Comments

So, I must admit my technical idiocy and apologize to the people who have commented on the blog and I have not responded. I didn't have comment notifications on, and until today when I was editing the tags on a few posts, I really thought that the one public follower I have was the only person reading this at all and had no idea anyone was commenting.  Sad, huh? 

So, if you have left comments, PLEASE continue to do so and I will now begin to respond promptly!  :-) I have my notifications turned on now.  I'm going to be a better host, I promise! :-)

Thank you for your patience with me!

It has Arrived!

I posted earlier this week about having finally, after great anticipation, received in the mail my Ellaroo wrap carrier, which I won in a giveaway contest from Dirty Diaper Laundry. Well, although I still have not had the opportunity to have my picture taken while wearing my lovely daughter, because she's exploring her newfound independence and wants to walk most of the time, I DID take a few pictures of the wrap today.  I actually was able to wear her in it a few times today, but no one was around to take the picture for me.  I finally succeeded in a rucksack carry, which I have tried several times with no prior success.  I also wore her in a front wrap cross carry while I made dinner.  If I am trying to cook, she wants to be worn, but if I am trying to wear her, she wants to be down. :-) 

Anyhow, here are the couple of pics I got.  Thank you Ellaroo and Dirty Diaper Laundry!  :-) 

This is Brooke sitting on the Ellaroo in the driveway, playing with an acorn and a rock.  :-)

Here is a close-up of the fabric, although not a great picture.  It is lovely!  This is the Maija pattern and I LOVE it!

The Cravings Continue

With Brooke, I had very few cravings.  This child though, as I've stated repeatedly, is much different than Brooke.  S/he moves a LOT, whereas Brooke found a (not so) good position and stayed there.  I'm pretty sure that as of right now this one is head down because all of the kicks are at the top of my belly.  This one also is causing me more aches and pains, although that might have something to do with the 25 lb toddler I tote around!  Well, with all of those other differences come strong, passionate cravings that MUST be satiated or else... I don't know, but I think it would be really bad. 

In early pregnancy, I craved pickled okra, pepperoni and cream cheese on bagels.  Sometimes it was just bagels with cream cheese.  I went through a whole lot of bagels.

Then it was chocolate and peanut butter.  Especially tempting was the best of both worlds: peanut butter cups.  Thank goodness my husband works on a snack truck. :-)

Right now?  Ice cream, Golden Grahams with milk, tacos, spicy mustard, cinnamon toast, cheese toast.  I am ashamed to say that I found myself eating a mixture of nothing but butter, brown sugar and powdered hot cocoa mix the other day. 

The bottom line?  I think this child is trying to turn me into a blimp.  And I'm totally letting it happen.

Breastfeeding: A Perfectly Natural Choice

The only person in my family who breastfed for more than a week or two was my mother.  She nursed me for ten months, until she was pregnant with my sister and I weaned myself.  Maybe my subconscious rememberence of that closeness is the reason that I always planned to breastfeed.  I admit, I never really thought about how it would work, what it would be like or even considered that it wouldn't always be easy.  I just knew that's the way I would choose to feed my children. 

When I became pregnant with my first child, I began to do the research.  I read about how milk composition changes during breastfeeding, something that formula simply cannot replicate.  I read about the physical benefits for the mother and the child.  I learned about how to get a proper latch. The more I read, the more I became convinced that this was the way to feed my baby. 

No matter how much you read, how much you are determined, nothing prepares you for actually doing it.   Our plans for a natural birth were destroyed when my stubborn daughter got comfortable in a frank breech position and refused to budge, which led to a ceserean.  That made me more determined to breastfeed, because I felt that although I couldn't control her position, I could control her food!  She was a natural.  I think I was too, although the nurse came in and coached me to make sure she was getting a good latch.  She did great, and I bounced back very quickly.  We were released only two days after the ceserean. Of course, that's when my milk came in.  It came quickly, and she couldn't latch on because my breasts were so full.  She was screaming and I couldn't manually express any milk.  The manual pump I had was not doing any good.  My mother-in-law went to the store and purchased an electric breast pump.  Finally, I was able to get enough milk out that she could nurse, and we were finally able to sleep for a few hours. 

It was downhill from there.  She slept with us for the first four or five months, nursing frequently at night.  She would start making noises and rooting around, and I would get us both positioned well.  She would nurse and we'd both fall back asleep.  Eventually, she moved into her crib and I would get up to nurse her several times at night.  I enjoyed those quiet night feedings, and would often fall asleep in the big fluffy chair in her bedroom while nursing her.  Sometimes I would bring her to bed with us after she woke up, and she would nurse there and sleep the rest of the night with us, or occasionally I would take her back to her room.  She didn't go more than three or four hours between nursing until she was six months, and that was okay with me.  There were a handful of times, maybe half a dozen or less, when I would pump during the week and my husband would get up one weekend night and feed her, or I would go out and he would stay home and feed her.  These were few and far between, but were the only breaks I ever needed or wanted. 

