Prayer requests for this week and ongoing

Hi again everyone,

It's been a little while since I actually wrote much on here, so I guess it's time. We need some help in the Heavenly Realms. :)

Seth is scheduled for surgery on Tuesday at 3:30 to have his g-peg stomach tube removed and a little "button" put in instead for his tube feedings (still 100% of his nutrition, alas - please pray he will learn to eat by mouth!). That will make it much easier on him, not having a tube hanging out and getting caught on things and pulled by himself or others. We're really looking forward to having that button in. Unfortunately, it involves an overnight stay in the hospital. Sam, who I love more each day, is going to be the one to stay the night while Gavin and I are back home with the other four. She has lots and lots of experience with hospitals and is a TROOPER!! Gavin and I will be with/near Seth for the actual procedure and the admittance and make sure all is well, of course.

A related prayer request: Our 35 hours/week volunteer (thank you, Deb!!!) is going to be gone for 10 days. That is equal to almost two of her work weeks (Tuesday-Friday) starting the day after Seth's surgery, so we're extremely short of help even with Sam working full time. Sam does nearly every late evening feeding so can't do the mornings when Deb is normally scheduled. We know God will provide all we need - He always has. Thanks for praying!  

Another big need around here is sleep! As of this week we will have lost almost all our overnight help (saints who have stuck it out for 6 months!), including Seth's nurse from 12:00 to 4:00 a.m. Whereas before Seth was sleeping through the night, he has woken up screaming between 1:00 and 3:00 a.m. the past couple of nights. The other babies aren't sleeping through the night either. Usually by 5:15 they are starving again, even after being fed around 11:00 pm or midnight, and by the time I get through feeding them all in the morning David is ready for the day. He's the one who is early to bed and early to rise. :}

All of this listening for five babies has resulted in some pretty significant insomnia for me; it's like my brain can't shut down. Despite being REALLY tired when I go to bed, it is taking me an hour to fall asleep or fall back to sleep once woken up. Last night my grand total was only 4.5 hours, and that in two different smaller chunks. Gavin is also running on much less sleep than he needs, and he can't really nap through all the baby noise around here. :} (Four of the five have now discovered the shriek/scream - Gracie demonstrated her new skill this morning. Seth is the last hold-out!) I developed bad, bad, bad insomnia when Isaac was nearly five months old and really don't want to repeat that. I know what to do to address the insomnia but I can't really do it well with five babies - I will be too groggy and/or the hours are too short!

Gotta run - four babies crying!

Love and gratitude!!!!
Carrie