10/9/07 TWINS, MOM SONG, GRACE, APPLESAUCE, FALL DECORATIONS
Posted by: jhbreneman <jhbreneman@...>
ENCOURAGEMENT TO WOMEN
Compiled especially for you with love by Lois Breneman
MORE ENCOURAGEMENT TO "CONTINUE ON"
THE 23RD CHANNEL
POSTAGE FREE PACKAGES FOR GRANDCHILDREN FAR AWAY
A TESTIMONY OF GOD'S HEALING POWER FOR TWIN BABIES
MISINTERPRETATIONS OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES
OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES
HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER - BANANA ROLL UP
HOW TO MAKE APPLESAUCE THE QUICK AND EASY WAY
MORE ENCOURAGEMENT TO "CONTINUE ON"
By Lois Breneman, © 2007, Heart to Heart Newsletter, [email protected]
In the 9/4/07 edition of Heart to Heart, the poem, Continue On, was included. A subscriber, Serena Yoder in Pennsylvania allowed me to include her reply about that poem, knowing there were probably many other young mothers who felt exactly as she did.
THE 23RD CHANNEL
A TESTIMONY OF GOD'S HEALING POWER FOR TWIN BABIES
A Story of Faith by Tom and Rochelle Jones
I believe this story by this "Heart to Heart" mother of four, Rochelle Jones, and her husband, Tom, will build your faith. Aspen Paige and Ainsley Pearl are their seven month old twin daughters, born March 8, 2007. They are the granddaughters of Melvin and Doris Breneman and the great-granddaughters of Clifford and Jean Breneman. The twins' mother, grandmother and great-grandmother all live in Pennsylvania and receive "Heart to Heart."
To Lois from Rochelle: I just wanted to get back to you regarding our twins' story. We shared our faith story yesterday at church, September 16, 2007. It went really well, but most importantly, it was a great opportunity to expose some people to Christ who dont normally attend church. We had several unsaved neighbors attend and we praise God for that. We pray that whatever God may have started, He will complete.
Rochelle:
One year ago, we would have never imagined what our year would hold for us. Last year at this time, we were expecting Baby #3. We already had the Million Dollar Family (minus the million dollars) with our 5 year old son, Addison and 2 year old daughter, Aubree. In the beginning of October, our midwife ordered an ultrasound since I was measuring large for my due date. We were a little alarmed, wondering if something could be abnormal in my pregnancy. As the technician placed the instrument on my abdomen, we quickly saw two of something on the screen! She confirmed that yes, we were expecting twins. Tom laughed with relief that there was nothing really wrong and I cried in a bit of shock. Wow! This was not as planned!
The following weekend we went to the mountains with our family. You can imagine what the main topic of conversation was! We were quickly adapting to the idea of having four children instead of three and wondering how we would afford twins! Wed need another crib, car seat, stroller, twice the number of diapers, etc. etc. Somehow, we knew God would provide. Our excitement was building as we shared the news with our friends and family.
My next ultrasound was scheduled for nearly a month later at 19 weeks on November 8th. We counted down the days until we could finally find out what these babies were! I had longed for a baby girl and had even prayed that if I couldnt have another girl, then make it something special and give me twin boys! Our ultrasound technician, Jane, told us that this Baby A was a girl. She said she was certain that the other one was too! Wow! God had blessed us with TWO baby girls! But as she proceeded to examine the babies, she grew quieter and less talkative. I sensed that something was drastically wrong and I grew very apprehensive. She then left and returned with Dr. Bayliss.
Dr. Bayliss, in his kind and gentle voice, explained to us that our identical twin girls had a condition called Twin-to-Twin Transfusion Syndrome. This is a serious complication that occurs in 5 to 15% of identical twin pregnancies, where the twins blood vessels are connected within their shared placenta. One baby receives too much blood flow while the other baby receives too little. The donor twin has decreased blood volume, causing slower growth as well as less urinary output, which leads to less amniotic fluid. This smaller twin gets shrunk-wrapped to the side of the uterine wall. The recipient twin becomes overloaded with blood flow and fluid, putting a strain on the babys heart, possibly leading to heart failure. This larger baby swims in a giant pool of amniotic fluid. Dr. Bayliss explained that without treatment, we could surely lose both twins. He referred us to the Childrens Hospital of Philadelphia to be evaluated for treatment. He sent us home with various articles and information on Twin-to-Twin.
