More on Cloth Diapering

I had a few questions asked after my last post mentioning cloth diapers, so I thought I'd dive into the topic a bit more for anyone interested!

Let me first preface this with the disclaimer that I am not an "expert" - I'm just going to share what I've found works best for me, and what hasn't worked. There's such a huge variety of cloth diapers for the very reason that every mama and baby are different, and my experiences may be vastly different than someone else's! But I have been using cloth for the main part of 4 years on 3 different children, so those are my "credentials". :-)

First, Manda left a comment with a few questions:

Do you find that covers contain blowouts?
Absolutely! Especially those with gussets at the legs. In the past 4 years, I can count on two hands the number of blow-outs in cloth I've had to deal with, where, with disposable diapers, I experience leaks or blow-outs daily!

How many do you have, and what kinds??
I have probably 8-10 covers in each size. I don't use that many in a day, but I like having decent back-up. I especially like Proraps (inexpensive, super durable, and extremely dependable), Thirsties (gussets on the legs, lots of fun, vibrant colors, and a great fit), and Bumkins (trim, lots of cute prints, but a bit pricey).

What do you do when infant prefolds are too small and regular are too long?
Hmmm... I am trying to remember. I honestly don't know if I've run into that problem. I've been able to use trifolded infant-sized prefolds up until toddler age, but I also didn't use them exclusively once the boys got to that size... I've always used a variety of things at that age! Regular prefolds do tend to be a bit bulky. So, I don't know that I'm of much help on that one, my apologies!

A friend in "real life" was asking me about the popular "one-size" diapers. I have tried them, and in fact, for my sister-in-law's baby shower, our family chipped in and got her a good rotation of them. In both my personal experience, and my sister-in-law's... they aren't worth the price. On newborns, they are very bulky, and after a good 6 months or so of regular use and washing, we encountered elastic failure as well as lots of leaking. My sister-in-law's began leaking so badly that they were completely unusable, before she even used them for an entire year. So much for infant-to-toddler usage! So I don't recommend investing in them, especially since they are pricey but don't live up to expectations. However, they are extremely popular, so others must have had better luck with them than we did. I will say that once past infant stage, I really loved the fit- very trim and easy to use, and I really, really wanted them to be the "perfect" diaper for us. I was disappointed when they proved to be unreliable.

I also wanted to explain more about how I use my cloth diapers. For the infant stage, I've been using preemie sized prefolds, rather than infant. However, preemie sized don't have as many absorbant layers as infant, so I've been doubling up. First, I lay the prefold into a cover, trifolded in the front, but flaring out in the back to help catch messes and keep the covers clean. Then I trifold another preemie prefold and lay it in the middle of the first one, so that there's a double layer of absorbancy. Here's a picture, since its tricky to explain (click to enlarge for better detail):


For wipes, I use baby washcloths. I fold them in half, lay them in an old plastic wipes container, and pour a little warm water in to get them moist. That way both the diapers and wipes can just be tossed into the diaper pail and washed!

Cloth diapering can sound intimidating at first, but I would assure anyone interested that it is very easy, economical, and, of course, "green" ;-) Feel free to ask any other questions you might have, I'm more than happy to help if I can!

Random Ramblings

In my middle of the night ponderings (probably more than a bit abstract) there were a few things on my mind I wanted to blog about, but none are really "worthy" of their own posts, so I thought I'd throw together a conglomeration of them here.

• First, my favorite soft soled shoe company is going out of business, and having a huge clearance sale. I'm seriously considering on stocking up before they're gone forever. I LOVE these shoes - great quality and the price is so much better than the "high end" (read: more expensive!) shoes, in which I find no difference. The smaller sizes are a soft suede sole, and the upper sizes have a thin rubber sole for traction and outdoor protection, but they are still super soft and flexible. Anyone who knows me in "real" life has seen Nathan's frog and turtle shoes - this is where they are from! So, check out Wiggees and use the code SAVE15 when checking out to save an additional 15% off their closeout price. This will only be until March 31! (and no, I don't get anything for sharing this, lol! I just wanted to pass along a great deal)

