PHANEROO

Get Biblical in 2012

2012-01-02T19:20:00.000-08:00

Wondering how your role as a woman or man lines up with God's glorious plan? Check out the Council for Biblical Manhood and Womanhood (CBMW) for some no-fluff articles and resources. I could spend hours on this website.

One of my favorite articles from CBMW is A Call To Family Worship. Grab a cup of coffee before you dive in because this one is very long but very well worth reading. Grab a notepad too because I promise you there are many take-aways from this article that'll you want to jot down.

The article mentioned above actually led BJ and me to Sojourn Kids and the family worship resources they make available there. The Sojourn Kids Family Worship Guide has done an excellent job of compiling a list of books and ideas for leading children's devotion/Bible time at home.

Now that our month-long Christmas celebration has come to an end, BJ is gearing up to launch a new study series to teach Lily and Schaeffer (and Griffin and Charlotte if they are willing to stick around) the basic doctrines of the Christian faith starting with "How do we know God is real when we can't see him?" I'm excited to learn along with them!

Daughters, A Must-Read!

2011-12-26T09:02:00.000-08:00

If you are a daughter, have a daughter, know a daughter, have a son who will marry a daughter then you must read this amazing article about modesty. The readers' comments below the article are enlightening as well. Many of us have probably missed the mark on this issue with ourselves and with teaching our daughters (and sons).

I used to believe modesty was a balance somewhere between pride and shame. I thought you should find a happy medium, a point where you aren't focusing so much on your appearance that it becomes pride (trying to earn favor with God through dress). But also not being motivated by fear of my femininity and trying to cover it up out of shame. I've probably spent a great deal of my days contemplating the midpoint on the modesty continuum. If on the modesty axis Pride is point X and Shame is point Y, then we are not even on the right axis. Turns out, modesty is not about finding a happy medium between those two points of sin, because it's not a point at all. But rather, it's the whole graph - it's about the glory of God! The aim in modesty should be to minimize our own glory, and direct focus on the Glory of God who is in all things, above all things, and creator of all things. Should it surprise me that it's about the glory of God? No. But sometimes we all get our motives off course and need a friendly nudge to get back on course.

Christmas Traditions

2011-12-19T19:33:00.000-08:00

Traditions are such a neat concept. As a parents we hope to kick off some worthy traditions in our homes. But, what and how things end up sticking around is such a mystery. It's hard to say what we'll be doing 5 years from now...or even in 2 years. So for now we are test-driving some possible new Christmas traditions for our family.

It all began with my hope that we could celebrate Christmas all month long! Our family loves to celebrate birthdays, and who better to celebrate than Santa?! I'm joking of course! I lucked up when I found a downloadable advent calendar geared for young kids. I love finding resources where all the planning is already done for me (and free is a huge bonus). We haven't done all the activities listed on the calendar, but we have done quite few and we've tailored it to our family. The daily scriptures have been awesome in guiding our devotion time. BJ is heading up this time for the kids in the evening since they have to hear me talk all day. I didn't want this to fall into the category of "just another homeschool lesson lead by Mom." We want it to be (more) special. Not to mention, my brain is fried crispy by the end of the day and BJ can step in with a fresh new zeal (that word doesn't get used enough these days).

We are also making an advent paper chain. I can't remember where I saw this idea, but I loved it! Each night, after we read the scripture passage, Lily and Schaeffer decorate a strip of paper to be added to a paper chain (2 kids x 25 nights = 50 chain links). My addition to this activity: Box up the paper chain after Christmas and break it out next Dec 1 to begin adding to it again. Griffin will probably be old enough to participate next year (3 kids x 25 nights = 75 chain links). In 18 years we will have quite the paper chain - possible entry into the Guinness Book of World Records! Nonetheless, it'll be fun getting the paper chain out each year and looking at the links with their drawings and writings on each one.

Who says all the Christmas fun has to be focused on Santa? Jesus is the most awesome, exciting man who ever walked on earth! I cannot think of a better way to celebrate this magical season than to make it all about HIM!

Where Have I Been?

2011-11-01T18:44:00.000-07:00

I don't know where I've been, but by the looks of things I haven't been at Phaneroo. So here's a quick update to get up to speed.

1. Phaneroo needs a makeover. I have 4 kids now and the banner doesn't reflect that.

2. Charlotte turns 9 months old this week. What?! 9 months you say? That's crazy! Yes, I know. I think so too.

3. Speaking of Charlotte, she is now 100% weaned from breastfeeding. It wasn't my idea, but my body just completely decided to quit producing. I guess after 7 years of either being pregnant or nursing my body decided it was time for a permanent hormone intermission. Part of me is sighing relief. The other part of me is sad. I cried when I realized that breastfeeding was coming to an abrupt end.

4. Our family is done growing in numbers, unless God decides to have a good laugh or he leads us to grow our family other ways. The baby-making shop is closed. Once again, I cried. Transitioning through stages of life is always difficult. But I shall look ahead to the glorious future God has in store for WWorldWide.

5. BJ and I are now on an animal-free diet. In technical terms it's called "vegan." I don't necessarily like the terminology because in general vegans are nutsoids. For them it's usually for religious, socioeconomic, animal activism, or environmental reasons and we don't fall into any of those categories. For us it's purely health. For BJ it's all about Rheumatoid Arthritis (dairy and meat are top 2 and 3 inflammatory foods). For me its trying to avoid what seems to be the inevitable heart disease that runs in my family, and which cropped up in the form of gestational diabetes in 3 of my 4 pregnancies. And honestly, I totally enjoy my new way of eating. It's easy, cheap, fun, experimental, healthy, light, guilt-free. (And, by the way, it's no way related to my breastmilk production issues. Production stopped well before I changed my diet.) Protein comes in many forms, but most people don't know that many veggies and grains have protein. I get more protein (minus the cholesterol and extra calories) in my breakfast oats than most folks get all day. The goal is to eat freely of vegan whole foods. I've learned that I really do like fruits and veggies just the way they are with minimal processing and no butter. My favorite lunch is a baked potato drizzled with olive oil, a dash of salt, and crushed rosemary and a side of steamed broccoli. I've always loved my veggies so now I get as many as I want. My grocery bill has been cut in half, although, the kids still have meat and dairy but they are getting exposure to a ton more fruit and veggies since they are in abundance in the fridge.

6. We are busy with school. Lily and Schaeffer are both at River's Edge 3 days per week and home schooled 2 days per week. I'm busy. And to top it off, I'm serving on the school's board of directors. I don't know what compelled me to say yes to that one. I'm learning a lot and enjoying meeting some new folks. I have been encouraged by the other board members who are trying their best to serve the school, the families, and staff at River's Edge.

7. We love having a live-in babysitter with us. Her name is Lana. She is a grad student at UT. She works part-time and helps with babysitting and chores 3 days per week here at home. I'm getting quite spoiled with this arrangement. BJ and I get date nights. Wow! What a boost to our marriage!

Well, that's the top items for now. Time to get ready for bed. A full day is ahead. I've really missed my Phaneroo moments. I shall return soon...

Cruze Dairy Farm

2011-09-25T15:38:00.001-07:00

I found a new blog that's fun, and about a local farm family who sells organic dairy. We will be visiting their farm in a few weeks during a Pre-K field trip with Schaeffer's class. Check 'em out, ya'll!

http://www.CruzeFarmGirl.com/

ExtraPetite

2011-08-06T20:01:00.000-07:00

If you are a shortie like me, then you have a difficult time shopping for clothes that fit proportionally. A lot of styles cater to tall and slender types - I'm more of the short & full-figure type (post-babies). There are a lot of clothes on store racks that just make me look dumpy. It's a struggle for us shorties to find outfits that flatter and that are cut to our proportions. So I was very excited to come across ExtraPetite. If you are a shortie then you will appreciate it too. (Although, the model appears to wear size 0 and 2, which I most definitely do not!)

How safe are your personal care products?

2011-07-30T09:33:00.000-07:00

I found EWG's Skin Deep Cosmetics Database to be extremely helpful in finding natural and safe products. I was appalled that some of my so-called natural products are not very safe because of some of the chemicals in them. Check it out and search your every-day products and see how they score.

I was concerned that the Arbonne products, which claim to be pure, safe and beneficial actually scored worse than my cheap discount store brands. I will definitely have to factor that into my review once they arrive...I'm a little scared to use them now. And, this site is helpful in identifying products if you have a member in your family who has extremely sensitive skin, such as my Griffin.

Ciera and I was up late one night this week doing some fun girl time. We made our own skin treatments: sugar honey scrub, pore strips (made of gelatin and milk), aspirin scrub & mask, and my favorite, kitty litter mask. Kitty litter without additives is actually a natural occurring mineral bentonite which is great at absorbing oil and impurities. Unfortunately the kitty litter that I had purchased was a different kind of mineral and wasn't as great at dissolving into a clay so we'll have to try that again another time. Check out Michelle Phan for some cool skin care DIY's.

A Lot Going On Around Here

2011-07-23T18:26:00.001-07:00

So that you will be forewarned, this post will be full of randomness and it will probably end up being fairly long. That's so unlike me to be random and disorganized but that seems to be the flow of my life right now, so...we'll go with it.

Ciera has been with us all summer helping with light housekeeping (kids' laundry, vacuuming, dishes as needed, etc.) and babysitting. She has been a huge help! I DO NOT look forward to her returning to school, but she's a smart girl and her education is important. Working here probably reinforces her need for an education so that she's not stuck being someones maid or babysitter for life. I think our busy home wears her out.

Lily began therapy for Central Auditory Processing Disorder at the beginning of the summer. This disorder is very complex. She was recently tested by UT's audiology department, as referred by her therapist, so that we could get a baseline reading of her auditory system. She scored "severely" low when her left ear had to discriminate sounds that are very familiar: ba/da, chu/shu... She also scored low when her right ear had to listen closely to a voice when background noise was also present. This background noise would be similar to a classroom, restaurant, or even our home with 4 kids. It's amazing how in-depth the testing was and how revealing the results were. Based on those results, she will begin Fast ForWord on Monday at Parent-Child and will be there 2 hours per day, 5 days per week for 6 weeks. We will work around her school schedule when that starts up. But what's super exciting, this intensive computer program should help her auditory system mature quickly and she will no longer suffer from CAPD! What a huge praise!! Meantime, she will also continue to receive Occupational Therapy for some other sensory things. I am optimistic that all these things will help resolve some of her learning struggles this year.

Charlotte is almost 6 months old. I can hardly believe it! She's growing up so quickly. She is super sweet, laid back most days, loves lots and lots of attention from everybody, makes lots of noises, smiles and coos at us all the time, laughs out loud at our silly faces, grabs all sorts of toys and anything within reach not excluding my hair and jewelry. She is a precious blessing to our family.

We visited Nana Kaye and Nana Faye last week. The kids had a blast seeing the chickens, exploring the gardens, making a camp out spot on the floor (Doug style), and eating ice cream cones and the best iced lemon muffins you will ever put in your mouth. Nana Kaye's gardens are beautiful right now - green, blooming, lush, perfect.

I might be going vegetarian. I know that sounds weird and completely random. I started thinking back about my week and realized I hadn't had any meat and I didn't miss it at all. I then began to think how much I don't really love meat and in the past have just sorta ate it because I thought I needed to for protein and iron. I'm not opposed to eating meat, I just don't think I really love it enough to miss it. And besides, BJ avoids beef because his cholesterol had crept up and needed to cut it out. On my last grocery shopping trip I stocked up on a bunch of Tennessee homegrown vegetables and fruit since they are in season. And so this week I made meals around those veggies and not around meat. This week we've had vegetable pasta, black bean & homemade salsa burritos, sauteed squash & zucchini, rice, oven-roasted rosemary potatoes, harvest grain bread, corn, strawberries, blueberries, cantaloupe, bananas, SC peaches, and a bunch more things that I can't remember. I did make some homemade chicken noodle soup for the kids because they like it and I can sneak in whole grain noodles. I realized that I enjoyed cooking all those veggies this week and mixing up a bunch of fruit into smoothies. I know I could never go vegan because I still enjoy dairy and eggs. And I do enjoy salmon and some seafood occasionally. Maybe I'll say good-bye to beef and poultry (never liked pig anyway) for a while and see what happens.

I'm still on my quest for natural beauty products, but I'm happy to report I've found some things I really like:

Aveda Smooth Infusion Shampoo & Conditioner - These products are not 100% natural but I love how it smooths without weighing my hair down. It smells amazing too. I purchase these at an Aveda salon.

Tom's of Maine Moisturizing bar soap - It is, in fact, moisturizing & gentle and can be found at Target and Walmart.

Alba facial cleanser & toner - Effective cleanser that takes off all my makeup, even waterproof mascara. Found at Target and Walmart.

Fresh Sugar Body Oil - This is a splurge at $45 a bottle but a little goes a long way. It gives me super soft non-greasy skin. I detest greasy lotions and creams. Purchased at Sephora.

Arbonne RE9 Advanced - I have not received this product yet, but I placed my order and I'm excited to start trying it. My tired worn-out skin needs an anti-aging remedy. I will report back on this one but the trial of it was great. I'm really impressed that Arbonne is botanically based (non-GMO's) and vegan (no nasty road kill in their products). There are not many cosmetic companies that can say that.

School starts back in 3 weeks. Lily and Schaeffer will both be at River's Edge. I'm excited for them to start a new year and see how much they grow and learn.

I think that's it for now. Until next time...

My Brother's Wedding

2011-06-27T08:53:00.001-07:00

My little baby brother got married 2 weekends ago. I guess he's not really a "baby brother" any more. We all made the trip down to Hackleburg, Alabama for the wedding. It was such a beautiful wedding. Here's a link to photos that my "Chinese sister" took and sent to my mom (the white fluff at the bottom of every picture are hydrangeas hanging on the ends of the pews). We are waiting for the professional photographer to publish her shots soon.

As for my crew, well, we survived the trip but we discovered that our kiddos aren't the traveling kind just yet.

A New Family Fav-o-rite!

2011-06-18T19:59:00.000-07:00

I've been on the hunt-down for more nutritious foods to replace our less-than-nutritious foods. And here is one that we have been more than pleased with: Hodgson Mill Whole Wheat & Milled Flax Seed Brownie Mix. This stuff is good, ya'll! It's very deceiving because the batter is really gritty if you try and lick the mixing spoon. But once they are baked these brownies are quite yummy. The mix itself has only 5 ingredients: turbinado sugar, whole wheat pastry flour, cocoa, milled flax seed, and salt. The directions call for adding oil, 2 eggs, and 1/2 stick of butter. We like to throw in about 1 cup of semi-sweet chocolate chips, too. Mm-mm, good! A scoop of vanilla ice cream on the side doesn't hurt either.

Biz-E

2011-06-18T18:06:00.000-07:00

It seems like only a few weeks ago I was wondering what in the world the kids and I were going to do all summer long. Now I'm wishing our summer could be extended. Lily has begun occupational therapy and auditory therapy. And, she gets homework. Sorry, Lily. And then the co-director of the therapy center asked if Lily could be a peer model for one of their Peer Play Social Groups. It will serve as a dual purpose: help the two children with autism in the group see a "typical" child communicating and playing, and Lily will get extra language (aka auditory) therapy because she will be receiving the same therapy as the children with autism. I think it's cool that she will get to help out other children and be a role model for them. So for now all this therapy ties up 2 half days during the week. I always have to set aside at least one day for grocery shopping and restocking the cabinets and freezer. We have several doctor appointments scheduled and a family teeth cleaning appointment (should be fun!). I need to set aside time to re-organize my "school" desk to get ready for teaching 2 children, and order next year's curriculum. We have also talked about swimming, camping, biking, gardening, and traveling all within the next 2 months. I can only imagine that this summer will fly by so quickly!

Body By Vi Challenge Part 1

2011-06-17T07:13:00.001-07:00

I have successfully completed my 90-Day Body By Vi Challenge! I am excited to report that I have lost a total of 8.4 pounds in 90 days ~ that's about a half a pound per week, which is exactly what I was aiming for. When I first started the Challenge I was losing about 2 pounds per week, which is really awesome, except I was also noticing a milk supply reduction. So instead of doing a shake every day, I started doing a shake 3-4 days per week so that I could ensure I was getting enough calories throughout the week. I eat about 4 meals per day so I was replacing one of those meals with a shake. It has been so easy - and so yummy - to do! And what's more important, I have lost inches from my waist and hips: a total of 2 inches from my waist and 3.5 inches from my hips! Whoo-hoo! I will admit though that some of the inches from my hips is probably due to my body shifting back to normal after giving birth 4 months ago. But certainly losing 8.4 pounds of fat has made a huge difference in my measurements as well. Because I still want to lose 14 more pounds I will start another 90-day Challenge. Anyone with me?!

My Job is Becoming Obsolete

2011-06-15T19:15:00.000-07:00

To all you breastfeeding moms out there, your job is about to become obsolete. Check out this story about China cloning cows that produce human breast milk. Before you get too excited about a new advancement in science, do you know what's involved in genetic engineering? Here's a clue: E. coli. Yep, good ole deadly E. coli bacteria. Maybe I'm a nut, but GMO foods scare the bee-jee-bees out of me. Just a few years ago you could hardly find GMO's on your grocery store shelves, but now it's everywhere because basics such as corn, soy, and rice are all genetically modified unless you are sure to purchase non-GMO (you might wanna put down that bag of Doritos). Do the research. It'll scare the pants off you! Another reason why I need a farm, or Jesus just needs to go ahead and return.

Oh, and while you're at it, do a bit of research on rendering plants. Find out what's in your soap (sodium tallowate, glycerin, etc.), pet food, and what producers are feeding to cattle and poultry. Yummy! I'm feeling a bit vegan these days.

