Ohhh, the joys...

...of taking a shower without interruption, without knocking on the bathroom door, or yelling outside of the door!    Today, I stayed home with our youngest (1) while my husband and other children headed to church.  He has been sleeping poorly, due to a huge molar breaking through--and--a plethora of mosquito bites disturbing his naps and night times.  He is highly allergic to mosquitoes, it appears, and so his bites swell up into huge welts of itchy irritation, and they take several days to heal up.  And he must have sweet blood, because if he is outdoors for any time at all, he comes back in with numerous bites.  But I am not a huge fan of spraying tons of chemical on little ones...so...we deal.  And today, that meant he would need an early nap (grumpy bear that he is this morning!) so Mama stayed home.

But, that means a quiet house...a moment to blog...time to clean up a few piles of this-n-that, watch a couple of Food Network recordings...or whatever!  Time to reflect, to pray, to read my Bible...to adjust my poor attitude, to frame positive thinking for the week ahead, to be grateful for the many everyday blessings of life.

I hate missing church, but when it happens, I enjoy the quiet.  And a shower without interruption :)

Back to School

We just picked up our first apples of the season!  Walmart had some lovely "Pink Lady" variety on sale tonight, and they are goooood.  Happy kids at this house tonight!  After a very tasty ham and bean soup, homemade cornbread, followed by a kid fave "sopapilla cheesecake" for dessert,  apples made the perfect bedtime snack.

I love this time of year...back-to-school season.  I love going to the parks, the zoo, the library, or anywhere else, and finding all these places suddenly void of activity.  Because everyone is in school, and in a whirlwind of activities...for the next NINE months!!  But for us homeschoolers, the world is our oyster!  No lines, no waiting, no crowds, and plenty of TIME.  The way Summer opens up the world for everyone else, Autumn opens up the world for us.

We school year round because learning is part of life, not an activity allocated for 7 hours 5 days a week, for 9 months. And because keeping our routine somewhat in sync, keeps our household running smoothly.  And because I like greater flexibility for all kinds of reasons. Still, this time of year brings unmistakable energy to the air.  Mornings are cooler again (or soon will be!); and evenings often carry the slightest chill in the air.  A hint of what's ahead.  Tthe city suddenly rejoins us in having a routine!  And back-to-school sales abound; freshly sharpened pencils, brand new crayons, sticks of glue, notebooks, packs of paper, zipper bags in every color, and miscellaneous supplies of every kind are on the front aisles of stores.  New clothing appears on store racks (although it's not quite time for long sleeves in Kansas!), and autumnal decor appears on store shelves. And for us homeschoolers, new books appear on our own shelves!

Another reason to love this time of year...the scenery will soon be breathtakingly beautiful as the trees turn rich shades of brown, gold, red, and orange. A simple Sunday drive will offer loveliness, just around every bend in the road.  A walk to the park, or just stepping outside the back door will bring a moment to savor God's creation, unfolding it's glorious color!  And I love the rainy days of Fall, overcast, chilly. Good weather for snuggling in flannel sheets, for lighting candles in the evenings, for daydreaming under a quilt, for family movies complete with popcorn and warm spiced cider.

Of course, it's football season!  And that makes my man happy!  This year, his (and therefore mine by marriage) favorite college team (GO BIG RED--HUSKERS!) is playing in a new conference.  Big 10, baby!

Then there's the food...cozy suppers; often soups or stews, simmering all afternoon.  Fresh bread baking.  Sweet potatoes. Cookies, still warm from the oven.  Apple crisp, topped with vanilla ice cream...pumpkin cake.  Sunday roast, and eventually, Thanksgiving turkey.  Christmas ham. And endless holiday baking!  Cooking (and baking!) is simply more fun in cold weather :)

Decadence

I wish I'd taken a picture of today's dessert. Just for this post. But I didn't...sorry. I was busy eating it. It sounds very decadent, but I can justify almost any food...

Vanilla-Banana Ice cream sundae with peanut butter, caramel, and chocolate. Ohhhhhh, yeah. Ready for the justification? In other words, the health value?

Here goes:

3 small scoops vanilla ice cream (counts as a dairy serving, right? OK, that might be a stretch! But what if it's Breyer's all-natural vanilla? Still no? Fine, be stingy.)