• Second, let me ramble about cloth diapering for a minute. I started using cloth diapers when Joel was a few months old, and have tried what seems like everything out there - I was really into getting the "latest and greatest" for a while. But now that its been 4 years, I've learned that simple really is "greatest", at least for me. While I love the convenience of All-in-Ones, they are a bit too pricey for me to have enough of them to use exclusively. Fitteds are fun because they can come in cute colors and prints, but over time I've decided they're a bit too bulky for my taste, especially when under a cover, which is necessary for outings. Pockets are also a bit pricey, even though the adjustable absorbency can be a plus, especially at nighttime. So where does that leave me? With good, old-fashioned, tried and true prefolds! And some fun, trim covers. I don't even pin or fasten the prefolds, I just fold them into thirds, lay them in the cover, and TaDa! instant, easy diaper. And so inexpensive, comparatively! The funny thing is, the mama who introduced me to cloth diapering used this method, and I was lured away from its ease and reliability by all the other tempting systems... only to find myself back after spending too much time and money trying everything else under the sun. For some good info on cloth diapering, check out The DiaperPin. And, if you're curious about cloth but don't want to invest alot of money just to decide it isn't right for you, check out Jillian's Drawer's 21-day cloth diaper trial for just $10! Its a pretty neat way to try the different "systems" and see what suits you best! A few other cloth diaper websites I enjoy are Abby's Lane (free shipping on all orders!) and a local-to-me one, Emi Beans!

• Next, I'm considering actually decorating the nursery! I've never decorated a nursery for any of the other boys, its always been something I considered a little bit frivolous, especially when we went through our season of really bad budgeting ;-) Little niceties such as decorating just weren't priority. But now we've become more frugal, and I've grown in confidence in my "decorating on a budget" skills, and I think I can pull it off with paint we already have, plus some chair rail, which Michael assures me we can find room in the budget for! There are two different color themes I'm trying to decide between, inspired by this bedding set and this bedding set...bedding set itself I'm not sure will be included, that is something still considered a bit "frivolous" and definitely not a necessity, no matter how cute. But I love the colors, so I think its a good starting point! Please feel free to share your opinion with me - blue and green, or green, cream and brown?
  

That's about it for my random thoughts. And just to make this post worth your while, here's some cute pictures :-)

Wordless Wednesday - Signs of Spring and Love

A surprise for mama from her boys!

Interview with my Children

This was a thing on Facebook that some friends sent to me, and I thought it was so cute it should be shared! I asked the three oldest boys (Isaac, 8, Ezra, 6, and Joel, 4) the following questions, separately. Here are their answers, quoted exactly!

1. What is something mom always says to you?
I - I love you
E - Do your chores
J - She loves me

2. What makes mom happy?
I - Me doing nice things
E - Flowers, no, doing what is right
J - When we obey

3. What makes mom sad?
I - Me being bad
E - Not doing what is right, not acting right at other people's houses
J - When we don't obey

4. How does mom make you laugh?
I - By being funny
E - Tells funny jokes
J - I don't know, you just did, though!

5. What was your mom like when she was a child?
I - I don't know
E - I don't know, a little girl
J - I don't know

6. How old is your mom?
I - 29
E - 29
J - I don't know, 12?

7. How tall is your mom?
I - 5 feet, 3 inches
E - 2 feet, 2 inches
J - I don't know

8. What is her favorite thing to do?
I - Be loved by dad
E - Clean the house, no, take care of us and eat Moose Tracks
J - Do stuff with us

9. What does your mom do when you are not home?
I - Take naps
E - Make cookies and dinner
J - Cook

10. If your mom becomes famous, what will it be for?
I - I don't know
E - Being a good wife
J - I don't know

11. What is your mom really good at?
I - Knitting
E - Eating Moose Tracks, baking
J - Writing and reading

12. What is your mom not good at?
I - Remembering things
E - Disc Golf
J - You're good at everything!

13. What does your mom do for a job?
I - Raise us
E - Stay home, clean, take care of us
J - Cooks

14. What is your mom's favorite food?
I - Pineapple, no, Moose Tracks
E - I don't know... enchiladas? No, Moose Tracks!
J - Everything, I guess

15. What makes you proud of your mom?
I - Raising us in a Godly way
E - She prepares our breakfast and provides for us
J - You let us do fun things and give us food

16. If your mom was a cartoon character, who would she be?
I - Nobody, actually, I don't know
E - I don't know
J - I don't know

17. What do you and your mom do together?
I - Talk
E - Talk
J - All sorts of things

18. How are you and your mom the same?
I - We both like to sleep
E - We both have blue eyes, and hands and feet, noses and a body
J - God made us the same way

19. How are you and your mom different?
I - I have more energy
E - Mama has longer hair and mine is blonde
J - God made us different

20. How do you know your mom loves you?
I - Because she loves all of her children, so she must love me
E - Because she always tells me
J - Because you always say you do

21. What does your mom like most about your dad?
I - He loves her
E - That he's a hardworking man
J - I don't know, everything!