Auditory Processing Disorder

2011-05-29T18:25:00.001-07:00

Auditory Processing Disorder seems to be the diagnosis causing Lily's academic struggles. This is a new one for me so I don't really know much about this disorder. It's not an official "diagnosis" since an audiologist won't conduct the full battery of tests (10 altogether) until she is 7 years old. Meantime, her speech-language pathologist will be treating her for "suspected auditory processing disorder." And during her therapy sessions, the SLP will be doing diagnostic therapy to get a better understanding of how this disorder is affecting Lily specifically. Because APD affects children in so many different ways, it's important to know exactly how it is affecting Lily and what sounds her brain is able to process well and those sounds that she does not process well. The SLP will also be working this summer to devise a plan that we can present to Lily's 1st grade teacher to help her in the classroom and at home. I'm sure as time goes by I will begin to more thoroughly understand this disorder, but until then, I'm thrilled that we will be getting assistance with helping Lily cope and reach her fullest potential. Just from the short consultation with the SLP last week, I learned that APD is caused by the two hemispheres of the brain not allowing information to flow freely between the two. Sounds are stored in one hemisphere and images in the other. When these two hemispheres don't communicate well with each other, sounds are not easily connected to their images, such as with learning phonics and letter sounds, remembering words, recalling facts, explaining a sequence of events, etc. It affects so much! But on a positive note, and something that is amazing to me, Lily's hemisphere that is responsible for images has seemingly compensated. I believe it attributes to her artistic and creative abilities. Without this disorder, Lily just wouldn't be Lily.

She will begin occupational and speech-language therapy next week and it will continue through the summer. From there we will re-evaluate the situation and determine what else is needed.

Photo Update

2011-05-28T19:22:00.000-07:00

Griffin celebrating his 2nd birthday with family.

Schaeffer being Schaeffer.

Lily adding her touch to the Sidewalk Chalk Art Festival in Market Square

Charlotte after a bath. So lovable!

Sisters, my lovely girls!

Body By Vi Challenge Party @ My House

2011-05-25T10:55:00.000-07:00

If you know me well, then you probably know where I live so please drop by tomorrow night (Thurs) for my Body By Vi Challenge Party at 6:30 p.m. In 5 weeks, I have already lost 8 lbs and 1 inch from my waist and 1 inch from my hips using the Vi-Shape Nutritional Shakes without feeling sluggish, hungry, or deprived of essential nutrients. This has been by far the easiest way I've lost my baby weight, and I've been up and down 4 times. What I love about the product is that it's ideal for so many - young, old, athletes, diabetics, and more - and because it is just pure and simple nutrition that you can tailor to your own taste buds and nutritional needs. It contains no chemical stimulants, which is important to me as a nursing mom. My kids even love the nutritional shakes as a snack. I would not refer a product that I myself have not used or did not agree with. This one works and is a way to get healthy by losing extra weight while gaining lean muscle. Please drop by tomorrow night and try a sample - you won't be disappointed!

Hackleburg

2011-05-05T19:21:00.000-07:00

As my brother Matthew and his sweet fiance, Abbey, plan their wedding in Hackleburg, AL in June they must also face the devastation there. Please remember the folks in Hackleburg.

Aerial view of what the tornadoes left behind: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CBnisypTrzM&NR=1

News report out of Hackleburg: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/nationworld/la-na-tornado-hackleburg-20110501,0,507175.story

Correct Me If I'm Wrong (and I'm rarely wrong)

2011-04-21T18:16:00.001-07:00

Just joking on the title! Ha ha, funny, funny. But, really. I'm going out on a limb here, and correct me if I'm wrong. Has Easter Sunday become more like Mercedes Benz Fashion Week? If you go out into the various retail stores, and into a church on Easter Sunday, you might begin to believe that it is. Most everyone has become accustomed to the secular Easter equation: Bunnies + Eggs + Baby Chicks = Easter. It's fun watching the kids run across the yard hunting for eggs (weird tradition by the way). And then when they crack open the egg they find not a yolk but a bunch of sugar and chocolate (did I mention how weird that tradition is?). But seriously, another tradition that bothers me more because it is so popular, and expected, in church among Christians is the parade of Easter frock. It bothers me when the focus of this hugely important day of remembrance turns into a day to unveil a new summery, floral dress, sparkly new shoes, and coordinating handbag. Don't get me wrong. I'm a girl and I innately love all these lovely things. But if I'm not careful, my head and heart during the days and weeks leading up to Easter can drift more toward "What am I going to wear on this big day?" instead of "Praise you Jesus for victory over sin and death!" Therefore, I decided months ago, in a way to protect my straying heart and mind, that I would forgo purchasing any Easter-wear for myself and children. We will still be respectful and wear appropriate clothing to church - Schaeffer believes his Batman shirt is his "Sunday best." But, no new clothing for us. I will wait until it all goes on clearance the week after.

~As an aside, BJ and I were discussing Easter a few weeks ago. He said, "You know how people tailgate and camp out in the parking lot of the stadium before the Super Bowl? Well, since Easter is like the Super Bowl for Christians why don't we camp out and tailgate on Saturday night in the church parking lot?!" I love my hubby and his wildly crazy ideas. I honestly believe he would do it. Maybe next year when Charlotte is a bit older we can consider an all-night Easter tailgate party.~

A School Year in Review - Many Praises!

2011-04-21T15:02:00.000-07:00

(Grab yourself a cup of coffee - this is a long one!)

Whew! Just 4 more weeks of school left before summer break and before we wrap up Lily's first year of school. In a lot of ways it has flown by. In a lot of other ways it has painfully dragged on. This year we faced a lot of challenges (and we continue to face some) that has tried to drag us down, slow our momentum, block our way. But we are prevailing in this first year of homeschool (with the help of a God-sent co-op program).

The year started off with Lily getting glasses just before school began. Her vision was worse than 20/400 in both eyes - that's beyond legally blind! And after a few months into school, and a few months into wearing her glasses, her vision strengthened to 20/70 with her glasses - still legally blind (considered low vision) but strong enough for her to succeed in school with no visual impairment aids. My little girl is a trooper! Now her vision with her glasses is 20/25 in both eyes. Dr. G is striving for 20/20 or better and he tells me we will get there by the time she is age 10-12 years old and that's without glasses. Praise Jesus that Lily's vision problem is completely correctable!

Just two months into school my pregnancy with Charlotte turned risky with threats of pre-term labor. I was sidelined many days with contractions coming 4-6 times an hour. When those occured I had to lay down and rest and hope they calmed down. School was placed on the back burner on many days. I was on medication and restricted activity to control the contractions. Praise Jesus that the pregnancy went full term and Charlotte is a happy, healthy, little girl!

And then a week before Christmas, Lily fell and broke her arm. This involved an overnight stay in the hospital and surgery the next morning to place pins in her arm and install a cast. She wore her cast for 3 weeks. During that time she struggled to bathe, dress herself, get comfy in bed to sleep, do school work, and many other things. We lost even more time doing school. Despite this hurdle, praise Jesus that Lily was able to keep up with her learning and continued to grow in her knowledge of math, reading, writing, science and social studies!

Just a few weeks ago Lily faced another hurdle when we were instructed to place drops in Lily's eyes to dilate them 3 days before her next eye exam. I don't know the exact reason this is needed, but Dr. G gave the orders and we followed them. Unfortunately, dilated eyes become very blurry and especially with vision up close. This added another challenge with school work. Her vision remained blurry for at least a week following her eye exam. We made some accommodations to help Lily see her school work. At home I wrote all her lessons very large on a dry erase board. We skipped handwriting lessons that week because it was a huge frustration for her. It was apparent that she couldn't see the lines on her handwriting paper. For her days at school, I transposed all the problems on her worksheets onto plain white paper with a very large, bold Sharpie marker. Her teacher said it really seemed to help her. Praise Jesus we got through that week and Lily even got a cute new pair of purple glasses with a new lower prescription (+6.50 instead of +7.50 as before).

During this school year, and even before then, we have observed Lily having problems with certain things. These problems have become more pronounced with the added expectations of having to learn to read and write and remember facts and processes. Her teacher at River's Edge is noticing and now even the room moms are noticing what we've observed for many months now. After being strongly advised by our pediatrician, we took Lily to be evaluated. The results are not complete yet because we still lack a language/auditory evaluation, but the preliminary results are pointing to dyslexia or some sort of auditory processing disorder. We praise Jesus for placing in our path the most fabulous, experienced, intuitive, knowledgeable, kind-hearted Occupational Therapist this side of the Mississippi! Her name is Mrs. Kathy. She explained that these initial evaluations are a process of elimination. Lily scored on a 5-year-old level for visual integration and a 4-year-old level for visual-motor integration. She is 6 years old. The language/auditory eval next week will help us get a fuller picture of what could be causing the delays. Kathy is familiar with Lily's history since she worked with her 3 years ago when she was going through feeding therapy and occupational therapy due to sensory processing disorder. Kathy observed that Lily could use a little bit more help in maturing the nervous system in regards to the vestibular system. Sensory therapy is an amazing thing! If you've never dealt with this sort of thing, it will blow your mind how complex the brain and nervous system are and how certain activities can greatly affect a child whose nervous system lags behind in development. I cannot explain it, but I'm so grateful to God for placing the right people in our path who have a very deep and thorough understanding of this and who have devoted their lives to helping "sensory" children. We praise Jesus that we will be on top of these issues before they cause major frustration and delays in Lily's abilities at school!

We look forward to summer break! I foresee lots of outdoor adventures and some lazy days (for the kids that is. I'm way too busy with 4 kids to relax). I was making small talk with the wife of our co-op's administrator today, Mrs. Moe. She spoke such truth, and I'm certain she didn't even know it was what I needed today. As she was walking away she said, "the One who is in you is greater than the one who is in the world" (1 John 4:4). This verse has resounded in my heart and soul all day as I have struggled with a mixture of thoughts and emotions about our first year of homeschool. Some of these thoughts and emotions are from the deceiver himself, some are from my weak sin-nature, and some are from the heart of a mom. I praise Jesus for surrounding us with amazing people who bring encouragement, understanding, and words of Truth at just the right time!

Pretty Blue Nursing Dress

2011-04-19T19:31:00.000-07:00

I'm working on losing about 25-30 pounds, thanks to Charlotte. Only kidding! It was my fault for putting on more weight than I should've during pregnancy number four. I've decided it was because I'm no spring chicken anymore and the metabolism isn't what it used to be. Nonetheless, I'm left with 25-30 pounds to lose and I'm hoping to do it before my bro-ham's wedding in June. If I reach my goal of 25 pounds then I am going to allow myself to purchase a new nursing dress that I found and really adore. I hope to buy a size SMALL. Since I'm only 5' 2" that should be a very realistic goal. The challenge is to cut out enough calories to lose weight, but not too many that it jeopardizes my milk production. I definitely don't want Charlotte to go hungry! Therefore, I have to be careful to get enough calories but focus on healthy ones. So, I've made two changes to my diet:

1) Eat whole foods such as vegetables, fruit, whole grains, and lean meat like chicken and fish. I eat 4-5 times a day since I get hungry often from nursing. For breakfast I eat a scrambled egg and 2 pieces of whole grain toast with a glass of skim milk. Then I make a smoothie (more about that in a minute) around 11 a.m. For lunch I've eaten a variety of things, such as, a salad or buckwheat soba noodles with snow peas, carrots, and red pepper seasoned with a bit of soy sauce. For dinner we eat a big variety of things. This week we had a new recipe called Sweet-Potato and Black-Bean Chili garnished with a tablespoon of sour cream and a sprinkling of fresh chopped cilantro. It was yummy! Other nights we've had a strawberry and spinach salad with chicken, walnuts and feta cheese. That's BJ's favorite. Some other favorites amongst our family include roasted chicken and steamed green beans or baked salmon with mashed sweet potatoes.

2) This second change to my diet has boosted my nutrient intake. I've started using Visalus nutritional shakes (or smoothies as I like to call them), which is mainly soy and whey protein that you mix with skim milk and fruit or a bunch of other choices like peanut butter and unsweetened cocoa. Wow! This stuff is so yummy. And, it helps to boost my protein intake since it has 20+ grams of protein per smoothie and contains 5+ grams of fiber, plus a whole slew of other great nutrients like A, B, E, and D vitamins, calcium, potassium, folate, niacin, and so many more.

With these small changes that I've made over the past 2 weeks, I've already lost 5 pounds. I've had more energy from eating more nutritious foods that my body must've been craving. Plus, I feel better about sharing those nutrients with Charlotte.

I've tried to walk or run at least 3-5 times per week to boost the fat burn and to get a break from kiddos, breathe some fresh air and clear my head.

I hope to hit my goal if I lose about 2 pounds per week.

Free Gifts at CottonBabies.com

2011-04-18T19:22:00.000-07:00

Griffin is beginning to outgrow his size medium gDiaper covers, which come in sizes small, medium or large. No fear, Charlotte is waiting in the wings for his outgrown dipes. But, I was left with a delimma - do I purchase the next size up or do I purchase a one-size cover, such as GroVia or Flip? I decided to go with a one-size so that Charlotte and Griffin can share when needed. I chose the Flip Diapering System because it is a lot like gDiapers with the inserts and waterproof cover that can be used over and over. A little while ago I ordered one Flip diaper with one of their Stay-dry inserts to give it a trial run. I like them as well as the gDiapers and the inserts from the gDiapers can be used with Flip and visa-versa. Today I went online to Cotton Babies' website (they are the peeps who make BumGenius, Flip, and EconoBum) to order more Flip and they are running a special where you get a free gift of a pack of disposable inserts (great for traveling and no time to stop and do laundry), and when you spend $100 on their site you get free BabyLegs. I wanted to share this info with other moms in case you were looking into purchasing cloth diapers, specifically Flip, EconoBum or BumGenius because now would be a good time to buy from CottonBabies.com and get some free stuff.

A New Blogger Friend

2011-04-06T19:14:00.000-07:00

I wanted to direct your attention to some friends, the Ellis'. I am so excited for them as they traverse the adoption journey.

P.S. Thanks for all the uplifting messages left in the comments from "I need to know...". It is so helpful to know that I am not alone, especially on a day when I felt like an island unto myself. I spent some time in prayer and asked God for calmness of spirit, peace, and understanding of how to deal with each individual little-person living under our roof. He fulfilled my requests and today was much better. Love all my sister-mommies out there!

I need to know...

2011-04-05T18:40:00.000-07:00

I need to know that I'm not alone. Today was tough. I am not going to lie. All four kiddos were especially rotten or demanding today. I won't go into all the details but generally they were all acting their ages: Lily (6), Schaeffer (3), Griffin (almost 2), and Charlotte (2 months). With days like today, I need to know I'm not the only one who...
...sometimes wants to throw in the towel and give up on this parenting thing.
...wonders if my voice is being heard over all the craziness in our home.
...has sat in the middle of the floor and cried out of frustration.
...lost my temper and raised my voice one too many times.
...locked my bedroom door and got into the shower just to drown out the demanding cries for just a few minutes.
...wonders how I'm going to start another morning with a happy positive attitude on only 4 hours of sleep.
...begs for just a 2 hour break that doesn't involve thinking, reading, correcting, or wiping.
...has forgotten to take photos of the fourth child and then has realized she is 2 months old already.
...is avoiding making any more appointments, promises, or anything else that would require a commitment of my time.
...is missing alone time with a neglected husband.
...feels guilty for not doing more today.
...hopes to read a good book again one day.
...is envious of people who tell me of their amazing "quiet times" with God and then feel guilty over my sin of envy.
...embraces any moment that brings me to my knees in prayer and then calls it a daily devotion.
...has researched how much a nanny costs.

Tools for Our Family

2011-03-14T16:49:00.000-07:00

Last year we made a list of things we wanted for our growing family and began saving. And now we have just about procured them all thanks to a sizable tax refund (which really means we overpaid in 2010). The first on the list was a new dining room set (not my dining room pictured - I wish!). I need to finish getting my dining room in order and then I'll post some photos. I want to paint the room and hang more artwork.

Second on the list were these bad boys:

BJ really had to convince me that this would be a good purchase and worth the money. I have to agree with him now that I've used these for a few days. What would've normally been 7-10 separate loads of laundry in our older top-load machine, and probably 3 days of washing and drying, was 3 loads in the Samsung 5.0 front-loader. Just so you get an idea, BJ fit into this machine a set of queen-size sheets, pillow cases, queen-size fleece blanket, and a king-size quilt from our bed - all at one time! It completely fit inside this machine with a little room to spare. I am not kidding you! It's crazy how much stuff will fit inside this machine. And it's a lot more efficient because it uses about 15 gallons less per load than our older machine. Lovin' how this addition to our home has made my job a lot easier. Now if I can just find someone to help me fold all of the clean clothes that are laying around in the baskets.

And lastly, we want to put a freezer in our garage so that we can stock up better on food items and take advantage of good deals on bulk. We will be getting our freezer later this month. We hit a good deal when we purchased our washer and dryer. Lowe's was running a special with a tax refund gift card. When you make a purchase with a gift card during the specified time period, they would load 10% onto the card on March 18. So it works out that we get a freezer nearly free since the cost of a freezer is about 10% of the cost of the washer and dryer. Not to mention Lowe's matched a sales price on the washer and dryer when Best Buy was running a crazy good sale on them on President's Day. We saved over $500 for the set and will be getting a freezer out of the whole deal. I love a good deal!

In addition, and a surprise to me, BJ thought it was time to upgrade me to a MacBook Pro. Perhaps it was because I was whining and complaining about my PC. My PC was actually working fine, and it's almost like new, but after using his Mac that I got him for Christmas there is no comparison. I'm a Mac and won't turn Bac! I hope to learn how to use this fancy machine because Mac and PC do have their differences. After using a PC my entire life I'm going to have a huge learning curve but I'm already loving the intuitiveness and speed of the Mac.

Vacation Destination

2011-03-05T17:16:00.000-08:00

You have to admit, East Tennessee is a beautiful place to live. To prove my point, check out Blackberry Farm. This would be a terrific vacation destination, or a great place for a romantic dinner date, if you don't want to wonder too far from home (if you live in East TN that is). This 4,200 acre estate is just up the road a piece in Walland. I want to go...please, please take me!