We left the office that day, shedding quite a few tears on our way home. After calling our parents, we knelt by our bed and pleaded with God to spare the lives of our unborn twin girls. We prayed that He would give us the strength to get through this, no matter what the outcome.
The next day was a whirlwind. It was filled with doctors calls, reading about Twin-to-Twin, making arrangements for our other two children. As we read about Twin-to-Twin, we were discouraged by the statistical studies. The studies showed that chances of survival were not good and there was a chance of neurological damage in surviving twins. We realized just how serious the syndrome was.
Two days later we traveled to CHOP for a full day of testing and evaluation. The day was so emotionally draining. Finally at the end of the day we consulted with the doctor. He laid out the various options, ranging from doing nothing and letting nature take its course to selective reduction or terminating the pregnancy. We knew that neither of these were options for us. He described to us the laser treatment, which is only performed in a few locations in the US, Philadelphia being one of them. They would use an endoscope to identify the connecting blood vessels on the surface of the placenta. After identifying the connections, they would laser cauterize the connections. The surgery would be followed with a two-day hospital stay and then 4 weeks of bedrest to prevent preterm labor. We asked if he felt that we were good candidates for the laser surgery and he told us that he had already scheduled us for the following Tuesday. We then met with the hospital insurance rep. and she said that our case worker from our Insurance company had called and wanted us to be assured that everything had been approved and our insurance would cover the needed procedures. God had gone ahead of us and was already working out the details!
The following Sunday the members of our ABF surrounded us in prayer. It was such a comfort to know that we were not in this alone. By this time we were receiving e-mails from around the country, even from the other side of the world from people who were praying for us and our babies. (A special thank you to our missionary, Don Brubaker, from Cameroon, Africa). We didnt even know many of these people and we were so humbled that they felt an urgency to pray on our behalf. Our families so graciously pitched in to care for Addison & Aubree while we returned to Philadelphia for the surgery. On Monday we had the pre-surgery work-up and prep. Our dear friends Peter & Amy came to Philadelphia Monday evening just to have dinner with us & to pray with us before the big day.
On Tuesday morning, November 14, we left our hotel and though we made a few wrong turns and I started to panic, we still made it to the hospital on time for our 6:15 am appointment. After being prepped, I said my goodbyes to Tom and they wheeled me to the operating room. After a few technical difficulties, the 3 doctors began mapping the connections. I was still awake at this time and when one doctor needed a break, the next doctor said, Here, let me try. I was still awake! All the while I was thinking to myself, Why isnt my heart racing? Why am I not worried? I had an unbelievable peace and I believe it was the answer to many prayers that God would give me HIS peace which surpasses all understanding (Phil. 4:7). Then they knocked me out!
After surgery, Tom met me and we were transported to recovery. They started my medications, which they had warned me would make me feel really lousy. Again, in answer to many prayers, I felt really well, especially since they had removed 2 liters of amniotic fluid! The doctors were amazed that I felt so well! The next morning the doctors came in to do an ultrasound. The ultrasound showed that the twin who had been shrunk-wrapped by the membrane had already begun to produce some amniotic fluid. We were so encouraged, it appeared that the surgery had been successful and that the syndrome had already begun to reverse itself. The day before we left, they did one more ultrasound and this showed even more improvement. The doctors were thrilled and you can imagine how we felt!