22. What is your mom's favorite place to go?
I - Cold Stone Creamery
E - her mom's house
J - Putt-putt. Actually that's my favorite place, I don't know where Mommy's is.

A New Series and a Giveaway!

My friend Brianna at Heart(h) Management has started a fun new series called "Its a REAL Job!", all about treating our calling as keepers at home like a "real" job and working purposefully to fulfill our roles within our homes. This week, she wrote an excellent article called "Dress for Success", and along with the good pointers she made, there's a fun giveaway for a Marie-Madeline apron! So hop over to Heart(h) Management for some great blog posts and a chance to win!

Birth Stories - Judah

After the middle-of-the-night false labor incident on Tuesday, I was feeling a little out of sorts. I continued to have contractions off and on throughout the day on Wednesday, and then Thursday. Around noon on Thursday, they started feeling a bit different, a little more painful and regular, so I started timing them. They were 10-12 minutes apart, so I figured it was more of the same. As time went on, though, the pain definitely got more intense, and I began to feel slightly nauseus, as well. So I called Michael (who had to work late that day) and he asked me to call our friend Jenny over to keep me company and just incase I thought I needed to go over to the hospital.

I felt a little foolish calling Jenny again, afraid that it would be just another false alarm, but after she arrived, the contractions picked up in a big way - they began coming every 3-5 minutes, very regularly, and were quite painful. Jenny fixed us all dinner and then I called Michael to see where he was on his way home - I wanted to wait for him before we left for the hospital, and sure enough, he was only about 15 minutes away. So we got the kids ready, Michael got home, changed his clothes, and we loaded up the van and headed over to the hospital, Jenny and kids in tow :-) We got to the hospital around 7:20 pm.

They were very quick to get me checked in and get the midwife to check me. I was SO nervous that she was going to say still no progress, but she said "Oh, you're a good 7 cm!" Hooray! I was really in labor, and in fact, almost done! Michael and I were ecstatic! We talked about breaking my water, but I said I'd rather wait until I was fully dilated, so we spent about 2 more hours talking and visiting with the friends and family that showed up (I think all of our extended family members fill the waiting room, lol!). Contractions were rough, and I remember one specific scripture that kept coming to mind during them - Psalm 18:1-2

"I love You, O LORD, my strength.
The LORD is my rock and my fortress and my deliverer,
My God, my rock, in whom I take refuge;
My shield and the horn of my salvation, my stronghold."

and what comfort that verse brought to me! He surely was my strength and my fortress during the pain (and is always!).

Finally the midwife came in for another check and I was almost complete, so she said she'd go ahead and break my water. It was a little after 9 pm, and within a few minutes, she suggested I try pushing. I didn't have a huge urge, but we all figured it was time to get the show on the road and have a baby already ;-) Pushing was hard. I dislike pushing more than contractions, I really do. Michael laughed at me afterwards because at one point during the pushing, I said "Put my legs down, I'm not pushing anymore" and the midwife had to talk me into the fact that yes, I was actually going to have to do some work to get this baby to come! I guess I got a bit stubborn, lol!

However, even though it seemed like an eternity to me, after about 30 minutes of pushing, at 9:55 pm, Judah entered the world. And of course, we've all been waiting eagerly to see whether the baby was a boy or a girl, and when the midwife said boy, I laughed out loud and was filled with absolute joy! I can't believe I am the mother to five young men! I was beyond thrilled, and couldn't BUT praise God!

As soon as he was born, I knew his name was to be Judah. It was a name that we had mentioned in passing, but not given alot of real consideration, but it just seemed to be the perfect fit once I saw him. Michael took some time to pray about it and we discussed other options, but, obviously, in the end, we both agreed Judah would be it! Judah means "praise, thankful" and the story of the name is in Genesis 29:35 - Leah, who is desiring Jacob's love and attention, had borne him three sons already, and named them each names that indicated she hoped Jacob would finally love and appreciate her. When her fourth was born, she realized that her focus was on the wrong thing - instead, she said "This time I will praise the Lord", and named her son Judah.

And so, praising God for our fifth son, he is named Judah.

Turngren has a special meaning, as well. Becca, Michael's sister who recently passed away, had gotten married just nine months earlier, taking on the name Turngren as her last name. We chose it for Judah's middle name to not only honor Becca, but also so that her husband will always be a part of us, and our family, tied forever through Becca's love. Jeff is a wonderful man, and we love him very much.

