Our Changing World

We left the hospital after Elissah's Insulin pump activation and realized our lives had just changed!
We had been approaching that day with trepidation and excitement...
I had been weepy for days...let me explain.
My daughter has the appearance of being 'normal'...
I want her to be 'normal'.
With a device attached it makes her diagnosis more real...and she isn't so normal anymore.
(I should be used to this, as we have been dealing with this for 6 mo.)
I know God has a plan for her life, as he does mine, but I wont go into all that.
I want to share with you what a pump does as I feel many of you have absolutely no idea!
I know I didn't!

Its only been 24 hours, but we have already seen how much better controlled she is.
Because she is so small, she needs little insulin.  Less than a half unit per dose!
That is super small on a syringe!
With the pump we can give 0.025u.
Unbelievable!
The pump has  Bolus Wizard software.  That means I don't have to do the math!
One feature is, after her Blood Glucose is loaded to the pump via wireless connection from the BG meter,
 It gives us a suggested dose.
We than proceed and Act.  So simple!
It takes into account any active insulin she may still have on board.
So I wont have that 'stacking' affect of insulin which causes her to go too low!
After she eats we tell her pump how many carbs she may have eaten and the pump gives us a dose recommendation to infuse.  great huh?
Not only does the pump administer bolus doses, but a constant infusion of a low amount of insulin is being transferred at all times.  And she has 8 different time frames with different amounts of basal insulin being infused.  For example the amount being infused at night is at a lower rate than the amount during the midday or meal times.  That prevents her from bottoming out at night, or going real high around meals.
It automatically switches between the doses according to time frames.
When she is ill and her glucose is running high , we can program the basal rates to increase by a percentage for a temporary amount of time.
It is sooo amazing what can be done with this device!  We are amazed!
I'm so glad we don't have to use the 'poor man's pump' any longer!
(that was her 24 hour shots of long acting insulin)
Or give her multiple shots during the day:)
In 6 mo. she will be eligible to receive a sensor, that will give us a BG read out every 5 min!
So no more finger or toe pricking later this year:)
As far as the infusion site goes, they are like ports that we change once every 3 days.
The port is a tiny needle (smaller than her insulin syringes were)  attached to a butterfly-type adhesive circle bandage.  The second circular bandage is a safety.  If she were to yank on it, that would release first, and seal the tube.  That is also where we detach for baths or swimming.  Neat, huh?
There are alot of other cool features to her Medtronic mini-med Revel pump, but I just wanted to give the basics to help educate some people who haven't any idea how it works.

Dishwasher part 2

If you haven't read my first post about the Homemade Dishwasher soap, then you should read that here first.
It has the main recipe.
I have enhanced my recipe and want to update you~

First, my powders were clumping when I added the citric acid, I mean rock hard!
So now I have added a packet or two of the anti-caking packets found in vitamins and many other sources.
Works like a charm!
Second, I fill up my main detergent compartment to max, which is recommended for hard water.
I also shake some in the prewash compartment. I figure it cant hurt!
Third, The vinegar rinse is in a little cup on the top rack, and working out nicely.
I wonder how the vinegar washes out and the water remains?

Homemade Dishwasher Detergent

I appear to be on a roll in regards to making my own cleaning products!  It's addicting!  I keep thinking, what else can I make?  What I love most about making my own is that they are phosphate free, free of dyes and perfumes, and super cheap!!  The other products I've done also work really well!  Bonus!
I recently made dishwasher detergent in powder form and I'm still making changes to get it right~

 Here is my recipe:
1 c. Borax
1 c. Washing Soda
1/2 c. salt ( I used coarse Kosher salt)
1/2 c. Citric Acid ( I used canning citric acid)

Use 1- 2 tbls of mixed powder per load.

Rinse Aid is 2 tbls. white distilled vinegar, and that is a crucial step!

Now mind you I've only used this recipe once...
 
My thoughts are:
1- It would work better with soft water. You wouldn't get a hazy film on glass ware...maybe.
Not all my glasses had a cloudiness left on them, just some.  And honestly most of them had that on there long before I tried this!  The Melamine plates I have are black, and I could see some haziness on them also.  However they aren't meant to go in the dishwasher anyway...
2- The dishes that got rinsed off beforehand, got cleaner! Really? No kidding?  So that is a must with this recipe, or you will be rinsing them off after you run them thru the cycle....
3- The Rinse Aid is something I've never used before (which is why my glasses always had a haze on them).
After some review online, the vinegar I put in the rinse compartment wasn't a great idea.  With repeated use, the acid in the vinegar can break down the rubber components in your rinse compartment.  The amount of vinegar that was released during rinsing wasn't sufficient anyway.  You really need about 2 tbls and the rinse compartment only releases a little squirt or splash at a time.  Even if you turn it to max, it still may not be enough.  One suggestion I found was to put a small cup of vinegar, face up on the top rack and run as usual.  So I will do that next time.
4- Alot of people complain about clumping when making homemade powder, but I didn't have that issue at all!  Maybe it was the salt? Maybe it was the citric acid?
5- I used the Citric acid from Ball in the canning section at Wegmans.  It has an anti-clumping agent already built in.  It was about $4.  And you use half the bottle.
 However, as you can see from the picture above the recipe makes almost jar-full, which I guessing will last a month or more??

Conclusion: We have hard water and this recipe isn't great for hard water.  From what I read, home made liquid detergent would be better.  I am lazy though and wanted to use what I had on hand, without too much fuss and spending any more money!  I will continue to keep using this recipe.  Its better than some other "green-cleaners" Ive used,   and some not "green" dishwasher detergents.  I should be rinsing my dishes off beforehand anyway, so this forces me to do that!  If I'm not happy after a few weeks, Ill try the liquid recipe.
 Hope some of you found this helpful!

Homemade Scour and All-purpose

Now that I make my own laundry soap and love it, I'm addicted and moving on to other cleaning supplies.

I hate to clean the tub!  I avoid it at all cost.  Until I found this recipe...

All-Natural Homemade Scouring Powder
2 c Baking Soda
1 c Borax
1 c Salt ( I use coarse salt)

I mixed it all together in a bowl and poured it into a large canning jar.
(next time I may pour the ingredients directly into the jar and shake to mix)
With a large gauge nail and I punched holes in the lid, as pictured in the image above.

To use, I sprayed vinegar on the tub first, then sprinkled the powder. Letting it sit for 5 min. It was cool to hear the reaction taking place between the vinegar and baking soda. (You would use vinegar for a more dirty tub, as opposed to one that gets clean weekly).    I thought about taking a before and after photo, but I'm embarrassed my tub was so bad...
I used a scrub brush, like the one above, but felt I was using too much muscle power.  When I switched to the scrub sponge the grime came off easy!  Ive never seen my tub sparkle so much!
I tried it on the tile surrounding the tub and it too came clean, even in the grooves of grout.
The Borax is an anti-fungal, which is why it does well on mildew.  In the wash load, or the wall!

