I am a nurse AND a mommy...

    Hopefully, this little blog post will sum up some answers to the question that so many people ask me, day in and day out. "How do you do it?"

  I LOVE MY CAREER. I AM A NURSE. Being a nurse is NOT the easiest of career choices. You deal with people, and people are flawed. You deal with lives, and lives  are broken. You deal with families, and families are passionately...well...passionate. It most definitely can be exhausting not only physically, but emotionally. Let's talk about the upside. Nursing is rewarding; people are grateful, lives are saved, and families are reunited. Trust me when I say this, I did not choose to be a nurse, I was CREATED to be a nurse. So, people ask all the time "how do you do it? How do you work and go to school and have three children?" Well, multiple answers to this question.. For starters, my babies have a great Daddy, and wonderful grandparents that help out as much as they can. Secondly, because I spent/am spending way to much money and time on something that I actually take pride in doing. And lastly, BECAUSE I WANT TO! Oh, how blessed I am to be able to labor for my children! To work and help my husband provide for our family. TRUST ME, When I get weary, when I get tired, when I want nothing more than to sit and give up after a long day of being a wife, a mommy, a student, and a nurse, I think of what a JOY it is to work hard for my children. I sometimes get the impression that people think I choose all these things over my children... BUT, trust me when I say this, I choose them FOR my children.

Party of five...

So its been a while since I've posted a blog... To say the least, I've been busy. =) Oh, how I've been busy!!! On April 20th at 1:12pm this family became a family of four. Then, 10 minutes later at 1:22pm this family became a family of five. THE TWINS HAVE ARRIVED! All of a sudden, Elias had two siblings, and Mathew and I became parents of three beautiful children. THREE!!! Still getting used to that even after 3 1/2 months... NEVER IN MY WILDEST DREAMS would I have thought that I would be a wife and a mother of three by the time I was 25 years old. Once a lost child, walking in the darkness with NO TRUTH to guide me, let the GLORY OF THE LORD be shown in this NEW LIFE of mine. =) Seriously, GRACE has lead my path, and oh how grateful this daughter of CHRIST is.

To say the least, I am privileged to be the mother of Elias, Jacob, and Selah. They have renewed my spirits, and show me every single day that GOD LOVES ME... Though, I may doubt that truth at times, HE HAS GIVEN me my babies to show me HIS love, mercy, and grace. BUT- my partner, my love, my other half, MY HUSBAND has been a light in my life these past 5 1/2 years that this blog post could never give enough justice to. Lets just say, I LOVE HIM. I love that he was chosen to BE MINE and to be the FATHER OF MY CHILDREN. A gift from GOD . FOR REAL, I consider him A GIFT.

I am NO FOOL. I know what a gift children are. I know how hard it must be for some to carry the burden of not being able to conceive. I KNOW from experience the heartache of miscarriage and loss (that might become another blog post one day). LET NO ONE BE MISTAKEN, I would NEVER change ANYTHING about my life. Truthfully, I never wanted twins before I had them. But NOW, I could never imagine my life without them. Though, my life may be crazy, and things may get even crazier, I AM GRATEFUL! I AM GRATEFUL! I AM GRATEFUL! If anyone actually reads this, know that I AM GRATEFUL for this PARTY OF FIVE!!!

The latest on the babies...

So, its been a little while since I've posted an update on my two little precious babies... I had a level two ultrasound last week along with a little scare! At least for a few minutes, but trust me, a few minutes too long! I have a level II ultrasound every 4-5 weeks because this pregnancy is considered high risk. So during the ultrasound I noticed that the tech spent a lot of time on Jacob, more than normal, specially his heart. I asked her if everything was OK and she gave me some blah blah blah answer about the doctor going over the results later. Anyway, the doctor came in and said that baby A (Jacob) had a little more fluid around him than was normal and the reason she was looking at his heart because a cause of this could be heart failure, along with anemia, and/or me having gestational diabetes. He himself started the ultrasound again, and one after another he started ruling things out. PRAISE GOD my little boy does not seem to be in heart failure, or the babies don't seem to be anemic. AND I passed my glucose test early in the pregnancy, and take another in a few weeks to make sure. He didn't seem concerned after the ultrasound, and he thinks things are going to be just fine, and I will continue to follow up with ultrasounds until I have the babies. TRUST ME, the last two words you want to hear during an ultrasound of your baby is "heart failure". Mathew and I know that GOD IS GREATER than any concern that we may have, so we ask that you join us in praying for continued health for our two little ones!
Prayer Requests:
*Pray that the fluid around Jacob goes down to normal levels. (this can also cause me to go into preterm labor)
*I am 25 weeks this week, pray that I will hold these babies in as long as they need to come home healthy!
*Pray for finances as we try to plan for my maternity leave from work.
*Pray for me! I definitely am feeling the effects of carrying TWO babies. I am more sore, more tired, and more OUT OF ENERGY than ever before!
Thank you friends!