Michael did an excellent job of taking pictures during the evening (nothing indiscreet!), so I will try to put together a slide show soon. We are settling into "real" life reasonably well. He's nursing like a champ, and everyone is doting on him (and me!). We're so pleased to have him here with us to hold finally!

The Real Thing

Introducing...


Judah Turngren Robinson

born Thursday, March 19, 2009
9:55 pm
7 pounds even

Another Boy!!!
birth story to come soon...

Not a Birth Story

You would think after 4 deliveries, I'd be a pro at figuring out when to head to the hospital. Last night proved that this is not the case!

All day yesterday I had a burst of nesting energy, as well as the usual signs that tend to occur pre-labor. By 8 pm last night, contractions had begun, and were a good 8-10 minutes apart. Michael and I sat up for a little while, continuing to time them, and I packed bags to be ready just in case. Since the intensity didn't seem too bad, we both decided to go to bed and get what sleep we could, not knowing what the night might hold.

A little before midnight, I woke up with more painful contractions. I stayed in bed for an hour, unable to sleep, and finally got up to walk around to see if anything might change. While walking, the contractions grew to be 3-6 minutes apart, and painful enough for me to need to stop walking and rock a bit. After an hour of that, I woke Michael up to get ready to go!

We called our wonderful friend Jenny who immediately came right over to stay with the boys, and we headed over to the hospital. Once there, I was hooked up to the monitor, and sure enough, contractions were coming every 6-8 minutes while I was lying down, more frequently while walking. However, I was only dilated to 2 cm! So the midwife said to walk, walk, walk - and we paced the halls, discussing the artwork and interesting floor designs, and Michael snuck me some animal crackers ;-)

After an hour of walking with some pretty good contractions, I needed to rest, so we went back to the room and laid down. The nurse and midwife were kind enough to just let us sleep, so they didn't bother us at all until a little before 7 am, when I woke up and asked to be checked. And the verdict was... still at 2 cm. And contractions had died down significantly. No labor!

So we're back home, a bit weary and dejected, but also a bit relieved because as far as timing goes, the next few days would be a bit stressful for having a baby due to Michael's work schedule. So all's well that ends well - the baby is doing great and moving around, and we have a few more days to prepare. I feel badly that we had to call Jenny over and alert a few others who were waiting excitedly in the middle of the night, though!

Now I'm just wondering - if I had all of my normal labor signs, happening for over 6 hours, and this wasn't labor... how will I know the difference when it is?! Yikes!

Birth Stories - Nathan

Nathan was my first delivery with a midwife. I've always been a proponent of natural birth, and after 3 births with OBs, I decided it was time to go with someone who held more of the same mindset as me regarding birth - more natural, less medical.

Throughout my pregnancy with Nathan, I had what they called an "irritable uterus" - meaning, it was contracting ALL the time. There wasn't much concern for preterm labor, but it was very uncomfortable and made me worry a little about if I'd be able to tell when real labor began. Thankfully, the Lord made it obvious for me!

The night before labor began, I had the same signs that I did during the beginning of Joel's and Isaac's births, so I was encouraged that things were about to start happening.

Around 3:30 am I woke up with a contraction, which wasn't unusual - I had been having contractions for weeks and weeks, but these actually kept me awake, and did not die down - I stayed in bed until 5 am and they were still consistent. I whispered to Michael we were probably having a baby today! So he woke up but stayed in bed a little while longer as I puttered around making sure all the bags and things were ready to go. The whole time, the contractions were consistent, but hard to time - I'd have a big, long on every 8-10 minutes, but then some smaller, less intense, and shorter ones sometimes every 3-6 minutes, so I really didn't know what to think.

I showered, and we got the boys up at 7 or so, and told them the baby was coming today! Ezra said to Michael "How do YOU know?! Only GOD knows when the baby is going to come!" So we told him God had a way of making sure mamas know when their baby is coming! ;-)

We got them dressed and loaded up and headed over to my sister-in-law's, where our family was waiting and excited, prayed for us and wished us well, and we were on our way to the hospital! I got checked in around 9 am and the put me in a triage room to see how far along I was, and I was at 7 cm! They asked if I wanted to walk down the hall to my room or if I would like to be pushed on the bed. I wasn’t feeling any sort of transition-type contractions yet, so I said I’d walk. I had one contraction on the way down the hall. We got to the room and settled in and I told my nurse I was feeling a teeny bit of pressure – no urge to push, but pressure. She called my midwife who came and checked me, and I was at 10 cm!