New Dining Table & Chairs

2011-02-24T13:08:00.000-08:00

At last, we have found a new dining set for our now family of 6. I almost gave up hope on finding something that would work for us that was affordable. What I liked about it:

1) Solid wood and durable (according to reviews)

2) Could expand to seat up to 8

3) Dimensions fit our dining room

4) Black chairs give a modern spin on an old classic

5) Will coordinate with our antique buffet

6) Under $1,000

Of all places, we ordered it from Sam's Club. And since it's an online only item, I haven't seen it in person which makes me a little bit nervous. It should arrive next week. Hope to post real photos soon after we get it all set up.

On My Own

2011-02-22T17:15:00.001-08:00

Starting on Monday I've been on my own during the day with all four kids since BJ returned to work. We are surviving and thriving, although, it is busy, busy, busy! From the time I roll out of bed and my feet hit the floor I'm going like a mad woman - fixing snacks and meals, changing diapers, nursing Charlotte, getting out the Playdoh and paint, cleaning up the Playdoh and paint, wiping faces and hands, nursing Charlotte, putting on socks and shoes for outdoor play, holding, rocking, reading, breaking up squabbles, wiping hiney's (Schaeffer's particularly since he can't do that yet after potty), doing a load or two of laundry, picking up toys, nursing Charlotte, getting everyone down for naptime, preparing dinner, and the list goes on... It is non-stop. I cannot complain at all, though. Our Bible Fellowship has been bringing us dinner three times per week since we arrived home from the hospital. Huge BLESSING!! We will continue to get meals this week and some next week. Huge BLESSING!! And, I even got a 2-hour nap today. Yep, you read that right: 2 hours! I got the boys down for naps, Charlotte had been fed just before their naptime, and then I let Lily choose if she wanted to play in her room or watch PBS kids, and then I did a bee-line for my bed and napped for 2 hours. It was much needed. Now I'm getting a few minutes to update my blog and then get together Lily's schoolwork for tomorrow. After that it'll be a little quality time with BJ and then off to la-la-land and start all over tomorrow. The two things I haven't quite figured out how to do yet on my own: get a shower and do homeschool. Both of these are very important and will need to start happening, but I have given myself freedom from these two things this week while I see how our schedule plays out. Starting next week I will add these two things back in, I hope.

Cloth Diapering: The Process

2011-02-21T12:44:00.001-08:00

I've had a few folks ask me questions about how I go about cloth diapering so I thought I'd detail it here for anyone who is interested. (Here are my previous posts about cloth diapering: Cloth Dipes 101 , Cloth Diapering Review, and Cloth Diapering). I guess there's a million different ways to go about it and caring for the diapers, but this is what works for us for now. Griffin and Charlotte are both in cloth so my loads are a little bit larger but they are still very small for our top-load washer (we ordered a high-capacity front-loader just last week and it should arrive in late March so some of these details may change based on how the front-loader cleans).

1. For Griffin I have 8 medium gPants diaper covers and 18 gCloth inserts. For Charlotte I have 8 small covers and 18 inserts. I could probably use 2 more covers for Charlotte since being a newborn she poops quite often (6-8 times per day) and because they are runnier it can get on the cover more easily. It works out so I have enough that I can wash covers and inserts on the second or third day. If I've waited much longer than that between washes the pail starts to get really stinky.

2. For Griffin's dirty covers and inserts I have a small garbage pail with a lid that I keep beside the kids' bathroom potty for when I need to swish out the solids in the potty. The wet ones can just go directly into the pail. I was using a wet pail (half filled pail with water and about 1/4 cup white vinegar), but now I just use a dry pail with a small garbage bag to line the pail to keep it clean.

3. For Charlotte's dirty covers and inserts I have an inexpensive diaper pail that I use dry with a garbage bag as a liner. Because she is exclusively breastfed there's no reason to swish out poopie into the potty so I keep her diaper pail beside her changing table. (FYI...breastmilk poopies are water soluble and not stinky).

4. On the second or third day I dump the contents of Griffin's and Charlotte's diaper pails into the washing machine and throw away the garbage bag liners. If you wanted to be really frugal and "green" you could use a re-usable liner that you wash with the diapers. I do a rinse and spin cycle first then do a regular wash cycle.

5. With Griffin's eczema and very sensitive skin, I have found that the type of detergent does matter. I use Arm & Hammer Essentials Mountain Rain scent. Walmart didn't have the fragrance free when I purchased last time or I probably would've done that one instead. I found this website to be particularly helpful in finding detergent that was inexpensive yet good for cleaning cloth diapers for sensitive skin babies. Once we get our HE washer I will consult this website's HE list and probably try Ecos detergent because it can be found at my local Sam's Club.
6. After washing and drying (I air dry the diaper covers so they don't get worn out) I sort them out and put the covers and inserts into Griffin's and Charlotte's changing table. I put together a few diapers (inserts into the covers) for Charlotte in advance because newborns hate to be naked and it just makes things go more smoothly and easily, especially at nighttime diaper changes.

7. For going out, I have a wet bag for Griffin and one for Charlotte. They have a pocket in the front to keep clean diapers in. I carry scented plastic bags to put the dirty stuff into before I place it in the wet bag. This keeps me from having to wash the wet bag everytime I use it. The plastic bags alone do not contain the smell of a dirty diaper but once they are zippered up into the wet bags you don't smell anything at all. And even after a few days in the wet bag (I know, gross! But I forgot one in the van one day) you cannot smell the dirty diaper. However, beware when you open! When I get home I take the dirty diapers out of the wet bags and put them into the pail ready to be washed.

Well, I think that's pretty much it. Pretty simple and I am totally enjoying not having to purchase disposable diapers anymore.

Just Today

2011-02-09T18:27:00.000-08:00

Now that Charlotte and I are getting all settled in at home, my mantra has been "just today." It helps me focus on what's going on today, not tomorrow, not next week. Just today. It's easy to begin worrying over tomorrow and how I will possibly manage this household on my own when BJ returns to work in a week and a half. But, just today.

"Therefore do not worry about tomorrow, for tomorrow will worry about itself. Each day has enough trouble of its own" (Matthew 6:34). God knows me all too well and has given me everything I need for each moment. I love Him and thank Him for His perfect thoughtfulness and provisions.

Meet Charlotte Gray

2011-02-04T12:49:00.001-08:00

Little Miss Charlotte Gray was born yesterday, Feb. 3, 2011 at 1:56 p.m. She weighed 7 lbs and was 20 inches long. She has lots of dark hair and very dark eyes. She is as precious as I had imagined.

Handmade Gifts for Charlotte

2011-02-01T10:00:00.000-08:00

Charlotte is a very lucky little girl already. She has received some precious handmade gifts just for her. Even though she is numero quattro in our family she is as precious and as special as numero uno and these gifts are a reminder of that fact. Thanks to my dear friends and family who are making Charlotte's grand entrance a special moment.

Items pictured clockwise from top left: Set of 3 personalized embroidered burp cloths from Amanda; Pink crochet hat from Aunt Heather; Pillowcase dress from Susie; Bib and burp cloth set from Staci

The next time you hear from me on this blog will probably be when I post photos of Charlotte Gray! We are arriving at our luxurious suite at the hospital on Thursday morning at 6:00 a.m. to get labor and delivery underway. I am so excited to get to hold her in my arms for the first time.

And just in case you were wondering, Charlotte does not have a nursery yet so no fun nursery photos to post. She will be rooming in with BJ and me until Griffin is old enough to move out of his nursery and share a room with Schaeffer. That might be in 3-6 months or more. We will have to play that one by ear. But maybe meantime I can snap some photos of Charlotte's little set-up in our master bedroom. She is all set.

Thrift Store Fashion

2011-01-30T17:10:00.000-08:00

One of my favorite memories from college was going thrift shopping with BJ at local thrift stores such as Goodwill, Salvation Army, and AmVets. Sometimes we found nothing on these adventures, and sometimes we racked up. Back in my college days I worked about 20-30 hours per week waiting tables to earn enough money to pay for college tuition, books, car payment ($175/mo), and gas. I lived at home with my parents which saved me from having to pay room/board and meals. I went the entire 4.5 years to school without acquiring student loans. Yay for me! But after all those expenses on a server's income, I had very little left over for clothing, shoes, and accessories. And since I was a young college girl, afterall, clothing, shoes and accessories were still a necessity. On top of it, I hadn't completely snagged my husband yet. BJ and I were just dating so I still had to be on my best behavior and look cute.

The only way I could afford to go clothing shopping was to buy things on the clearance rack at Walmart (not so fun) or find unique stuff at thrift stores (much more fun and creative). On our thrift store outings, I remember finding cute, comfy, broken-in Levi jeans (I was in college from 1994-1998). I also found some funky jackets and coats in plaid tweed. One of my best finds was a like-new Kelty backpack which I used all through college to haul my 500-pound textbooks. Occasionally, I would find cute tops, skirts, dresses, shorts, purses, etc. It always brought me joy to load up a grocery bag or two with fun finds for only $10. Just a few years ago BJ finally tossed out a pair of pants he purchased while thrifting. The pants were definitely worn out by then, but it was one of his favorite pairs to wear around the house. Honestly he would probably still have those pants if he hadn't have lost 50 pounds and could still wear them.

I miss my thrifting days. It's difficult to do thrift shopping with little ones because it requires patience as you dig through racks and racks of clothes and stuff. And you have to keep an open mind about what you hope to find. You probably cannot go with a shopping list. I akin thrift shopping to oil painting - you know what end result you are trying to acheive, but you may not get there without being open-minded and creative. And then in the end what you acheive may be quite different than what you imagined but you feel good about it when it all comes together. And, you can be assured it will be a one-of-a-kind. For instance, you may head out trying to find a floral skirt or dress, but instead you find a cute jacket that inspires you to go searching for some vintage jewelry and accessories to make it work with a shirt and pair of pants you already own. The end result is fabulous but totally different than your original plan.

Recently I've heard a lot about re-styling, re-purposing, re-using, re-ducing, and re-cycling to be a better steward of our environment. I'm not against being a good steward, but back in the days when I did thrifting, there wasn't a lot of media chatter about "going green." Now thrifting seems to be a political statement. For me thrifting is about getting stuff for cheap and knowing that I am helping some charities in the meantime. One day I hope to do more thrift shopping. I like the creativity it unlocks in my head.

Two Things I Am Looking Forward To

2011-01-20T17:30:00.000-08:00

I am looking forward to Spring and to being out of maternity clothes. I've spotted a few clothing pieces and accessories that gets me excited about Spring and wearing normal clothes:

Lands End Canvas: Hooded Cardigan

Lands End Canvas: Heritage Chino

Lands End Canvas: Heritage Ballet Flat

Dooney & Bourke: Large Nina

The Mother of Invention...

2011-01-17T16:49:00.000-08:00

...is necessity. In the past few weeks I've invented a couple of new routines around here. It has come out of necessity.

Do we want to eat dinner? Yes. Can it get made after 4:30 p.m.? No. For some reason the hours between naptime ending and bedtime beginning - around 3 p.m. to 8 p.m. - can be complete disasters. It has taken me a full year to figure this out. The disaster hours are fairly consistent. I dread those hours. Kids are hyper, hungry, temperamental, getting tired, bored, etc. And then the thought of trying to make dinner, sit down together as a family, and actually enjoy it is frustrating...for a lack of a better word. So my new plan has been instigated: start making dinner soon after breakfast. I know that sounds weird to begin making dinner at 9 a.m. but it is working for us. My mom gave me this really cool cookbook about 3 years ago and I'm just now using it. Stupid me for waiting so long! Mothers really do know best - so listen to your mom! The cookbook is the Busy Woman's Slow Cooker Cookbook. Most of the recipes call for only 5-6 ingredients that you throw into the slow cooker, set to low or medium heat, cook for 8-10 hours, and then enjoy by dinnertime. So far I've experimented with vegetable beef soup, sweet and sour pork, and a few others that I cannot recall at this exact moment. What's really cool about this cookbook are the number of options. There are at least 5 recipes just for meatloaf. So if you like southwestern flavors, there's a meatloaf recipe for that; and, if you like traditional, there are 2-3 versions for that. There are several versions of chicken and rice soup, chicken noodle soup, vegetable soup, etc. I like the versatility because most of the time I can come up with something from my pantry that will closely resemble a recipe (or combination of recipes) in this cookbook.

Another struggle in our home...Do we like cleanliness and tidiness? Yes. Can we achieve it? Not without everyone pulling their own weight. So to help resolve the problem with clutter, I have purchased each child a green bag (you know, those sturdy reusable grocery bags). I purchased these green bags at Toys R Us for $1.29 because each one has a fun design on the outside: a monster truck for Schaeffer, a dinosaur for Lily, and a lion for Griffin. At the end of each day before beginning bedtime each child takes a bag and collects up toys, clothes, dirty socks, etc. and takes the bag to his/her room to be emptied into their proper places. We've just started this new routine so I'm curious to see how well it works in the long run. Tonight everyone was very excited about going on a "hunt" for their toys and clothes and stuffing their bags full. It was a complete miracle to see our living room, hallway, and kitchen clutter free with minimal effort on my part. It was a beautiful thing. I sure hope this routine sticks.

I came across this really awesome blog, Smockity Frocks. It is geared toward sharing practical ideas for large families. I've already found some great ideas there that I want to try in our home.

Also, I would love to hear from you, my dearest readers, about anything that you've invented out of necessity. It can be related to your routine at home, or something you've made to save money or because you couldn't find in stores, or something you recycled or used in a different way to better meet your needs. Please share your inventions in the comments section.

"Why do we have 4 children?"

2011-01-15T08:06:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking about this clip from the Cosby Show for a while now. It really cracks me up! And now it is especially funny since I can totally relate. My favorite part, toward the end of this clip, is when Claire asks Cliff (Cosby), "Cliff, why do we have 4 children?" I love Cosby's response! If you get sucked into this episode and want to watch the rest you can search YouTube for Bill Cosby Show The Pilot part 2 and part 3. The rest of this episode includes Cosby's "economics lesson" given to Theo (hilarious), and when Cosby tries to teach his girls how to knock on their bedroom door before entering (another hilarious part). Enjoy!

A Full Schedule

2011-01-13T07:54:00.000-08:00

2011 has just begun, but our family calendar is quickly filling up. I guess when you have three kids and one on the way, your calendar takes shape around their needs. We've juggled a bunch of doctor appointments recently. Lily has had several appointments with the orthopaedic surgeon for her broken arm. She got her cast off yesterday! Whoo-hoo! She will return in three weeks for one last follow-up appointment and x-rays to ensure all is healing well. I've had an OB appointment every 2 weeks, now every week, to check on little Charlotte. Griffin cracked a front tooth so I've scheduled him a dentist appointment for next week to make sure it doesn't need to be capped or filled. Lily will go to a follow-up appointment later this month with her opthamologist to check on the progress of her eyes. She has been complaining of not seeing well and she is back to sitting a foot away from the TV in order to see it. Schaeffer had been complaining of pain in his ear, but I took a proactive approach at home and used some antibiotic drops in his ears that were prescribed by his ENT. He hasn't complained of the pain since. I'm hoping we've escaped another doctor visit on that one. And now Lily is exhibiting some learning issues with reading and writing. She is doing great with school. I am so proud of her and the progress she has made. But her teacher has commented about some issues she is struggling with that is beyond what the other children are struggling with right now. And, of course, I see the same issues at home on her homeschool days. Her school work is very fast-paced and each week she is learning new things that builds upon learned skills from previous weeks. We don't want her to fall behind, especially at such a critical time when she is learning to read. She is making up some serious ground with her vision correction so we don't want another issue to get in her way. I was able to discuss some of her issues with her past speech therapist, Dee, and Dee will be talking to an occupational therapist to see if she needs to be evaluated. Meantime I will discuss it with our pediatrician and we will see what is recommended, if anything, at this point. It might just be a wait-and-see type of thing. Oh, and did I mention that Griffin still has speech therapy every 2 weeks? He has made major progess in the past 5 months and I expect he'll be discharged from speech therapy in a few weeks once he gets re-evaluated to check on his progress so far. Whew!

We are facing a pretty full schedule in January and February and I don't expect things to slow down for the rest of the year...I need to put on some comfy shoes and be ready to keep up.

Charlotte Gray Getting Closer Every Day

2011-01-10T19:38:00.000-08:00

I had a 36 week OB appointment today (I'm technically 35 weeks 5 days)! We are getting closer to Charlotte's arrival. I'm so EXCITED! I am now 1 cm dilated (and I think still 50% effaced, but I forgot to ask). Dr. B set a date to induce when I'm 39 weeks on Feb. 3 if she is not here before then. He didn't really give me an option on that, perhaps because my diabetes is getting tougher to control and because my blood pressure has begun to rise. I tend to do this at the end of my pregnancies. My bp today was 160/100 at a second reading which was higher than the first one. Yikes!! Luckily it went back to normal (128/72) after "relaxing" on my left side on one of the lovely examining tables for about 10 minutes.

The ultrasound revealed that Charlotte has lots of hair. Because we got a good look at the back of her noggin, we could see it floating around her head in the amniotic fluid. She may have thick hair like me and Lily. Unfortunately we got no face shots since she had her back turned to us the whole time today. Her measurements were perfect. She's in the 69th percentile at 6 lbs 9 oz which means she isn't growing too big too fast despite my diabetes. Although, it could mean she will be my biggest baby yet. Griff had been my largest at 6 lbs 14 oz. Dr. B said Charlotte may end up being around 7 1/2 lbs if she holds tight until Feb. 3. I think that will be just fine...and it could explain why my pelvic bones feel like they are splitting in two.

I will now begin seeing Dr. B every week until she is born. Meantime we will just wait until labor begins and pray for an easy delivery and a healthy little girl. Yay!!

Cloth Dipes 101

2011-01-10T18:19:00.000-08:00

Now that I've had one month of experience with cloth diapering, I've learned a lot that I wanted to share for anyone out there who might be thinking about going this route with their baby.

1. It's not nearly as intimidating as I had imagined and the extra laundry is not as daunting as I had thought. I do about 1-2 extra loads - small/medium sized - per week. That's really nothing compared to the amount of laundry a 5 person family generates. Caring for the cloth diapers is not a big deal either. I've gone the cheapest route (Gpant covers for about $12.00/each and Walmart prefolds for $0.85 each) and it works just fine.

