This is the blog for Gavin and Carrie Jones and family. We live in Papua New Guinea and are working to see lives transformed by the living Word of God through Bible translation. Gavin is a helicopter pilot. Carrie, who has her degree in Public Health, works in the lab at our busy rural clinic. Our son, Isaac, was born in 2004 and our quintuplets, Will, David, Marcie, Seth, and Grace, were born in 2012.

Let love and faithfulness never leave you; bind them around your neck, write them on the tablet of your heart. The you will win favor and a good name in the sight of God and man. Trust in the Lord with all you heart and lean not on your own understanding. In all your ways acknowledge Him and He will make your paths straight. -Proverbs 3:3-6

Saturday, July 14, 2012

I have GOT to eat 5,000 calories!!!

Warning: this is one of those extremely honest posts that some of you may rather not wade through, and I fully realize there are people with problems, pains, illnesses, and losses beyond comparing with this. I know because I am praying for several! And that does help put my concerns into perspective, but these 5 babies are extremely dear to me, and I am currently quite concerned for them.

I LOST a pound-and-a-half this past week, my stomach hasn't grown, and I'm feeling like I need some definite prayer support, please!!! Reading about other quintuplet moms online and in my books and hearing about how they diligently 5,000 calories daily, gained massive amounts of weight (like 90-120 pounds) and had big, fat babies at 33 and 34 weeks gestation is a huge motivator, but, honestly, also a big source of discouragement. PLEASE PRAY that our babies are healthy and big(ger) at their check-up on Monday, despite the discouraging set-back of this weight loss. I had given up on the 5,000 cal goal (from my twins, triplets and quads pregnancy book) because the one day I managed to get close (4,600) I lost it all again into the toilet due to over-fullness. Now THAT was discouraging.

I realize rationally this is something I really need to leave in God's hands, that He is in full control over my body and each baby's body, but I don't want to say that lightly and slough off my responsibility in this. This is perhaps the single greatest responsibility I've ever had because no one else can do it for me. (Although I appreciate the sweet offers to eat and sleep for me. I wish that would work!) I hate to think that my failure to persevere in this area would hurt these babies.

Lest some of you write and say, "It's okay, the babies will get what they need; the weight is coming off of you," well, with high-order multiples it's just not the same as with a singleton. Weight gain and calorie loading are absolutely critical for the babies, based on years of study involving hundreds of women and babies (triplets included). The most well-known, experienced high-order multiple doctor, John P. Elliot, will back me up, as will Dr. Barbara Luke, who has conducted the largest multi-center study on this. I would like to somewhat cattily point out that neither one of them has first-hand experience with being pregnant and sick or pregnant and running out of tummy space and eating 5,000 calories at the same time!! :) But their patients have borne out the discouraging truth and proven that women can do this. The question is, can I? Especially given my bad anemia that no treatment or food or supplement has been able to effectively treat yet? Lord, please strengthen us all and enable me to eat each day what YOU know these babies need!

Thanks for letting me vent, and thanks for being my "Aarons" and holding up my arms for me in this struggle (although I realize I'm no Moses, responsible for thousands of Israelites- thank goodness! Five little people is enough!). I'm so glad I'm never alone. Re-reading Hinds' Feet in High Places with an accompanying devotional full of Scripture is a great reminder of this (thanks Pastor George and Bernice!). And thanks, Curt and Lana, for being my "Aarons" with your deliciously fattening meal last night. I had more more of that potato casserole for breakfast with my Boost shake. :) The yummy meals people are bringing are a huge help and encouragement to eat, seriously. 

Love and thanks,
Carrie

9 comments:

  1. Praying, praying, praying for you, Sweetie.

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  2. Thanks for sharing with us! You can vent anytime, dear friend. I will continue to pray for you and the babies that you will all grow healthy and strong! Love you! Amy Long

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  3. Dear Carrie, thanks for sharing. We have been praying for you all since we heard about you precious babies. But it good to get specifics to petition God with. We are very happy to help hold your arms up while you are wearying. As you already know God has His all seeing and knowing and above all LOVING hands around each individual georgous little baby. Love from Andrea Mathieson and family

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  4. Dearest Carrie,
    Thank you for sharing. Five babies pushing out any room left in your pregnant body can not be easy on your stomach or bladder! Will continue to pray and thank the Lord for all the support He has set around you.

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  5. I like your reminder that we are all Aarons for each other, Carrie. Keep your chin/heart/mind up; God is listening, and He cares!

    One of the things I've been marveling about lately is that God is sovereign and GOOD. I suppose part of the definition of being a god is being sovereign...being in charge, having mighty power. But an intrinsic part of our God's nature is his GOODness. He's incapable of allowing anything but GOOD to happen to His children. That's pretty amazing, when you stop to think about it. He could be mighty and vengeful, or mighty and arbitrary, or mighty and proud. Be He isn't....

    Praying for you to feel His GOOD presence today... Charyn

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  6. WOW!!! Will be praying!!! I'm sure you've been told this, but make sure the things you take in are highest calorie - like even nutrition shakes. Do waste intake on low cal stuff. Make some milk shakes with Ben and Jerry's ice cream - haha!!! Wish I could be working in that NICU when these little guys get here!!! You made it to 24 weeks!!! YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH YEAH!!!! YOU CAN DO IT cuz GOD is holding your hand and pulling you thru!!! FIVE little miracles!!!

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  7. Carrie, Praying for you. Praying for the babies. Praying for God's hand and love to comfort you. Praying that God will answer your cries that you have been sending His way. He cares for you and those precious babies.

    I know that all of us need Aarons in our lives. Yours right now is more visible than the rest of us. So, thank you for the reminder. I love it when I pass by your house and God prompts me to pray for you and those babies of yours.

    I am trusting God to show you how to get high calorie foods in small amounts so that you can get to your 5,000 much needed calories. I also will pray that the scale is accurate for your sake.

    Thanks, Carrie, for sharing your heart.
    Debbie Miller

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Gavin, Carrie, Isaac, Will, David, Marcie, Seth, & Grace Jones

Gavin, Carrie, Isaac, Will, David, Marcie, Seth, & Grace Jones

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