Cut up a banana on top of the ice cream (now that IS a full serving of fruit)

Melt about 2-3 tablespoons of peanut butter and pour this over the ice cream and bananas (now, I am a fan of "Peter Pan" brand, but if you're stingy, use an all-natural brand...either way, it still counts as a protein)

THEN, for the decadent part, drizzle a spoon full or two of caramel topping over the whole thing (no justification here, this is the decadent part, remember?)

And finally, for the heart-healthy topper...if you don't believe me, google "benefits of eating dark chocolate" and happy reading. You'll thank me. Anyway, chop up a square of quality dark chocolate and dump that on top of all that yumminess in your bowl. You could even have 2 squares, but I found one to be enough this time around. Of course, I ate the other square straight. I forgot to mention that.

So, there you have it. Now go make your own and enjoy every bite, GUILT FREE! Heck, you could even make mini-sundaes for the kids without worrying too much about it. And boy would they love you. No, I didn't do that for my kids. I love them all, but with under-5 crowd (and the over-5 boy) would have that messiness ALL over themselves. I'll save the idea for when they've grown up a bit. Or wait for swimsuit weather and then I can hose 'em all off outdoors.

Our little Noah

****warning; while not graphic, this post includes birthing details and the word "cervix" !****

Today I am mesmerized by this little creature...he is a precious 4 weeks now, and a whopping 10 pounds! Those adorable little rolls on his tiny arms and legs, those chubby cheeks and the kissable neck roll. I feel so humbled, and so blessed to have this little one in my life...and I'm thankful that my husband and I didn't stop with 4 children...for if we had, we would never have met this little angel.

Presently, he has contracted the nasty virus our other children shared, so we are praying for his continued health and wellness. He just returned home from his first hospital stay, in fact. 24 hours, several deep suctioning treatments, and a diagnosis of RSV. But thankfully, no fever, nursing stable, good urine output, no oxygen assistance, and good vitals the entire time! Praise God for that! And praise God that his older siblings are all healing from the virus too, with minimal complications.

So 4 weeks ago, it was a mild Thursday morning. The sun was shining, the air chilly, as it often is just before Spring officially arrives. We loaded our minivan with the birthing-kit-in-a-box, my suitcase with after-birth clothing and the baby's things, and an infant car seat. We were full of anticipation, knowing that this day would likely bring a precious new life into our family. My weekly midwife appointment indicated labor was imminent, and at my request, my midwife would place prostoglandin gel on my cervix to kickstart things. On this morning, I was dilated to a solid 4, and my cervix was still thick, but very soft. This only works if a body is "ready" to go anyway, and is helpful for the parents-to-be in getting childcare lined out and avoiding sudden labor in the middle of the night! :) With our 4th child, we used this method of a "natural kickstart" and had her in our arms about 4 hours later!!

Just as it should, labor kicked in...whew! The contractions weren't terribly painful but they were strong and demanded I take notice. It was recommended we go for a walk, just to really push things into gear...so we did. And sure enough, the contractions strengthened! I was getting pretty excited with our progress and hopeful to have a precious little one delivered around lunchtime. I walked a bit more, pushing myself. We returned to the house so I could rest a few minutes as we geared up for the next level. And then an odd thing happened....my labor stopped. Just stopped. I started to pace the floor, and it eventually picked back up a bit. I did some squatting and I could really feel that! OUCH! Good, progress. Right?

Before long, it was time to fill the birthing tub, and, I got in. The relief was unbelievable! Sinking into the warm water, feeling my muscles relax one by one. Water brings such a soothing effect to laboring Moms; and it offers strength along with a sense of peace. At some point, I also had a popsicle...I don't remember if it was in the tub or not...but I love popsicles during labor. Another *must have* for me! Much to my dismay, despite continuing to squat a bit in the tub, my labor halted once again. I was at least 5 cm dilated...labor shouldn't be stopping!! This was my 5th baby; he should be practically falling out of there! The last thing I wanted to do was get out of the tub, but that is what I had to do...and then, I got dressed, and we went walking again. In no time at all, my contractions were so strong I had to bend over, and we returned to the house, as I feared having this baby in the street!

And then labor stopped. Again. One of my midwives suggested a massage with arnica oil; she found all those painful knots in my uterine muscles, and a few on my back too. It was a wonderful blessing and brought me relief...she was also hopeful that rubbing out some twists in my uterine muscles might help move things along. Indeed, I would have strong contractions for awhile, then they would stop. If I sat down, everything stopped. My water has had to be broken with all of my deliveries, usually taking two tries (strong sack??!!)...so my midwives decided to try this, but the sack didn't bulge during contractions, and the baby's head would float back up after a contraction, so we were not able to break it without presenting too much risk to our little one.