Another quick- easy to make- cleaner that I use every day is:

All-Natural All purpose cleaner
1 tbls Baking Soda
2 tbls Borax
2 tbls Vinegar
4 c water

I keep it next to the sink in a spray bottle.  The mouth of the spray bottle is small, so you have to use a funnel for the ingredients.
What I love about it:
1- Its natural
2- really inexpensive
3- anti-fungal and anti-bacterial ( from the Borax and vinegar)
4- versatile!  You can add essential oils, like lavender, or tea tree oil.
 5- I love the way it makes my counter tops feel.  I was pleasantly surprised the first time I used it, and haven't looked back!  They are smooth and less 'stained' as a result of the baking soda.

I don't claim to take credit for any of these recipes.  I find them online at my favorite blogs, or google till I find one I want.  I've been reading the comments from others under the recipes, finding tips on clumping, prices, improvements, etc...
Here is the website I used: http://wellnessmama.com/1348/all-natural-homemade-scouring/

Stay tuned for the dishwasher detergent recipe I plan to use.   Just need a trip to the store for citric acid...

Homemade Laundry Soap

I have been wanting to try making homemade laundry soap, but never found the time or recipe.  A friend of mine was showing me around her house and I saw the homemade laundry soap.  I mentioned that I've always wanted to try it.  So she sent me home with a container of it.  I loved it and have since made my own batch.
Why I like it:
1- Its free of dyes and perfumes. It smells great!  Light and fresh.
 I'm 'sensitive to fragrances, but this one I like.
2-It's gentle on our skin.  We haven't had any rashes from it.In fact I think my skin and the girls' is less itchy and dry this winter because of it.  
3- It works great!  I haven't been pretreating clothes with this recipe and they still come out clean.  When needed you can water the garment and rub the Fels- Naptha on it as a pretreater.
4- Its cents per load to make.  Super cost effective!  This recipe costs about 0.71 cents to make (depending on where you purchase your supplies).  It will give you 64 loads. That is about .01 cents per load
5- I used to have a mildew or musty smell in my washer when the water fills, but after I started using this soap its gone!
6- I feel great making something homemade and natural for my family.

This is all you need to make many batches...Borax, Washing Soda,
  Fels-Naptha, and water.

Homemade Laundry Soap
1/3 bar Fels Naptha or other type of soap, as listed above
½ cup washing soda
½ cup borax powder

~You will also need a small bucket, about 2 gallon size~

Grate the soap and put it in a sauce pan. Add 6 cups water and heat it until the soap melts. Add the washing soda and the borax and stir until it is dissolved. Remove from heat. Pour 4 cups hot water into the bucket. Now add your soap mixture and stir. Now add 1 gallon plus 6 cups of water and stir. Let the soap sit for about 24 hours and it will gel. You use ½ cup per load.

Let it sit for the full 24 hours or it wont gel properly.  The consistency a watery gel, not a solid gel.

  In the picture above you can see it makes 4 half gallons.  

The soap is a low sudsing soap, so If you don't see suds, its OK.  Suds aren't what does cleaning, its the ingredients in the soap.

July 31st

This has been the longest 2 months of my life...
July 31st. A day Ill never forget. A day that changed our lives.

This is the story of Elissah and her diabetes.
We had just come off of a week VBS every evening at church when she got a summer virus.  Kocksaki was going around the church nursery and it could have been that.  We know now that this illness was her body's 'trigger'. Trigger to attack her pancreas and start this disease.  She had a low grade fever for 6 days when I decided to bring her in to our family practice doctor.something wasn't right.  Couldn't put my finger on it, but she was much to sick appearing for a temp of 99 degrees.  I thought she was getting better because she still had energy, was drinking alot and still had wet diapers...too many wet diapers and too much drinking in fact. Now that I have looked back all the signs were there!  But on day 6 of her illness she seemed to take a turn for the worst.  Her breathing in particular bothered me.  It was a huffing and puffing pattern that was rapid, about 60 breaths a minute.  Normal is half that amount.  Her energy seemed to disappear and was practically limp in my arms. I would try to nurse her and she would just let the nipple fall out of her mouth!  I truly was concerned but her fever was only 99 still so I thought the doctor would laugh me out of the office.  I brought her in anyway and told him all my concerns.  He wasn't concerned about her fever, or her hydration status.  She was still drinking lots of water and having lots of wet diapers.  He checked her lungs and said they were clear and that she was breathing fast because it was hot outside and she has a fever.  Ummm. No. I wasn't happy with that answer.  You don't tell an ex-PICU nurse that her baby is breathing 60 because its hot outside! Hello- we were in air conditioning and live in AC as well.  Even a mom who isn't a nurse should see that as red flag!  He dismissed us as her having a virus and call if she gets worse.
Over the next few hours she took a nap in my ERGO and woke up vomiting green. Bright green toxic looking and the same came from below!  So I was seriously looking at what was coming out of my baby and thinking it looked metabolic.  So I'm pacing my house cradling her trying to sense of all this.  OK. So I knew she was metabolic and was breathing way too fast so as to try to burn off extra carbon dioxide...Then It started to all come back to me. My years as a peds nurse in the ED and PICU.  She was acidotic!  Now why??  Why was my daughter acidotic? This part is funny...
Laptop in one hand on my bed, baby in the other, kids downstairs creating havoc, and I'm googling metabolic acidosis!  what am I doing??  If I'm even thinking this is what she has, I need to get her to the ED! I slammed down the cover, called Mike and told told him to meet me there.  He had taken the boys to Darien Lake and was still an hour away. ( it was the last day to use our free passes)
Erik was also gone! ( at camp)  Thank the Lord! Sarah ( Erik's BF) was home 3 doors down and she  came to watch the kids while her mom drove us to the ED.  It was the worst thunderstorm of the summer and I was worried about our safety, I almost called the ambulance.
I sat in the backseat with her and watched her go in and out, talking to her, asking her to stay with me, I was afraid that if she fell asleep she might not wake up. Her lips looked so dry and she was so pale.  I was wondering why hadn't I seen this before?  3 hours before I was in the doctors office and he hadn't noticed either!  I prayed Dear God! Please keep her safe! Please keep her with me!  Guide Roseanne as she drives.  I was also trying to keep a clear head in case I needed to do CPR on my baby...
Once we were in the ED I felt relief wash over me.  I knew we'd be safe now and taken care of.  I used to work there and I recognized the nurses and staff.  It was a good feeling!  They rushed us back and began working on her immediately.  Her breast milk baby fat wasn't an advantage when it came time to get an IV in her...plus she was dehydrated in spite of the excessive drinking.  They had to turn off the lights and use a special light to see thru her skin and locate a vein that way.  Ive done all this on other children, but its so very different when Its your baby laying on the bed crying for you while they do their job!
They just finished putting a catheter in (on the second try) when someone yelled out her blood glucose number they tested at the bedside....538!
It took me a minute to register. I couldn't process what they were implying, what the NP was trying to tell me. My baby was in Diabetic Keto Acidosis! what? no way?'
The next few hours were a blur with Chest xrays,  more attempts at a second IV, and staff coming in and out...   At times Ive judged moms and couldn't understand why they left the rooms when their baby needed them... now I know.  Mike had arrived to comfort her and I used that opportunity to call my mom.
I couldn't leave that cubicle fast enough!  Standing in the hall looking outside I rang mom and as soon as I heard her voice I broke down sobbing as Ive never done before!
It wasn't just because she was diagnosed with Diabetes, but an accumulation of emotions over the past few days came to the surface...  I was mainly feeling guilt.  Although false was real at the time.
We didn't stay long in the ED because the transport team from the PICU came for us.  How bizarre it was to be riding in the back of the ambulance.  When I worked, I received  transports from the ED.  Weird moment for me.
We spent the next 2 days in the PICU and she was on an Insulin drip.  Ill try to paint the picture...
There she was now with a second IV, one in each arm, straightened and boarded down so the IVs don't bend in her arms.  Laying on the metal crib inconsolable as she was not allowed to nurse or have anything by mouth.  Her body ached from the high glucose- a side effect. I tried putting her the ERGO to sleep, as she liked that at home.  Wires, tubes and all! We were tethered by a 3 foot radius, so that was difficult...    And she was being poked for blood every half hour to an hour, either by finger prick or blood draw from her IV.  The IV draw involved putting the tourniquet on tight so the blood would flow back into the syringe. Even though there wasn't any needles involved she still screamed.  To top it all off they were worried about brain swelling from possibly bringing down her sugar too fast, so the nurse did neurological checks every hour.  Just as she would get back to sleep she'd be awakened by someone prying her eyes open and flashing a light in her eyes!
Oh lovely! And there I am pumping my breast milk in the corner while she is moaning in the crib.  No matter what I did she kept crying.  It's an awful feeling when you can't comfort your child.
All this went on for a good 12 hours.
She stabilized and her blood levels were reaching their goal marks so they backed off on the every half hour blood draws and went to every hour, then every 2 hours.
Finally I convinced them to let me nurse her...or at least I feel like I did the convincing.
I felt more human when we were finally able to leave the PICUs close watch and spend the next 2 days on a regular peds unit.  One IV came out, she was only getting finger pricks every 3 hours, they brought her toys,  her nursing had picked up, and she was getting back to her regular self! Smiling even! I hadn't seen that in over a week.

