This and That

I need to catch-up on some stuff.

First, Neil built a fabulous bunk-bed for the kids.  Twin on top, Full on bottom.  He got plans online for like $10, ordered all the hardware online too, then just had to buy wood at Lowe's, make cuts, sand each part, and put it all together.  Neil ended up making it for less than half of what we could have bought the same thing for.  We had a guy at church, who paints for a living, volunteer to paint the beds for us as a "new baby" present.  It Blessed us tremendously, because it saved Neil a lot of time!  So we were able to get the beds up faster so the kids could adjust to being in the same room sooner.  We painted them a light cream color to match the double dresser that we already had - both of which would be in the room with 2 kids :)  The only thing left to do is the drawers that serve as under-bed storage, that will store much, much more than these baskets do.

Isn't it great??
I made the duvet covers and curtains too.  I know...they're kinda plain...but since I don't know the sex of the baby yet...and therefore what two kids would be sharing a room (2 boys or 2 girls?) I figured I'd go with something plain and gender neutral and dress it up later, if needed.  The cool thing is that I made both duvet covers and the curtains for a grand total of about $28.  yup.  I bought flat sheets from walmart.  For the duvet covers, I sewed 2 twin flat sheets together and 2 full flat sheets together - then added snaps at the bottom for an opening, so they can be taken off and washed easily.  For the curtains, I bought 2 more twin-size flat sheets, hemmed the bottom, and made a pocket at the top.  Super easy.  Plus, it gave me an excuse to use my new snap press...

I'm way excited about this thing.  It will make my life so much easier when it comes to putting snaps on diapers.  I had the pliers, but they seriously start hurting my hand after a while...and with this baby the snaps come out perfect every time.  amazing contraption.  I'm loving it!
I'll be using it a lot here in the near future...

...and that reminds me to update on LoveBums.
Here's what I've come up with so far for my logo/clothing tags for the diapers/ministry:

Feedback please!  Should I put a website (my Etsy store site, when I get it) instead of the subtitle for advertisement?  or should I have both? any other thoughts/suggestions?  Anything would be appreciated.
Other than that, I've been working on tweaking my patterns, experimenting with new fabrics, figuring out costs/ how much to charge for them, etc.  Soon I'll be ordering a LOT of fabric to start working on diapers as I have time...until I feel like it's the right time to kick-off an Etsy store and start-up this ministry.  I am super-excited about it all.

I've officially (and successfully) made my first AIO (All-in-one) diaper!

It's waterproof PUL on the outside, 2 layers of 100% organic natural (not bleached) cotton on the inside, Side snaps - super-adjustable w/ 5 snap settings that don't touch baby's skin! With 2 rows of snaps, you can adjust it to be larger in the legs than the tummy, or vice versa.

Elastic legs and waist.  The waist elastic is larger for more comfort. 

On the inside, there is a flap-style soaker made of two more layers of the same fabric (sewn-in but also much easier to wash and dry). 
I had to do some tweaking to my original pattern (after trying it on a baby to get a real feel for it) to get the fit just right, but I think this one has a fabulous fit now :)  I wish you could feel how SOFT the fabric is on the inside...ooolala!

36 weeks (part 3)

Not trying to gross anyone out, but the mucus plug is officially gone.  Lost it this morning.  I called Melody (midwife) to ask about it -and she confirmed that it was indeed my mucus plug.  Gross.
I know this doesn't mean that labor is necessarily imminent.  Just like dilation, it could still be weeks.  But it tells us that my body is definitely getting ready for labor.

This is yet another way that this pregnancy is different than the last two.  I've never lost my plug before labor started.  So...dilating and effacing more...lost the plug...I'm seeing now that I really shouldn't have any expectations as far as how this labor is going to progress.
We'll see what happens...

36 weeks (part 2)

Not the best "Belly" picture...but a picture nonetheless...I've pretty much had to take all of them myself...I'm running out of ideas.