This was a new experience to me; labor #5 shouldn't start and stop; my body was ready. I could feel all the "signs". Some contractions were incredibly painful and took my breath away. Although it hadn't happened in previous labors, pain would shoot down my legs with contractions. I couldn't understand why the baby's head wasn't lodging into position and why labor kept stalling. Eventually, I made it to a good 6 cm dilated, and there was no turning back...but baby wasn't coming either.

I was pretty exhausted from constant walking or pacing. Lunchtime had come and gone, with no baby. I didn't eat, because I didn't want to get sick during labor. But by mid-afternoon, I was starving and wiped out. I wondered what was going on! I had planned to be napping with a newborn at this time!! My children were home with Grandma and Papa, anxious for news...I had told them we might be home by suppertime. (Mistake; do not promise a timeline when waiting for a baby to arrive!) And now, clearly, that wouldn't be the case. Discouragement set in, and, on top of hunger and exhaustion, I just wanted to go home and go to bed. But we all knew that being dilated to 6 meant the baby could come any time, if the contractions started back up. I didn't want him to be born in the car--nor did I want to drop off to sleep and wake up to hard labor!

I ate, and we tried some different positions and strong contractions would ensue, bringing tears to my eyes. But they would stop. I paced and paced the floors some more. My midwives decided to try breaking my water again; there was nothing left to try, and I was afraid to go home. We didn't have overnight childcare, and night was on the way. This time, the baby's head lodged enough to get a bulge in the bag...my midwife was able to break my water! I thought "praise God, this baby will be coming soon!" But then those strong contractions hit. And I wondered what I was thinking, in wanting to go through labor again!!

Back into the tub I went, this time, confident that all would go well. Sure enough, the contractions didn't stop, but the warm water didn't help too much...they were incredibly painful, and the pain shot down my legs. I knew it must be getting close, and I kept wondering why my midwives weren't telling me to push. I could feel the intense pain...my mind kept telling me it was "time". I remember asking what was happening; my one midwife quietly spoke phrases from the Bible to me, about strength, and asking God for help. The other encouraged me to focus on pushing with the pain. At this point, I was too exhausted to do much! I wanted to, but I had little strength left, after a long day of off-and-on labor and tons of pacing!

Once again, the last thing I wanted to do was get out of the tub, but I had to. I didn't understand why this baby wasn't coming!! We needed to try another position and I honestly didn't feel I could do it on my own. Within a few minutes, I was on the birthing "table" (set in a semi reclined position, so my head was raised). Searing pain tore through me with each contraction, and I remember yelling pretty loudly...everyone was telling me to push, to keep going, and I'm pretty sure I yelled back that I couldn't do it anymore. I was crying and yelling with each contraction, and my midwife said the head was here! Relief in a couple more pushes...or not. I had my husband on one side, and one of my midwives on the other, and for a moment there was silence in between contractions...my midwife said she needed me to focus, and for a split second, I could. She said they'd need to try manipulation...and I asked what she meant. It all became clear then; this little guy was FACE UP instead of face down. I realized they were going to try to turn him...I was out of strength, but I nodded anyway. One midwife held my leg--I wanted to, but I felt paralyzed--the other midwife reached in there, turned him, and he practically fell out. I don't even think I had to push again. I remember such huge, instant relief--having the baby out is always a relief, but this time, it was immense! Suddenly, almost before I realized what had happened (that he had come!), he was on my chest and I was holding this beautiful little boy covered in vernix (which would make amazing hand cream, if someone could bottle it up!) He was protesting rather loudly, but with the sweetest newborn cry.

The moment was captured on camera; the relief mixed with delight on my face as I smiled at him...his tiny body, fresh from the womb, his lungs breathing air for the first time. He was certainly the most beautiful sight (well, besides my other 4 babies!!)...I felt nothing buy joy; for several minutes, there was absolutely no pain (my reward for losing out on the waterbirth??). Just sheer joy in the birth of this amazing little creature.