Reality was starting to settle in... As we were made to watch 12 videos about childhood diabetes, complete 7 learning modules, get quizzed on our knowledge, and demonstrate our abilities before we could leave.

Mike stayed with us every day and would go back home in the evenings.  We aren't usually together THAT much but it was nice being just the 3 of us for a few days.
The Lord was with us the whole time. I truly felt that!  He has a purpose for her life and mine.

I look forward to seeing how that all plays out!

Never say Never

That is one of my husbands favorite sayings... "Never Say Never".
I never thought we'd go Organic, but we are!  My husband and I would make jokes about 'organic' and 'in-organic' food.  Isn't all food 'organic'?
For a few years now Ive tried to stay away from high fructose corn syrup.  Then I stopped buying foods with MSG on the label.  (although we do love to get Chinese take out!)
A few months back I was talking with a co-worker of mine who is a dietitian.
She said "Do you know whats in peanut butter?"

I love PB!!  The hydrogenated oils in the PB make it essentially a 'Super Fat'!
Super Fat! I certainly don't need any of that! I already have enough regular fat hanging around...
So now Im addicted to natural peanut butter~
Then she mentioned that eggs from conventional farms have stress hormones and low nutrients.
In some places they cut off the beaks so they cant peck when they are in tight closed quarters.
So now they are stressed from not being able to peck, and that get transferred to us!
I don't know about you, but I don't need any more stress hormones! I'm good.
They also are fed not-so- nice foods and antibiotics to fight infections from being in too close.
Tip- You can tell if an egg is fresh by the way it sits up in the pan when you crack it.
And a healthy egg will have a nice deep orange to it. 
I now buy the cage-free chicken eggs when I can.  Like at the farmers market.
I have also bought the 'healthier' eggs at the local store...
click here for a good concise article on  types of eggs.
Our conversation then went on to milk products.  Not pretty.
I had no idea the milk industry was such a mess! 
Here is an article about organic milk.
My short conversation with her was very eye opening!
In general I'm trying to stay away from pesticides, dyes, preservatives,nitrites, and GMOs.
And when you go down that road pretty much the only way to ensure the foods don't have that stuff, you have to buy organic!
Definition of GMOs here
It can be challenging at times to stay within my budget, so I shop at BJ's.
They have a line of organic products that is their generic label.
They give coupon books every month to use.  and I'm not talking .50 cents here!
The coupons are for $2, $3, $4, etc...
AND you can use manufacturers coupons on top of the store coupon!
So Ive been searching online for the products I want coupons for and printing them off at home.
Another way I save money is by growing my own organic fruits and vegetables.
I have four 4x8 raised garden beds and another plot large enough for sprawling plants to grow.
(Currently I have cantaloupe there).  Raised beds really help keep down on weeds and pest control!
Ive never canned before, only froze, my veggies after blanching. 
But this year I plan on canning for the first time!
For meats, I try to buy vegetarian-fed, no hormones added, no antibiotics used, and uncured.
I do that because I don't want those chemicals passed down to my children or myself!
Antibiotics have a purpose but can cause yeast overgrowth in our bodies.
Yeast can cause behavioral problems, concentration issues, and immunity compromise in the gut.  Slowly over the past few years Ive been learning about yeast, I didn't learn all this over night!  In case some of you are wondering how does she know all this??
Ive found the best meat prices for 'healthy' meats at BJs also.
I also shop the organic meat counter at Wegmans looking for the meats that are discounted.
 The expiration date is close.  Our Wegmans also has $1 coupons around for their organic meats.
To save money on meat we buy a quarter Beefalo every fall.
 ( although we need to start getting a half!)

Another great website to find healthy growers in your area is Eat Wild.
(of course I had to put a nursing picture in this post)
That is where we found our beefalo dealer.
We have referred many families to our dealer and here is the info:

Beefalo, like their relatives the American Bison, thrive on the grasses and various legumes found in our pastures. We try to provide as much green grass, fresh air and sunshine as possible to our animals by employing rotational grazing to provide them with a fresh salad bar eating experience. This menu of grasses helps to provide our meat with more flavor and nutrition than found in conventional grain fed, feedlot beef from the supermarkets. Our animals are raised without implants, antibiotics, hormones and in most cases, no grain feeding. Various studies have shown that Beefalo is higher in protein, and lower in fat, cholesterol and calories than other meats and poultry. It is tender and tasty and cooks in less time than regular beef, with less shrinkage due to its lower fat content.