So Tuesday, I had another midwife appointment.
* I gained about 2 lbs. Same scale.  different floor.  My weight has been going up and down for like a month now...I don't think I've really had consistent weight-gain in a while.  o-well...
* My GBS test came back NEGATIVE!!  yeah!!  It's the first time that's ever happened.  So, I have to keep taking my probiotics to keep it that way, so we don't have to worry about doing anything special during labor.
* I'm slightly anemic (like, just under the border-line), so they put me on another herbal supplement called Floradix herbs + iron - a liquid all-natural supplement that doesn't have the constipation side-affects that most iron supplements have.

It's kinda crazy.  I feel like I'm taking more stuff being pregnant than I ever do NOT pregnant.  No medicines, so to speak...everything is all-natural, but for real - it's kinda hard to keep up with it all.
Breakfast - iron supplement, prenatal vitamins, 5-week formula
lunch - 5-week formula
Dinner - iron supplement, 5-week formula, pro-biotics.
But hey - if it is going to make me and my baby healthier for labor and delivery, I'm all for it.

* I had an exam to check for dilation....and I'm already at 3cm and 70% effaced.  Usually at this point I MIGHT be about 1cm (if that), and effaced about 25%.  Apparently, the 5-week formula is doing it's job to get my body ready for labor.  One thing it supposedly does is aide in dilation before labor starts so that labor itself is easier.  It also says it brings the body into balance - so people with longer labors have shorter ones, and those who have really short labors have more average-length ones.  I'm a little worried how fast this labor will be if I'm dilating more before-hand though.  We'll just have to see.
And I know that this doesn't mean labor could happen tomorrow.  I could be walking around like this (or even more progressed) for weeks before labor starts.  Again, we'll just have to see what happens.

* In the meantime, I've been having a LOT of Braxton-Hicks contractions, that are apparently doing something... and I've been having a lot of back pain too.  I saw the pregnancy chiropractor Tuesday as well, and she aligned my back, hips, pelvic bone, neck - the works.  She also used pressure points on my sinuses to help open them up so I can breathe more easily - and my nose was running like crazy on the drive home!  She did the same for Bella's sinuses, and gave Bella and Balian "mini" adjustments.  Bella has been fighting a cold, and not only did her sinuses need help, but her neck and back were a little bit out because of coughing a lot.  so interesting...Bella seems to be feeling much better today though - I don't think I've heard her cough once.  Oh, and just FYI, here's a list of some homeopathic decongestants that she told me about:
1. Put Apple Cider Vinegar in a humidifier.  smells bad, but she says it works great.
2. Onion.  French Onion Soup, or boil an onion for a couple hours, then take 1-2 tsp. of the juice every couple of hours.
3. Peppermint.  Pretty much just keep the Altoids coming, drink peppermint tea, or put some peppermint oil on your chest to breathe it throughout the day.
4. Xclear - an all-natural nasal spray that has Xilotol, saline, and grapefruit seed extract in it.  Tastes sweet if it goes down your throat, and you can use it as many times as you want throughout the day.  I've actually used this before, and I do like it - it just doesn't really work when you reach sinus infection status.
5. of course, there's the Netti Pot, but I'm kinda hesitant to try it out right now, simply because my gag reflex is so bad right now...maybe after the baby is here, if I still need it...

I think that's it for now....

36 weeks

I'll be 36 weeks TOMORROW!!  So crazy to think about.

We had our home-visit yesterday with our 2 midwives, Melody and Joni, and one of the new apprintices/assistant midwives, Sarah.  Pretty much they just did a walk-through of the house to get used to the layout, and see what resources we had available for the birth. 
* They confirmed that our bathtub would definitely be good enough to use for a waterbirth, if we so desired - just to make sure the bath and jets are cleaned out well with bleach-water, and to turn up the water heater when labor starts :)
* They instructed us on how to make our bed (when labor starts).  Good sheets on the bottom, a fitted vinyl sheet on top of that, then a set of sheets on top that we don't mind getting soiled.
* They saw that I had all my birthing supplies together in a Rubbermaid container - so we're good to go.