We left the hospital and I began 4 weeks on bedrest. This was to prevent contractions and preterm labor. The doctor said that he hoped I could make it to 28 to 32 weeks before delivery. Our families helped us with childcare for Addison & Aubree, our church family brought us meals and I did my Christmas shopping from my Laptop! We returned to Philadelphia after one week for a follow-up ultrasound and this showed that both twins had nearly an equal amount of amniotic fluid. The Twin-to-Twin Syndrome appeared to completely be reversed! Each week we had follow-up ultrasounds at our doctors office in Lancaster. Our love and attachment for our babies grew each time we got to see the two little miracles! For the month of January, I was able to return to work on a limited basis. This allowed me to maintain my health insurance coverage, just another way that God provided for us.
The time passed surprisingly quickly. At 34 weeks, my doctor put me back on bedrest. I had a C-Section scheduled for March 9th at 36 weeks. By this time I was rather big and uncomfortable. We prayed that we could make it to my scheduled date because we really wanted to bring our twins home from the hospital with us. If they are born prior to 35 weeks, they must stay in the NICU. On March 8th, the day before my scheduled date, I went for a non-stress test and had started regular contractions. The doctor sent me directly to triage and they prepped me for the C-Section then and there! That afternoon, Aspen Paige was born, weighing 6 lbs 5 oz. and Ainsley Pearl followed at 5 lbs. 11 oz. I cant even describe in words the joy that we felt when we held our perfectly healthy twin girls. Our family and friends rejoiced with us at the miracle God had worked.
Tom:
We brought the babies home with us, ready to begin the adventure of raising twins. However, our whole family seemed to be plagued with illnesses. Rochelle had a nasty cold, our 3 year old, Aubree, had a double ear infection, and our 6 year old, Addison, was diagnosed with pneumonia! The kids started coughing constantly and I do mean CONSTANTLY. It got to the point we felt we were losing our minds! We did everything we could to protect the twins from all of the germs.
However, when the twins were two weeks old, we became increasingly alarmed that Aspen was not eating and was becoming dehydrated. The doctor advised us to take her to the ER, but when we put her in her carseat, she became ashen white & we called the ambulance instead. I rode in the ambulance with Aspen while Rochelle and her Mother followed with Ainsley. We both remember questioning God, Why would you save these twins only to take one away from us now? But we also remembered that God had been faithful in the past and He would give us the strength to get through this as well.
They ran so many tests on Aspen and we waited and waited for the results. Finally, the test came back positive for RSV, a respiratory infection that is especially dangerous for premature babies. They admitted her and I stayed in the hospital while Rochelle took Ainsley home, since RSV is highly contagious. Rochelle then went back and forth between the two babies to feed them. This didnt last, since two days later Ainsley started the same symptoms and she was admitted as well. We were in the hospital for a total of about a week.
So many people asked, How do you do it? Rochelle was running on about 5 hours of interrupted sleep a night and did not have time to nap during the day. Only God could have given her the strength. We certainly did not have the strength to go through a complicated pregnancy, life with twins, and health issues on our own! God had proven faithful and He carried us through a very difficult time in our lives.
God had proven Himself faithful. That seems easy to say when everything turns out as we hope and pray for. Many times CBC has joined together in prayer asking God to save a loved one. However, sometimes it doesnt go as wed like it to. In the winter of 2003, we lost my brother, Mike. When faced with the possibility of losing Ainsley and Aspen, our prayer was the same. Not our will, but Your will be done. Lord, give us your strength no matter what the outcome and Father, use this for your glory! God has proven Himself faithful through the death of a loved one and the birth of our daughters. His will has been done, He gave us the strength, and He has used both to draw people closer to Himself. All glory to Him. What a mighty God we serve!
MISINTERPRETATIONS OUT OF THE MOUTHS OF BABES
Thanks to JoAnn Taylor in Arkansas for sending this!
When my twin daughters were young, I taught them to say this prayer before going to bed. As I listened outside their door, I could hear them say, "Give us this steak and daily bread, and forgive us our mattresses." My husband and I always had a good laugh over this. That was over 50 years ago, and the memory still remains in my heart.
My mother spent her early childhood saying, "Hail Mary, full of grapes." - from Groton, Mass.
My son, who is in nursery school, said, "Our Father, who art in Heaven, how didja know my name?" - Missoula, Mont.