Our meats are processed in a USDA federally inspected packing house. They are dry aged in a cooler for two weeks to promote tenderness and a good eating experience. They are then cut and wrapped to your specifications and frozen, ready for your freezer and eating enjoyment. Available by the side, split half, or 50-pound mini pack.

If you have any questions or want information regarding current prices and available pick up dates, please phone us. We also offer a variety of handcrafted soaps made from Beefalo tallow and other fine oils.

Bennington Beefalo, Bob and Kathy Ott, 1990 Stedman Road, Attica NY 14011 (585) 591-2685.
E-mail: bobandkathyo@verizon.net

Baby-Led Weaning

I don't use the conventional 'spoon feed' your baby at 6 mo. approach. 
With my first 4 I did.  Couldn't wait to put them on cereal and purees!  Then along came Matthew boy...
A fat, healthy, thriving on breast milk alone- baby till 10 mo!  I went to  a natural mothering group and they weren't feeding their babies solids till 12 mo.- with studies to back it up . 
Even when I worked perdiem in the Pediatric ED I would pump or Mike would bring him to me on my lunch break and Id nurse him.  He was just as fat as he could be!
With the next baby, Rachael, I attempted to spoon feed her at 6 mo...have no idea why... and she cried the whole time I tried!  So we stopped that and I did the same thing with her.  Table foods around 10 mo.  This year I read a neat book Baby-Led Weaning by Gil Rapley.  I was able to incorporate some of things I have done in the past with new ideas.  The basic premise of the book is that its best for baby to learn to feed themselves.  If they control the food and feeding they wont overeat, as a baby can being spoon fed.  So around 6- 8 mo when a baby is able to sit upright and gasp objects, he can start. You will notice your baby taking interest in the foods you eat, and wanting to grab your plate. Just because they show an interest in your food, doesnt mean they want or need you to start spoon feeding them.  He simply needs to experiment and learn how to feed himself.  No need to supplement with foods when breastmilk is all he needs. The first few months are experimenting with textures, grasping, and learning not to gag.

There is a difference between choking and gagging.  Its ok for a baby to gag as he is learning to control his eating.  After a while baby gets adept at choosing foods they need. 

To do baby led weaning you breastfeed (or bottle feed) first, then sit baby down with the family for a meal.  Either on your lap (be prepared for a mess) or chair- never reclined.  Put soft, not mushy foods near so he can grab which ones he chooses.  Meats are good in 2 in strips as baby suck nutrients out as the meat softens. Toast is better than bread, as it wont get mushy like bread.  Pita or toast with hummus is one of Elissah's faves!  You may be wondering about starting foods one at a time...but that really is related to babies under 6 mo. whose digestive system isn't ready for foods. Or if there is a family history of food allergies.  Gill's book covers those topics.  Peanut butter is one you would wait on, and honey till after a year.  At 8 1/2 mo. Elissah has tried carrots, beans, pasta, steak, chicken, pita, hummus, eggs, potatoes, french fry, chicken nugget, sweet potatoe fry, cauloflower, broccoli, brown rice, toast, rolls, strawberries, tomatoes, apples, bananas, cheese stick, and organic spinach puffs. Not in any particular order and all without teeth.  She is having a great time experimenting with her food choices and in a few months will actually eat for nutrition not for fun!

Maple Fun

I have always loved the Maple themed time of year. 
Love the maple leaves in fall and the sap and syrup in Spring.
This year we did a Maple unit study and lapbook.
I got the books from the library.
And the unit study free from www.homeschoolshare.com.
As with all unit studies, our Maple study was centered around a theme,
 but had many branches (no pun intended).
So not only did we learn about how Maple syrup was made, but we learned new vocabulary and spelling words, geography, Indian and Pioneer customs, liquid measurements, and life cycle of a Maple tree.  Plus it was fun! Gave us a break from our everyday studies, but still with lots of learning and activities.

Here are pictures of our lapbook.  Mostly done by the older boys.

One of the highlights were the maple milkshakes we made at home one night.
Sooo good! And easy as you can see from the ingredients above. Just play around with it, till you get the flavor the way you like it.
We also enjoyed the trip to the Genesee Country Village and Nature Center in Mumford, NY.
In the nature center we walked thru the timeline of maple sugaring in the woods.
Starting with present day and ending up in 1800's.

In the village we sampled old time hot cocoa, sugar on snow, and a homemade cough remedy.
I know that last one doesn't sound appealing... but it was good! Made with maple and vinegar.
We saw a candle making demonstration, learning that old time candles were made with beef fat, not wax.  Mike enjoyed the brewery the most.  (don't need to elaborate there...) But seriously the boys did ask lots of good questions to the brewer (again, no pun intended) and learned many things about chemistry in the brewing processes.

Our day at the village was complete with an 'all you can eat' pancake, Maple syrup, and sausage breakfast. For us it was lunch...

Sensory Tub

I saw a friend post pictures of her preschoolers playing in a plastic clear tote filled with water and floating penguins toys.   It was labeled a 'Sensory tub'.  Well, in all my 6 years of home school, I had never seen that! How did I miss that?? 

I didn't have a plastic tote to spare, so I used  a large black metal one.

Added anything we had on hand...rice, decorative sand, marbles, small seashells, smooth stones, sunflowers seeds (in the shell), small plastic animals, and croutons.  Have since removed the croutons as the kids wanted to keep eating them...  I don't have a picture of it, but I also gave them small tin pails to play with from our Blueberries for Sal book and activities.  So they were able to hear the different sounds of each object as the were scooped or placed into the pails.  It was great for all the senses!  As well as hand eye coordination.  Then they had the idea to get their magnifying lenses out.  I meant it for my 2 and 4 yr old, but the 6 and 8 yr old couldn't keep their hands out of it.
It kept them occupied for hours! 
My husband didnt care for it much because of the mess...so we only use it when he is isnt home:)
Sometimes the kids get too zealous and the contents end up out of the basin...  So now I put a towel down for easy cleanup.

Calories Count

Mike and I watch the biggest Loser every week.  Just like some couples watch Idol, or Bachelor, we watch Loser.  We really enjoy watching them succeed and get healthy.  Up until recently I would eat a  bowl of ice cream while watching them sweat.  For some reason that show made me hungry! 
Mike has started working out with our Wii Fit and it inspired me to do something about my 'baby fat'.
I always considered myself to be a healthy eater for the most part, so I started calorie counting.  In addition to that we joined the community center gym and track. 
Back to the calories...  I wasn't sure how much I actually was taking in, so one day I just kept a food log. I wrote down everything I ate and drank.  If I knew the calories  I would write that down.  Otherwise I would look up the item online when I had a chance.  I did it for about 3 days.  Not limiting my intake but eating as I normally would.  The results were interesting...
1700 - 1300- 1000. 
Now I had these results, I wasn't sure If they were good, bad, or ugly.  Mike thought my 1700 was too high.  So I found a neat website to plug in my foods, calories, etc... click here
Here are my results:

Results

You should consume about 1,374 calories a day to reach your goal weight of 140 lbs . This is at a reasonable weight loss average of 1 lbs per week, which should be reached by July 18, 2012.