Then, we just spent some time talking about what our thoughts are about how we want the birth to go - our "birth plan" so to speak.  Of course, Neil and I are just so excited to be having this baby born at home, knowing how much more comfortable we'll be, that we don't really have a birth plan.  It's not like going to the hospital, and wanting to do things as natural as possible, and having to be a big-time advocate for that.  I don't have to have this long list of things I don't want (like not wanting an IV, not wanting monitors or asking for occassional monitoring, not wanting them to break my water, and no drugs - and Don't ask me!) or the things I do want (like holding the baby and feeding ASAP).  All of these things are just a given with a homebirth...so really, we're totally ok with just going with the flow...
ahhh....laboring in a nice warm bathtub (and birthing in there, if I so desire)....not being attatched to monitors or IVs...being able to move around and do whatever I want, in any position I want...being able to (and encouraged to) eat snacks and drink water throughout labor so I have some good energy for that workload...having contact with the baby right after birth, and feeding...having an herbal bath with my baby to help healing along, while the midwives and assistants gather up the soiled linens and put them in the wash for me...a home-cooked meal (either pre-made, frozen, and heated or made fresh by mom) ready to eat to replenish all that energy I used...I'm definitely looking forward to this one.

Then, I had my regular appointment, here, at the house.
* Somehow I lost about 2 lbs.  Not really sure how that happened.  I feel like I've been eating more the past week or so, and I've been getting the water and protein I need.  I would think my muscle mass should be long gone by now...  So, as of now, I've gained a total of 20 lbs. 
* Everything else looked good.  Urine was good, baby is measuring right on, and the heartbeat is going strong.  When Melody was checking the baby's positioning, her words were "Wow, that baby's low!" ha.  The head isn't engaged into the pelvic bone yet, but it's about as low as it can be without being engaged.  She also said that the baby seemed to be as far back as it could be  (toward my spine).  I suppose that may be one of the reasons I've been having a lot of back pain lately.  Melody also gave a rough estimate (based on feeling the baby's size) that she thinks the baby is right at about 5 lbs. right now.  I know it's a very rough estimate, but still neat.
* I did the GBS test.  I've been taking a pretty kickin' probiotic formula everyday for the past couple of weeks...I guess I'll find out this week what the results are, and if the probiotics helped at all.  I've tested positive while pregnant with both of the other kiddos.  But don't worry!  There is a non-IV way of treating GBS during labor.  So if I test positive, that doesn't mean I can't have a homebirth.  Actually, if I test positive, they may up my probiotics, and test me again in about 2 weeks to see if it's cleared up.

ok, so now the fun part - If you want to, now is your time to guess when this baby will be here!
Date, weight, length...and...boy or girl?
Due date is March 20.

Bella's Questions

My pretty girl posing like mommy for a picture...

Ok, so today is a much more serious note.
Is it possible for a 3-yr-old to really understand Salvation and accept that gift so young?

A couple of months ago, Bella witnessed her first baptism.  It was entirely intentional.  I wanted her to see what a baptism was, so that she would ask questions...and the questions came like an avalanche!

Add to this, that Bella also attended her first funeral - my grandfather, Jeda, the week before Christmas.

She has been asking question after question about what happens when we die and why we get baptized, and every question you can think of that stems from those two questions.  We've had really good conversations over the past couple of months, and I've seen the wheels in her head spinning.  And ever since she saw her friend, Reagan, get baptized, she's talked about it a lot.  I've always ended our conversations with "Bella, when you decide to follow Jesus, you let me know.  Then, you'll be able to get baptized."  She usually just says "ok, mommy" and that's the end of it.  Yesterday, we had another conversation. 

Bella: "Mommy, I'm not scared to go under water anymore, so I can get baptized."

me: "Well, Bella...it's more than just not being scared of the water.  Why do we get baptized?"

Bella: "Because we decide to follow Jesus."

me: "Yes, that's right.  so when you decide to follow Jesus, you can get baptized."

Bella: "But mommy, I have decided to follow Jesus." 

me: "Really?  when did you decide to follow Jesus?"

Bella: "One day, I just decided to follow Jesus."

me: "Bella, do you know what it means to decide to follow Jesus?"

Bella: "It means that I can live with him in Heaven after I die."

me: "yes, but there's more to it than that.  What did Jesus do?"

she looks at me, confused...

"what did Jesus do on the cross?"

Bella: "He died."

me: "why did he die on the cross?"

Bella: "so that I can live with him in heaven."

me: "yes... but again, there's more to it than that.  Jesus took all of our sin.  do you understand what sin is?"

again...a blank stare.