The top pic is baby "B" (Selah) The bottom pic is baby "A" (Jacob) Notice Selah's foot in the picture above Jacob's nose- its my favorite!!!!

Baby Names....

When we found out that Elias was going to be a boy, we already had his name picked out. We loved it and had a name for a girl ready, and a name for a boy. We absolutely still love the girl name we picked over two years ago and knew that if we ever had a girl, we would pick the name, Selah.
Selah Isabel Leach the name of our little girl. Isabel is my mom's middle name. =)

Picking a name for another boy on the other hand was a little harder... We were stuck on two different names, but the one that won over our hearts was, Jacob.
Jacob Mathew Leach will be the name of our little boy. Mathew is obviously Jacob's daddy's name, and yes, with ONE "t". =)

Meanings (if interested):
Selah (Hebrew: סֶלָה‎, also transliterated as selāh) is a word used frequently in the Hebrew Bible, often in the Psalms, and is a difficult concept to translate. It is probably either a liturgico-musical mark or an instruction on the reading of the text, something like "stop and listen". "Let those with eyes see and with ears hear" is most concise.^{[citation needed]} "Selah" can also be used to indicate that there is to be a musical interlude at that point in the Psalm.^[1] The Amplified Bible states Selah as "pause, and think of that". A peaceful pause, or peace.

Jacob In the Old Testament, Jacob (later called Israel) was the son of Isaac and Rebecca and the father of the twelve founders of the twelve tribes of Israel. He was born holding his twin brother Esau's heel, and his name is explained as meaning "holder of the heel" or "supplanter". Other theories claim that it is in fact derived from a hypothetical name like יַעֲקֹבְאֵל (Ya'aqov'el) meaning "may God protect".

Here we go again...

OK, so I kinda failed at this blog thing in the past... As everyone can see I haven't posted anything in over a year. I guess, school, work, family, and pregnancy (again) can throw off my consistency a little. =) BUT, I do find that this is the best way to keep people updated (if anyone really cares), without me forgetting to call/write/text someone.... So I guess here we go!

I will just jump right in. We had a little scare with the babies yesterday. By now I think anyone reading this knows we are having twins. =) Anyway, Mathew rushed me to the OB to see a doctor. PRAISE God that the babies are doing fine. I just tried to take on too much and have to start treating my body as if I am actually caring two babies at once, and not just one. All the risks with a normal pregnancy double with twins and that became a reality yesterday. Thankfully, they are fine, and my body is still carrying my two little miracles...OK, now on to the fraternal/identical twins part. Yesterday, when we went to see the doctor he had a student with him, and he asked him why we couldn't tell yet if we were having identical or fraternal twins yet. This came to a surprise because I already thought that we were having fraternal, due to the fact that they are in two different sacs. Well, that's not always true. That used to be the truth in the past, though research has advanced over the years (obviously) and the only way to tell is when the babies are born. OR if the babies are opposite sex, then we for sure know they are not identical, duh. It all depends on the splitting of the egg in the first few days after conception. An egg can split in many ways, one with two placentas, two sacs, etc... One with one placenta one sac, etc.. and a few other ways. ANYWAY, apparently an egg can split early enough where it can split with two placentas, two sacs, and therefore two babies, but they came from ONE egg, therefore they are still identical. OR I could have produced two different eggs meaning they are fraternal and one egg never split, I just had two, hence two different babies. So if they are a boy and a girl, we know they are fraternal, if they are two boys, or two girls, the only true way to find out if they are identical is if we do genetic testing after they are born.... Cool huh? I guess we will find out next week about this mystery when we finally get to see what the sexes of the babies are.... Stay tuned for an update on that! =)

Vacation!!!