2. Cloth diapers don't leak. We have not had a single leak or blowout since using cloth on Griffin, and he's 20 months old and can generate a lot of waste through the night.

3. Swishing out the solid waste into the toilet is not nearly as gross as I had imagined it would've been. In fact, it's nothing compared to changing a nasty, squishy disposable diaper from a 3-year old. (Note: Schaeffer is now potty-trained!!). And for some reason the poopie diapers don't stink as bad in the cloth dipes.

4. A wet diaper pale contains the smell much better than a dry pale. Note: An exclusively breastfed baby's poop does not stink at all so a dry pale will work just fine for Charlotte in the first year. But for Griffin, I half fill a pale - an 8 gallon garbage can with a pop-up lid and handles that I bought at Walmart - with water and add about 1/2 cup of white vinegar. This keeps the pale from stinking. In fact, for the first 2-3 days the pale has no smell at all unless you hold your head over the open bucket. On the 3rd day I carry the pale to the laundry room, dump all the contents into the washer, do a rinse/spin cycle, and then a wash cycle (thanks, Mom, for the washing advice). Dipes come out clean and fresh.

5. I change diapers about as frequently as I did with disposables. Griffin gets his diaper changed about 4-5 times per day. We have not had to change this schedule since using cloth.

6. It's just as easy to do cloth diaper changes away from home as it is at home. I have a "clean" bag which holds the clean diapers, and a "dirty" bag which holds the, well, you know. When I get home I dump the dirty stuff into the pale. For Charlotte, I purchased a wet bag (hers is pink) that has an outer mesh pocket to hold the clean stuff. I may order one for Griff too since it will eliminate having so many bags to pack into the diaper bag. And then I can get them embroidered with their names - how cute would that be?!

7. The type of laundry detergent you use on the cloth dipes can make a difference if you have a baby with sensitive skin. Griffin's eczema on his backside and hips has completely cleared up, but I noticed he started developing irritation on his "under-carriage." After a little bit of research I learned that some detergents contain enzymes which are added to break down sweat, urine, and other bodily juices. This would normally be a good thing to get clothes cleaner except for sensitive skin babies. The enzymes are not fully rinsed off the diapers and when the baby pee's or poo's, the enzymes attack the waste on the baby's skin causing rash and irritation. All three detergents that I had in my laundry room - Tide Free, Dreft, and Walmart's Great Value Lavendar detergent - list enzymes in their ingredients. And most free & clear detergents contain optical brighteners which also lingers on the diapers causing irritation to sensitive skin. But, alas, I found this nifty website that has rated a bunch of detergent brands for use on cloth diapers. I found a very inexpensive brand, sold at Walmart and grocery stores, that works perfectly and received the highest score of 4 stars: Arm & Hammer Essentials (Mountain Rain scent is very clean smelling).

8. We will save big bucks! I did the math calculating the cost of the disposable diapers we normally had used and we will save about $1400-$1500 per year on diapers for Griffin and Charlotte combined. You can't deny those numbers! My initial investment in the cloth diapers and accessories was around $300 total for Griff's and Charlotte's. We will see an ROI in about 3 months.

9. The cloth diapers are really cute. Bonus! Griff looks super cute running around in his diapered bottom with his bright orange, red or green diaper cover. I bet Charlotte will look sweet wearing her pink ones and a matching crocheted hat (thanks to Aunt Heather).

To summarize, I should've done this sooner starting with Lily when she was a newborn. But, in my defense, with the first baby there are already so many overwhelming changes in the home that adding worries over diapers may have sent me over the edge. Disposables were probably the best choice for this new mom. Now I am much more confident and more relaxed about experimenting with different things. I hope this information helps a new or experienced mom out there somewhere.

Enough About Me

2011-01-05T09:38:00.001-08:00

I think I've written enough about myself lately. I get sort of sick of hearing about myself and need a good distraction. That's when I get online and try to find some cool, funky, groovy, blogs with really cool style that I wish I had possessed. I'm too much of a traditional, conventional, practical kinda gal to branch out into my really artistic side (it's in there somewhere but I shove it back down into its rightful place). Anyway, like I said, enough about me. Here are two blogs that I enjoy because they mix the old and the new in a cool sleek sorta way.

Restyled Home

Door Sixteen

The Pressure is Mounting

2011-01-04T18:13:00.000-08:00

The pressure is mounting, and I mean that literally. Boy am I feeling some pressure lately! The contractions continue to be frequent all day and all night. I feel like I've been in labor for four months now. Exhausting! Tomorrow, Wednesday, I get to stop taking the medications which have slowed down and weakened the contractions. And then we get to wait and see what happens. I am 35 weeks tomorrow and Dr. B would not go to any great lengths to stop labor at this point. I've fought this preterm labor jive long and hard, and I hope Charlotte holds on until at least 36 weeks but its now time to set the contractions free and see what progress occurs.

As of last week I was 50% effaced and not yet dilated. I would have to guess that things have changed this week. I have been taking my meds around the clock and it has been somewhat effective. But the contractions have not stopped over the past 3 weeks as they had about 4 weeks ago when I actually experienced a bit of relief. The contractions have noticeably picked up and are steady. Last night I had them every 10-12 minutes for 3 hours before they tapered off and I was then able to sleep...after 3 a.m. Like I said - exhausting!

Preterm labor is physically and mentally exhausting. As the word denotes, "labor" is just that. As the contractions get closer, like every 10 minutes, I begin getting hot and sometimes sweat as if I'm doing a workout even when I'm relaxing in bed. My body gets tired and some of my muscles get weak and sore. I notice my upper leg muscles begin to weaken and get shaky making it difficult to stand for a period of time. My back aches and my neck muscles get tense from the stress.

When I was first diagnosed with preterm labor around 22 weeks, each contraction was scary. I knew the baby's chance of survival would be slim. When I hit 30 weeks I was more at ease but still concerned about her being born too early. And now here I am at 35 weeks. I've been given permission to stop taking medication, but I've had a difficult time relaxing because I'm still trying to accept the fact that the contractions are now okay. Contractions like this, and being 50% effaced, are somewhat normal at 35 weeks. So now I'm trying to breath and relax through each one, remembering that it is good, important, and necessary. This week I've found myself trying to be more busy so that I'm not focused on each labor pain. Again, it is so mentally taxing. And then I wonder if I'll notice when it's time to head to the hospital. My biggest clue would be my water breaking. But as for these contractions, they have made themselves so much at home with me that I'm not sure I'll even notice when they pick up. Dr. B would have me call him when they get 5 minutes apart. I've learned to hate clocks! I've spent way too many hours the past four months checking the clock and wondering if today would be the day. Tonight and tomorrow, and possibly the next few weeks will be more of the same -- waiting, wondering, checking the clock.

Baby 4 Update

2010-12-30T08:57:00.000-08:00

I had an OB appointment yesterday with Dr. B's nurse practitioner, Leslie. Apparently Dr. B is out of the office until after New Year's. My appointment went as well as I had expected. Charlotte is still a very active little girl and her heart rate was going pitter-patter at 150 bpm. I'm measuring 34 weeks, which is exactly how far along I am. I've had a difficult week of contractions and pain. Leslie checked my cervix because of all the contractions. She said I was definitely more thinned, probably about 50% effaced, but not dilated. That's good news! I have been given permission to stop taking Brethine next week. This medication has done a good job of slowing down the contractions with the occasional help of some prescribed narcotics. Leslie explained that Dr. B would not do much to stop labor past 35 weeks - that's next week! I've also been given permission to begin walking next week too. I've missed being able to go outside for a stroll and get some fresh air. I've definitely felt the cabin fever recently.

Unfortunately my blood glucose levels are getting tougher to manage. I've had 5-6 elevated readings over the past week. Leslie explained that Dr. B would want to put me on medication if I've had over 5 elevated readings in a week. I begged to not be put on more meds and I asked if I could try to eliminate even more carbs out of my diet for the remainder of this week and see if I can do it with diet alone. Leslie gave me permission but she made me promise to call their office next week if I've had no luck getting the glucose levels down. Leslie had some concern that I had lost some weight over the past few weeks, most likely due to the strict diabetes diet, but she was willing to let me try tweaking my diet this week before prescribing yet another pill. Of course, what really stinks, is that she was aware that being able to walk and exercise once a day would solve the problem completely. But for fear of me going into labor too soon, Leslie has ordered no walking or exercising until I'm at least 35 weeks. She said that having a premature baby would be a worse situation than me having to take a pill for the diabetes. Alas, she is right...

We are scheduled to have an ultrasound on Jan. 10, when I'm 36 weeks, to see how Charlotte is growing and to estimate her weight. Leslie explained that this is a routine ultrasound for moms with gestational diabetes to make sure the baby is not growing too large too quickly. And then she followed that up by explaining that my measurement was an indicator of Charlotte growing exactly the way she needed to be.

Now it's just time to ride out the discomforts of the remainder of this pregnancy, eat just meat and vegetables, and wait to see how long before the contractions get close enough to check into my suite at the luxurious St. Mary's Hospital.

Let the Christmas Festivities Begin!

2010-12-23T10:44:00.000-08:00

Christmas festivities are starting early for us this year. Tonight we celebrate with my family. Tomorrow night we celebrate with BJ's family. Christmas day we celebrate at home with our kids and then back to my parents' house for a big breakfast! I love Christmastime!

Merry Christmas to everyone! Hope your holidays are filled with joy as you celebrate the birth of our Saviour. A baby changed everything...

That Kind of Mom

2010-12-22T17:55:00.001-08:00

BJ was bringing to my attention the other day that I've turned into that kind of mom. You know, the mom who drives a mini van, home schools her kids, has lots of babies, exclusively breastfeeds them till at least 12 months, diapers them in cloth, and sometimes makes my own natural beauty products from food ingredients. Yikes! I guess I have turned into that kind of mom. But then he reminded me that I'm also that kind of mom who carries a Coach bag, wears Versace sunglasses, and carries a Droid. Perhaps I am that kind of mom, too. I guess I'll always be my own kind of mom...and a bit superficial.

Traumatic Weekend

2010-12-21T18:14:00.000-08:00

Our weekend ended up being a little scary and a lot exhausting. On Saturday evening, as we were all heading out the door to grab drive-thru dinner and to go see the light show at the Smokies Stadium, Lily tripped over BJ's foot and landed hard on the living room floor. When she sat up I could immediately tell that there was something terribly wrong with her left arm. Her arm dangled from her elbow like a cooked noodle. I started saying, "She has to go to the ER right now!" BJ examined her arm and asked her if she could move it. I knew she could not by the looks of it. I just kept repeating, "She needs to go to the ER! Put her in the van and I'll grab her stuff." BJ soon realized what I had seen and he moved quickly to load her into her car seat in his car. He insisted that he take her. He saw I was in no condition to drive and handle the emergency situation. He was absolutely right. I was panicking.

Soon BJ started giving me text updates while they were at Children's Hospital. First it was "Saw the doctor. L is getting morphine. Getting ready to do xray" I was relieved they took her in so quickly and was able to give her pain relief right away. The next text that came said, "They are keeping her tonight. Surgery at 8 a.m. tomorrow." That's when I called BJ and asked what was going on and why this didn't just involve setting the break, a putting on a cast, and coming home a few hours later. Turns out she fractured her arm just above her elbow joint. The on-call orthopedic surgeon explained that because of the location of the break, the muscles and ligaments there were very strong, and in order to keep the bones in place she would need two pins placed in the bones. That's when I packed my bags and made arrangements to go to the hospital to stay with Lily and BJ overnight. Thanks to my brother who came and kept the boys overnight and the whole next day.

When I got to the hospital Lily was already in a room hooked up to IV and monitors and her arm was in a splint. She looked pitiful. She was clearly drugged, but she still experienced a lot of pain in her arm. She especially had pain when she needed to get up to go to the bathroom, or when she needed to get adjusted in the bed. Her little body shook all over from the pain and she cried every time she moved. Luckily, she was able to rest fairly well once she got comfortable in her bed, and 8 a.m. came very quickly. The surgeon was right on time and his assisting staff was excellent. The surgery only lasted about 20 minutes, and afterward, the surgeon said her arm was fixed. The cast would need to stay on for about 4 weeks. After that time he would evaluate her arm and then both the cast would come off and the pins would come out.

We were able to come home at 2 p.m. on Sunday. We all took a three hour nap before my brother returned with the boys. Lily is doing very well now. Her pain is lessened a lot since Saturday night. She has only needed Advil or Tylenol instead of the other pain meds the doctor prescribed. Lily is doing great with her cast. She complains that it itches underneath and that it begins to hurt if she's up playing for awhile. That's when she lays down on the couch or on her bed and we prop up her arm with pillows. She has been a real trooper through all of this.

And then tonight we had another little scare. Schaeffer has seen us giving Lily Advil and Tylenol. When we got everyone in bed, we had left the Advil on the bathroom counter upstairs knowing Lily may need a dose in the middle of the night. Schaeffer sneaked out of his bedroom and we heard him making noises upstairs. BJ went up to check on him and caught him with the Advil bottle open with the measuring spoon used. I immediately called Walgreens and talked with the pharmacist. We think he only drank about 2 1/2 teaspoons because that's how much one measuring spoon holds and based on what was left in the Advil bottle. Schaeffer's dosage would only be about 1 1/2 teaspoons. The pharmacist reassured me that Advil is not toxic even at the dosage he took. The only side effect he may experience is an upset stomach. Whew! I sure was praying that we weren't taking another trip to the ER tonight!

Some days it's awfully exhausting being a parent...

Cloth Diapering Review

2010-12-14T18:10:00.000-08:00

I think I'm finally getting adjusted to the idea of cloth diapering. Thanks to everyone who left me a comment on my first post about cloth diapering. You gave great feedback and you boosted my confidence. I've visited the recommended websites and have a learned a great deal.

It's been a week now since beginning this experiment and I think its worth sticking with. Griffin's eczema on his hips and bottom are much improved. In fact, I haven't seen him scratch in those areas since we began using cloth. It has been a very quick improvement in his skin condition in those areas which were the worst spots on his entire body. He still struggles with eczema everywhere and he does seem to be extra sensitive to wetness on his bottom and boy parts but that would be the same with disposables or cloth. His hips and little "cheekies" are vastly improved. I know he would thank me if he knew how.

(Side note: CeraVe Cream has been awesome for his all-over eczema. This is hands-down the best moisturizing cream for his severely dry itchy skin. The stuff is not cheap - about $16/bottle - but much cheaper and better than dermatology appointments and medications).

I have been using Gerber prefolds as inserts in his diaper covers. I currently have a Happy Heinys cover, a Tweedle Bug cover, and two gDiaper covers. I'm a little disappointed in the Happy Heinys cover because the velcro has already weakened with only two washes (line drying) and the snaps that make it adjustable for one-size don't hold well. The Tweedle Bug and gDiaper covers are my favorites. I like that the gDiaper is less bulky and easy to adjust. The waistband is elastic all the way around which keeps the insert in place better. And because the fabric on the outside is a soft stretchy cotton like exercise clothing, it moves well with Griffin keeping the diaper from gaping and allowing leaks. Other perks: gDiapers can be purchased at our local Babies R Us in two-packs which are cheaper than buying them online; the waterproof lining snaps in and out so you can just change the liner if it gets soiled; and they offer disposable, non-plastic, flushable inserts which would be perfect for when we are away from the house. I may try the gCloth reusable inserts next and see how they compare to the cotton Gerber prefolds that I have been using. They are made of two layers of microfleece and two layers of hemp/cotton for maximum absorbency which may work well for nighttime and naps. If all goes well with cloth diapering, Charlotte will be in cloth too so I can avoid purchasing disposable diapers for the next three years. That could mean we'd save about $2,000 per year! School tuition anyone?

I Think We Have a Name...Maybe?

2010-12-13T09:35:00.000-08:00

Picking a name for Baby 4 has been a big challenge. We've gone through quite an extensive list, flip-flopping from one to another, changing our minds from week-to-week. But I think we've finally settled on a name that BJ and I both like and feel will suit Baby 4. Drum roll please...Charlotte Gray. Other names that we considered include Violet (picked by Lily and Schaeffer), Gillian, Norah, and Lachlan.

I've been busy the past 2 weeks getting Charlotte's clothing, blankets, and bedding ready for her arrival. I haven't had to purchase a single outfit so far since I kept all of Lily's clothes. I've kept them packed away in storage totes. These past 2 weeks have kept me (read: BJ) busy with pulling out totes, sorting, and washing. Lily was a little munchkin - born 6 lb 2 oz and got down to 5 lb 2 oz in the first week after birth. She wore preemie sizes for the first few weeks. So I have preemie, newborn and up.

We are setting up a temporary nursery in our bedroom with a crib, changing table and rocker. I just have to figure out how to make it all fit. The plan is to eventually move Griffin into Schaeffer's room and give Charlotte Griffin's room with the crib, changing table combo dresser, large dresser and rocker. But for now Griffin needs to stay in his crib in his own room since he has been such a light sleeper. We definitely don't want to disrupt his sleep patterns knowing we'll be having a newborn waking us up every 2-3 hours.

Getting ready and excited to meet Charlotte Gray!

Cloth Diapering

2010-12-08T10:21:00.001-08:00

Looks like I'm about to jump into the world of cloth diapering. I've been putting this off for many reasons as you probably already know what those are. But my poor little Griffin has such horrible eczema, especially during the cold months, that I'm now willing to try just about anything to help him get relief. Eczema covers him from head to toe, but it is much worse around his diaper area on his lower back and bottom. He will scratch and dig into his skin until he bleeds. I haven't found any magical cure - creams, lotions, potions, or meds - to help clear up this problem. His dermatologist has prescribed a slew of prescription creams and oils, all of which work temporarily. So...I'm going to try using cloth diapers for a while to see if it helps control the eczema around his back and bottom.