"remember?  when we don't listen and obey what God wants us to do - that's sin?"

Bella: nods her head "like when I don't listen and obey mommy and daddy."

me: "that's right, because God says 'Children..."

Bella: "...obey your parents in everything, for this pleases the Lord."

me: "that's right.  so when we don't obey, we are sinning.  Well, Jesus...he took all the times that we don't listen and obey - all the bad things that we do - all the times we are mean to our brother - all of that.  If Jesus didn't die on the cross and take our sin, we would have to go to a very bad place when we die, called hell, and we wouldn't be with Jesus.  But Jesus took all of our sin.  It's because of him taking our sin that we can be with him in heaven when we die."

Bella: "yeah!  that's right!"

me: "so when we decide to follow Jesus, we believe that Jesus is the son of God, and that he died on the cross for our sins.  Do you believe that Jesus is the son of God?"

Bella: "yes!"

me: "do you believe that Jesus died on the cross and took away your sin so you could live with him in heaven?"

Bella: "yes, and now I can get baptized!"

me: "well, Bella, I want you to understand something else..."

Bella: "what?"

me:  "when we decide to follow Jesus, it isn't just knowing that he is God's son, and knowing that he died on the cross for us...it's also deciding every day to follow Jesus.  That means, choosing to listen and obey Jesus as much as we can all the time.  It's not about just going to heaven - it's about obeying - about living for Jesus every day."

Bella: "oh."

me: "are you going to try to obey Jesus the best you can?"

Bella: "yes."

me: "that means listening and obeying mommy and daddy..."

Bella: "...because this pleases the Lord."

me: "that's right, Bella."

Bella: "so, can I get baptized?"

me:  "I'm not sure yet, Bella, I want to keep talking to you about it, so that I know that you really understand what baptism is.  When mommy and daddy think you're ready, then you can get baptized."

Bella: "ok."

I know that it's entirely possible for a 3-yr-old to be saved.  I know this because a couple of my friends were saved very young - about the same age - and remember everything about their salvation.  So why am I so skeptical about my daughter coming to know the Lord?  Is it her lack of obedience?  Although, her obedience has actually improved the past couple of weeks...

I wonder if maybe it has to do with how I came to know the Lord.  Jesus became real to me the summer in between my 9th and 10th grade year - it was a year after I had experienced the worst tragedy of my life, and I had gone through a year of dark nothingness.  When I came to know the Lord, it was because I heard an almost audible voice say "if you keep going the way you're going, you're going to die."  I was desperate.  I had one of two choices - die, or change my life drastically.  I decided to follow Jesus instead.  I couldn't keep going on the way I was going - I was dying inside because of hurt, and I was doing everything I could to fill that empty, dark, void.  And my salvation wasn't just about being "saved" from hell, it was about me deciding to live my life for the Lord - He became the Lord of my Life at the same time.

It's hard for me to imagine someone coming to know the Lord through simple, childlike faith.  To me, it's the most difficult, yet most important thing that happened in my life, and in no way was it because of a simple, childlike faith.  I think I doubt Bella's decision to follow Jesus because she is so young, and she has such a simple faith.  She sings her heart out - her own words - to Jesus, all the time.  Her words may not be theologically correct, or flow beautifully, but she is always singing her heart out.  She is always talking about the Lord.  She's started saying her own prayers, and she has prayed for me on various occasions, with immediate outcomes at times (like a headache going away, etc.).

Could it be possible that my Bella really does get this whole Jesus thing - that she has decided to follow him, for real?

It's so very difficult for me to grasp.  Even though I have prayed for her to come to a saving knowledge of who Jesus is at a young age since before she was born, I still doubt.

I guess I need to look to Bella as an example of childlike faith - and trust that God really is answering the prayers that I have prayed over her and for her.  Lord I believe!  Help me in my unbelief!

Potty Update

I've had lots of people asking me how potty training is going with Balian...so here's the update!

