Friday, January 30, 2009

Christmas Crafts


We finally got to make the Christmas crafts we didn't get to do before Hannah came.
We made snow globes, beaded candy cane ornaments (orientaltrading.com) and Amanda made two pretty angels from pipe cleaners.

Wednesday, January 28, 2009

Miss Hannah @ 5 Weeks w/ a Baby Tip


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Hannah is a quiet baby who doesn't fuss much at all. When she wants something, she "uh, uh's" a few times. If I get to her within a minute or two, all's well. If it takes me a little longer (potty break, grab a drink), she'll pick up in tempo and loudness. She's nursing good, weighs over 12 lbs now and sleeps great at night. She wakes up to be fed 1-2 times and then goes back to sleep after nursing.
I keep her in the middle of the activities so the noise keeps her from sleeping too deeply during the day which helps get babies on a good night time schedule. At night, we keep the lights and noise down to help her stay on that schedule.
It is normal for babies to calm down easier for their mothers, but that can have fathers feeling a little left out or helpless when baby fusses. Last night, Clint had Hannah snuggled warmly on the couch for about half an hour and they were enjoying themselves. I took her so he could go to the bathroom. She protested the whole time he was gone! My arms were colder and she missed those warm, strong arms of her Daddy's. He took her when he returned and she settled right down again. Oh, Clint LOVED that!

Tuesday, January 27, 2009

The County Coordinator

for the elevation said he had not received the paperwork as of last Friday. The engineers said they would finish and turn the plans over this week. So, the start date has already been pushed back a little.

At five weeks postpartum, I still do not have the household running like I would like, but progress is being made.

Hannah has gone through a growth spurt since we took the pictures below. We no longer need to roll up the sleeves on that sleeper. I will try to get some pictures today.

I have been asked by a few young women to share more baby tips. If I think of anything, I will certainly put them in the blog for you. Click on the baby link under the posts where I have shared tips and it should pull up more. I think I posted some while Emily was a baby too, so you can look through July 2007 onward for those, but they might be repeats. I am thankful to hear they are benefiting others.

It has been just wonderful going out and seeing people after the long months on bedrest. What a blessing it is to be able to EAT too! No, I do not miss the barf bucket!

After nearly 14 years of her being by my side almost 24/7, I knew I would miss having Nala around, but did not think it would be to this extent. Nala was technically Clint's dog, but you know who fed and bathed her and she was a lot of company for me during the day. When those hectic motherhood moments would come, I'd sigh, look at her and say "It's just you and me, girl...until the children figure out we are outnumbered and then you are on your own because I am going to run like the wind." She would leave me when I'd start gagging while I was pregnant though. She could not stand the vomiting and you could read her disgust on her face. I'd cough or gag and she'd take off like a rocket out of the room which would make me laugh. I tried to fake her out a few times, but she knew when it was real and when it wasn't. Nala also could tell time and would head for the driveway when Clint was due in. When he worked overtime, I could not budge her from her watch for him. I want a puppy but will wait to see how the elevation plans work out first. This time we'll call it my dog and see if Clint feeds and bathes it. :-D

We had ham yesterday and will flavor the beans I have in the crockpot with the leftovers for tonight. I love the crockpot!

It's time to do some crafts with the children.

Ephesians 1:2 Grace be to you, and peace, from God our Father, and from the Lord Jesus Christ.

Big Sister to the Rescue


I can fix this.


This should do it.


It's got to fit in there somehow.
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Thursday, January 22, 2009

What if I Want to Wean My Baby?

Wendy's note: All of my children, except Amanda, have weaned themselves before 2 1/2. I weaned Amanda because I conceived so soon after her birth. I thought other mothers would enjoy this reminder of the benefits of nursing...

found at: http://www.parentingweb.com/lounge/dw_wean.htm by Diane Wiessinger, MS, IBCLC

Breastfeeding your baby for even a day is the best baby gift you can give. Breastfeeding is almost always the best choice for your baby. If it doesn't seem like the best choice for you right now, these guidelines may help.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR JUST A FEW DAYS, he will have received your colostrum, or early milk. By providing antibodies and the food his brand-new body expects, nursing gives your baby his first - and easiest - "immunization" and helps get his digestive system going smoothly. Breastfeeding is how your baby expects to start, and helps your own body recover from the birth. Why not use your time in the hospital to prepare your baby for life through the gift of nursing?