Eventually, all of the "post birth" was finished up, I was cleaned up, and robed, and holding my clean, fresh little one, swaddled tightly and topped with one of those stretchy newborn caps, in blue. Ohhhh, those moments of meeting him. Seeing the little feet that had been kicking me, smelling his sweetness, and nuzzling his tiny head. It had been a long, hard day...a confusing labor experience, but it sure ended beautifully. Later we realized how blessed we truly were...some of the "sunny-side-up" babies end up in emergency C-section...others include back labor (my labor was intensely painful, but the pain shot down my legs instead of radiating through my lower back)...sometimes the babies are in distress, but Noah never was. We praise God for this, for His hand of protection over my and our baby...and for the wisdom God gave my midwives throughout the day. Although I had desired another water birth, I was thankful my midwife had me get out; they wouldn't have been able to check and see the baby's position otherwise...she jokingly said, later on, that if I hadn't left the tub, I'd still be in there!! It was a rough labor, and I'd expected an easier time for #5 (isn't that the way it *should* work??)...but now my son has his own unique birth story.

Although I haven't mentioned his part in all of this, my husband was there every step of the way! He walked with me, held my hand, jumped up to bring me water or popsicles, to help me in and out of the tub...whatever I needed. He offered constant support and encouragement and kept me company. He supplied food when it was time :) His voice was in my ears cheering me on, especially when it was really, truly "time"...I remember him saying (loudly, to be heard over my own screaming) that "his head is here! C'mon, you can do this, you've done it 4 times before..." I wouldn't want to give birth without this man at my side. He was the one-man camera crew too; and while I was well-cared for after the birth, he took advantage of the time my midwives spent helping me with the after-birth unpleasantness, and as a result, we have some great "first moments" shots--and--my son's arrival was announced on Facebook within seconds!

Likewise, my midwife Kathy, has delivered my 3rd and 4th babies, and she is wonderful! It is so reassuring to have her at my births. She had to take on the role of assistant midwife this time, to let the other midwife be "primary attending"...as a result, she was at my side, holding one of my hands. What a blessing! This time, I had a 2nd midwife with me, as she is working on obtaining her license. She is the dear lady who actually delivered my 5th child, and the brave soul who "reached in there and turned him!" She also offered the arnica oil massage, a beautiful gift she tries to present to each of her mothers.

The Bible says that Mary "pondered these things in her heart"...as with each of my birth memories, I ponder these things in my own heart. I try and recall the little details, I relive the birth moments in my mind...these memories are so precious; the moments of meeting our little babies, the moments of joy as they are born. A joy that literally erases the pain of labor, in an instant (usually!).

Noah Andrew was born March 4, 2010 at around 6pm. He weighed in a 7 pounds and 15 ounces, although he is now up to 10 pounds!!

Bits and Pieces of today

It's been months and months since I've written here...time slips by quickly with 4 children underfoot and homeschooling and all the things necessary to keep our home running smoothly. "Smoothly" is relative. :) And so now, we are anxiously awaiting the birth of baby #5. I've reached that point where I am ready and willing to go through labor to get this baby out!! (And that's with natural childbirth, as our babies are born at home).

For today, however, I am thankful for the blessing of a new (gently used and stored awhile) sofa which is in such better shape than our old one. 4 jumping children and lots of daily use certainly took the spring out of our old one. This one is firm but comfortable and slightly smaller (good for limited space!) and in such great condition. I'd prayed on occasion, for God to somehow provide a new-to-us sofa as I noticed the wearing down of our old one. We watched a nearby Salvation Army store, to no avail. I'm so grateful now, that my prayers were answered. Our furniture works in a "cozy" setting, but is certainly not a matched set; all good seating though, very functional, and coordinated, thanks to the use of blankets here and there!

On another grateful note, we found a gas stove (small, but with great BTU's) that is decorative and perfect for an upstairs living area. On clearance! My Dad has a good eye. Anyway, we just had it installed yesterday (a new gas line run) and it was so lovely to wake up and make tea and sit there, near the flames and warmth. This particular room has a wonderful bank of windows, but the draftiness is terrible. Not anymore! Yippeee! I had hoped we could have the stove installed before our baby comes, so I can enjoy a few cozy mornings with him...maybe some chilly Spring evenings too, in front of the low flames.

Thank you God, for these small blessings of yesterday.

My "pre-baby-to-do-list" has been mostly whittled away. Bit by bit, day by day. We are ready. Oh, sure, it will be great if we can get the floors mopped again...and I do need to finish his little quilt. But the must-be-done items are crossed off now. Any other projects can be done in small spurts as I have the time and energy. Sorely lacking the latter, here, in these last days of pregnancy.