* Right now we're averaging about 2 accidents/day (about 2 weeks ago it was more like 4) - but we've never had less than 1 per day.  Some days are better than others though.
* When he does have an accident, he pats where he's wet to tell me - very rare that he doesn't.
* Balian successfully does the "poop" sign - and sometimes uses it to tell us that he needs to go, other times, he'll just go to the potty to tell us he needs to go.
* We definitely still have a communication barrier, but it's getting better.  He does the sign for "all done" or says it when he's either finished going, or it I put him on the potty and he doesn't need to go.
* Most of the time, I ask him if he needs to go.  He'll tell me one way or another by either shaking his head no or saying "huh" for yes...and he's gotten to the point that he really does know one way or another.
* Most accidents occur if he's pre-occupied with something (playing) and doesn't stop what he's doing to go potty...even if I ask if he needs to go, and he's pre-occupied, he'll just ignore me - and if I try to take him anyway, he'll get really mad.  He just doesn't like being taken away from what he's doing.
* I think Balian actually does better when we're out (or even at other people's houses) than when we're at home...mainly because of the last statement.
* Because Balian has been cutting some molars, we've had some issues with not being able to hold runny poop...but Bella was the same way when she had runs.  I can't expect him to hold it then.  But when everything is working properly, we don't have problems with him regressing or anything, which is actually pretty amazing.
*we've figured out that if we give Balian water without anything to eat, about an hour later, he'll be having to go potty like every 10 minutes...but if we only give him water with something to eat, we usually don't have a problem with that, and he'll stick to 20-30 min. intervals.  When he hasn't just had water, he can go about an hour in between potty breaks now.
* Balian has started lamenting over his wet pants.  I take them off of him, he points to them, and starts doing this very sad whine-thing.  Even with diapers first thing in the morning and after nap, he's sad about wetness.  Makes me happy :)
* We've started using potty time for ABC flash cards.  Just going over all the letter sounds.  I started doing it because I just wanted to see what sounds he could actually say.  A week ago, I think he was only able to do like 6 of the letter sounds - no wonder he wasn't saying much - he couldn't even make the sounds!  But this week, he's been actually trying to repeat words and sounds...and we've noticed a huge difference in his vocabulary.  So we've gotten two great things: distraction during potty time, and improved vocabulary!  Not to mention, he may learn his letters and letter sounds even earlier than Bella - we'll see.

* oh, and we had to eliminate the use of M&Ms after about a week.  Apparently Balian is sensitive to chocolate - he wouldn't go to sleep until like 10pm because he was wired!  So, we went back to teddy grahams and/or animal crackers.  Although I've contemplated Reece's pieces, since they don't have any chocolate....but they still have so much sugar.  The good thing is that he's not going as often now as he was...we'll see how it goes.  Maybe it could be a reward for TELLING me he has to go instead of me just taking him...

Overall, I think things are going very well.  Apparently boys just take a lot longer than girls, and that's OK, so long as you prepare yourself for it.  I still think it's worth it to train early - even - or should I say especially - when they're boys.  I can't imagine doing this at 2 or 3 years old.  I can't imagine the resistance that I would face.  I'd rather it be a slow progression and a way of life than waiting a long time and feeling like I need to push them to train quickly, and getting stressed out if they didn't do what I expect of them.

My biggest concern with the new baby coming is not Balian regressing - but rather me causing him to regress by not sticking to what we've been doing.  I've heard from so many that they always have to go when you're nursing...I think I'll just have to start taking Balian before I sit down to nurse...and take him at the halfway point when I'm changing the baby's diaper too if I have to.  Or I may just have to adapt and figure out how to do both at the same time.  We'll see how it goes.  But honestly, I think I'd rather him regress a bit after laying the foundation than starting later.  Seems like it would be easier for him to pick back up to where we left off...I could be wrong, but again...we'll have to see how it goes.

34 weeks

I finally was able to make it to the midwife this morning.  After all of the ice and snow last week, my appointment kept getting postponed...so today was the day!