So she broke my water and said I could push if I felt like it, or not, just to listen to my body. I could feel a lot of pressure, but it wasn’t that “I have to PUSH!” feeling, so I wanted to wait for the baby to drop a bit more. She let me go to the bathroom, and walk around, and she rubbed my back during a few contractions as I stood up and leaned over the bed. I still didn’t have a huge urge to push, but the pressure was really bothering me, so I told her I’d like to give pushing a try.

She suggested I get on my hands and knees on the bed and try pushing that way. As I pushed, Michael put counterpressure on my lower back, which was SO nice. Pushing was hard, I hate pushing!! But the all-fours position really helped me feel the sensations of pushing a lot better than the times I’ve done it on my back, it was amazing how much easier it was to do it that way. All I heard from the midwife was lots of encouragement. I pushed for 10 minutes, and Nathan was born! Since I was on my hands and knees, I couldn’t see him right away, but Michael put his face next to mine and had tears in his eyes and said “It’s a boy!” and I cried from joy and exhaustion, lol!

When he was born, he had the cord wrapped around his neck, which scared Michael, but he said the midwife handled it perfectly. Then we discovered that his cord also had a complete, true knot in it, which the midwife said is really rare. I wish we had gotten a picture of it, it was amazing to see. She said the only reason it didn’t cause any complications was because his cord happened to be longer than normal, too, so it never cinched the knot tight enough to cause problems. I knew the Lord was protecting Nathan.

I was amazed at what a difference having a midwife made, she was really everything I had hoped for. It was actually a little weird at first to not have someone instructing me the whole time! At first I didn't really know HOW to listen to my body, and was a little self conscious, but it was so freeing to know there weren't any expectations at all. It was a wonderful birth.

I can't wait to post my next birth story soon!!

Birth Stories - Joel

Joel's birth is also the one I refer to as "At which point I determine never to use an OB again" ;-) My pregnancy with Joel went great. I don't remember his due date, but he arrived a few days beforehand. The day before labor began, I was hit with some serious nesting. It was a warm January day, and I decided that the Suburban needed washing. Not just the typical hose down, but a good, solid scrubbing, including the roof - which entailed me, 9 months pregnant, climbing onto a ladder with a hose, washing mitt and lots of suds - and yes, when Michael saw what I was attempting, he immediately thwarted my desires! Not to be too discouraged, I then took up raking the yard, and did that for about an hour. That evening, I had some tell-tale "signs" as I mentioned I also had before Isaac's birth, so I knew things were on a roll!

I woke up that next morning with slight cramping, but nothing too major. Again, Michael went off to work, and I ran some errands and got the boys' hair cut. At the hair cutting place, the contractions started to get more serious. We went back home and ate lunch and the boys took a nap. During nap time I called Michael and my mother-in-law - she came and stayed with the boys while Michael and I headed off to the hospital. We had to head in earlier than I would have liked because I had tested positive for Group B Strep and their policy was to administer 2 doses of antibiotic before birth. So when I got to the hospital, I was only at 4 cm, but that gave them the time they wanted to start up the first dose. After the first dose, I was free to wander the halls and have visitors, so we did.

However, before they could start the second dose (I forget how far apart the doses are supposed to be), things started to pick up a notch. I asked if I could get in the shower, and so they checked me, and I was 7 cm. The OB decided to break my water (to which I definitely agreed!) and said I could take a shower after she did, and that she would be back. I never got that shower. She broke my water and left the room, and things started happening FAST - really fast.

I was lying on my side and after about 2 contractions, knew the baby was coming. The nurse called the OB back in, and the OB asked me to roll onto my back. I asked if I could stay on my side, knowing full well that babies can certainly be delivered that way, and the OB got very forceful. She began yelling at me to roll over, which really startled Michael - to hear the OB yelling, and to hear me yelling because of the worst labor pains I had ever felt. So in his fear, he began speaking very sternly to me, telling me to ROLL OVER! I knew if I rolled over the pain would only be much, much worse, so I continued to refuse. Finally, Michael and the nurse rolled me over themselves, and in one push, Joel was born. And it was excrutiating!

I went from 7 cm dilated to having Joel in my arms in 19 minutes flat! It was SO painful, and I hemmoraged a little afterwards, which was even more painful as the OB dealt with that. I was so sore and exhausted, and felt a little beat up emotionally! Joel was also my biggest baby yet, 8 pounds, 3 ounces, although I don't know how much that had to do with it!

All in all, I was thankful to have a healthy, beautiful baby... but I have always wished his birth had been a bit more peaceful. It was nothing traumatic, to be sure, but it sure was stressful with all the yelling that went on!