I remember thinking this prayer was "Give us this day our jelly bread." - Uniontown, Ohio
I recall reading something years ago about the Pledge of Allegiance. Some child thought it began, "I led the pigeons to the flag." - Covina, Calif.
When I was little, I often wondered who Richard Stands was. You know: "I pledge allegiance to the flag . . . And to the republic for Richard Stands." - Cleveland, Ohio,
When my husband was 6 years old, he thought a certain Prayer was "He suffered under a bunch of violets." The real words were "under Pontius Pilate," but at that age, he didn't know better. To this day, we still snicker in church whenever that prayer is read. - Tampa, Fla.
When my older brother was very young, he always walked up to the church altar with my mother when she took communion. On one occasion, he tugged at her arm and asked, "What does the priest say when he gives you the bread?" Mom whispered something in his ear. Imagine his shock many years later when he learned that the priest doesn't say, "Be quiet until you get to your seat." - Oak Harbor, Wash.
When I was younger, I believed the line was "Lead a snot into temptation." I thought I was praying for my little sister to get into trouble. - Grand Junction, Colo.
The following two quotes are from Penny Yonts in Virginia:
Have your children watch too! http://www.mychurch.org/blog/30635/coolest-video-ever
Insight for Parents: http://www.insight.org/site/PageServer?pagename=topical_parenting
Hosiery for Less - http://www.onehanesplace.com - Same cost per pair for 4 pairs of pantyhose as 12. Great savings compared to local stores.
Learn How to Sew - Learn how to sew hems and more through these clear illustrations.
http://www.sewing.org/enthusiast/html/e_learntosew.html
How to Make a Quillow - Combination of a quilt and a pillow, all in one.
http://www.straw.com/quilting/articles/quillows.html
http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/1080/quillowcss.html
Annual Seasonal Sale Items for October, November and December:
October ~ Fishing equipment, glassware, hosiery, housecoats, school clothes, school supplies, silverware, cars.
November ~ Coats, pre-Christmas items, quilts, shoes, boots, men's and boy's suits, kitchen appliances, water heaters.
December ~ Toys, gift items, coats, shoes, party items, quilts, used cars. The day after Christmas is Bargain Day all over.
Lots of Coloring Pages to Print Out - http://familycrafts.about.com/od/coloringpages/
OCTOBER IS BREAST CANCER AWARENESS MONTH
Never put your banana in the refrigerator! After reading this, you'll never look at a banana in the same way again. Bananas contain three natural sugars - sucrose, fructose and glucose, combined with fiber. A banana gives an instant, sustained and substantial boost of energy.
Research has proven that just two bananas provide enough energy for a strenuous 90-minute workout. No wonder the banana is the number one fruit with the world's leading athletes.
PMS: Forget the pills - eat a banana. The vitamin B6 it contains regulates blood glucose levels, which can affect your mood.
Anemia: High in iron, bananas can stimulate the production of hemoglobin in the blood and so helps in cases of anemia.
Blood Pressure: This unique tropical fruit is extremely high in potassium yet low in salt, making it perfect to beat blood pressure. So much so, the US Food and Drug Administration has just allowed the banana industry to make official claims for the fruit's ability to reduce the
risk of blood pressure and stroke.
Brain Power: 200 students at a Twickenham (Middlesex) school (England) were helped through their exams this year by eating bananas at breakfast, break, and lunch in a bid to boost their brain power. Research has shown that the potassium-packed fruit can assist learning by making pupils more alert.
Constipation: High in fiber, including bananas in the diet can help restore normal bowel action, helping to overcome the problem without resorting to laxatives.
Hangovers: One of the quickest ways of curing a hangover is to make a banana milkshake, sweetened with honey. The banana calms the stomach and, with the help of the honey, builds up depleted blood sugar levels, while the milk soothes and re-hydrates your system.
Heartburn: Bananas have a natural antacid effect in the body, so if you suffer from heartburn, try eating a banana for soothing relief.