Experts recommend weight loss at the rate of 0.5-2 lbs/week. Remember that this estimate is based on your body weight, height, age, gender, and activity level. It may vary slightly depending on other factors.

Generally, women should not consume any less than 1,200 calories per day, and men should not consume less than 1,500 calories per day. 

So I felt discouraged when I saw that...
However I went to a breastfeeding website I know and trust and found out different information there:
Studies have shown that most healthy breastfeeding women maintain an abundant milk supply while taking in 1800-2200 (or more) calories per day. Consuming less than 1500-1800 calories per day (most women should stay at the high end of this range) may put your milk supply at risk, as may a sudden drop in caloric intake.

I am now trying to eat when I'm hungry and not worrying about calories. I have also started to walk and do Zumba at the community center. 
It was very eye-opening and I would encourage you to do the same~

Common Ties

This post is about breastfeeding....So If you aren't interested or didn't breastfeed please don't be offended.
I thought Id share some things Ive learned that may be helpful to others.
I love talking about breastfeeding! Its a passion of mine~
A little background...
I currently am working on becoming board certified by putting in clinical
hours. I do rounds on the maternity floors at the local hospitals. The
lactation consultants give me a list of moms to visit. I am in the fast track
because I'm already an RN. After 1000 hours I can sit for my boards and if I
pass will be an Internationally Board Certified Lactation Consultant. My title
now is Certified Lactation Counselor. I compare it to an LPN and RN. One is a
step up from the other but both have to work within their scope of practice.
Now for the good stuff~
1. Breast
milk provides immunity to babies for about 2 years after you stop
breastfeeding.
2. Along
those lines- the antibodies you produce in response to baby's need for them,
are transferred to baby within the next feed. Can you believe how fast that
is?? I was amazed!
3. Some
moms are diagnosed with insufficient glandular tissue, causing them to produce
less milk, but even those that produce less should try to continue to
breastfeed with supplementation- due to the benefits to mother and baby. Some
breast milk is better than none.~
4. Breast
milk decreases mom and baby’s risk of diabetes and breast cancer later in life.
5. Our
milk is cyclic, following after our mothering hormones. It has high protein
content and low volume in the evening, with low protein high volume at night.
Which may explain why breastfed babies have 'fussy time' in the evening~
6. Nighttime
feedings help babies gain weight. There is high fat content in night milk. So
even though we want sleep in the early weeks, night milk is important!
7. The
best time to pump is early morning for most women because there is still milk
left over from the high volume produced~
8. Breast
milk is the perfect food and needs no supplementation- no 'extra calories'. I
sometimes hear moms say that their doctors tell them to give formula to
'fortify' their breast milk. Breast milk needs no fortification! Alot of
doctors have not been trained in the Art of Breastfeeding:)
9. If baby
needs extra calories moms can supplement with their own pumped breast milk.
Given by feeding cup or syringe.
10.
Breast milk is 'living' and changes to meet baby's needs.
Newborn milk is high in protein where older baby milk has higher fat. For each
baby and mom it will be slightly different. Toddler milk has a huge amount of
antibodies comparable to newborn milk! Isn't that neat? Just as they are out in
the world, exploring, putting fingers in their mouth, etc... they need it don't
they?
11.In the
first 3 weeks or so, it is good idea to keep baby away from false nipples or
pacifiers. Alot of moms report that nursing was going well until some
well-meaning individual gave the baby a bottle or a pacifier in the nursery,
etc... Breastfeeding uses more facial muscles. Babies have to suck harder at
the breast. Bottles work by gravity, they are easy! So after introducing a
bottle some babies refuse breast. Bottles also promote a bad latch at breast.
Which does a baby have to open wider for? breast or bottle??
12.
If you have a 'spitty' baby it may be related to milk. It could
be reflux, but you could do your own clinical trial by eliminating milk from
your diet. See what happens for a week... Did it help or not?
13.
I don't want to bash formula, because I know some moms have to
give it for one reason or another... but I learned something recently that I
need to share~ Breast milk 'coats' the stomach and intestines. It gives our gut
a nice thick lining to protect baby from allergens and pathogens (germs). Most
of our immunity is controlled in the gut. Believe it or not! Formula actually
strips the lining of the intestines making a thin, easily permeable gut. Which
is why you hear that breastfed babies get sick less often. That in combination
with the antibody transfer protect baby.
14.
Keeping your baby skin to skin in the early days promotes good
breastfeeding! As you hold baby the mothering hormones, oxytocin and
prolaction, are released. Those hormones are responsible for making milk.
Bundling baby up keeps them asleep and away from you, thus decreasing milk
making hormone levels. Also as a baby is skin to skin they are smelling you-
the unique smell that only you have:) We secrete a substance on our areola thru
the Montgomery glands (tiny bumps on areola) that are similar to amniotic
fluid. Baby has been smelling that for a long time and it is comforting to
them. They hear your heartbeat again while on your chest, which also is
calming. Our breasts can thermoregulate (control, sense, and change temperature).
So baby wont get cold. A t-shirt and diaper with thin blanket covering both of
you is all you need! You will miss those first weeks of closeness as baby grows
and breastfeeding is more established. When breastfeeding takes a wrong turn or
gets difficult, go back to skin to skin with baby for as long as it takes to
get back on the right track!
15.
I will end this post with pumping~ If you miss a feed or are engorged, hand
expression can be your friend! I never
hand expressed myself, until this last baby.
I was engorged and getting a clogged duct, so I choose to hand express
instead of pump. It was much gentler on
my breast and worked well!! It took a
little practice to get a good rhythm down, but once I did I was able to work
the clog out, molding my fingers too the breast. We are not designed to respond to
plastic. It can difficult for some and
can actually do more harm than good in the first weeks. Pumping later for work is a separate
discussion…

Friday night meal served up Ancient-African style

We recently studied Ancient Africa in our home school. The history text gave us recipes.

So the boys picked out a few and made a meal!

Fried rice with papaya

Plantains

Banana date bars

We served it all up with chicken.

The fried rice with papaya was actually very easy and delicious!

I am going to add it to our family's menu list.

I think we over cooked the plantains...and would have been better dipped in honey.

I wasn't sure how the dates in the banana bars would go over... but they too were a hit!

(and we used gluten free flour)

I read an African book at the dinner table before everyone took off!

They now have deeper sense of the African culture and I know they can cook!

Best of all the made it themselves and were very proud of their accomplishment!

Rachael' s Homebirth- #6 in the series

If you are expecting don't read this till after you have your baby!

When we were planning for Rachael's home birth we thought

"It cant be any worse than Matthew's! If I can do that, then I can do anything!"

Little did we know how difficult it would be...

I had gestational diabetes again and

I didn't want another big baby, so at 40 weeks we got the OK from the midwife to try and induce labor, rather than be a week overdue.