Joel didn't seem to be too badly affected by it, though, as he was a very peaceful and happy baby. Michael chose his name, and it means "Jehova is Lord". Michael chose it so that anytime anyone uses it, they are in actuality praising the Lord! I've always loved that.

Birth Stories - Ezra

I will be the first to say that everything about Ezra's start in life surprised us! Just finding out we were expecting him was a HUGE surprise - Isaac was only 10.5 months old, and we not yet at that point convicted about allowing the Lord to take His rightful place in our marriage regarding fertility, so in other words, we were actually trying to avoid becoming pregnant! But the Lord's timing is perfect, and so Ezra entered the world (and boy, are we ever thankful!).

Ezra's due date was August 17, 2002. It had been a fun pregnancy, as my sister-in-law was also pregnant with her second and due the same month (our first borns are 6 months apart). We've very much enjoyed the times we've been pregnant together. On August 4, our family had a joint baby shower for us, and I remember standing in the kitchen with my brother-in-law, saying "I bet this one will be late, I don't feel like I'll ever give birth!" I had no warning signs or notions that birth was much sooner than I expected...

Around 1 am the next morning, I was tossing and turning with lower back pain. I would find a position that would seem comfortable, but after a few minutes, the discomfort would return. So I'd find a new position, get comfortable... and after a few minutes, be in pain again. This went on for an hour before the thought occurred to me that the pattern of pain didn't seem so much connected to what position I was trying to sleep in - it seemed alot more... regular, almost like contractions! So I got out of bed and puttered around the house for a bit and the on and off again pain didn't change, and my suspicions began to grow. Looking back, I can see why I was a little slow on the idea - first, because it was 12 days early, but also because I expected it to be very predictable, like Isaac's had been. I've since learned that each labor and is totally different!

I went back to bed, and just like with Isaac's birth, when Michael got up to go to work, I told him I thought I was in labor. We decided that he would just go into work and I would give him a call as the day progressed. He had barely gotten into the office before I called him to come home! We left the house sometime between 9 and 9:30, and while getting into the car, I threw up (which, for me, is a sign of moving into the transition phase of labor, so I knew things were really happening!). We drove to the hospital and checked in and I was between 7 and 8 cm. My OB was stuck in traffic, so again, the nurses did not want to break my water, even though I was had gotten to 9 cm. (A word about my water - it has never broken on its own. My mother's was the same way! It has always been very strong, which I am actually thankful for, considering the alternative) Thankfully I did not have to wait long this time - the OB showed up, broke my water, and Ezra was born 20 minutes later, a little before 11 am.

My first memory of him was that he was so small (6 pounds, 10 ounces - not too small, but smaller than Isaac's 7 pounds, 6 ounces) and so RED! And he cried soooooo much, he was extremely colicky (we had days of 16+ hours of crying sometimes). My mom jokes that he spent the first month of his life angry that he came out into the cold, bright world so soon. But he has certainly grown into a joyful, fun-loving boy! The thing that most amazes me is how different he and Isaac are to this day, even starting with their deliveries. I'm always amazed at the handiwork of God, making each child unique!

Birth Stories - Isaac

Since I've got birth on the mind, I've been reminiscing over the other boy's births. I love hearing other women's birth stories, so I thought I'd share mine! Here's Isaac's:

My due date with Isaac was Dec 25, 2000. On December 17 (a Sunday), Michael and I enjoyed a movie date together, and throughout the day, I was feeling very crampy. Later that evening, I noticed some "signs" (that, for those who have given birth, may clue into, but I don't want to be too detailed for the sake of any men or squeamish ladies who read!) that told me things might be happening.

I woke up around 1 am Monday morning with a definite contraction pattern, but after timing them for about an hour, they were still 12-18 minutes apart, so I went back to bed. A little after 5 am, Michael got up to get ready for work, and I told him that I thought I was in labor. The poor man panicked! lol! He spent the next hour straying no farther than 2 feet from me (even waiting outside the bathroom door!) and asking if we should call the Dr, if I needed anything, so on and so on. Looking back, its adorably sweet, but at the time I found it a tad bit frustrating! Contractions were still very irregular, and not too painful, so I really had doubts that it was urgent. So after a while, we agreed that he should just head into work and I would call if or when things progressed.

I spent the next few hours doing laundry, tidying up, and then lying on the couch as contractions grew in intensity. Even though they were becoming more painful, they were still irregular, some coming every 5 minutes, some every 15, so I wasn't sure what to do. Around 12:30 in the afternoon, Michael called to say he was going out to lunch with some coworkers, but because we didn't have cell phones back then, he wanted to double check on me before he left. I told him my status and we thought it would be fine for him to go. Within minutes of hanging up the phone with him, however, I threw up! I knew that meant something (although I didn't know exactly what - I do now! ;-) ) so I called him back and asked him to come home.