VACATION......I love that word! Right now we are on vacation with close friends of ours in Pompano Beach, Florida. It has been very relaxing. I have absolutely loved spending this time with my family and friends. I absolutely LOVE watching Elias discover new things, such as sand! It was so cute, he stuck his hand in the sand and looked at it as if it were some crazy foreign thing stuck to him. He LOVES the water, beach and pool! Mathew and I were talking about how lucky we were to have a baby that likes trying new things, at least so far.. =) Today is our third day, we'll be here another 2 days and loving every moment of it. I was thinking last night how blessed I felt that we are able to get away like this in such a nice place near the beautiful ocean! The Lord gives us so much, so many things that we don't even need! I am grateful... Pictures are soon to follow!!!!

My First Mother's Day...

WOW! I love being a mom!!! Yesterday was my first Mother's Day, and probably one of the best days ever...Elias got dedicated yesterday! I can't express how much this meant for me. Every year so many babies would stand up before the church and be dedicated with their parents, and all I could ever think was, I CAN'T WAIT until I have MY OWN baby to dedicate. It was so fun, and of course, Elias had to be the center of attention and do his "loud talking" while we were on stage....It was cute though. After church we went to the park with the family and had some yummy burgers my hubby made- I am still full!!! I am blessed to have such a beautiful family. The life verse that we chose for Elias that was shared during his dedication is Psalm 9:1-2
"¹I will give thanks to the LORD with all my heart;
I will tell of all Your wonders.
²I will be glad and exult in You;
I will sing praise to Your name, O Most High."

This is our prayer for our son, that he would Praise His name and tell of His wonders ALWAYS!!!

Elias had his follow-up appointment yesterday with his pediatrician and no more ear infections, yay! His fontanel has been raised the past few days but all we can do is wait until his MRI is done. All considering, he has been a very happy, talkative baby! He is getting to big, we "baby proofed" the house today because it will be a matter a time before Elias is crawling, everywhere!!! =)
Yesterday, Mathew and I were able to finally take time for ourselves and went on a date to watch the Rays SMASH Boston! =) It was fun, and Mathew and I got some much needed alone time. I am so thankful to be married to my best friend!

Mother's Day is getting closer...

Elias gets dedicated on Mother's Day! Yay! On my FIRST Mother's Day! =) I remember last year when I was in the first few months of my pregnancy I couldn't wait until next year rolled around, and it was OUR turn to hold our little baby up before the Church and present before all of our family, friends, and especially present him before God! I can't wait to go shopping for his little outfit...Pictures to come!!! ;)
Since we have been home from the hospital, Elias has been a lot more "clingy" than normal. I guess it makes sense, I mean he was held non-stop for three days straight. He is a very happy baby though! He is almost done with his antibiotics, and I can tell he is feeling a lot better...Last night around 3:30 in the morning he woke up crying, which he hasn't done since he was about 3 months old, he has been sleeping from 7p-7a since then.. ANYWAY, I put my hand over his soft spot and felt a slight bulge again, it was discouraging, but this morning it seems to be down again. Doctors said there is nothing really we can do about it until he is seen by the neuro doc, and his MRI is done...Keep praying for my boy! I am sure its just his body reacts to certain situations.... I KNOW HE IS FINE! =)

Home from the hospital!

We are home!!! Elias is sleeping peacefully in his own crib. THANK THE LORD. The MRI will be done in about two weeks. He is on some antibiotics for his ears, other than that he is perfectly happy! Now, we pray, pray, pray! He has to be sedated for the MRI, and that makes me nervous. We found out that the MRI will be done to rule out something called "sinus pericarnii". Basically, it is a VERY RARE condition caused by some kind of clot that causes the brain not to drain properly. I don't know much about it, and I decided that I WONT google it and try to find out every single thing about it, cause that will drive my little mind crazy. God is in control!!! We believe that!!! Thanks for praying for Elias!!! More posts to come...

update on Elias..Maybe we'll leave the hosptal today?