Morning Sickness: Snacking on bananas between meals helps to keep blood sugar levels up and avoid morning sickness.
Mosquito bites: Before reaching for the insect bite cream, try rubbing the affected area with the inside of a banana skin. Many people find it amazingly successful at reducing swelling and irritation.
Nerves: Bananas are high in B vitamins that help calm the nervous system.
Overweight and at work? Studies at the Institute of Psychology in Austria found pressure at work leads to gorging on comfort food like chocolate and chips. Looking at 5,000 hospital patients, researchers found the most obese were more likely to be in high-pressure jobs. The
Ulcers: The banana is used as the dietary food against intestinal disorders because of its soft texture and smoothness. It is the only raw fruit that can be eaten without distress in over-chronicler cases. It also neutralizes over-acidity and reduces irritation by coating the lining of the stomach.
Temperature control: Many other cultures see bananas as a "cooling" fruit that can lower both the physical and emotional temperature of expectant mothers. In Thailand, for example, pregnant women eat bananas to ensure their baby is born with a cool temperature.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Bananas can help SAD sufferers because they contain the natural mood enhancer tryptophan.
Smoking &Tobacco Use: Bananas can also help people trying to give up smoking. The B6, B12 they contain, as well as the potassium and magnesium found in them, help the body recover from the effects of nicotine withdrawal.
Stress: Potassium is a vital mineral, which helps normalize the heartbeat, sends oxygen to the brain and regulates your body's water balance. When we are stressed, our metabolic rate rises, thereby reducing our potassium levels. These can be rebalanced with the help of a high-potassium banana snack.
Strokes: According to research in The New England Journal of Medicine, eating bananas as part of a regular diet can cut the risk of death by strokes by as much as 40%!
Warts: Those keen on natural alternatives swear that if you want to kill off a wart, take a piece of banana skin and place it on the wart, with the yellow side out. Carefully hold the skin in place with a plaster or surgical tape!
So, a banana really is a natural remedy for many ills. When you compare it to an apple, it has four times the protein, twice the carbohydrate, three times the phosphorus, five times the vitamin A and iron, and twice the other vitamins and minerals. It is also rich in potassium and is one of the best value foods around So maybe its time to change that well-known phrase so that we say, "A banana a day keeps the doctor away!"
For a quick shine on our shoes, take the inside of the banana skin, and rub directly on the shoe. Polish with a dry cloth.
HEALTHY PEANUT BUTTER - BANANA ROLL UP
Thanks to Becky Noell in Georgia for sending this great new snack idea!
By Barb Campbell in Mississippi
Several years ago, a friend made us the most interesting trees for Christmas decorations. He took tomato cages and turned them upside down. Then he wrapped them with chicken wire. For his house, he covered them with lots and lots of white lights. We put ours in urns and wrapped them with garland, then added lights, ribbon, and other decorations. They look great!
We loved using them for Christmas, but the rest of the year they would sit in our attic most of the year not being used. Then my husband had an idea. He took them down one fall and we created fall topiary trees with them. We wrapped them with fall garlands which are made up of leaves, berries and large sunflowers. We then added raffia and white lights.
You could wrap these in plain leaf garlands and add sunflowers, berries, etc. It would even be easy to buy "bouquets" or individual flowers and stick into the trees. The chicken wire creates a very versatile pallet.
To finish off our fall decorations, we hang a fall wreath. We use a simple grapevine wreath and add silk ivy, berries and "faux" fruit.
We have very little fall color where we live, so it is fun to create our own. And our trees get a bit more use each year.
Many Heart to Heart ladies and their families need our prayers, so
The purpose of the Heart to Heart Newsletter is to encourage women and build biblical values into daily living through practical creative ideas for the Christian family regarding marriage, children, homemaking, and much more. Receive this free bimonthly newsletter by sending your name, city, state, e-mail address, and name of your referral person to Lois at <a title=mailto:[email protected] href="mailto:[email protected]">[email protected]. New subscribers will receive a Welcome, a "Start-Up Kit," and several recent newsletters.
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