I know cloth diapering is as old as the hills, but to me its a bit intimidating. Have you seen the selection of cloth diapering options lately? Good grief! There are all-in-ones, flat fold, prefolds, inserts in cotton, fleece or hemp, one-size-fits-all diaper covers, sized diaper covers, velcro or buttons, and the list goes on. My hope is to get the most practical, easiest to clean and use, and cost effective. Prices for these things can range from $3.00 all the way up to over $20 for a diaper cover. Wow! Just to contain poop and pee?! For my trial run, I've opted for Happy Heiney's one-size cover (which can be handed down to Baby 4), a sized Tweedle Bug cover and some Thirsties duo inserts for naptime and overnight. It seems to me that the covers are the most expensive part and I'm hoping I can use cotton prefold diapers as inserts that can be purchased fairly inexpensively from Walmart or Target.

I've also read that you shouldn't use Desitin or other zinc or petroleum based creams with cloth diapers. And the recommendation is to not use bleach on the inserts. Sheesh! Really?! No one is making this cloth diapering thing easy. I just won't feel like the inserts are getting clean without a good dose of bleach. I may do it anyway and break away from all the "green" rules for cloth diapering. My neighborhood has restrictions against having clothes lines so we won't be able to hang them outside to benefit from the sun's natural bleaching and sanitizing qualities.

Does anyone have any experience with cloth diapering? Any advice for a mom starting out in this area?

In My Mommy Tool Belt

2010-12-06T18:27:00.001-08:00

I was just thinking through my favorite mommy "tools." Do you have any tried-and-true favorite things? I'd love to hear about them.

Here are mine:

1) Aquaphor ointment - I have this stuff in all my kids' rooms, in the diaper bag, in my bathroom, and in the kitchen cabinet. It can be used on dry skin, chaffed skin, chapped lips, diaper-rashed booties, irritated skin from moisture (on mouth around pacifier or in rolls of neck after a drooling session), and the list goes on. It is completely safe for newborns. Honestly I think they could eat the stuff and it wouldn't hurt them (disclaimer: don't try it). I couldn't live without this stuff.

2) Nuk pacifiers - These have been the paci of choice around here 2 out of 3 times. What I like about them: they are cheap and readily available. If you lose one on a road trip, you can swing into a Walgreens - and some gas stations - and pick up a pack. I know this from experience.

3) Flannel receiving blankets - Oh the things you can do with them: swaddle baby, lay under baby's head in her bassinet or crib as a Sheet Saver to catch spit-up and drool, burp cloths (those little burp cloths sometimes don't cut it), and nursing cover-up . Afterwards when they are stained and not suitable for baby, you can use them to dust your house and even to wipe off sweat after a good workout. They are absorbent and soft. Lots of uses.

4) Baby washcloths - I cannot have enough of these things. Ours get worn out after a year or two I guess because our kids are filthy little crumb critters. I've used them as baby wipes when they've had major diaper rash and regular baby wipes are irritating. You just have to wet them, wipe, then toss into the laundry. These little washcloths also work well for removing makeup because they are soft and the perfect size. Again, these can double as dusting rags once they become unsuitable to wipe little Angel's face and hiney.

5) Bounty paper towels - Talk about a hardworking mommy tool, what would I do without Bounty paper towels? I can seriously use a roll a day and that's why we buy them in bulk. The list is endless for their uses: cleaning up mega messes, wiping off faces and hands (much cheaper and less irritating than using baby wipes), and I also use this paper towel brand to make my own baby wipes (currently made with just water because of Griffin's sensitive skin).

6) Droid Pro - This is a newbie for me. BJ got me an early Christmas present this year because my Blackberry was failing me. I'm a much more efficient person with my SmartPhone. I can stay connected without being on the PC and neglecting my children. In addition to it's many capabilities such as phone, email, web, camera, video, etc. the Droid has some very cool mommy apps available: baby monitor; weather; Google shopper (compares prices when shopping by recognizing barcodes, label art, etc. and helps you find reviews, specs and more); Attention Grabber (get your kids' attention by pressing a key and your phone will sound off an air horn, fog horn, referee whistle, party horn, train whistle or machine gun); and so much more. So far I've only scraped the tip of the iceberg with this handy tool. I'm excited to learn all about it's capabilities!

Please leave a comment and share about your favorite mommy tools.

(Photo: The HippMama Belt at The HippMama)

We've Made it to 30 Weeks

2010-12-04T08:10:00.000-08:00

Now that I've made it to 30 with my pregnancy, I'm feeling much more relieved. I'm not sure why that brings me comfort. Maybe because I know we are in the last stretches - just seven more weeks to be considered full term. Seven weeks is not that far away, although, it's still too early for her to arrive. On a good note, contractions have seemed to slow down this week. I haven't had to take medication at all this week. I'm still having 1-2 contractions per hour, but I rarely have had more than that (one exception: every evening when I'm tired I experience more like 4-6 an hour but that's my cue to go to bed and then they subside for the night). My cervix has not changed since 3 weeks ago, which probably means the contractions haven't been frequent enough nor strong enough to make big changes. Because I've had a good week, Dr. B is letting me go two weeks before seeing him again.

But just as one thing begins going well with my pregnancy, I know something else will go wrong...I learned yesterday that I have gestational diabetes. This comes as no surprise since I've had it with my 2 previous pregnancies. Fortunately, my body managed to process glucose well for the first 30 weeks. Since I'm at risk for GD, Dr. B has tested me early at 12 weeks then again at 24 weeks. I was pleasantly surprised when I passed those earlier screenings knowing full well I could've failed them. So, for the last 7-10 weeks of this pregnancy I'll be focusing on my diet more closely (less carbs and more protein), pricking my finger 4 times a day, and hoping to manage the diabetes with diet without the need for meds. The good news about GD is that the diet makes it very difficult to gain excess weight. I need all the help I can get in that area!

With all of my pregnancies when I went into labor, I labored for several hours, requested an epidural to ease pain, and then completely pain-free delivered healthy, happy babies shortly after. Labor with Lily was 5 hours. Labor with Schaeffer (after my water broke fully) was 4 hours. Labor with Griffin was 3 hours. I'm thinking this time labor should be 2 hours. Ha ha ha! Maybe wishful thinking, but not impossible. With Griffin, I received an epidural just 20 minutes before time to push because I felt fine up until then. In the last minutes, the contractions really intensified, were 1 minute apart, and did not relax until Griff was born. I discussed several options with Dr. B about managing the pain if I did the same thing this time. I have a few options: 1) get an epidural from the very beginning and not worry about timing, 2) receive IV pain meds when needed, 3) go completely natural, 4) use a birthing tub full of warm water for labor and delivery (Dr. B is the only OB at St. Mary's to do water births). Option 4 requires about 30 minutes notification to give the hospital staff time to set up the inflatable tub and fill it with water. Thirty minutes sounds like a lot of time if I'm only in labor 2-3 hours. But, I'm thinking through all of these options. It's so hard to know because each labor is different and I don't know exactly what to expect this time.

Lily Won Best in Show

2010-12-01T10:31:00.001-08:00

I am SOOOOO PROUD of my little girl! Today was her school's Art Fair. She submitted an acrylic painting on canvas based on her inspiration of a Bible verse. Since she has been all about eagles and hawks lately, we thought a verse that included eagles would be perfect. This is what she created and this is what earned her Best in Show...

"...but they who wait for the LORD shall renew their strength; they shall mount up with wings like eagles; they shall run and not be weary; they shall walk and not faint" (Isaiah 40:31).

Lily pictured here with her painting and a few of her classmates. She won a gift bag full of art supplies and a big purple ribbon.

I am so proud of her! I didn't get the chance to go to the Art Fair today because Griffin had speech therapy, but BJ took Lily this morning to Panera Bread for breakfast and then to the Art Fair to join her classmates. When he called to tell me the news I started crying. Silly, I know. Maybe its the pregnancy hormones or maybe its the overwhelming joy of watching my little girl create something beautiful and then seeing her be recognized for her hard work and creativity.

A Country Farmhouse...Indeed!

2010-12-01T10:24:00.000-08:00

I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this blog, A Country Farmhouse*. If I had a farmhouse, this is how I imagine I'd decorate mine. It would be simple with white walls and lots of things I love, such as original artwork, antique quilts, and antique furniture. I love her style and it's really fun that she is expecting twins this month so you can watch the progression of her nursery design and her selection of antique baby quilts and consigned baby clothes. So fun!

*This blog will have a permenant space on my sidebar under {dream} because this blog inspires me to dream.

The Special Things My Man Does

2010-11-27T17:23:00.000-08:00

He handles bath time and bedtime for each of our monkeys.

He clips their fingernails and toenails. (I get squeamish at the thought of trimming their nails after I had cut the tip of Lily's tiny finger when she was a baby. Since then BJ has handled the trimmings.)

He brushes their teeth.

He wrestles with the boys in the living room floor.

He gives Lily piggy-back rides.

Before bedtime, he goes through an elaborate bedtime routine for Lily...he reads a bedtime story, says prayers, brings her a fresh cup of cold water, fluffs her pillow, and sometimes warms her quilt in the dryer. (I feel sorry for her future husband. Her Daddy is setting the standard high.)

During my pregnancy...

He brings me a peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich and a glass of milk to me in bed every night, and he always brings me a full cup of cold water to put on my nightstand.

He rubs my back and my head when I'm feeling worn out from a long day of contractions and discomfort.

He doesn't allow me to lift a finger. I haven't done dishes or laundry in 8 weeks.

He looks at me like he did the first day we got married even though I'm much more round and not feeling at all pretty.

Every day...

He greets me at the bottom of the stairs in the morning with a smile and a hug. It makes me feel like a school girl going on a first date.

He tells me that I'm beautiful when most days I feel tired and fat.

He asks me every day, "Have I told you how much I love you today?" Even though the answer is yes I always say "No" so that he will tell me again.

Overheard

2010-11-27T16:58:00.001-08:00

Overheard at the Thanksgiving table at Grandmama's house:
Lily turned toward her Uncle Matthew: "Uncle Matthew, who are all these people and why are they still here?" Ha ha! Silly girl, they are called family. I guess we don't get to see them enough.

Overheard during a conversation between BJ and Lily:
BJ and Lily were standing outside in the driveway after dark looking up at the stars. Lily correctly pointed out Jupiter and then asked about some other bright lights in the sky. Then BJ proceeded to ask Lily what was her favorite planet. Lily responded, "Earth. I like Earth a lot. I don't ever want to leave it."

Overheard in the living room:
When I asked Schaeffer why he went poopie in his diaper (he is potty training), he responded, "My bottom just went poopie by itself. I couldn't stop it."

Overheard in Schaeffer's bedroom:
I asked Schaeffer one day, while Lily was at school, "Do you want to go outside and play?" Schaeffer replied, "Nah, I just wanna lay back, play with my trucks, and drink my sippy cup."

Overheard in the kitchen:
Sometimes Ciera, our niece, stays with us on weekends. Griffin threw a football toward Ciera and said, "Touchdown!" Griffin now has about 10 words in his vocabulary. Can you guess what they are? (Hint: He's ALL boy) Answer: ball, vrroom, choo-choo, ball, batman, touchdown, go, more, please, and mama.

Happy Thanksgiving!

2010-11-24T08:38:00.000-08:00

We are planning for a pretty busy Thanksgiving holiday. Hope to be back on the blog track after the holiday. Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Love,
Emily

Check...Check...Check!

2010-11-22T11:27:00.000-08:00

Baby necessities purchased...check.

Kids' closets and drawers cleaned out and sorted...check.

Christmas shopping done...check.

The only big things left on the list before Baby 4 arrives: sort through all the toys and donate some (making more space); pull baby bassinet, baby bathtub, and newborn outfits out of storage; and secure the infant carrier into the van.

Just 10-12 more weeks to go, I hope.

My Bags are Packed

2010-11-09T10:46:00.000-08:00

Today I packed my hospital bag. I sure hope it's not needed for another 3 months. But history has proven that I may be making a few trips to the hospital for labor checks and/or injections to stop contractions and labor. I'm 27 weeks tomorrow and preterm labor is still progressing. I now have weekly visits with Dr. B - and have been for the past 5 weeks. On Friday at my appointment with Dr. B, I was informed that I will be seeing him every week until this baby arrives. I sort of figured that out.

The Baby 4 update has become more like "my cervix update." It's all about the cervix at this point. BJ says he will miss the day when the word cervix is not used in our regular conversation. He's kidding, of course! And since we are on that topic, my cervix has thinned a slight bit more since my last measurement. It went from 2.4 cm to 2.3 cm. I think Dr. B's biggest concern though is the number of contractions I'm having every day and every hour, and that my cervix is funneling. That simply means that my cervix is beginning to dilate from the uterine side, which is where dilation first occurs. Funneling is detected by ultrasound. Dr. B thinks we'll be having a 2010 baby. I'm hoping to pray this baby into 2011.

I was also informed during my appointment on Friday that there's a possibility that I'll be admitted into the hospital for 24-48 hours if the medication that I'm currently taking does not stop or slow down contractions. In the hospital, Dr. B would give me IV meds. He wants to know when I have 4 or more contractions an hour. Unfortunately, I've had plenty of times when I've had 4 or more an hour but after an hour or two my medication and rest have slowed them down to more like 1-2 an hour. I'm trying to stay out of the hospital as long as possible if I can do things at home to control the contractions. But, each week the medication seems to be less effective. Dr. B warned me of that as my body becomes used to the medication.

On a good note, Baby 4 is doing great! She's active and has a good strong heartbeat. I've received steroid injections to speed up her lung development in the event that she is born early. Every day she stays in the oven the better off she will be.

During this experience with preterm labor, I have received a ton of questions so I thought I'd include this link to a reliable source, which comes from the same source that my doctor has given to me within a book about pregnancy and childbirth. The two most common questions I've received are: Are you having Braxton-Hicks contractions? Are you having preterm labor because this is your fourth baby? The answer to both of these question is "no." There is a list of risk factors for preterm labor, and surprisingly the number of subsequent pregnancies is not one of them. And, contractions can be labeled Braxton-Hicks if they are not coming at a rate of 4 or more an hour and if they are not changing your cervix. At that point, the diagnosis is preterm labor or labor if you are full-term.

I ask for your prayers for Baby 4 and for our family as we try to manage our household and do all the things necessary to keep a healthy pregnancy going to full-term. We trust God with Baby 4 and we know that He has only the best plans in store for her.

Griffin is 18 months

2010-11-06T09:17:00.000-07:00

It is so hard to wrap my head around the idea of Griffin being 18 months old - that's just 6 months shy of 2 years old. Griffin turned 18 months on Oct. 23. It's so funny because I have a lot of people say, "He's so cute and sweet." Don't be fooled, ya'll, by the chubby cheeks and endearing smile! The boy can be down-right rotten! It bugs me to read the blogs that say, "Oh my baby is so precious, so sweet, so angelic, and perfect in every way." Remember, I have 3 of these little "angels" and I KNOW the truth behind the blog. So here's for keeping it real...

The rotten list:

1. Griffin seems to find joy in hitting and scratching his big bro and sis - you can tell by the little quirky grin he gives after he inflicts the pain. In his defense, they probably deserve it 98% of the time, but he seems to find too much joy in being rotten.

2. He climbs, and he climbs, and he climbs.on.every.thing!

3. He pushes buttons on the TV and surround sound controls every single day, without fail, just to get a big reaction from his siblings. Works every time!

4. He is not a good sleeper. He fights it. He still gets up in the middle of the night and screams from his crib for 15-20 minutes. If Daddy goes into his room to see what's the matter, he throws an even bigger tantrum. He only wants Mommy between the hours of midnight and 5 a.m.

5. He pulls food and stuff from the pantry every day just to throw it across the kitchen floor. This has become increasingly aggravating since it's harder for me to bend over and pick up the messes.

6. He likes to poke people in the eyes and other face holes. Watch out!

But, he does have some redeeming qualities which makes him a keeper:

1. He's precious.

2. He's sweet.

3. He's angelic.

4. And he's perfect in every way!

I love my little Smiley Wiley!

October in Pix

2010-11-06T08:57:00.001-07:00

At last I have some pictures to share...

Lily's class had a Fall Party. She's my little ham!

Miss Violet Tudor, the classes' honorary Grandmother, shared some goodies with the class at the Fall Party.

During our homestudy week (Knox County's fall break) we took a look at Creation Week through Genesis 1. One day we got to combine two of Lily's favorite things...dirt and recycling junk. We planted grass seed in a milk carton to watch the seeds germinate then start sprouting grass.

We visited Maple Lane Farms and hunted down pumpkins in their pumpkin patch. Baby 4 appears to be about the size of a small pumpkin. (Realistically she's probably the size of a grapefruit and the rest is because mommy is eating too much. LOL.)

There were lots of things for kids to do at Maple Lane Farms. The boys enjoyed the big slide together over...and over...and over again.

News from Here

2010-11-01T18:10:00.000-07:00

We've had quite the busy few weeks around here. I have so many pictures to share, but unfortunately I've been experiencing computer problems (and some pregnancy complications). One day I hope to say "Farewell HP. Hello Mac!" but that's another story for another time.

Two weekends ago our Bible Fellowship met at Maple Lane Farms for kids' activities, hayrides, pumpkin pickin' (there were many pumpkins still growing on the vine - unlike last year at Oakes Farm where they bring in boxes of pumpkins and spread them across an empty field), and fried oreos and twinkies (No thanks!). We had beautiful weather for our day of agritainment.

A few weeks ago, Lily's school had a Fall Party. All the moms pitched in so everyone could have pizza, cupcakes, candy, treat bags, and games. Miss Violet Tudor attended the party and brought each child a little ceramic pumpkin and a homemade cookie. She shared a little bit of time with the students. It's so neat to have that sort of love, support and prayer from a retired school teacher in our community. The other homeschool moms are so much fun to be around and they all have really sweet children. We have a good time when we get together. Last week Lily's class took a field trip to Oakes Farm. I was unable to attend due to my situation with preterm labor, but Lily was able to ride with her good buddy, Lexi.