As I was with my last baby Matthew.

After barely getting the Castor oil down.

I ended up spending all night, doing you know what in the bathroom.

When that stopped, so did the contractions! So that was pointless.

Five days later, labor started around sunrise.

It was a beautiful August morning~

Mike made all the calls for designated people to come pick up the children,

while I was in the backyard.

I was walking around the perimeter of the backyard in my nightgown, listening to the birds and enjoying the morning. Stopping every so often for contractions.

The warm birthing tub had been set up and ready in the living room for two weeks,

kept at the right temperature.

The midwives arrived.

Classical music was playing.

The stage was set.

Not soon after they arrived I was 10 cm. and ready to get going.

I decided to labor in the tub at that point. I had two desires:

to have a water birth and let my water break on its own

( It never broke on its own before).

I was getting frustrated because I had started pushing, but was getting nowhere.

The midwife suggested they break my water, to push more effectively.

I agreed. That's when the real stuff came, hard and fast! Some of you know what I mean...

I was proud of myself when her head came out underwater!

The end was in site! But then I started to feel this strange 'pinching'- 'kicking' sensation.

Since my eyes were closed I thought the midwives had reached their hands in the water and were doing something to me...

I asked what they were doing because it hurt. They said they weren't doing anything...

By now they knew something was wrong, and in an instant my midwife told me to get out of the tub and lay on the couch. I had never heard her speak like that before, with such seriousness. She was usually very laid back.

OK, so picture this: I have my baby's head out, and I have to climb carefully over the sides of this two and a half foot high tub and waddle to the couch...

The two midwives and Mike helped me quickly.

Next thing I know the midwife was doing maneuvers too get her out, as she was 'stuck',

and saying "We will need to resuscitate when were done".

She had turned a nice shade of purple from the chest up.

They didn't have to resuscitate long, she started to breath while lying on my stomach.

I have no idea what her apgar scores were...I don't want to know...

Normally I nurse my babies right away,

but this time I had a wait a bit till her breathing was more established.

She was 9.2 lbs. And I pushed for about 2 hours total.

She was born some time around 2 or 3 in the afternoon.

The midwife wasn't sure If they should call it Shoulder Dystocia or Abdominal Dystocia.

But she was 'stuck' and cutting off her oxygen supply with a compressed umbilical cord in the canal. Mike and I took a 'moment' to lament as we said that would be our last baby because they kept bigger and harder to get out.

Apparently that wasnt the case...

To have a Csection or not....

For those of you who don't normally follow my blog, I've been writing a series from my children's births. I finished Matthew's this month, but haven't had a chance to do Rachael's yet. But that would give everyone alot of insight if I had.
I will try to explain in a nutshell why we are choosing a scheduled C section this time.
Rachael was born at home with difficulty. She had shoulder dystocia. Which is a medical emergency as the cord is getting compressed in the canal, even after the head is out. So the midwife worked fast and thanks to her many years of expertise and deliveries she was successful with the maneuvers she used. Bottom line she truly was 'stuck'.
She was purple from chest up and white from chest down, from lack of oxygen, and needed to be resuscitated. (the link I posted above has good information on that)
I had gestational diabetes with her , as I did with most all my babies, and that predisposes you to shoulder dystocia. Babies who mother's have gestational diabetes are grown in utero with wider shoulders. Again I have that condition but am requiring insulin this time. I take NPH at bedtime, because it is long acting and covers me all night as my fasting sugars were too high in the AM. I am able to control my blood sugar for meals, although I work at it. But my body was doing its own thing while I slept. So being on insulin and having gestational diabetes puts you in another risk category.
Once you have shoulder dystocia you are more likely to have it again...
Rachael and Matthew were both over 9 lbs. which adds to the difficulty, as my pelvis is small.
However Breanna was 8.3 and had a fractured clavicle at birth. That tells that OB that even with a 'smaller' baby I still have difficulty with shoulders.
After Mike and realized I was no longer a good candidate for home birth, we choose a hospital birth and a new OB. Almost from the very beginning they were recommending a C-section, due to my history.
It took a LONG time for my brain to wrap around that concept!! I went back and forth, and couldn't make a decision... Then one night when Mike and I were out on a date, I said "We have to decide...What do you think? Here are my thoughts , the pros and cons again..."etc...
Then He said something that gave me such peace.
"Why are we even talking about this again? We need to have the C section."
And that was it. Simple. My husband, the father of my children, and head of our household had decided. As it should be.
We know there are risks involved, as with any major surgery, but feel this is the safest for the baby. More risk for mom, but safer than the alternatives for baby: nerve palsy, fetal hypoxia, cerebral palsy, or fetal death.
Please pray for us over the next month, as this will be a big adjustment on our family...
I won't be 'bouncing up' like I normally to take care of the other children, and we start home school up again in a couple weeks too. (which I thankfully can supervise from my recliner with baby in my arms)
Thanks for all your prayers and concerns!

Matthew Boy's Home Birth

When we realized we were going to keep our womb open and let God bless us with more children, I felt a strong desire to have home births. It had always been a desire of mine and that desire just kept growing! My friend Kristen Renz and the birthing channel helped foster that! Kristen had many home births and a growing family as well. So I asked her who she used as a midwife and got the wheels set in motion. Meg was the only Certified Nurse Midwife to perform home births in Monroe County, at the time. You can't help but love her. She is an old hippie-type- crunchy- granola- natural woman. She is has a laid back approach and makes you feel empowered to make your own prenatal and birthing decisions. A far cry from the medical community I still worked in and birthed in. We watched videos, read, researched on safety, etc...
And felt at peace about our decision. We rented a birthing tub for $50 from a woman Meg recommended. Mike had that set up in our living room for weeks!! So we wouldn't have to wait till the last minute to fill and heat it. I added a cup of bleach every third day to keep it sterile.- per instructions. It was fabulous for pain control, and I won't again with out it!
So here I was 5 days over due in mid July, 5 plus centimeters dilated for weeks, and Meg said it looked like a big baby... Even though I had done well controlling my gestational diabetes with diet.
We choose an evening for Meg to come over with her two assistants and break my water to basically put me in labor. It was ten o'clock at night and Pam Hilts was there for support.
After breaking my water I walked around the living room, classical music playing, lights dim...and contractions came. It didn't take long at all till I was fully dilated, maybe half an hour... That was the easy part! The hard part was the pushing for 3 straight hours and the exhaustion I felt... I was in and out of the tub, squatting, on the toilet, more squatting, back in the tub... My feet had gone numb so I had to recline on the couch, which was covered first with a tarp and then a sheet. Meg was very encouraging and kept saying, "he's just a big baby for you, every thing's fine...." She was comforting and patient, letting my body do what it needed to do. At the two hour mark of pushing she asked If I wanted her to call 911 and go to the hospital. Absolutely not! I had come too far and birthed 4 other babies I knew I could do it! They gave me momentum to work a little harder. Pam was rubbing my ankles and feet in between contractions to get the circulation back.
Around 3am Matthew finally showed himself at a hefty 9.3 lbs. He nursed right away and didn't stop for 20 mo! His cord was cut after it stopped pulsing. (Something they don't wait to do in the hospital.) Two of the best things about my home birth were about to happen...
After I rested an hour on the couch and she stitched me up, I was able to take an herb soaked bath! Meg's assistant Sarah, makes a 'tea' that is chocked full of herbs that promote healing and stop bleeding. They brought him to me in the tub and he bathed with me. Mike was close by in case I needed help. They also brought me toast and iced tea to drink when I was back in bed. That was the second best thing! Being in my own bed!! For some reason my back always hurts in those hospital birthing beds. And no one was coming in to take our vital signs every 4 hours!!
Meg said he had THE BIGGEST head circumference she's ever delivered in her 30 some years!
No wonder I had a hard time!!
The kids stayed asleep the whole time and woke up to a new baby in our bed:)
Mike had the arduous task of then draining the birthing tub and taking care of our 3 little ones with little to no sleep. (Erik had gone to his Dad's the night before and stayed for a few days)
After cleaning everything up into bags and separating laundry, the midwives slept down stairs for a few hours, had showers and ate breakfast before going into the office for the day. WOW!! That's dedication.
They came back to check on me and the baby 24 hours later and then 2 days after that. They did his blood work, vitamin K, and birth certificate paperwork. As well as check me and talk again about the birth;)
I'll end on this note...
Mike comes upstairs to me in the afternoon and says "What am I supposed to do with the placenta sitting in a pot on the counter?..."