Our breastfeeding relationship ended when she was around 10 1/2 months, and (yes just like Mom!) I was pregnant with our second child.  Brooke began wanting to nurse less, and I began having to give her a little formula to supplement because my milk supply was slowing.  Soon, I also began having a lot of contractions during nursing and had very sore nipples.  I was now crying in pain instead of joy when nursing her, and decided to go ahead and wean her fully since she was showing signs of wanting to wean.  It was bittersweet.  The contractions and nipple pain were gone, but so was the baby nursing at my breast.

Now, she is nearly 14 months old, drinking cows milk from a sippy cup, and we are just over 3 months from meeting our new little one.  Breastfeeding is the thing I most look forward to when this little one arrives.  I can't wait to share that fantastic bonding experience with our second child, and to feel the warmth and love as a newborn snuggles at my breast. 

Our bodies are perfectly made to create the perfect food for our children.  If you've ever seen a mother cat with young kittens, you can probably picture the loving relationship as the kittens nurse and the mother lies down on her side, eyes closed or nearly closed, but not sleeping.  It's a blissful peace.  As some of the kittens finish nursing, the mother cleans them with great affection.  If you've ever nursed your own child, you can relate to that cat.  Do you recall holding your baby close, skin to skin, while she nursed, stroking her hair, whispering prayers or singing lullabies, with silent tears of love streaming down your face? It is beautiful, natural and the most pure expression of love I can think of. 

It's a good day!

I'm so excited, Just had to share!

I finally, after great anticipation, received in the mail, one of the (many) babycarriers of my dreams!  My camera is MIA at the moment, so I'll just post a googled pic.  It's stunning, and looks mor purple to me than the one in the picture.  It's thinner than I thought it would be, and I can't wait to try it out.  I have the fabric spread out across my lap right now and am just enoying its beauty! 

Thank you, Dirty Diaper Laundry and Ellaroo!  (Folks, enter the giveaways! This is not an inexpensive piece of fabric, it is an ELLAROO!!!)

Borrowed Pic from sasaslings.co.uk

What They Don't Tell You...

Staying home with the kids is something we have always planned for me to do.  We knew it would be the best thing for their development, and we also believe that is what I am *supposed* to do as a Christian wife and mother - care for the home, the children and hubby.  However, when I accepted this position with glee, no one gave me the job description!  Did you get one?

Here are some things no one told me would happen when I left work and school. 

The house is never ACTUALLY clean, no matter how much cleaning you do.
I kind of miss grown-ups.
The playgroups I have tried out have been kind of... catty.
I haven't gone to the bathroom alone in a year.
You can't actually sleep when the baby sleeps, because you really need to shower, eat and brush your teeth.
Toys multiply. 
Laundry multiplies.  Multiple times.
Not every kid loves car rides.  Some of them scream from point A to point B.  Until they are at least 13.5 months... and counting.
Toddlers don't want anything to do with you unless you are trying to be productive. 

They also didn't tell me how much I would LOVE:

Baby kisses.
Hearing the first time she says "I love you"
Her kissing my pregnant belly, and then lifting my husbands shirt to kiss his belly.
Breastfeeding.
Giving her a sippy of milk and snuggling before her nap.
Teaching her.
Smelling her.. most of the time. 
Seeing how much my husband loves her.
Watching her learn on her own. 
Watching her learn by watching someone else.
How excited she gets when someone she loves comes through the front door.
How excited I get when that someone is me and I get all of her cuddly kissy love for a moment.
How cute the word "no" is when she says it, even if it is not the right answer.
Listening to her giggle.
Making her giggle.
Waking up to her talking to herself in the mornings. 
Being the one to be there when she wakes up from almost every sleep.
Being a stay at home mom.

Monday Giveaways!

I did housework during nap #1, so I"m going to do giveaways during nap #2! :-)

A Mom's Balancing Act is giving away TWO Mrs. Smith's Diaper Bags!

Menu Plan Monday

On our dinner menu this week:

Monday:  Pot Roast with Mashed Potatoes

Tuesday:  Roast Chicken with Rice and Broccoli

Wednesday:  Chicken soup with leftovers from previous day

Thursday:  Minestrone soup with fresh bread

Friday:  BBQ Chicken Pizza

Saturday:  Tacos

Want to share what you're eating this week and read a LOT of menu plans?  Head on over to I'm An Organizing Junkie, host and creator of Menu Plan Monday!

Giveaways!

I hardly ever get a chance to even think about Giveaways! on Sunday, but today I have a little time before Bible study.  The baby and the hubby are napping, so I'm going to do at least one or two.  For your (or my) winning pleasure, here we go:

Just For Me... And You is giving away a Moby Wrap from The Baby's Bundle!!

All Things Granola is giving away a Sleepy Wrap here!

ALMOST fnished with Christmas Shopping!