On Sunday night (Halloween) we hosted a Community Harvest Party at our house. Our church members hosted parties all across Knox and Blount County to reach out to our neighbors and share the gospel. We planned our party a bit late so we didn't get to do much pre-planning. But it turned out to be lots of fun. We always enjoy hanging out with the couples and their children from our Bible Fellowship class. And we had the chance to pass out about 200 bags of candy which also contained gospel tracts, information about our church, and children's ministry opportunities.

BJ is rounding out another semester of seminary. He has been taking two classes this time - ethics and philosophy. These classes have kept him very busy with reading and writing papers. One day I hope to spend time with my sweet hubby again. LOL. He has one more day of classes (full day next Monday) and then he takes his finals. The timing will be perfect as we head into the holidays and as I will need more help around the house...

...Preterm labor is still a struggle for me. I've had a doctor appointment every week for the past four weeks. I'm still experiencing too many contractions for 25.5 weeks but I'm following my doctor's orders as best as I can to try to reduce the amount and intensity of the contractions. The contractions are causing early effacement (thinning or shortening) and that's never a good thing at this point. My cervix should measure at least 3 cm but it is now measuring 2.4 cm. Who'da thought 0.6 cm could make that big of a difference? Dr. B says so far he would not change treatment for me based on this information, but he said if my cervix thinned beyond a certain point (I think I remember him saying 2.0 cm) then he may consider cerclage (or as he worded it, "put a stitch or two in your cervix." Yikes!). I'm praying that doesn't become necessary.

I'm looking forward to, and hoping for, a relaxing and less hectic next 3 months so I can focus on keeping Baby 4 in the oven. I thank the Lord for my friends, Leslie, Lori and Casey, who have helped me by doing some household chores, picking Lily up from school, and taking care of my other 3 monkeys so that I can lie down for a few minutes. God is good to send what I need when I need it.

My Bathroom Resembles My Kitchen

2010-10-11T08:01:00.000-07:00

Lately my bathroom counter has begun to look more like my kitchen counter. My latest beauty products are made with things you could eat, but they also make great skin care products.

{Facial cleanser for oily skin}

Yes, even oily skin can be cleansed with oil. The right combo of oils can actually help balance your natural oil production instead of stripping it.
Grapeseed oil and sunflower oil contain omega-6 and omega-3 which are antioxidants and good for inflammation. Castor oil is a very powerful oil that lifts away oil, dirt, and makeup - too much can leave your skin too dry.

{Facial toner}
Witch hazel cleans and exfoliates; tea tree oil has antibacterial properties.

{Face and body moisturizer}
Vitamin E oil promotes the production of collagen and elastin and is good for inflammation, reducing the appearance of aging, stretch marks, and acne scars; grapeseed oil and safflower oil are lightweight, fast-absorbing oils which are great for naturally oily skin that needs light moisture. Olive oil would be a better choice for those with dry skin.

{Sugar scrub}

Thanks to my friend Jen, this is a wonderful concoction!
Sugar, sunflower oil, lavendar essential oil. This stuff smells amazing and it leaves my skin so soft. This sugar scrub is gentle enough to use on face and body.

And thanks to my SIL, Heather, who gave me the book Green Beauty. It's a wonderful resource. In this book the author writes about the harms of certain chemicals regularly used in beauty products and gives great detail about the benefits of common natural ingredients and how to mix them and use them.

I'm still struggling to find the perfect natural hair care products. I've used a few and have been dissappointed. Maybe one day I'll happen upon the perfect recipe.

For Sale

2010-10-11T06:55:00.000-07:00

We've got a few items around our house for sale. We've been starting some early (or late) Spring cleaning - or maybe its nesting. But I'm hoping to sale a few items that take up extra space and use that money toward the purchase of these beauties:

For sale...

1. ProForm 1200 treadmill

2. Small TV (maybe 16") and DVD player (both were used with the treadmill)

3. Graco highchair - White with dark blue and green seat cover, reclining seat, height adjustable, removable dishwasher-safe tray

If you are interested in any of these items we can work you up a really good deal. Really, I'd just love for you to remove them from my house.

Difficult Days Ahead

2010-10-06T09:20:00.000-07:00

Last night BJ's mom's husband, Doug, passed away suddenly from a heart attack. He will be greatly missed. Lily and Schaeffer LOVED to visit Doug. He was just a big kid at heart and would always find fun things for the kids to do when we visited - make pillow forts on the floor, explore the backyard and flower gardens, and all sorts of things to keep them busy. We will miss Doug and I know Nana Kaye will experience a long period of grief as Doug was such a wonderful husband, helper, provider, and so much more to her. Please pray for Nana Kaye.

As a side note, and not nearly as devestating as the news about Doug, I learned this morning that my pre-term labor (FFN) test came back positive. That means I will need to really take it easy, focus on resting as much as possible (not necessarily bed rest at this point), drink lots of fluids to stay well hydrated, and take Brethine when the contractions start up. Of course, I went through all of this with Griffin and he made it to 39 weeks - completely full term and healthy. All of these measures are precautionary.

We would welcome your prayers for our family this week as we will be facing some difficult days ahead.

It's Elementary

2010-10-01T07:57:00.000-07:00

A huge pet peeve of mine is grammatical ignorance. I can understand and overlook an occasional typo. Everyone has a moment. I am not going to pretend to be the grammar expert, but I cringe at the misuse of the words "I" and "me" in a sentence. Isn't this one of those grammar rules we all learned in first grade? Okay, maybe it's more like 5th grade, but as adults, that gives us quite a few years of practice to ace this rule. I have read countless blogs over the past few weeks that have contained errors around the use of I and me. (No worries, none of the offenders are Phaneroo followers because you guys are totally brilliant!) For the rest of the blogging community out there, let's review an easy way to remember how to properly use I and me:

Correct uses:
I went to the park.
He went to the park with me.
He and I went to the park.

Incorrect uses:
Me and him went to the park.
(Remove him, which by the way is also incorrect, and the sentence would read like this: "Me went to the park." Silly, right?)
He went to the park with Sue and I.
(Remove Sue and the sentence would read like this: "He went to the park with I." Again, very silly.)

So to all the bloggers out there, let's all promise to review our grammar rules; and, at the very least, get this one right. It's elementary, my dear Watson. Elementary.

Farmhouses for Your Viewing Pleasure

2010-09-30T09:02:00.000-07:00

Here are a few farmhouses in and around our area. Enjoy!

(Photos not taken by me.)

{Sevierville} This one is really a Victorian, but everyone knows that a Victorian is simply a hardworking Farmhouse all dolled up with a dress and makeup.

{Friendsville} This one is a Bungalow, but since the Farmhouse came first, the Bungalow takes a lot of inspiration from its predecessor.

{Corryton} This one is a Farmhouse cottage, just plain and simple cute. This one is my favorite!

Contraction City: Prayers Needed

2010-09-29T14:44:00.000-07:00

I fear the contractions have already begun. I experienced pre-term labor with Griffin starting at 28 weeks. Luckily he stayed in the oven until full term at 39 weeks. I believe it was all the prayers that kept him safe and healthy. I ask for your prayers again. I have not contacted Dr. B's office yet because the contractions are not in regular intervals (like every 5 or 7 minutes) and because I'm stubborn and don't want a trip to the hospital. But, I have noticed a marked difference since Sunday afternoon. Over the course of this week I've had days with few contractions followed by a day of continuous contractions. Today is one of those continuous contractions days. At my appointment and ultrasound on Friday, I was experiencing very few contractions. But they have definitely picked up every day since Sunday. If things continue as they are through the night and a large part of tomorrow, I will be calling Dr. B for instructions on next steps. Thanks for your prayers.

Things Have Changed

2010-09-28T08:53:00.001-07:00

Since Lily was born 5 1/2 years ago, things have changed in the baby gadget world. As I've been browsing through Target.com looking at a few baby necessities I'll need for Baby Four, I've come across a few additional things that I may need to consider for her.

1. Breathable crib bumper - This is new on the market since Lily. When she was born, the big, fluffy, custom-designed crib bumpers were all the rage. I never thought those were practical because I wondered how you could cram them into the washing machine once your sweet angel spewed all over it. Then, I noticed the "professionals" were advising against crib bumpers altogether to decrease the chance of SIDS. I never thought that was practical either since my babies would probably end up with a limb stuck through the crib bars, or worse, lose a paci and scream out for me to come find it at 3 a.m. The breathable crib bumper looks like an awesome compromise and one I might consider.

2. BPA-free bottles - Thank goodness Lily never took a bottle because now I'd be fretting over the cancer-causing particles I pumped into her little body if she did. Schaeffer was the only one who took a bottle, but luckily we quickly purchased a few BPA-free Avent bottles for him after I had already used the cancer-causing Dr. Brown's bottles for a few months. I will need to upgrade to these wide neck Dr. Brown's bottles since Dr. Brown's are my favorite.

3. Infant car seat - Things have changed so much in the car seat industry since Lily's birth. Now all car seats are equipped with three different seat securing devices: the car's seat belt, Latch, and tether. Our old infant carrier is only compatible with one, the car's seat belt. In the event that the car's seat belt were to fail in a crash, the other two securing devices would be backup. In addition, almost all car seats now come with EPS foam which is better for impact absorption. Again, this might be another important new purchase to consider for Baby Four. Our old infant seat is Graco so I may look at replacing it with this one.

It's funny how just a little while ago I posted about how I didn't need a single thing for Baby Four except a 2-3 years' supply of Pampers. Well, I guess things have changed...

Baby Four is...

2010-09-24T12:42:00.000-07:00

...gonna be wearing PINK!! And not because it's a girlie-boy. Haha! Baby Four is a girl!! She looked great today on the ultrasound - healthy, growing, moving and even doing some hand sucking. The ultrasound tech flipped over for a few minutes to 3D and 4D, a first for me, and we could see almost every detail of her sweet little face. Today has made me even more excited to get to meet her in early February. Let the name game begin! Will share more later on that...

Moby Wrap - Need Feedback Please

2010-09-23T11:28:00.000-07:00

Dear Moms,
Anyone out there use a Moby Wrap Baby Carrier or know someone who has? I have a Baby Bjorn Baby Carrier and have found it to be worth every penny...with one exception, I cannot wear it for a long amount of time. The weight is distributed mostly to my shoulders and that can make my shoulders and neck really tired and achey. Same with my Ring Sling, which I made. Otherwise, I love both my Baby Bjorn and Ring Sling carriers. The one benefit of the Baby Bjorn is that BJ can wear it too without looking silly. The Moby Wrap, however, looks so comfy because it looks like wearing a soft stretchy shirt with a baby tucked inside. The weight looks like it's distributed evenly between shoulders, back, and waist. I welcome feedback about this wrap or other carriers you've found to be exceptionally comfy that you can wear for a long period of time. I have a feeling Baby 4 will have to go along for the ride, and that will probably mean on my person most of the time.

P.S. My 20-week ultrasound is scheduled for tomorrow at 10 a.m. I am so excited I can hardly wait!!!

Grandparents' Day at RECA Smithwood

2010-09-20T13:13:00.000-07:00

Today Lily's school celebrated Grandparents' Day. Granddad and Grandmama were both able to attend which made Lily very happy. Today's event began with a special presentation and then chapel time. During the presentation each student gave Miss Violet Tudor a carnation with a card tied to it containing their name. Today Miss Tudor became the honorary grandmother of this first class of River's Edge at the Smithwood campus. Miss Tudor turned 90 years old this year. She was born and raised in the Fountain City/Smithwood community. In fact she still lives in the same house in which she was born. She had attended Smithwood Baptist since birth. Miss Tudor devoted 40 years as a school teacher in the community. Here are some really neat facts she shared with us today:

- When she began teaching with Knox County schools many years ago, teachers had to sign a contract stating that they would read at least 10 verses of scripture each day, pray, and lead the pledge of allegiance in their classrooms.

- Another part of her contract stated that she could not date or get married as long as she was a teacher. She was to be devoted to her students. Miss Tudor never married.

After chapel time we returned to the classroom for a reception for the grandparents. All us homeschool moms provided the food and drinks. It turned out to be a really special and fun day.

Counting Down...6...5...4...3...2...1

2010-09-18T11:14:00.000-07:00

Just 6 more days until we know the sex of Baby Four! I cannot wait!!! In a lot of ways this pregnancy is moving quickly, but some days - when I'm feeling really pregnant and another year older - this pregnancy is moving slowly. I'm grateful for all the little distractions in my life that keep me from dwelling on every second of this pregnancy. I can honestly say I've been stress-free this time around because I don't have any nervousness about labor and delivery. I'm very excited about that part. My past experiences have been so joyful and beyond anything I can describe. And I'm not nervous about caring for a newborn. It feels so routine this time. I start to get nervous when they turn 3 years old and all of a sudden I don't know what happens to my precious babies, and I don't have a clue how to make them stop throwing tantrums. That's usually when I turn to BJ and say, "Take care of that! Use any means necessary to make it stop!" Ha ha!

Friday, September 24th is the big ultrasound day! And then the real planning can begin - blue or pink?

RECA Camping Trip

2010-09-17T11:59:00.001-07:00

BJ and the two eldest kids are headed to Bandy Creek in Big South Fork for a camping trip organized by Lily's school, River's Edge Christian Academy. There are about 200 students enrolled at RECA and there will be about 100 campers (students and family) going on this trip. Their biggest turnout yet! This will be Lily's and Schaeffer's very first camping trip. I hope they have a blast...and take it easy on their daddy. I hope to have some photos to share when they get back tomorrow night.

Pillow Talk

2010-09-17T11:42:00.000-07:00

I love my husband for many many many reasons. One of the top reasons is his ability to make me laugh until I almost (read: slightly) pee in my pants. One of those moments happened just a few nights ago. We were trying to catch up on our long overdue conversation time - which mostly happens while we are lying in bed at night because the kids are also snug in their beds and the house is quiet. Our converstation drifted toward tatoos. BJ is always pitching a new tatoo idea to add to his existing artwork. Most days I think he's just brainstorming and being silly. I had the idea of using your body like a lot of people use their vehicles: a billboard for bumper stickers. You know, why not use it as a chance to spread a message or support a cause? BJ replied, "Yeah, how about a tatoo across my back that reads 'I heart my Shi Tzu.'" I just about rolled out of the bed laughing so hard. I couldn't stop. You know the kind of laughter that hurts your ribcage and you can't catch your breath? Hadn't done that in a while. It was awesome!

Playing in the Rain

2010-09-17T09:00:00.001-07:00

One thing that every kid needs to do at least once in their lifetime (mine do it at least several times a year)...Play in the rain! I bet our neighbors wonder what kind of parents we are letting our kids run barefoot in the backyard in the middle of a downpour.

Workspace

2010-09-17T08:46:00.000-07:00

How long have I lived in this house? Hmm...over 4 years. And I finally have a workspace of my own. The office has generally been BJ's domain. That's obvious by the coffee mugs, literary selections, and abundance of techie gadgets in the room. But now that I'm homeschooling, I desperately needed a prep/work space of my own. The dining room table wasn't cutting it. So I took over the large desk in the office. I still need to go through all the drawers and clean out a bunch of stuff to make room for school supplies so they don't crowd my workspace. But, this new workspace makes me feel so organized and efficient. I LOVE that!!

P.S. On the desk is a desktop computer and a laptop. My laptop is where I do most of my work. The desktop is quite old. About a year ago we had to completely wipe it clean because it was running like an old man. Now it works really great for just web surfing and a few other applications. We have kept the old man around for the kids' online learning resources and computer games. I feel the old man will eventually need to be moved to another location once the kids are old enough to crowd around it (and crowd me out of my workspace). For now it'll work just fine where it is.

Penny for the Arts

2010-09-13T07:29:00.000-07:00

Check out Penny4arts.com for some local (Knox County) arts and culture events that your student can attend for just one penny. Pretty nifty and thrifty!

09.06.2010 Metcalf Bottoms

2010-09-07T07:20:00.000-07:00

We spent Labor Day at Metcalf Bottoms in the Smokies with a whole slew of family: Grandmama, Granddad, Jonathan, Heather, Jacob, Ethan, Amelia, Matthew, Abby, Ciera, Nana Faye, and Heather's parents Rees and Betty. Grandmama and Granddad arrived early to secure us a good picnic location right on the river. And then they cooked us a big breakfast over a fire - eggs, bacon, sausage, hashbrowns, and coffee. The rest of us brought lunch stuff and snacks for the rest of the day. We had a blast!

09.03.2010 Chattanooga Discovery Museum

2010-09-07T07:08:00.000-07:00

BJ was able to take a few vacation days surrounding the Labor Day weekend. First stop: The Discovery Museum in Chattanooga...

16 Weeks - Flutters and Heartbeats

2010-08-25T10:42:00.000-07:00

Poor little Baby Four (not actually pictured here). This little one is not appearing to get much attention, mainly because he/she has been laying low...until now. You know the saying "the squeaky wheel gets the grease." Well that's certainly true in our home. We have a lot of squeaks around here - Lily's school, Schaeffer's 3-year old tantrums/attitude and potty-training (or stubborn lack of potty training), Griffin's weekly speech therapy with additional homework for me, and BJ's seminary classes which requires a lot of his time for study, reading and writing. Baby Four has not gotten a lot of attention. But then this weekend Baby Four made his/her existence more clearly known through some flutters and kicks. I'm now feeling frequent movement from the little bean. Up until now, besides pregnancy fatigue and indigestion, I haven't really noticed much about Baby Four. And then, I was keenly reminded this weekend that Baby Four is a little person who's growing, thriving, and moving. At my OB appointment on Monday, I heard the little heartbeat again. Again, it was quite rapid around 155 bpm. Meaning this little bean can get pretty active.

This pregnancy has definitely been tougher for the fact that rest doesn't come very often (and for the fact that I'm another year older). When rest does come I feel as though I could sleep 12-14 hours, but that rarely happens unless I go to bed at 7 a.m. And believe me, I've tried.