Well, the Neurologist came in last night around 9:30. To make a long story short he basically said that there was some minor displaced fluid in Elias' head. So, he wants to do an MRI to get a better look at whats going on..He explained to us that there is a drainage system in our brain taking all the fluid that needs to be moved away from the brain. His concern was that there might be some sort of "leak" in his drainage system. Though, he was not so concerned that we need to do the MRI here at the hospital. We will make an appointment with him in a few weeks to get it done. He wants him to get over all the trauma from being in the hospital, and to be healthy and infection free. They have to sedated him for this, and as we all know that is always risky no matter what size you are. (I am very nervous about this)
So......now we wait.... We are still in the hospital waiting for his attending doctor to come in and release us. I don't see any other reason for us to be here. He is still getting IV antibiotics, though they will start him on oral antibiotics for his ear infections when we go home. The nurse said all the blood cultures have so far come back negative. PLEASE pray that we leave today! It is like we are in a little cave, poor Elias is so bored, and he needs good sleep!!! Every few hours they came in last night and messed with him, and of course he screamed about it! My baby is so sleepy!
Prayer Request: That we leave today, and that when we go to do the MRI there is absolutely nothing wrong with my son's brain. I don't care what they saw here on the Cat Scan. I HAVE TO believe that God has already taken care of this mess.
Thank you all for praying, we love you! More updates to come soon...

Elias had to go to the hospital...

Wow...I am speechless...Where do I begin? Elias came to the hospital yesterday morning because after seeing his pediatrician for high fevers and a bulging fontanel, she thought it best that we we take him to the ER to get a spinal tap to rule out meningitis. (a bulging soft spot can be a sign of meningitis) THANK THE LORD its not meningitis. They did a spinal tap in the ER and the fluid came back negative. They took lots of blood for tests and cultures as well. So far, other than some dehydration and two bad ear infections, thats all that they have found to be wrong. He did have a cat scan of his head in the ER and one radiologist said he might have some issues with the veins in his head..so..They went ahead and consulted a neurologist to take a look at the results and assess Elias, and decide whether he needs an MRI or not. He is on IV antibiotics now for the ear infections and any other infections he may have. We were just told we have to be here at least another day to wait on the results of the blood cultures and to continue to try and figure out the reasons for Elias' bulging fontanel..
PRAYER REQUESTS:
-that the neuro doc doesn't see anything significant and Elias wont have to get an MRI (he will have to be sedated for this)
-that Elias gets some sleep...He did not sleep well last night and he obviously is not taking any of his naps well either.
-for patients and strength for Mathew and Me. Anyone who has had a child in a hospital can relate, it is THE SINGLE MOST HARDEST THING I HAVE EVER HAD TO GO THROUGH! (being a nurse doesn't water it down either). Every time he has to get a blood draw, or be held down, or whatever, my heart hurts so bad. My soul seriously aches..
-and last request, that we are able to leave and go home tomorrow.
Thank you all for praying for us. We know God is THE Great Physician and its not a coincidence that all the tests are coming back ok, God is working! More updates to come...

Easter!

Easter was a fun filled day! Church, lunch, pictures, naps, and Elias playing with some new toys! It was fun! Can't wait till next year when Elias will be able to hunt some eggs, yay!

Disney World!

Disney World! Here are a few pics to give you an idea on how Disney was. We had SO MUCH fun with Elias and can't wait to go when he is a little older and can enjoy all the fun festivities that Disney has! Even though he only slept about 45minutes the entire day, he was such a good baby! He went on pirates of the Caribbean, Its a small world, The Haunted House (which I covered his head almost the entire time so he wouldn't see the ghosts!), and saw lots of the shows. He was so observant and couldn't stop watching EVERYTHING that was going on! (which is why he wouldn't take a nap =) We can't wait to go again, it gives Disney an entirely different meaning when you have a kid! And I'm sure it will be even more fun when he's around 2 or 3! Can't wait!

My joy!

Can I just say, the absolute best feeling IN THE WORLD is going in my son's room in the morning and seeing his little face light up when I go to get him out of his crib. I have never seen a more beautiful smile in my life. Words can't describe how much I love being a mother. And not just being a mother, but being Elias' mother! He is my joy! And, let me not leave out my husband...What a good father he is! He is so good with Elias and makes him laugh like NO ONE else can make him laugh...Its so adorable, Elias truly loves his daddy.

sounding more like Jesus...