My First Raised Garden Beds

This is the first year Ive ever thought of doing raised beds for my organic vegetable garden. I don't know why I haven't thought of it before. They are so much easier to maintain!! I have little to no weeds. And If I do weed or plant, I don't have to reach down as far. (Very important when extremely pregnant!) The irrigation is better with no pooling of water.

Mike did an excellent job building them for me with little materials. We spent about $20 and they should last about 5 years.

I love how they add to the landscape as well. Especially pretty no that I have no weeds.

We mulched around the beds and in between, with free mulch we got from the town. We did pay for the topsoil we had delivered, however. I found an ad with a coupon and it was fairly inexpensive, as topsoil goes.

We are growing summer squash, Cherry tomatoes, Snap peas, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Buttercup squash, and Cucumbers. I attempted lettuce from seed, which never took. And my pumpkin seedlings died that I had started indoors. I think I'll skip starting seeds indoors, as mine died when planted or died before planting during the 'hardening' process. The wind took a few victims too. It was not worth it!

Last year I threw pumpkins and gourds in my old garden area at the end of the season.

Even after roto-tilling them in, and mulching on top, they have taken root!! We have what we call Mystery squash growing in between the beds.

Tell me what you think of the garden!

Finally a girl!! Breanna's birth~

I was so excited that I was finally having a girl!
Now I'm pregnant with my third girl...God is Good!
We were anxious to have her, I was 2 days away from my due date. The 3 boys were all early, so I was expecting early! Had some early labor signs, but the hospital sent us home...
So the next day Mike and I took the boys, now 4 and 2, to the mall.
We saw Santa, took pictures, walked around and finally around noon, settled in at Barnes and Noble. I don't know what, but something magical happened there!
I suddenly had one strong contraction, and they never stopped after that...
We had promised the boys Friendly's for lunch, they were really looking forward to it, and it was just next door, so off we went!
By the time our food came I could hardly sit in the seat, actually I don't think I did sit in the seat...I held myself up off the seat! That was the quickest meal we ever ate.
Well, they ate, not me. I remember pulling in the garage to drop off the boys and the contractions were so strong I was breathing thru them.
I thought I was going to have her in the truck!
They took one look at me in triage and knew I was staying this time.
I had already dilated to 5 cm and was breathing thru contractions.
I choose an epidural this time, for a couple reasons...
one- Mike and I thought this was our last baby so why not take it easy this with this last one.
two- I didn't know how long and intense this labor was going to be...Griffin was before her and he was my hardest up to that point! I didn't want another replay...
three- Something I just wanted to try. plain and simple.
However I didn't look into the risks and pitfalls associated with an epidural. I assumed everybody got them, they must be safe:)
I get in a birthing room, they break my water and put in my epidural.
For those of you who haven't had an epidural, let me share with you briefly, how it felt...
I have always had a needle phobia first of all.
The anesthesiologist makes your husband leave the room.
Then the nurse helps hold you over the side of the bed leaning on a tray.
Meanwhile you are still having contractions...
You have to hunch your back over like a cat while your belly is being squeezed and is as hard as a medicine ball!
The injection site is numbed up with lidocaine and then then the epidural needle is inserted.
Which doesn't hurt and is placed and taped quickly.
With my epidural I was given a button to push whenever I wanted pain relief.
A patient controlled analgesia.
As soon as the medication was delivered however my body started shaking...
I couldn't control it! Like I was shivering in the cold weather...
So I didn't really rest while I was waiting to dilate, I was shaking so much!
A short hour later I was 10 cm and told to start pushing.
During the pushing somehow half of my belly and lower parts regained feeling, so half of me was numb and half wasn't! It was weird.
An hour later she was born at 6 o'clock! From from start to finish- 6 hours.
I look back and feel that epidural was a waste! I could have done as Ive previously done without the hassle, shaking, and back pain ( that lasted 9 plus months) !!
Pam was there for her birth, and that was the only other person besides my mom and spouse, that have attended. It was great to have another set of hands and support for Mike and I.
They ran out and got me dinner from Wendy's while the staff checked Breanna.
She weighed 8.3 lbs. My second smallest- Erik was the littlest.
I enjoyed my time in the hospital with her and kept her with me all the time.
She nursed well, so I thought...that I will save for another blog post!
As the next 6 mo were very challenging!
I wont go into details...but there was one complication with her birth, that resulted in a fractured
clavicle. None of the medical staff who examined her caught it at birth or at checkups. I found it a whole month later! Again...for another post. I need to finish this birth series first!
Saty tuned, as the next two posts are about my homebirth experiences:)