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR FOUR TO SIX WEEKS, you will have eased him through the most critical part of his infancy. Newborns who are not breastfed are much more likely to get sick or be hospitalized, and have many more digestive problems than breastfed babies. After 4 to 6 weeks, you'll probably have worked through any early nursing concerns, too. Make a serious goal of nursing for a month, call La Leche League or a Lactation Consultant if you have any questions, and you'll be in a better position to decide whether continued breastfeeding is for you.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 3 OR 4 MONTHS, her digestive system will have matured a great deal, and she will be much better able to tolerate the foreign substances in commercial formulas. If there is a family history of allergies, though, you will greatly reduce her risk by waiting a few more months before adding anything at all to her diet of breastmilk. And giving nothing but your milk for the first four months gives strong protection against ear infections for a whole year.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 6 MONTHS, she will be much less likely to suffer an allergic reaction to formula or other foods. At this point, her body is probably ready to tackle some other foods, whether or not you wean. Nursing for at least 6 months helps ensure better health throughout your baby's first year of life, and reduces your own risk of breast cancer. Nursing for 6 months or more may greatly reduce your little one's risk of ear infections and childhood cancers. And exclusive, frequent breastfeeding during the first 6 months, if your periods have not returned, provides 98% effective contraception.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 9 MONTHS, you will have seen him through the fastest and most important brain and body development of his life on the food that was designed for him - your milk. You may even notice that he is more alert and more active than babies who did not have the benefit of their mother's milk. Weaning may be fairly easy at this age... but then, so is nursing! If you want to avoid weaning this early, be sure you've been available to nurse for comfort as well as just for food.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR A YEAR, you can avoid the expense and bother of formula. Her one-year-old body can probably handle most of the table foods your family enjoys. Many of the health benefits this year of nursing has given your child will last her whole life. She will have a stronger immune system, for instance, and will be much less likely to need orthodontia or speech therapy. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends nursing for at least a year, to help ensure normal nutrition and health for your baby.

IF YOU NURSE YOUR BABY FOR 18 MONTHS, you will have continued to provide your baby's normal nutrition and protection against illness at a time when illness is common in other babies. Your baby is probably well started on table foods, too. He has had time to form a solid bond with you - a healthy starting point for his growing independence. And he is old enough that you and he can work together on the weaning process, at a pace that he can handle. A former U.S. Surgeon General said, "It is the lucky baby... that nurses to age two."

IF YOUR CHILD WEANS WHEN SHE IS READY, you can feel confident that you have met your baby's physical and emotional needs in a very normal, healthy way. In cultures where there is no pressure to wean, children tend to nurse for at least two years. The World Health Organization and UNICEF strongly encourage breastfeeding through toddlerhood: "Breastmilk is an important source of energy and protein, and helps to protect against disease during the child's second year of life."(1) Our biology seems geared to a weaning age of between 2 1/2 and 7 years(2), and it just makes sense to build our children's bones from the milk that was designed to build them.

Your milk provides antibodies and other protective substances as long as you continue nursing, and families of nursing toddlers often find that their medical bills are lower than their neighbors' for years to come. Mothers who have nursed longterm have a still lower risk of developing breast cancer. Children who were nursed longterm tend to be very secure, and are less likely to suck their thumbs or carry a blanket.

Nursing can help ease both of you through the tears, tantrums, and tumbles that come with early childhood, and helps ensure that any illnesses are milder and easier to deal with. It's an all-purpose mothering tool you won't want to be without! Don't worry that your child will nurse forever. All children stop eventually, no matter what you do, and there are more nursing toddlers around than you might guess.

Whether you nurse for a day or for several years, the decision to nurse your child is one you need never regret. And whenever weaning takes place, remember that it is a big step for both of you. If you choose to wean before your child is ready, be sure to do it gradually, and with love.

Wednesday, January 21, 2009

Sleeping Beauty



Just posting a couple of picts of Emily sleeping so you will know I have not fallen off the face of the earth.
It's busy here. I went to the dentist and had the broken tooth fixed today.
He said it is a wonder I wasn't in pain because the break went deep.
I am still going rounds with the DMV to get my driver's license renewed and because of that did not get to do the banking I needed to get done. I need ID!
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Monday, January 19, 2009

A Little Snow Anyway


We got some flurries over the weekend, but no accumulation.
We are still hoping! Maybe we will be playing in it tomorrow.
"I will glorify God in my body, and in my spirit, which belong to God." I Corinthians 6:20

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Friday, January 16, 2009

The Latest Elevation News

The county coordinator said on Thursday he should receive the drawings from the engineers any time. They were due in this past week. Hopefully he got them today. Clint is going to call next week to see if he got them.