Everything looks good. 
* Blood Pressure is good, as always.
* Glucose and Protein levels were normal. 
* I gained a bit of weight (about 2 lbs.), so I've gained a total of 22 lbs. so far.
* It was confirmed that the baby has dropped.  However, she wasn't concerned about it.  She said that every pregnancy is different, and some women's babies drop earlier in subsequent pregnancies due to the body having "memory" - we'll see what happens.
* I checked out the Bradley Method book to go over as a refresher.  It hasn't been that long since Balian was born, but it's always nice to be prepared.
* I bought my bottle of the "5 week formula" and I'm supposed to start taking it next week.  Apparently another good thing about it is that it generally keeps women from going way over their due date.  Good to know - placental breakdown was one of my concerns, since they don't induce at all...so it helps me to feel better about that one :)
* I returned the circumcision video that I checked out last time, and we talked about what I thought about it.  It was definitely informative...We wish that we had all that information before Balian was born to make a more educated decision, but at the same time it brought about more questions for Neil and I.  The main one being this: If circumcision causes loss of sensitivity and a lower sex-drive in men, then how much more difficult is it for an uncircumcised man to deal with sexual temptation on a daily basis - especially before marriage?  If those sensitivities are heightened on a daily basis for an uncircumcised man, would we want to circumcise to "help a brotha out" (so to speak) during those years, or should we not circumcise so that he has more sensitivity and greater sex drive for the rest of his potentially married life?  It's a tough decision, and although we aren't Jewish, we would be willing to circumcise based on how it may affect a son's future relationship with the Lord.  On all the other aspects of circumcision - we're sold on that it isn't necessary - medically or otherwise - especially in the religious aspect.   Timothy wasn't circumcised, and Paul talks so much about how it's circumcision of the heart that matters.  This one's just the biggy for us.  Hopefully we'll have a girl so we don't have to worry about it :)

My next appointment will be here, at the house next Friday.  I have to have all of my home birth supplies together, so they know we have everything.  I bought all the stuff I needed the other day.  It was interesting to shop for Depends and protector pads from the adult diaper section of walmart - I got some interesting looks...

We're looking into buying a baby scale to help ease my mind a bit with breastfeeding this time around.  If I know that the baby is getting enough, then I'll be less stressed out about it - which will help all-around.  Has anyone used a baby scale at home before to measure how much the baby is getting?  The ones I've looked at are accurate up to either .5 oz or as little as .1 oz.  I know the Madela ones people rent from the hospital are accurate up to .1 oz, but I didn't know if that was REALLY necessary.  If anyone has had a good outcome with a particular scale, I'd appreciate some feedback :)

I've officially stopped running.  Since the baby has dropped, I'm having a lot more pressure and more Braxton-Hicks, so I figured I should stop.  It's hard though...part of me is like "do you really want to stop?"  The answer is no, but I know it's best for both me and the baby.  I'm excited that I did my last run at 32 weeks.  With Balian I was only able to run to 16 weeks, so I was able to go twice as long this time.  I can't complain about that!  It'll make it that much easier to get back up and going after the baby is born.

The baby room is all set-up!  I made good use of our "iced-in" days last week.  I'll post pictures soon...not that it's any different than it usually is...

Snow Day!!

So from Tuesday until Friday we were stuck in the house because of ice on the roads.  I don't drive on ice.  I've done snow before, but that was in New York, where snow plows go down every road and make it a lot safer...even when the roads weren't plowed (like after getting off work at 10:30 and having to drive on fresh snow) It wasn't fun, but it wasn't horrible.  Ice is different, and in Texas, we mainly get ice...so everything pretty much shuts down.

Luckily, Thursday night, we got a good amount (for Texas) of snow.  The deepest spots were about 5 inches...the least deep were about 3.  And because I wasn't worried about the kids busting their heads because of slipping, we were able to play outside!!  We all got bundled up and headed over to the side of the house with the most yard (and the big ditch...aka, the biggest hill) to play. 

I was really impressed with how well Balian did walking around in the snow...even up and down hill without too many falls overall.  He seemed to like it :)

We started with snow angels.  Here, Neil helping Bella make one:

This is our "family" of snow angels...everybody made one...wish I could have gotten a better angle...but this is the best I could get :(

Then, Neil got a cardboard box to try going down the hill...

It didn't work very well...we ended up pulling out an empty Rubbermaid container and putting the kids in it to slide down the hill, and it worked much better.  Too bad I put my camera up at that point, so I have no pictures :(

And here's the family...

We had fun, and it was so good to get some good fresh air and play!!