In the past I've not been good at receiving help during pregnancy. I'd be stubborn and say, "Oh, that's okay. I can handle it. I can lift those boxes/rearrange the furniture/carry a 35-pound toddler up the steps/etc." Not this time. You wanna come clean my house, fold laundry, take my kids for a few hours? I'll gladly accept. I learned my lesson during the last pregnancy when preterm labor hit at 28 weeks. The reality of a baby being born well before it was ready was enough to sideline me for the remainder of the pregnancy. I was forced to accept help with things that were so routine for me. I have not forgotten that lesson. This time I'm letting things go. The toys in the living room are rarely picked up (by me), the kids' laundry doesn't always make it into their hampers nor the washing machine, the dishes get piled around the sink, the bathrooms don't always get a thorough cleaning. But you know what? This is temporary and the health of Baby Four has become more important. Before too long I'll be back in business and my house will once again be restored to order and cleanliness. For now, I'm conserving energy for all the other priorities in our home.

Even though Baby Four doesn't appear to have room in our busy house right now, I can guarantee that Baby Four has a special place in my heart - and right now he/she definitely has the closest seat to my heart.

At 20 weeks, on Sept. 24, we learn if Baby Four is a boy or a girl...feeling pink is in our future again.

Cheapo Homeschool Mom

2010-08-24T17:53:00.000-07:00

I'm probably gonna be the cheapo homeschool mom who refuses to pay crazy prices for cool educational games and resources.

$39.99 for a numbers game? Really?!

In the past two weeks since school started, I've come up with a few letter and number games that Lily and I can play (and Schaeffer when he feels up to it).

The first one involves homemade number flashcards. So far we are working with 1-10. Lily can definitely count to 10 and beyond, but once the numerals are written out of order she struggles with identifying them. We've played unscramble the numbers and put them in order, pull a card out of the stack and name it, and see if Mommy can find the correct number when named (Lily gets to be "teacher").

The second game involves letter recognition and letter sounds. We already have the really handy Leap Frog Fridge Phonics Magnetic Alphabet Set and the Fridge Words Magnetic Word Builder. We mainly used the letter magnets to do letter recognition and then later to review the short sounds of I, U, and E, which are the letters she has learned in the past two weeks. We used i, u, and e to begin building three-letter words so that Lily can hear the differences between these letters when placed inside a word - a bit of a challenge when it comes to short vowel sounds. But, she's doing a wonderful job!

Later this week with a little help from Microsoft Excel I'm going to make my own Bingo cards to help Lily with number recognition. Maybe we'll play for chocolate...I hope I win!

Weaning Complete

2010-08-19T06:47:00.001-07:00

Griffin is 100% weaned from breastfeeding. You know how I know that? (Well, besides the obvious.) He woke up last night around midnight. He wouldn't stop crying so I went in his room to check on him. I picked him up to console him. He arched his back violently and nearly flung himself out of my arms. He did not want me! I put him back into his crib, and then I went back to bed lying there listening to him crying over the baby monitor wondering what in the world had made him so upset. So I tapped BJ on the shoulder and said, "your turn." BJ plodded downstairs for a sippy cup of milk. Next thing I know everyone is quiet and back in their beds. BJ whispered, "he was thirsty." I was very pleased to know that thirsty did not equal nursing time! Griffin slept until 8:00 this morning. Ahhh...

Now can someone help get my stubborn 3-year old potty trained?!!

Day 1 & 2 a Success!

2010-08-17T11:51:00.000-07:00

Lily did great with her first day of school yesterday at RECA. She was exhausted when I picked her up. I'm sure it was a very big stretch for her and it'll be an adjustment for all of us. Today was her first homeschool (homestudy) day. After Griffin went down for his morning nap we started off with devotion time (the prodigal son) and prayer. Then we got right into numbers and counting, the letter "Ii," handwriting, drawing, writing her name, learning about what her name means, and reading the passage in Matthew where Jesus talks about "lilies." Schaeffer got in on the action and stayed right with us the whole time. He's learning to count to 10. If he stays with us the whole time he might learn to read by age 4. There was a bit of arguing over crayons and paper, but everyone did great listening and following directions. I'm praying that we have a lot of homeschool days like today!

And to top off my day, I cleaned out toys (and some junk because my daughter is a horrible packrat!) out of Lily and Schaeffer's rooms. I was able to do some rearranging, decluttering, sorting, and dusting. Yay for productive days!

Student Orientation at River's Edge

2010-08-14T07:41:00.000-07:00

Lily and I attended her Student Orientation on Friday morning at her new school, River's Edge Christian Academy (RECA). This was her first chance to see her classroom, meet her teacher Mrs. Anderson, and meet her 7 other classmates.

{Lily has a loose tooth and continued to wiggle it in all the group pictures.}

Lily was very shy at first and hid behind me. But as soon as her little friend Lexi walked through the door Lily perked up and was eager to play and get involved in the activities.

{Lily and Lexi in the cozy corner.}

It was a really great experience and I'm so grateful that things went so smoothly. Lily is now excited about her first day of school on Monday morning. We have our curriculum, school supplies, backpack, snack/lunchbox, and our lesson plans for our first week. I'm so excited to be working with Lily on all these new skills - reading, math, social studies, weather, date/time, etc. And best of all her curriculum is completely from a Biblical worldview. She will be learning about her Creator God and about all the wonder of this big world that He designed for people that He loves so much. Just thinking from a Kindergartner's point of view, it must all be so new and exciting and it makes me very excited to be walking this journey with her - seeing her world expand before her very eyes, and witnessing her make connections about our Savior and His boundless blessings and love for us.

Some things that I already love about her teacher Mrs. Anderson and RECA and why it's a perfect answer to prayer:

Mrs. Anderson is sweet, soft-spoken, gentle, loving and very patient.
Mrs. Anderson explained that she will be doing things a little different from the other K5 RECA teachers by giving the students small breaks every 20 minutes between subjects. If you know Lily, this is perfect for my little sensory-seeking-very-active-can't-sit-still-for-too-long student.
This one may sound trivial, but it's a biggy for Lily...Mrs. Anderson is incorporating ways for the students to bring with them to school a favorite item from home. This is a huge comfort for Lily to have a familiar object with her. Lily had a preschool teacher and various Sunday School teachers who have discouraged bringing favorite items into the classroom for fear it would be a distraction. Perhaps it's a small thing, but again this is another answer to prayer. I've already seen the excitement on Lily's face when I've told her she can pick out one of her favorite things to take with her.
Mrs. Anderson is very flexible and has already demonstrated how much she wants to work closely with us parent-teachers. It'll be a perfect match!
RECA is Christ-centered. Every day begins with devotion and prayer. And all the curriculum is from a Biblical worldview. Dress code enforces modesty and fairness. I love having that one less worry for my little girl.
RECA is 100% parent-led and run by volunteering parents. Even before the first day of school has begun, I've already witnessed the beauty of this process. All the parent-teachers, mostly moms, in Lily's class have already begun working closely together to supply Mrs. Anderson with extra supplies. Since we are meeting in a brand new satellite campus for RECA, and right now it's the only classroom meeting at this location, we are trying to help Mrs. Anderson have all the things that she would've had at one of the larger campuses. It's awesome to see all the moms pull together, volunteer, and help. Such a cool concept!

BJ will be taking care of morning drop-off...what a blessing that is! And so I won't be there to witness Lily walk into her classroom for her first official day of school. I know she'll do great! (And it also helps me to know that I'll be picking her up very soon afterwards since they fit in all academics, playtime and snack time in only 4 hours!)

Blog Finds

2010-08-10T07:31:00.000-07:00

I love the style of these two blogs. They call out to my farmhouse infatuation.

Knack Studios

Milk and Honey

Trouble Justifying

2010-08-06T08:00:00.000-07:00

Now about 3 weeks into the furniture hunt - dining room table/chairs and two twin beds - and I'm getting so dissappointed. Maybe it's because I've never really had to purchase "nice" furniture before. I've been the recipient of many very nice antiques (given to me free of charge), all of which are solid wood, no particle board to be found, and constructed with dovetailing and hidden hardware (no visible bolts and screws and glue). So now I'm going to all these furniture stores and seeing particle board, veneers (not like antique veneers, more like cheap wallpaper to look like wood), visible bolts, gaps and sags, and very little real wood. But then I find a real solid wood piece and it's suddenly way out of budget. I just can't justify the cost - I'm too frugal. It's ironic to me that I'm trying to match this very old piece (a circa 1890 - 1900's sideboard*) to something new. And even though the sideboard is considerably "distressed" I'm trying to buy something new that looks like something old. But then the price goes up for extra antiquing and distressing. Ha! Perhaps my kids could take care of that process.

I did find one very awesome table at Bliss Home (they don't have a photo on their site otherwise I'd give you a link). The table was made of reclaimed wood and the legs were made of reclaimed wood windows. It was a piece of art, but the price tag reflected it. Yesterday I made rounds to about half-a-dozen thrift stores hoping to score big. Nada! I just don't have time to hit the thrift stores often enough. Thrifting is an artform that requires time (and probably not 3 1/2 kids in tow). There's one more used furniture store I want to visit. It's usually packed full of junk and hidden treasures. By the time I got there yesterday the rain was really coming down hard and the parking is on the street near the homeless shelter. The homeless men and women were converging upon all the buildings with coverings and awnings in order to seek shelter. That was heartbreaking to see as I stayed dry in BJ's luxury sedan...which leads me to another reason why I'm having trouble justifying the cost of new furniture...I was reminded so vividly yesterday that so many people have absolutely nothing but the clothes on their backs.

So the hunt continues. Next week I'll be spending some time on Craigslist and seeing if I happen upon something newishly old, affordable, well-loved, and durable.

* The sideboard has been in my mom's family for a long time. Just from the looks of it, and after asking a furniture builder, it appears to be made of several different types of hard woods, but not sure which ones other than oak.

Re-arrangin'

2010-08-02T08:05:00.000-07:00

Amazing! As soon as I think I have everything I need for Baby Four, such as crib, bedding, rocking chair, baby gadgets, toys, clothing, etc., I'm still totally amazed at how much re-arrangin' is required before another baby arrives. This time my baby registry might look more like this: a high-capacity washer/dryer, a second dishwasher, twin beds for the boys in order to free up a crib, a larger dining room table, a housekeeper, and diapers...oh, and meals for 2 months because I'm sure it'll take me at least that long to get a meal prepared. If anyone asks me where we are registered, I might just say, "Rooms To Go, Sears, Cracker Barrel, and Merry Maids."

We are in the process of setting up a "big boy" room for Schaeffer and Griffin. They will get to share a room and have their own twin beds. I will be sure to take plenty of before-and-after photos to post here. But for now we are in the research phase. That pretty much involves shopping around for twin beds that won't put us in the broke house, and finding creative storage solutions to stow all their clothing and toys since space is getting a bit tighter for them. I am soooo grateful that we bought a house with large closets in every room!

Idea board:

And then we will be in the process of finding a new dining room table. It will become necessary to eat all our family meals in the dining room and not the breakfast nook - we simply won't fit there. The dining room set (table, chairs, buffet, and 2 glass-front corner cabinets) we have now is really pretty, solid mahogany, family heirloom. The top of the table has become brittle with age and so whenever we use it I keep it covered with a table pad and tablecloth. That's just not practical with family meals. I really don't want to wash a table cloth every day (And I don't like the plastic ones. Brings back memories of my Granny's house with plastic on sofas, chairs, tables, and floors. Just can't do it!). Little Bro Matthew is getting the mahogany set for his new house and we will be buying something really practical (read: sturdy, scratch proof, play-doh/paint/crayon proof). We have an antique sideboard that we'll be moving into the dining room and it'll become much needed storage. Again, I will be sure to take plenty of before-and-after photos. This project is proving to be more difficult because the price of dining tables and chairs is CRAZY and I want something sturdy (real wood).

BJ is in the process of researching high-capacity washer/dryers. He swears it'll change our lives (probably more like his life because he generally does the laundry around here...I know, I gotta good man).

As far as baby stuff, we are covered! I cannot imagine a single baby item we will need except for a 2-3 years' supply of Pampers.

A Report From our House

2010-07-27T18:38:00.001-07:00

Just a quick update on everybody...

Griffin graduated from feeding therapy today! Whoo-hoo! He is eating all kinds of solid foods. He loves bold flavors like Cheese Puffs, spaghetti and Grandmama's green beans. His favorite food is ice cream. The boy can eat his weight in ice cream. So far weaning from nursing is going well. He's down to just twice in a 24-hour period. Sometimes he is able to skip the bedtime feeding which is really nice. I'm thinking he'll be completely weaned in about another month. He's walking and getting into everything. We will be starting him in speech therapy on Aug. 18. Still no words. I know it'll come as soon as he decides talking is a much more efficient way of getting what he wants. The yelling is killing me.

Lily starts school in less than a month. Yikes! Can hardly believe she is starting school. Seems like just yesterday... We are excited about starting at River's Edge Christian Academy and homeschooling. What a God send to have so much flexibility and to have options like RECA!

Schaeffer is still all boy. Lovin' trucks and Batman. He's smart as a whip. He has begun asking all kinds of "why?" questions. His brain is absorbing at rapid speeds. My favorite thing he said this week... when asked, "What is Jesus going to give you, Schaeff?" His reply, "A sword, a shield, a belt, a helmet, and flip-flops." Ha ha! He always forgets the breastplate, but it's a big word and he's only 3 so I'll give him a break on that one for now.

Baby Four is doing well. This week I'm 12 weeks. I went to Dr. B on Monday and got to hear the heartbeat again. Baby Four was active because the nurse had to chase him/her down with the Doppler and then once she found the heartbeat it was 165-170 bpm. Most of the time when they are resting it is more like 140 bpm. The nurse said it's most certainly because this one was a wiggle worm. I'm not feeling all those wiggles yet but I'm sure I will in another few weeks. I was ecstatic on Monday after my glucose test was completely normal. Dr. B tests me early since I'm higher risk for diabetes (having had it before). I've always failed the screening at 12 weeks. But this time I got a completely normal test result (mine was 109 - below 130 is good). Dr. B will test me again at 24 weeks. And he's not letting me off the hook that easily. He still wants me to follow the diabetes diet because it's a "good diet for everyone, especially pregnant women and those at risk for diabetes." But I admit, I ate a scoop of pralines-and-cream ice cream last night! Par-tay! Dr. B reminded me to not get too excited because he says it's still too early to tell if diabetes really will be a problem in this pregnancy. I'm hoping for the best though.

Summertime Poll

2010-07-24T17:16:00.000-07:00

The campaign for Governor is heating up here in TN, but I want to get to the real issues of the summer. Take my poll (in the sidebar to your right) just for fun. Issues we will be getting to the bottom of...

Seedless vs. Seeded Watermelon

Lipton vs. Luzianne Tea

Sweet vs. Unsweet

Sunscreen vs. Tanning Oil

Pool vs. Beach

Bike Ride vs. Boat Ride

Lazy Saturdays vs. Action-Packed Saturdays

Fescue vs. Bermuda

Water vs. Sports Drink

Chasing Fireflies vs. Chasing Butterflies

I'd love to hear your responses. Vote now and come back in a few days for a new poll.

Weaning, Stretchy Pants, and Strep 1-2-3

2010-07-06T17:31:00.000-07:00

This weekend has been challenging to say the least. Griffin started it off on Friday morning with strep. Lily caught it on Sunday. And Schaeffer began symptoms today. Now all three are on amoxicillin. I'm grateful for our pediatrician who allows me to call him directly on his cell phone and who is proactive and writes prescriptions knowing that when one is sick then they will all be sick before the weekend is over.

We are heading into week 9 with Baby 4. Quite exciting! I'm already breaking out the stretchy pants. It seems to happen sooner and sooner each time. BJ is kind enough to say it's because my body is ultra efficient. Reality says its because my stomach muscles are not what they used to be. It is sort of weird how my belly is already making room even though it won't need the room for another 4-6 weeks. It's days like today when even some of my stretchy pants don't feel good and I become really grateful that I don't have to work outside the home. That way I can be comfy in my extra stretchy-stretchy pants. Check out this video of what happens to the embryo/baby weeks 1-9 of pregnancy. It's pretty cool:

I've begun the weaning process with Griffin. It officially started today. I don't like to stop cold turkey. That seems to be torture for everyone involved and for everyone living under this roof. So for anyone interested, here's the process that I have followed successfully in the past:

1) Wait until the child is eating enough meals and snacks during the day to begin substituting solids for nursing - generally by around 12 months. (For Griffin this has taken longer because of his texture aversion).
2) As always, feed on demand (about every 3-4 hours) but begin offering more substitutes and prolong nursing as much as can be tolerated.
3) Eliminate daytime nursing first. Bedtime and early morning feedings are the last to go because they are the toughest to break for both baby and mommy. Seriously, who wants to warm up a bottle of milk/formula at 4 a.m. when you have the warm "goods" ready to go?!
4) Once daytime weaning is completely done, begin replacing bedtime nursing with something else such as a cup of milk, story time, and cuddle time.
5) The early morning nursing sessions usually fall away as the other ones are replaced.

Viola! Your baby is successfully weaned without traumatic episodes of denial...I hope! I don't really agree with books, such as Babywise, that give such specific details for feedings and sleeping. All children (and parents) are fearfully and wonderfully made. It probably works for many children, but God in His humor has given me 2 children with difficult feeding issues. It is through their difficulties that I learned to pray through each developmental phase, asking God for discernment, patience, and gentleness. And I've learned to trust my God-given mommy instincts which I believe are given at the exact time when I need them and not a moment sooner. I will be sure to share how well the weaning process works for Griffin or if he'll require some different tactics.

8 Weeks and Counting... Can't we count faster?!

2010-07-03T13:10:00.000-07:00

We are now at week 8 with Baby 4. It's too bad we can't count by 2's during pregnancy! Ha ha! I'm feeling really pregnant - tired and yucky all the time. The tired factor is multiplied by 3 since I'm still keeping up with other little ones while my body takes over and cares for a 4th. I had a good check-up yesterday with Dr. B. Things are progressing as they should, even though I took myself off of prometrium about 2 weeks ago. I just couldn't handle the side effects of it and neither could Griffin who is still nursing. We both had major GI upset of all sorts. He and I are feeling much better since stopping the drug. It was meant to increase my progesterone level, which it did quite successfully. Since my progesterone level started off "normal" but slightly below "ideal" (according to Dr. B) I decided to take a chance and see if my body would do it's thing. It has! Now I'm the only one experiencing pregnancy symptoms and Griff has returned to his normal self...well, with the exception of a throat infection he got this week. Fortunately for him he got a shot of antibiotics yesterday and he is quickly on the mend.