I am completely floored by the way people talk to each other. Especially, those who claim Jesus as their Lord. Don't get me wrong, I am by far not perfect in any way, shape, or form. Its those who DON'T realize it, that make me not only angry, but sad... I will hand it over to my husband now...
(Mathew) Jennifer and I have been talking about this for sometime. We listen to people in so many different settings that just "sound" nasty towards each other. I don't know if some of this is from the two years I spent in customer service at Geico, but I do know that it is so important that we learn to listen to ourselves when we talk. I am not just talking about the things we say, but the way in which we say them. There is always a better way to say something without sounding nasty. I know that as you are reading this you are thinking of those instances, as I am myself.... A good example is asking someone to move..."Move your feet" said with a negative tone it sounds bad. However, if you change your tone and you say "Please move your feet" the simple please and a calm tone can change that entire statement. It is more than just words. Not to get on the wrong soap box, but where has "please" and "Thank you's" gone? I just ask that the next time we catch ourselves in a conversation with a spouse, parent, sibling, child, friend, boss, or whoever, lets think about the WAY we sound. Whether the conversation is an argument or just a simple conversation, we should take this as a lesson in humility and patience. WE are not the most important, and our agenda IS NOT the most important, Christ is the most important!! And yes, as Jennifer just said, I am sounding "preachy" on purpose because I want you to "hear" my passion and understand my point. -Forever His, Mathew

My heart is heavy this evening as our church family learned that Narda Almonte passed away from cancer. My heart and prayers go out to her husband Wilson, and her son, Julian. Narda is now in Glory and that makes me excited for her. She has reunited with her daughter and is in the presence of JESUS! I tried to imagine her beside Jesus, worshiping him, and my little brain started going out of control! Because I cannot fathom being in the presence of our Almighty Savior, what an overwhelming thought! I am in prayer for her family, and praising God that she is forver healed!
------Update on Elias' bump: Every day the bump decreases in size, THANK GOD. It must have been from him bumping his head somewhere. We are still keeping an eye in it. Also, he gets an ultrasound on his kidney's on Thursday to make sure his little kidney's are doing ok. While he was in the womb, one kidney was larger than the other and they just want to make sure everything is gowing properly. Thanks for praying! -Forever His, Jennifer

Bump on Elias' head...

So, as I was feeding Elias his bottle this morning, I noticed that he had a bump on the top of his head. It concerned me because it was very near to his soft spot, but I wasn't sure if it was actually his soft spot. Anyway, I called the doctor, and he said just make sure it stays soft and doesn't harden up. Also, if he runs a fever I should call him. So, I am blogging this so that you can pray for it to not develop into anything. It may be due to him bumping his head against the crib, or just bumping it somewhere and I didn't notice it before. Pray that is disappears! Thanks for your prayers!
Also, worship and Sunday school at Fishhawk Fellowship (our church) was great today! I am greatful for our church and all the leaders who help show us the way to the Cross! -Forever His, Jennifer

Elias...

Well, our son Elias is now 6 months old! We can hardly believe it! It seems like just yesterday we were bringing him home from the hospital...He brings us so much joy and we are so thankful for him. Elias' 6mo measurements: 18lbs (57th percentile) 27 1/4 in (72 percentile) Maybe he'll be tall like his Daddy! He is finally getting some hair in, its coming in a light brown color... His smiles and laughs are becoming to be so much more frequent now that he understands "our world" a little better. And by the way, his laugh is priceless. Also, with turning 6 months comes food, REAL food. So far Elias has had rice cereal, oatmeal, peas, butternut squash, sweet potatoes, and bananas. He likes them all except for the peas... those are on hold for a while =). Elias is on the verge of sitting on his own. He can hold himself up for a few seconds at a time and it wont be long until he's sitting. My baby is getting so big! Well, there is an update on our son so far. Please pray that he stays healthy and continues to grow into a beautiful little child of God. -Forever His, Jennifer

Blogging?

Ok, well I have learned that blogging is definitely becoming more popular, so I thought I'd give it try...I thought it would be a cool way to keep all of our family and friends that don't live in Florida up to date with whats going on in our lives! So bare with me as I learn this "blogging thing" and enjoy! -Forever His, Jennifer