After the coordinator receives them, we enter into a bidding process for 23 days. Once the bids come in they will meet with us, tell us who will be doing the work, give us a 30 day notice to move out and tell us our share of the costs. We will also work out the arrangements for living, power, etc.

The estimate is we will be out of the house for 3-4 months for the entire thing to be finished. If the contractor will work with us, we maybe able to move back in after they set it down and the electric and plumbing is hooked up, before the block work is done. That would be nice. We are well aware construction never goes according to plan.

The long wait we have had may work out in our favor. So many homes were being elevated when we entered this program that contractors were very busy and it caused long delays. The economic slow down may be in our favor too, since contractors who need work will be eager to get the job completed so they can be paid.

We'd appreciate prayers that God will make it clear to us if this is something we should pursue or let go. Once we have the meeting and sign the paperwork, we will be locked into going through with it. We are asking God that if we should not do this, it will become apparent when we sit down with the coordinator and engineers.

Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Wii Fit

a review of the Wii Fit



We bought a Wii Fit over the weekend. It has been used for hours every day since. The older children use it as part of their PE. The younger children use it to burn off excess energy during these cold days. For mothers with active children, the latter alone is worth the small investment. When we could get the children to take a break, Clint and I have enjoyed it too. We love how it tracks the progress of each family member's BMI, weight, fitness age and progress. We plan to buy the Active Life Outdoor Challenge and My Fitness Coach (click links for video reviews) soon since it will give us more of a variety in activities.

If you are going to allow your children to play video games, this is the healthier way to do it:

"Research performed earlier this year by Professor Tim Cable at John Moores University in Liverpool indicates that using the Wii results in an average of 40% more calories burned, when compared to using traditional gaming equipment. The average number of hours children in the UK spend gaming each week is 12.2 hours; if that time was spent on the Wii as opposed to other more traditional video games, children could burn approximately 1830 calories per week! This is because the energy expenditure of using the Wii is 156% above resting, while the energy expenditure of using a traditional joypad is 60% above resting. Dr. Cable's small study was performed on boys and girls age 13-15 years of age, and concluded that the calories burned could result in a loss of as much as 27 pounds per year when played regularly." source

Tuesday, January 13, 2009

She Was WIDE Awake ...



before I got the camera. These were taken about 3 seconds apart.
Hannah @ 3 weeks
She's gaining weight, lost her umbilical stump and is sleeping pretty well at night.
It's time to take off from my seat again and do another round of homeschool/organizing/housework and then I have to cook supper.
I am sorry for not answering the phone or e-mail. It's BUSY here as we try to get back into a normal routine. I've only been answering Clint's calls!
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Sunday, January 11, 2009

Edits

I fooled around with the blog and lost the latest edits to the page, but did not have time to fix it. I don't have time now either. :-)

We have had a wonderful day out! Clint took us to Golden Corral and then to the park. It was nice getting out to see people and enjoy ourselves for a little while.

I have e-mails telling me to take more pictures of Hannah. I'll try to do that soon. Maybe Clint can shoot a video of the children and upload it to You Tube. I have a couple more tips on comforting babies I will try to post soon too.

Hannah is sleeping wonderfully at night. She gets up to nurse twice but goes right back to sleep. My schedule is out of whack. My body wants to sleep 4 a.m. until 11 a.m. That is just not cutting it around this house. I am hoping I'll get back on track very soon.

Please lift the Jordan Family up in prayer. Mrs. Jordan, the lady who led me to the Lord when I was 7 and with her husband founded the Christian school I attended, passed away on New Year's. I am deeply grateful for their ministry.

We also saw the funeral home's cars at a neighbor's house. We are not sure if it was "him" or "her" that passed, but we know they were close and the survivor will suffer from the loss of their mate and best friend. All of their children are at the house, so they are being well cared for.

We hope you are having a wonderful day of rest and are rejoicing in all God has done for you.

Friday, January 09, 2009

Wednesday, January 07, 2009

Mother Protecting Baby




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I love this...especially the look on the dog's face in the last picture.
This was sent to me via e-mail. I have no idea where it originated.

