakes and others through success brought about by the godly and wise examples in my life. 

More than anything I want to advise young mothers, to make the best of these years. Don't do things without first considering the consequences. What I mean to say, is that when it comes to children, you can never afford to take things lightly. What can seem unimportant  at the present time, can affect your child in unimaginable ways. We as mothers can influence by building up and encouraging; or if not careful our treatment of our children can quickly become a source of discouragement. 

Taking time to try and see life through a child's eyes can be key in successful upbringing. It's the little things that make a difference with time when there is consistency. It's always best to put other things aside when possible. Your child needs to know how important they are to you. This is not to mean that you give in and spoil in any way. Instead, what this means, is that we need to listen. Investing time not only to teach our children but to play with them as well and taking time to work on their diverse interests, is necessary.

One important goal we should have is our relationship with them. Not only would it matter to have them know we love them, but that we actually want to foster a relationship of mutual love, respect, and something along the lines of a discipleship. We need to consider this an immense investment. This is very much a matter of sowing and reaping.

I will stop writing for now, but will continue with the topic as I find more time. As I write this post, I am about a month and a half from giving birth to our twelfth blessing. This is a joyful and exciting time for me, and I hope to make more time to share more posts.

Happily,
Blessed@home