We have shopped for all but three people on our Christmas list, and the ones that are left are my niece and nephew who will be getting clothes and my middle sister, who will be getting... something. :-)  Our four sets of parents, one grandparent and two sisters are shopped for.  We are also finished (yes, FINISHED!) with shopping for Brooke!  What a relief.  We are the worst at shopping in time for Christmas, but it looks like we will have it all done before December!  YAY!  We also have not yet bought for each other, but will only get each other something small. 

On another note, I tried a BEAUTIFUL dress on Brooke that her Memere gave her, and even though it's 24 months, it looks SO good on her.  She may wear it to my cousin's baby shower this afternoon.  That is, if I can find some shoes that look okay with it!  I really hope I can! :-) 

Going to go sort through big girl clothes and shoes, and maybe some tiny baby clothes too.  Just holding newborn clothes makes me tear up. lol.

Blessings with a Lesson

 There are so many things I learned in school, so many teachers and classes I remember fondly.  I was one of those kids who LOVED school.  I would devour my reading texts as soon as we got our books each year, which often meant I was bored with the stories by the time we got around to them in school.  My mother was the same way.  We are very similar in so many ways, but also different in many others.  We learn so much from our parents, and when we are in our mid-twenties or so, we begin realizing how much like them we are.  We know how important it is to teach our children, and we all have wonderful plans and ideas for how we believe they should turn out, the ways in which we want them to replicate our lives, and the things we hope they don't have to learn the hard way like we did.  But what about the things our children teach us? And the things God teaches us through our kids?

Brooke, oh my lovely, sweet, humorous girl.  She has taught me so much.  She has taught me to slow down and enjoy the moments with her that I will never get back.  She has taught me how high a toddler can reach.  She has taught me that it's okay, and even best, to pick her up and console her when she is upset, even when she is upset with me.  She has taught me to pay attention to everything around me, because there could be a danger I don't notice immediately, or a teaching moment that shouldn't be missed.  I learn new things every day, and so does she.  We are learning together and it's beautiful and amazing.  I can't imagine not being at home with her while she's growing up, I think this is how it should be. 

And OH the things God has taught us.  Brooke came along and completely changed my husband.  Now, he's one of those "good guys" who was a non-believer, but I tell you what.  We started going to church two months after she was born, and he was baptized just a few short months after that.  He's giving his testimony in church on Sunday, and has even given an entire (fantastic!) message during one service and is planning another.  He has aspirations of becoming more deeply involved in shepherding people, and this is a man who can shepherd.  So God brought Tim into the family of faith through the birth of Brooke.  Wow. 

He taught both of us that children are amazing blessings through Brooke.  Now, both of us had always wanted children.  My clock was ticking and I was aching for a child a long, long time, probably 6 or 8 years before we got married.  I'm that kind of girl.  Babies just make me melt, and making a family has always been a lifetime priority.  However, even though I helped raise my neice, nothing compared to the amazing, awesome blessing of having our daughter.  The delivery was nothing like we had planned, but as soon as I got to hold and nurse and cuddle that beautiful little person, all of the unforseen issues were forgotten.  Several months later, I started feeling a tug towards more children, but we were not sure.  After Tim was baptized, we both started thinking harder about it and praying about it and being more diligent in our Bible study time together.  We decided that, after reading some articles and scripture and praying, we could not in good conscience ignore the call that we were both hearing, to accept any and all blessings that God would give us.  Two months later, we were pregnant with our second child.

Child number two is due in March.  (We're hoping for February, the better to VBAC with.)  We decided not to find out the gender this time, and be surprised.  A blessing is a blessing and we don't want to hinge our hopes on one gender or another, we just want to have a healthy child to add to our family.  Also, they were "pretty sure" Brooke was a girl, but she was not wholly cooperative, and being "pretty sure" was not a good enough answer if you decide to get an answer.  Thus, we said, let's just find out when there will be no doubt!  :-) So, baby 2 is not here yet, but we sure have learned some lessons already!  Lessons in preparedness.  We had no maternity insurance, and it took many months to get to the point where we qualified for medicaid, found a doctor we liked and started having regular appointments.  In fact, 5 months.  We will be taking the Dave Ramsey Finanancial Peace University course in February, but have borrowed the DVDs from our pastor in the meantime.  We watched the first one last night (FUNNY!!!) and I'm already thinking, hey, why not start saving for #3 next year, once we have our emergency fund established? 

Lesson 1:  Children are blessings, and as there are no other blessings we would deny from God, why deny the gift of a child?   Psalm 128:3-4 - Thy wife shall be as a fruitful vine by the sides of thine house: thy children like olive plants round about thy table. Behold, that thus shall the man be blessed that feareth the LORD.

Lesson 2:  Accepting a blessing does not mean we need not be prepared for one!  Proverbs 21:20 - The wise man saves for the future but the foolish man spends whatever he gets.

What is God trying to teach you through your children?  Are you exhibiting a teachable spirit?  Are you listening?

And we impart this in words not taught by human wisdom but taught by the Spirit, interpreting spiritual truths to those who are spiritual. The natural person does not accept the things of the Spirit of God, for they are folly to him, and he is not able to understand them because they are spiritually discerned.   1 Corinthians 2:13-14