We've had the privilege of having our niece, Ciera, stay with us a lot this summer. We've done all sorts of fun things and we drag her along with us. She's keeping up with our pace quite well. She has taken over our 3rd floor penthouse as we jokingly call it. That means she has a bedroom, full bath, and bonus room with a sofa and TV. It didn't occur to us until a few days ago that the TV is not working because we didn't hook it back up after removing cable. So I guess the TV doesn't really count, although, Ciera hasn't complained at all. She has her music and lots of family time with us. There's really no time for TV anyway. We hope to get the TV working again so we can watch some movies together...if I can figure out how to stay awake past 8 p.m.

So far it's been a very busy, fun-packed summer. BJ has been taking Lily and Schaeffer over to my parents' neighborhood pool at least once per weekend. I have been a few times, but unfortunately heat and nausea don't mix.

I hope you and your family enjoy a fun July 4 weekend. We may track down some fireworks somewhere and let the kids hide behind our legs from fear. LOL. Lily is actually interested in seeing fireworks this year. Schaeffer is hesitant but I think he'd enjoy the lights. Although, we may have to find him some ear plugs. Happy 4th!!

Meet No. 4

2010-06-23T08:06:00.000-07:00

Since it's been a while since my last post, I figured it was time to give an update. And...well, this update is pretty special. We learned about 2 weeks ago that we are expecting baby #4!!!!! On Friday we had our first ultrasound and learned that we were 6 weeks and 2 days. So I guess that makes us 7 weeks today. The little bean looked good and healthy. We heard the little heartbeat at 124 bpm. That was pretty special too! It's always exciting to hear the heartbeat for the first time...and every time after that. Our official due date is Feb. 9 which is just 2 days before Lily's 6th birthday.

I was slow to get an update on here because I started feeling pregnancy symptoms very early on. Mostly fatigue and nausea. I've been resting as much as possible and trying to reserve energy for all the other responsibilities around here. My brain has been fuzzy most of the time - I think it's major pregnancy brain. I've been afraid to write anything for fear it will come out wrong. But I did want to post some commonly asked questions that we've received since we began spreading the news:

Q: Where you expecting this?
A: We don't not expect it. I'm sure that makes no sense at all so let me explain. If you aren't preventing pregnancy and you have already had 3 healthy viable pregnancies before than you can expect to expect it. Although I don't ever put expectations on God's will and I never truly know if He will chose to bless us that way again. So we don't not expect it.

Q: Were you surprised?
A: No. Excited, but not surprised...which leads us to the next question.

Q: Do you know what causes this?
A: Yes, and its so darn fun! (Sorry, but if you are rude enough to ask me this, then please expect a rude answer).

Q: Are you insane?
A: I guess so if loving a large family makes us insane. I'm okay with that label. It's sure better than other labels.

Q: Do you own a TV?
A: Yes

Q: How are you going to keep up with 4 little ones?
A: I don't know but I'm sure it'll happen because we are responsible adults who love our children. We've done fine with 3. I don't suspect that a 4th will totally wreck our home and marriage. I've been told it's just another peanut-butter-and-jelly sandwich to make at lunchtime. LOL

Q: You are brave (not really a question, but a statement I get a lot).
A: No, I'm not. My hubby is brave for loving me through another pregnancy (I'm a beast!), but I'm a weak doubting woman who just wants to make it through today.

Purses and Jewelry!

2010-06-14T17:30:00.001-07:00

I came across Pursenickety today and really enjoyed browsing through their shop. It has fun purses and accessories inspired by expensive designers. But their prices are actually do-able for frugal gals who still like to be girlie-girls. Enjoy!

Schaeffer's 3rd Birthday Party...and a BIG surprise!

2010-06-05T19:09:00.000-07:00

Check out the photos Grandmama posted of Schaeffer's 3rd birthday party. We surprised him by asking some friends of ours to bring over a big piece of heavy equipment, you know, the kind a 3-year old boy would drool over. And they delivered! They brought the Peterbilt out to play! Schaeffer was in awe. He could not believe his eyes when the rig backed into our driveway, and then he realized he could climb up in it and try 'er out. He nearly wet his pants...oh, wait. He did wet his pants! Sorry Shane. Hope it dried ok. (We are still potty training). My little man was in heaven...I'm sure God will have big rigs in heaven for all the little (and big) boys up there. It was such an awesome evening with family and friends. We are such lucky people to be surrounded by such awesome people all the time!

Cheap Products I Love

2010-06-02T18:56:00.000-07:00

I figured it was time to curl up with the laptop in my bed tonight since BJ is cozying up to Elementary Greek textbooks and homework right now. BJ and I have been looking for all sorts of ways to cut costs here and there. The cable went out the door first (well, technically we have cable channels 2-9 just because it's cheaper to do that and still get cable internet). Then it was our home phone. We now use Magic Jack and Google Voice, which is very cool by the way. We can give out one phone number and it will ring our land line at home, my cell phone, or BJ's cell phone. We never miss a call when we aren't at home. Unwanted callers can be blocked or directed directly (is that redundant?) to voicemail. Very cool!

And, BJ has me on a serious tight budget now. I'm not quite used to it yet. I've been a very lucky girl. I've pretty much purchased what I want when I want. I have the Sugar Daddy that I've always dreamed of. LOL. Honestly, though, I've always been a frugal gal and I enjoy the challenge of coming in under budget - sort of like one of those HGTV shows where they re-make an entire room for less than $1,000 (for me it's more like $20). We know we'll need to make some changes (more like a lot of them) on a preacher's salary so we are making preparations now.

I've been pleasantly surprised with some of the new products I've found that are quite a bit cheaper than what I had been using. I don't feel like I've sacrificed quality and that's always a nice perk when saving money. Without further ado, here's a list of my favorite "cheap" products:

Beauty Products:

1. Suave Rosemary Mint shampoo and conditioner. The scent has been perfect for the spring and summer months. It reminds me of a glass of iced mint tea. My hair is actually softer and more manageable after using these products than when I was using a more expensive brand ($2.87/ea at Walmart).

2. Softsoap Moisturizing Body Wash Juicy Pomegranate and Mango Infusions. I love the scent of this stuff! I seriously want to eat it when I use it in the shower. And it's very moisturizing. ($3 at Walmart).

3. St. Ives Apricot Scrub. Smells nice and makes my face shine! ($3.27 at Walmart).

4. Covergirl Clean Liquid Foundation. Perfect for summer. Light, but smooth, coverage. (Various prices but generally under $6).

5. Aveeno Daily Moisturizing Lotion. This product works well, and even our dermatologist has recommended numerous Aveeno products for Griffin who has sensitive skin with eczema. (I think it was about $5.99 at Walmart).

Household Products:

1. Great Value Tranquil Lavender Laundry Detergent. This was quite a bit cheaper than Tide, I don't remember exactly how much but it was like $3-5 per box cheaper. I've used different things, such as All and Dreft, but I've always come back to Tide for it's cleaning performance. But this time I think I'll stick with Great Value since it seems to work just as well. The lavender scent is not too strong and does not linger - like Gain. (Price ?)

2. Clorox Clean-up with Bleach. I buy this stuff in the refill-sized jug to refill my spray bottle. I dilute it about 1 part Clorox Clean-up to 3-4 parts water. I like the smell of my bathrooms and kitchen when they've been cleaned with bleach. You can use this stuff on almost anything - a great one-size-fits-most cleaner. Nothing fresher or cleaner smelling! ($2.99 for 32 oz bottle; refill bottle cost more but a better value).

Now it's your turn to share with me your favorite "cheap" products. I'd love to hear!

What I'm Reading Now

2010-05-26T11:33:00.000-07:00

This one will probably take me the rest of the summer to get through. It's called The Well-Trained Mind: A Guide to Classical Education at Home written by Susan Wise Bauer and Jessie Wise. Thanks to my dear friend Chris who highly recommended this book. Here's a nice summary of its purpose (Amazon website):

Two veteran home educators outline the classical pattern of education—the trivium—which organizes learning around the maturing capacity of the child's mind. With this model, you will be able to instruct your child in all levels of reading, writing, history, geography, mathematics, science, foreign languages, rhetoric, logic, art, and music, regardless of your own aptitude in those subjects.

Although I've only begun reading this epic-sized book, I can already see how it's going to give me confidence to tackle home education. Even as trained educators for institutionalized education, these authors get straight to the point by emphasizing that parents are more than capable of homeschooling their own children. There's no need to have an early childhood development or educational psychology background in order to educate your own children. I'm so glad to know that since my educational and professional background are merely a bachelor's degree in Business Administration and about 5 years with a Fortune 500 corporation. Funny how homeschooling is making me more nervous than the days when I faced a room full of business professionals or when I wrote talking points for the CEO before he gave a speech or made a company-wide announcement. How can facing my three little ones with an elementary level book with ABC's be more intimitading than that? But it truly is! I have one shot at this and I want to get it right. This is way more important to me than all the work I did with a corporation. This is lasting...this is a legacy!

I'll give a virtual back pat to the first person who can point out the misspelling on Amazon's page about this book!

Funny Things People Say

2010-05-24T19:07:00.000-07:00

Well, this time it was my dearest, most-well-meaning husband who said something really funny tonight. He said, "Maybe you should put the kids on a really tight schedule." Ha ha ha! Silly man! Putting these kids on a tight schedule is like trying to walk a cat on a leash. He was only trying to help since my main complaint today was feeling overwhelmed and feeling as if I'm falling behind on everything. When is this guy gonna learn to listen and to leave the advice to my girlfriends? Luv ya, Babe!

Don't Read This Book

2010-05-23T18:16:00.000-07:00

Don't read Radical: Taking Back Your Faith from the American Dream by David Platt if:

1. You want to maintain status quo
2. You don't want to be thoroughly convicted
3. You think attaining the American Dream is a noble aspiration
4. You've worked hard for your stuff and want to keep it
5. You think Jesus wants you to work hard to have things to make your life more comfortable
6. You believe material things are always a blessing
7. You think some are "called" to missions but not you
8. You don't like to be told that some of your "Christian" ideas are "straight out of hell."
9. You focus your efforts on hard work, planning and strategy and criticize those who don't
10. You don't like to dwell on the fact that thousands of starving children (and their parents) are dying daily from malnutrition - at this rate the same number of children in the city of Knoxville would be dead in 2-3 days (that's all of mine and yours if you live here).

...And I'm not even done reading the book. I'm about half way through it. I tell you, don't read this book unless you are ready for a heart transplant. It will shake you to your core.

The Latest and Greatest

2010-05-21T07:32:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've updated here so I figure while I've got a minute - Griff and Schaeff sleeping and Lily busy with art supplies - I'll try to get up to speed.

It's busy times here. BJ continues to work steadily through seminary classes. He's taking an online elementary greek class. In addtion, he will be attending the Southern Baptist Convention in Orlando, with a weekend class in Kentucky about the SBC, in order to get 3 hours of on-campus credit. He's slated to take 2-3 classes this fall. Since we are in a more predictable schedule (read: sleeping a bit more) with Griffin, BJ is taking full advantage of this time to get some classes behind him. He's up early to get his reading done, and at night before bed he falls asleep with a textbook in hand...I believe this latest one is Baptists and the Bible. I will not lie, having a husband in seminary, who also works full-time, and who teaches and leads a Bible Fellowship class every Sunday morning, and who has 3 young children is not the easiest thing in the world. We are feeling a bit stretched. We are trying to be very purposeful with our free time because there's not much of it. We haven't watched a TV show in months.

The kids are all doing great. We are all set to go with River's Edge Christian Academy starting in August. The curriculum has been ordered, and we attended an informational parent meeting this past week. We met Lily's teacher at RECA and the other parents of the 7 kids (up from 5 just a month ago). The max. limit they will accept for this group is 10 so they could very well reach their max. before August. I'm excited for Fountain City to be getting something like this in our community.

Griffin started speech/feeding therapy two weeks ago. The therapy is okay, but he's still not eating solids any better. We just plod along in that area making small steps - he likes strawberry yogurt and he will sometimes tolerate the chunks in it. He still hasn't said his first word. Although, he loves the sound of certain words when we say them to him. It cracks him up when we say "disgusting!" He kackles and then repeats back "dadaduh!" Is it wrong that his first word might be "disgusting?" Not mama or dada, but disgusting!

Our friends the Holden's gave birth to their long awaited son, Cade. He is just perfect! Leslie had a long (28 hrs) and difficult labor and delivery but she was such a trooper. And she looked beautiful in the hospital - the new mom glow! They are home and getting settled into life with a newborn. I wish I had photos, but apparently I don't know how to use my new camera because the photos I took did not appear on the memory card when I got home. Uuuuggghhh. I'm so clueless with technology.

He Does As He Pleases

2010-05-10T09:22:00.000-07:00

I have a friend who just learned that she is pregnant. She struggled with infertility for years and endured fertility treatments of various kinds which did not result in pregnancy. She decided to give up on "trying." And now she is expecting something that she has learned to not expect. I guess you could say she is unexpectedly expecting! Praise God! He has not changed, He will never change. His plans are the same yesterday, today and forever. Even when our plans and our emotions change by the second, God is never changing. He does as He pleases. The Lord gives and the Lord takes; blessed be His name!

Happy Mother's Day, etc...

2010-05-09T17:33:00.001-07:00

Happy Mother's Day to all you mommies out there! You are a special creation and don't you believe otherwise no matter how you may feel from day to day, no matter how many piles of laundry await you, no matter how many tantrums your toddler may throw, no matter how many pieces of bubble gum your preschooler just swallowed within a 3 minute period, no matter how many times your infant awakes in the middle of the night just because he wants his mommy, and no matter that you don't have your children involved in every sport team, academic activity, or social playgroup. Being a mom is a tough job - by far the toughest job I've ever loved - but God equips us every day with exactly what we need when we call on Him. Go Moms, Go!

For Mother's Day my sweet BJ gave me a Canon Rebel camera. That should mean that the photos that I post on here should look near professional...well, as soon as I learn how to use the thing. I'm pretty excited to learn about my new SLR camera and learn some photog tricks.

We completed the parent interview this week for Lily's enrollment with the homeschool co-op at River's Edge. I think it went well, except for the fact that Lily sat the whole hour with her back to the Administrator and Board Member who were conducting the interview. Believe me, I tried to get her to turn around in her chair and face them and be a polite little angel. Fortunately, both gentlemen completely understood her discomfort with being in a new place. We purchased our homeschool curriculum and I can't wait for it to ship so I can begin looking through it and getting prepared. We meet the other kindergarten students and families next Tuesday at a family informational meeting.

Griffin has another feeding/speech evaluation this Tuesday. Turns out the first evaluation with UT Hearing and Speech was incorrectly scheduled. They don't do feeding therapy there. It was a miscommunication between our pediatrician and his referral nurse. We waited 2 months to get in with that speech pathologist. She completed the evaluation and then afterwards told me she'd need to refer me to someone else who does infant feeding therapy. Aaaaarrrggghhh! So now we will be going to Kids Rehab. Luckily they got us in very quickly so we won't have to wait another two months. I'm sure it was because Griffin's pediatrician diagnosed him failure to thrive and now it's officially on his chart. I'm so glad my identity as a mom isn't tied up into my children's ability to speak and eat on their own. LOL!!

It was a great Mother's Day and I enjoyed the beautiful cooler weather. I spent about 3 hours on my parent's porch swing with Griffin sleeping on my lap. Where was the camera when I needed it? I love being a mommy even on the days that it seems insurmountably difficult. Thank you Jesus for my precious gifts!

Busy

2010-05-05T13:29:00.001-07:00

It's getting busy up in here! And I'm not neccessarily talking about my relationship with my husband. (I know, eeewwww!) Our home is getting seriously busy, much busier than I am used to handling. We have some homeschool co-op meetings and such coming up. Griff has had a speech/feeding evaluation which resulted in more appts weekly. BJ is trying to get as much school complete as he can. He just completed the spring semester and now has 2 more classes checked off. He has already enrolled in an online Greek class that will begin this month. In June he has plans to attend the SBC in Orlando and a 1-day course in Kentucky about the SBC in order to get 3 hours of on-campus credit. And then he'll transition right into the fall semester and possibly a week-long mini-term on the Kentucky campus sometime. We continue to serve at Sevier Heights and stay busy in that capacity. We love our church family and we find that serving there is such an awesome gift.

Just to update you, Lily is doing great with her glasses. She has come to rely on them. She wakes up and puts them on first thing because she can see when she wears them. She has another loose tooth which will probably fall out in about a week or so. I asked her if she were excited about the tooth fairy coming and giving her money for her piggy bank. Her reply, "No, mom. Fairies aren't real." I told her it could be fun to pretend anyway. I got a big s-i-g-h in response as if she might be willing to put up with my silliness.

Schaeffer (aka Schaeff or Schaeffey - names given to him by his loving sis) is full of himself lately. He says nearly anthing that comes to his mind. Sometimes it's pretty funny and sometimes it can be downright embarrasing. But it's cool to hear his thoughts and connect with him that way. The other night when we had lots of storms rolling through, he peeked out the window to see. The sky lit up with a flash of lightening and then he said, "Why did Jesus do that?" He's such a little man and I luuuuve him!

Griffin just celebrated his 1st birthday. We had a little party here at the house (photos coming soon). We were hoping for an outdoor cookout but weather did not permit. Instead we had bar-b-q chicken inside. We got to celebrate with Nana Kaye and Nana Faye. That was a special treat. Griffin is so sweet, and he's proving to be pretty fearless. He perpelled himself off the rocking chair and down a couple of steps all in one day. The bad part was that I was holding him in my lap when he did a nose dive off my lap and onto the floor. He's quick! Thank goodness babies are so resilient.

Well, I think that's it for now... I hope to update more often but it's not looking very promising.