When he arrived home, I hopped in the shower while he called the OB. When he told them how often the contractions were, they agreed that it was probably a bit early to come in, but since I had been having them for over 12 hours, I could at least come in for a check. So off we went! I told him that if I was only at 3 cm I might actually break down and ask for pain relief (up until then, I had been determined to go naturally) - I was in a lot of pain. We got to the Dr, and he again voiced the suspicion that, since I was a first time laborer, and the contractions, while feeling painful, were most likely too irregular to be doing much and I could probably plan on going home for a little while longer. Imagine ALL of our surprise when he checked me and said "Well... I don't think you'll be going home - you're at 9 cm!" :-o LOL! So they plopped me in a wheel chair and took me straight to Labor and Delivery.

I was admitted a little after 3 pm. Then a slight dilemma began - my water had not yet broken, and I wasn't dilating any further without my water breaking... and the OB said not to break my water until he was done with office calls! Argh! So I stayed, contracting, at 9 cm for 2 more hours - ouch! By that point, though, I was learning how to deal with the pain pretty well, so I didn't ask for any pain relief. A little after 5, the OB arrived, broke my water, and I immediately made it to 10 cm. The pushing began, and a little less than an hour later... Isaac entered the world!

What an amazing moment that was. We all cried, lots of pictures were taken, and he was taken to the warmer for all of the checks and baths and whatnot they do. While he was being attended to, they brought me a sandwich, and I clearly remember sitting there, eating my sandwich, and thinking "WHAT did we do?! We actually had a BABY?! What were we thinking?!" lol! I was a little overwhelmed to say the least ;-)

But God is faithful, and with his blessings come His guidance, strength, and wisdom! And He certainly has provided all of those and more through our child raising adventures :-)

A Reminder of Grief

I see my sons, young brothers, working together, straining muscles to lift and carry a heavy basket, and an image flashes through my mind.

The too recent image of other young, but grown, brothers, and a young husband, working together, straining muscles - to lift and carry a casket - of their much too young sister and wife - with a burden in their hearts far heavier than the wooden box they carry in their arms.

A flash, an instant, and heartbreak overwhelms.

I thank you all so much for your continued prayers and love. I hope that no one minds if I occasionally voice the reality of our journey as we travel through grief, hand in hand with the Lord.

Wordless Wednesday - My Handsome Men

Getting Ready for Baby

Only about 2.5 weeks left until my due date! The last month is always a thrill... I am so impatient, so excited, and so curious to finally meet our new little one! My track record is to come early, so Michael is already asking me "are you in labor?" "are you having contractions?" "will it be tonight?"... just to pester me more than really wondering, I think ;-)

As far as getting ready, I think I'm pretty well set. I have the car seat ready to go, and clothes and diapers washed and put away. I still have to wash things like bouncy seat covers, the pack and play (which we'll use as a bedside bassinet for a few months), and my sling and pouch.

Speaking of my sling and my pouch... I just have to say that when anyone ever asks me what are some "must-haves" for a new mama... those are at the top of my list. I LOVE wearing my babies, and they seem pretty happy with it as well. Another must-have is a bouncy seat - I keep one in the bathroom and one in the main living area of the house for those necessary hands and body-free moments. All the rest of the "contraptions" out there can be very nice and convenient, but a good, comfy carrier and a bouncy seat (and diapers, of course) are the only things I consider absolute necessities! A couple of good websites for carriers are Lucky Baby, Slinglings, and Ergo. I love all of mine!!

Nesting may very well have set in.... last night I tossed and turned, and when I finally got tired of being awake and doing nothing... I got up at 5:30 and deep cleaned my bathroom! That's not exactly "normal" for me, lol! We're doing an "alternative" week for school so that I can get all of the little things done... that just means no traditional-type school work, but lots of "life work"... there's lots of little organizing things I want to get done that the boys will be helping with!

I am now taking Evening Primrose Oil to help prepare my cervix, as well as drinking Raspberry Leaf Tea to help tone my uterus. Those, along with my regular prenatals and fish oil, are about as far as I go with supplements. I've taken them with each pregnancy, and each delivery has been relatively "easy" (if you can say "easy" and "labor" in the same sentence, anyway) so I do believe they help.