U-verse or U-nature?

"Why do so many Americans say they want their children to watch less TV, yet continue to expand thhe opportunities for them to watch it? More important, why do so many people no longer consider the physical world worth watching? The highway's edges may not be postcard perfect. But for a century, children's early understanding of how cities and nature fit together was gained from the backseat: the empty farmhouse at the edge of the subdivision; the variety of architecture, here and there; the woods and fields and water beyond the seamy edges--all that was and is still available to the eye. This was the landscape that we watched as children. It was our drive-by movie."

~Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder by Richard Louv

Ironically, as I'm reading this book, we are embarking on a new journey in our family...the installation of AT&T's U-verse! For many years, we have resisted cable--and honestly--we had to drop a couple of other small monthly luxuries in order to afford it--so cost has always been a determining factor as well. We will have to remain extra-diligent in turning OFF the TV, and monitoring what our children watch. As they grow, we are interested in some additional educational shows (such as Animal Planet and Discovery network offerings). My husband and I, for a variety of reasons, do not often go out on dates together. However, we adopted a couple of weekly shows that we enjoy watching together and we call that time "dates". Sometimes, we have a special dessert together, or pick up take out, just for us (after kids are in bed). The trouble is, the times and/or nights of our chosen shows are not usually convenient; enter DVR capabilities! No more hustling children off without a story, because it's "date night"; no more impatience as we struggle to have everyone peacefully sleeping by an early hour. We can use technology to our own advantage to assist in marital bliss and keeping the peace simultaneously!

Last year, we happened to be otherwise engaged on the evenings in which kids' seasonal Christmas specials were aired. Not important, true, but something from our own childhoods that we enjoy passing along to our young ones. This year, we will DVR the shows to watch when we have time.

Last year, my husband missed all but one or two Husker football games; because our local programming doesn't generally air that team's games. This year, he can enjoy them, and even DVR them if he's working on the air date. Then watch them commercial free!

And so, tomorrow, we have U-verse installed! There are some other great features; like faster internet than we currently have, for the same price (yea bundling!)...we can upload photos to Flickr then watch them on our TV...a caller's name will pop up on our TV if we're watching and we can decide whether or not to take the call (great for those date nights, or movie nights, or whatever!)...and since we rarely go to the movies, we can pay-per-view a newer release with our children, for MUCH less than a trip to the theater!

During the hot and humid weeks of Summer, when mosquito bites cover us, if we venture outdoors (like now...my kids are done out there after only 15 minutes!), some educational (or just for fun) programming may help with peace-keeping. Same thing when it's too cold to go out in Winter, or when everyone is nursing the inevitable head-cold.

So we are all pretty enthused about U-verse...but as I read the above book, I am reminded to be vigilant in keeping outdoor time a priority whenever possible, despite the lures of modern TV!

Jeannie Fulbright fun!

Since I love and use Jeannie Fulbright's Apologia Elementary Science series, I was excited to see this giveaway she has planned!  We will be using the "Astronomy" book soon, so one of these notebooks would sure be a fun addition to our science lessons.  Anyone else joining in?

These journals are beautiful spiral bound notebooks that will save you time and money. You won't have to print and keep up with your child's notebook pages, buy and maintain page protectors, or purchase and compile binders...everything that makes notebooking time-consuming and labor intensive for mom. Also, your child will adore having their own notebooking journal. 

Each of the notebooking journals include:

• A daily schedule for those who like to have a plan or would like their children to complete the book on their own
• Templates for written narrations, the notebooking activities and experiments
• Review Questions
• Scripture Copywork, with both print and cursive practice 
• Reading lists and additional activities, projects, experiments for each lesson
• An appendix with beautiful, full-color, lapbook-style Miniature Books
• Field Trip Sheets to keep a record field trips
• A Final Review with fifty questions the students can answer either orally or in writing to show off all they remember and know at the end of the course.

See the sample pages here:

Botany: https://apologia.securesites.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=128 

 and 

Astronomy: https://apologia.securesites.net/store/index.php?main_page=product_info&cPath=1&products_id=127 

Jeannie is giving away four Astronomy Notebooking Journals and four Botany Notebooking Journals to bloggers who post about this on her site. Visit her blog to learn more about this contest: www.jeanniesjournal.com