Tuesday, January 06, 2009

Guns 'n Roses



I shared a story from when Clint was a teen here. Here's one of mine....

I went to a Christian school and was only allowed to listen to country western music at home. As a teen, I worked for Ames Department Store putting out stock. I was often approached by customers who needed help finding something. One evening, a boy came in and asked me "You got any Guns 'n Roses?"

I thought that was quite a combination for a purchase! "Uh, we've got guns in the sporting goods section and single roses are up by the register."

That boy looked at me like I had lost my mind. "No, Guns 'n Roses...the rock group?!!!"

Monday, January 05, 2009

Where'd the Time Go? and a Colic Remedy

It is hard to believe on her due date that Hannah is two weeks old today! Time sure has flown, but we have been having a lot of fun with our newest blessing! She has already grown. We can see her gaining weight and growing longer.

Clint headed back to work today and I am missing my better half. We spent just about the entire time he was off side by side--separating only when we had to. We have been married for 20 years and still can't get enough of each other. We PTL for what He has done in our marriage!

As soon as I can get Hannah on a good schedule, I'll be starting the homeschool routine up again, reopening the online book stores and on baby watch for the goats. I also have to start making plans for the home elevation. I'll be busy!

I had planned to start homeschool today, but Hannah is not resting well at night. She is having bouts of gas that last until the wee hours of the morning. You can tell she wants to rest, but she's uncomfortable. She's not crying much, just squirming and having trouble relaxing. I sent Clint downstairs last night so he could rest for work, but I was up until after 4 a.m. I had spent all day upstairs so I have not checked e-mail on the main computer today.

Tonight, I am going to try a catnip and fennel infusion for Hannah. (The difference between an infusion and a tea is the amount of herb used and how long you let it steep. An infusion is stronger than a tea.) This is a colic remedy/gripe water recipe from my great grandmother's day that works to calm the digestive tract. I take half a handful of each herb, put them in a one quart canning jar and the pour boiling water on top of them. I put the lid on the jar, wrap the jar in a towel and let it steep for a few hours. Then I strain off the herb using clean cheese cloth, let it cool and give the babies the infusion by dropperfuls. I plan on trying one dropperful per 20-30 minutes with Hannah. This can also be used for older children too. I keep it in the fridge and use it for a few days before making it again. You can also use ginger, anise, dill, etc to make your own gripe water. I do not use baking soda (not recommended for children under 2), charcoal (thought to prevent absorption of nutrients in breastmilk/formula), or alcohol to make gripe waters.

We also use Hyland's Colic Tablets, but they have not afforded her much relief so far. They worked a small miracle with Caleb though.

Dandelion Root for Edema


I arrived at the hospital a little dehydrated from the preceding weekend's HG battle so they put bag after bag of i.v. fluids into me. I looked like the Stay Puft Marshmallow Man in no time at all and I had severe swelling (edema) in my legs afterwards.

I made powdered Dandelion Root capsules to help me shed the fluid. I took 4 450 mg capsules 2-3 times a day. This helped me pass the bulk of the fluid in 48 hours. I highly recommend staying near a bathroom if you have a lot of fluid accumulation and you try this herbal remedy.

Saturday, January 03, 2009

I Got Him

We took the children out in the bus yesterday to run errands. Clint had to merge into oncoming traffic and had to give the bus some juice. (She is peppy for her size.) When he did, I said "Clint!! You can't drive this thing like a sports car!" He laughed!

It drives and rides really good. There is a little more play in the steering wheel than I like, but I figure I'll get use to it.

More from Christmas


Amanda sitting in the middle of the Christmas carnage.
She and Caleb cleaned it up for me this year.


Brandon and Emily with their light sabers. She picked hers up and went after him.
Everyone in the family has a light saber so we can battle each other.
It gets pretty rowdy when we are outside chasing each other around with them.
Clint will run with/from the boys through the woods.
Emily loves her Clifford ride on toy. She will run over your feet with it though. She especially likes getting Brandon's because he'll act goofy for her.
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Picts of the First Few Days Home

Amanda babysitting so I can do a little cleaning. When I see her like this, I often think I am getting a glimpse of the future.

"I want a ride in the baby swing!" She crawled in it by herself.
As you can see, Emily has taken her socks off again.

Daddy and Princess Hannah
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