Griffin~ Baby Boy #3

People always ask me where I came up with Griffin's name. "Is it from Griffindor? Harry Potter?" No. I heard it on a morning talk show. Some actor named his son Griffin and they were calling him 'Finn" for short. I intended to do that, but we never have. He is always Griffin, Scott after my grandfather.
I anticipated Griffin's birth to be fast...No one told me that with baby 3, it could go either way...
Erik was 7 hours, Will was 3 hours, so it goes to stand that the next would be...
1 1/2?
Well that didn't happen! He was 13 hours coming! Now I realize for some that is a small amount of time, but not for me. I don't remember exactly when it started, but when my contractions were 5 min apart we went to the hospital. Sometime in the evening...
They didn't have a birthing room for me, as they were full, so they kept us all night in an extra room on the surgical side where they usually hold C section patients. So here we were all night long, ...I might as well have stayed home, but I was making some progress with the contractions I was having, so they kept me. I was dilating with those contractions, but they weren't painful, not really. My water hadn't broke (It never does, we know now!) so pain level was OK. I kept telling them, break my water and get this going!! But they wouldn't because they had no rooms!! Finally around 4 am I got a birthing room! It was right next to the labor tub, so I soaked in that for a while, but preferred the shower in my room. I spent alot of time in there, so Mike tells me. Eventually they broke my water. Yes- that's when it got intense... I needed to dilate more, so the nurse had me rotating every 15 min. from left side, to all fours, to right side, back, etc... This was to supposed to help him 'spiral' down into my canal more. It worked. I bet the doctors got quite a kick out of seeing my 'moon' when they walked in, as I was on all fours in that bed!! Nice picture huh?
Come 7a at change of shift, I was asking for some pain meds...that never came. Little did I know that was the transition time. With in a short period of time I was pushing and they were scrambling to find the OB. So the doctor I labored with all night, was not the one who delivered him. Such an odd concept to me... However my nurse stayed and I pushed for an hour. Mike said he was doing the 'Superman' pose with his arms as he was coming out. I remember singing to Griffin the ABC song from across the room, as the nurse left him under the warmer and naked to go get supplies. We were alone, because Mike had gone for coffee. Griffin started crying and felt helpless to get him, so I thought If he heard my voice he would settle. So the nurse comes back in and I'm singing the ABC's. I actually was a little embarrassed. William was almost 2 so it was a song I sang alot and thought he might be familiar with it from hearing in utero. The nurse bragged about me to the other nurses that came in to help clean up, how uncomplicated his birth was. Meaning no pain meds, no epidural, no Pitocin... The OB tried to give me a Pitocin shot after he was born, but I refused. he was upset about that and said "We'll try without it but after baby 3 your uterus will be boggy. The nurse will have to come in and do alot of fundal massage. if it doesn't work, you'll need it..." That stuff is bad news!! It feels like its wringing your insides out! Was I fine? yes! The nurse did have do massage, and I did it too. Breastfeeding helps contract that uterus too, so I put him to the breast asap. I regret that I didn't nurse him longer. By 7 mo he was weaned. I was working part time in the Peds Ed and wasn't pumping enough, so my supply went down and it was too convenient to just give a bottle. Plus he was looking every which way when I nursed and never stayed on long. I still didn't know enough about breastfeeding... Just because a baby looks around alot doesn't mean they don't want you anymore. You just need to have a strategy. At 5 mo I flew with him and Erik to California to visit my sister Betsy and that decreased my supply too. I gave bottles instead of nursing more to build up my supply. Griffin was a beautiful baby with big blue eyes and lots of dark hair. Stay tuned for more adventures in childbearing....

William~A Knight's Tale

The response from Erik's birth post was so overwhelmingly positive! It was very encouraging and has given me momentum to continue on...
William's name came to me after watching 'A Knight's Tale' with Heath Ledger. We call him 'Will'. He is also named after his great-grandfather, Mike's grandpa, Richard.
As a side note~ the kids middle names all are from our grandparents, either Mike or I....yes, we are running out of selections...
Will's birth was by far my shortest and easiest~ which is odd because there was 7 years between him and Erik. Where as the other births are only 2 years apart.
I had just started cooking a pot of pasta for dinner when I sat down on the couch and felt a 'pop'. I'm not really sure what that was...as my water never did break. In just a few minutes I knew we were in labor and contractions got strong quickly. By the time the pasta was done boiling I could hardly stand in the kitchen, and yet sitting was tough too! Mike ate fast lets just say~ and I passed on that meal! We took off for RGH asap!
Mike and I found our nurse comical, after the fact. She was settling us in to the room, here's the picture... I know my body is getting ready to do business, so I start ripping off my clothes and climb into the bed to breath and relax. She is trying to do paperwork and ask all kinds of questions...then she gives me a cup and tells me she needs a urine sample! I cant believe she is asking me this stuff and I just tell Mike to answer all the questions. I did use her cup but honestly felt like I would deliver him right in that bathroom! She finally really takes a good look at me and says " I think I need to get a doctor in here..." No kidding!! I was 8 cm dilated at that point ( for those of you who don't know, you need to be 10 cm in order to push). My OB breaks my water and instantly I'm 10! Somewhere in there I did get a dose of Nubain ( a drug to take the edge off ) thru a butter fly needle. I hate needles so I was trying to avoid an IV at all cost. A resident MD comes in to my quiet, subdued, lights dimmed, classical music atmosphere and starts talking to me, telling me how the heart beat looks, etc... Its obvious I was in the zone! Couldn't he tell?? Mike tells me I told him to shut up and get out...I don't remember it quite like that.... I think I was more polite than that. Well, either way, he never did come back in:)
Another funny element to this tale involves Mike.... I'm laboring, and the next thing I know the nurse is asking if HE is alright?? Does he need a chair,etc... He was about to pass out from what he says is the heat in the room. That combined with woofing down a pasta dinner. Hmm... Ill let you decide...
Then this hippie- looking nurse comes in, who I came to love...and says" Oh I see you are using nipple stimulation for those contractions. Good job!" I had no idea what she was talking about! I opened my eyes, looked down, and sure enough I was holding my breasts. I don't know why, It was just comfortable. Maybe some innate part of my womanhood was surfacing, helping me do what my body needed to do. I tried putting my hands other places, but it never felt right and they kept migrating back up! I pushed for about 45 min ( my shortest push yet). And as his head was coming out the Ob says, "Oh look! A red head!" Sure enough he was red! As most of you know my Will. Very orange hair! We absolutely love it, as most people do, but he doesn't. Probably because it sets him apart. Makes him stand out and be different.
He weighed 8.9lbs and had a huge cephelahematoma on his head, from birth trauma/ pushing. I was nervous about that for a long time and was in the pediatricians frequently so he could keep checking it and reassuring me. Now with baby 7 on the way...I'm a little more realxed:) My symphysis pubis was spilt a little from his birth and made it hard to walk to for a few days. Ive never had that happen since. From start to finish, first contraction to the last, was 3 hours.
That middle aged 'hippie-nurse' with the tattoos and long braids did come back in again the next day. Thank God. Will had trouble regulating his temp and they kept taking him to place him under the warmer in the nursery. I was so bothered by that! How could I nurse and bond when he was gone all the time?! Well her shift starts and she brings him right in and says " I don't know why they didn't do this before, but undress him and keep him skin to skin on your chest for an hour. Lets see how his temp does with that." Sure enough! He got warm as toast. Don't ask me why I didn't think of that... Not only does it regulate body temp, but promotes breastfeeding! And he was a fabulous nurser! Weaned at 15 mo. I was working FT nights in the Pediatric ICU at the time also, so I had to pump alot. But It was worth it!
Thanks for sharing this with me~!