I had posted some bare-belly pictures here, but Michael suggested maybe they hinted at immodesty a bit, so I have taken them down. So here's one that won't embarrass anyone! My apologies if the others did :-)

Wordless Wednesday - Snow in Georgia!

Another One!

Yes, another song I wanted to share. ;-) I have found praise music to be so healing to my spirit lately. We sang this in church yesterday, and I love how it is a song of victory and praise! What a wonderful gift God has given us through His son!

Let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich"
Let the blind say, "I can see"
It's what the Lord has done in me

Hosanna, hosanna
To the Lamb that was slain
Hosanna, hosanna
Jesus died and rose again

To the river I will wade
There my sins are washed away
From the heavens' mercy streams
Of the Savior's love for me

I will rise from waters deep
Into the saving arms of God
I will sing salvation songs
Jesus Christ has set me free

Hosanna, hosanna
To the Lamb that was slain
Hosanna, hosanna
Jesus died and rose again

Let the weak say, "I am strong"
Let the poor say, "I am rich"
Let the blind say, "I can see"
It's what the Lord has done in me

February's Treasures

Enjoy the encouragement and thoughts that these blog posts will provide!

Refusing a Limited Vision of Womanhood at A Wise Woman Builds Her Home - this one gets a hardy AMEN! from me regarding the idea of being "quiverfull" and why.

Scandalous Love at Holy Experience - this quote really resonated within me:

"Who am I, chief among sinners, to be saved?
On a Sunday morning in February, the week when bouquets of roses will be tenderly offered and Valentines signed with passion, I swallow the gospel down, the good news: not that the good are rescued, (because what news would that be?), but the bad, the very bad, are loved, bought, redeemed."

I'm Every Woman at Large Family Mothering - praise God for His mercy and grace!

Proverbs 31:10-12 at Cherishing My Days - its like seeing the inner thoughts of my brain on someone else's blog, lol!

Blessings, But... at Pursing Titus 2 - I couldn't agree more! Which are they? Blessings, or not?

God Knows at Large Family Mothering - this seems to be a theme this month! These posts are encouraging to me, however, especially since #5 is so close to being in my arms, and while my excitement grows in anticipation, so, also, do the comments I've been getting from folks...

"Piglet sidled up to Pooh from behind..." at Eyes of Wonder - this blog is so beautiful! And the posts come so infrequently that each one is such a treasure. I loved the discussion of the book of Habakkuk, as well as this quote regarding our time here on earth:

We really can't comprehend the impact that our lives will have/and are having, on those that we love. Even the smallest things that we do (though I guess it is the smallest things that add up to the bigger things that matter most. Right?) over time, lay a foundation and begin to build upon it. God takes our little, and is able to make much of it. Despite limitations (and I know there are some really, really heart wrenching, seemingly hopeless situations--but they're not. Not to Him. Not in Him. And I say this in much tenderness and love) and things being far less than our desired ideal. He (only He) is able to mulitiply our faithfulness in the things that can seem nearly insignificant at the time--and for years of repetition, on end.

Answering Your Questions: Why Natural Childbirth at in other words... - these might be considered slightly controversial (simply because she states her opinion matter-of-factly and we all know how offensive that can be ;-)), and even I can't say I agree completely with all of the points made, but I definitely think the points are worth considering!

• Part 1: Medical Reasons
• Part 2: Religious Reasons
• Part 3: Cultural Reasons

The Calling of Motherhood at At the Well...In Pursuit of Titus 2 - I really appreciated the emphasis on having a servant's heart in mothering, submission to the Lord, and a clear picture of our calling!

The Controlled Mother at A Wise Woman Builds Her Home - how convicting! I struggle in this area, for sure.

The New American Idle at SpunkyHomeSchool, also related article American Idle at American Thinker - I actually really enjoy politics, even if I don't discuss them much here... and these are both excellent commentaries on the latest happenings in the political realm, as well as the overall mindset of the majority of Americans, no matter which political side they fall on.

The Myth of the Perfect Family at Your Sacred Calling - what encouragement!

What Marxists Know about Education at Divine Calling - yep, yep, yep. Eerily familiar....

Mediocrity is a Disease at The Executive Housewife - very good points made. How close do we like to get to that line of worldliness, claiming it our "right" as "freedom in Christ"?

Expectations at Falling Like Rain - A good reminder about appreciating our husbands and allowing God to do His work in them!

Home-Making on Purpose at The Common Room - some really good resources recommended to help home-making become more second-nature - especially for those of us for whom it isn't!

Like a River Glorious at A Spacious Place - She shares my heart's inner prayer, as when I am face to face with my sin and lack as a mother.