Monday, September 26, 2011

Norah's Induction Date Set

Wa-hoooo!!!!!

Tomorrow's the day!

Jadie and I go in at 7:00 am in order for Dr Rister to come in and break my water at 7:30 am!

We'll see how long she takes to make her debut.  And we'll see how long I can make it without pain meds.  I'm trying to avoid the epidural again.

Prayers are appreciated!

Saturday, September 24, 2011

Quote of the Day

Opportunity is missed by most people because it is dressed in overalls and looks like work.
~Thomas Edison

Thursday, September 22, 2011

Baby #3: 38 Weeks

Mary, Courtney, Stephanie, Amanda, Kelly, Me, and Beth
(from our Fall Girls' Night: Sept 20)
How I'm Feeling:
READY!!!  When I get still to go to bed or nap, I feel painless contractions and downward pressure.  These are unfamiliar for me and they scare me to death!  I'd much rather be in the hospital than to have the possibility of going into labor at home/in the car/at church/anywhere but the hospital!  Keep in mind, Sarah was in quite a hurry once the doctor broke my water.  She came only 51 minutes later!  I can't imagine having less than an hour to get to the hospital if my water breaks on its own!


Baby Center says:

Your baby has really plumped up. She weighs about 6.8 pounds and she's over 19 1/2 inches long (like a leek). She has a firm grasp, which you'll soon be able to test when you hold her hand for the first time! Her organs have matured and are ready for life outside the womb.
Wondering what color your baby's eyes will be? You may not be able to tell right away. If she's born with brown eyes, they'll likely stay brown. If she's born with steel gray or dark blue eyes, they may stay gray or blue or turn green, hazel, or brown by the time she's 9 months old. That's because a child's irises (the colored part of the eye) may gain more pigment in the months after she's born, but they usually won't get "lighter" or more blue. (Green, hazel, and brown eyes have more pigment than gray or blue eyes.)

Tuesday, September 20, 2011

Monday, September 19, 2011

Picky Eaters

These tips from Mayo Clinic sound logical to me...and I can see I may need to reconsider some of my methods.

Taken from this children's health article.

I wonder if any of these tips would work for Jadie, too?  Or if not using these techniques when he was younger has led to some of his selectivity when it comes to food?  I guess I'll never know.


No. 1: Respect your child's appetite — or lack of one

If your child isn't hungry, don't force a meal or snack. Likewise, don't bribe or force your child to eat certain foods or clean his or her plate. This might only ignite — or reinforce — a power struggle over food. In addition, your child might come to associate mealtime with anxiety and frustration. Serve small portions to avoid overwhelming your child and give him or her the opportunity to independently ask for more.

No. 2: Stick to the routine

Serve meals and snacks at about the same times every day. Provide juice or milk with the food, and offer water between meals and snacks. Allowing your child to fill up on juice or milk throughout the day might decrease his or her appetite for meals.

No. 3: Be patient with new foods

Young children often touch or smell new foods, and may even put tiny bits in their mouths and then take them back out again. Your child might need repeated exposure to a new food before he or she takes the first bite. Encourage your child by talking about a food's color, shape, aroma and texture — not whether it tastes good. Serve new foods along with your child's favorite foods.

No. 4: Make it fun

Serve broccoli and other veggies with a favorite dip or sauce. Cut foods into various shapes with cookie cutters. Offer breakfast foods for dinner. Serve a variety of brightly colored foods.

No. 5: Recruit your child's help

At the grocery store, ask your child to help you select fruits, vegetables and other healthy foods. Don't buy anything that you don't want your child to eat. At home, encourage your child to help you rinse veggies, stir batter or set the table.

No. 6: Set a good example

If you eat a variety of healthy foods, your child is more likely to follow suit.

No. 7: Be creative

Add chopped broccoli or green peppers to spaghetti sauce, top cereal with fruit slices, or mix grated zucchini and carrots into casseroles and soups.

No. 8: Minimize distractions

Turn off the television and other electronic gadgets during meals. This will help your child focus on eating. Keep in mind that television advertising might also encourage your child to desire sugary foods.

No. 9: Don't offer dessert as a reward

Withholding dessert sends the message that dessert is the best food, which might only increase your child's desire for sweets. You might select one or two nights a week as dessert nights, and skip dessert the rest of the week — or redefine dessert as fruit, yogurt or other healthy choices.

No. 10: Don't be a short-order cook

Preparing a separate meal for your child after he or she rejects the original meal might promote picky eating. Encourage your child to stay at the table for the designated mealtime — even if he or she doesn't eat. Keep serving your child healthy choices until they become familiar and preferred.
If you're concerned that picky eating is compromising your child's growth and development, consult your child's doctor. In addition, consider recording the types and amounts of food your child eats for three days. The big picture might help ease your worries. A food log can also help your child's doctor determine any problems. In the meantime, remember that your child's eating habits won't likely change overnight — but the small steps you take each day can help promote a lifetime of healthy eating.

Friday, September 16, 2011

Baby #3: 37 weeks


Can you even believe it?  


3 more weeks until my due date?


UPDATE
***My BP today was 130/80 and I'm still at 3-4 cm dilated as well as 75% thinned.  We're staying pretty steady.  I did bring up the induction conversation, just for the sake of Jadie scheduling vacation.  We decided that we'd try to wait until 39 weeks as long as my BP holds where it is.  Norah is measuring 35 weeks and the doc said she's got her head really buried low.  That's a good thing for delivery, but it also explains why I sometimes feel like she could just fall right out!*** I have a doctor's appointment for a check in about an hour.  Maybe I'll remember to let you know how it goes.  By the way, I was dilated to a 3 and 75% thinned at last Tuesday's appointment.  You can tell how good I was at sharing that.  So, don't get your hopes up about an update after today's appointment.


I'm feeling pretty good, but my clothing choices are dwindling.  I'm much more comfortable at night; praise the Lord for hearing my prayers and answering with relief from pain and soreness during the night hours.


We've been praying for God's timing with Norah's arrival as well as a quick and pain-free delivery (or as painless as possible).  Sounds crazy, but God tells us to ask in the name of the Savior.  We trust that he will take care of all of the details and we'll have a sweet baby girl and a recovering mommy in no time.


Here's what Baby Center says about this week:

Your baby is now considered "full term," even though your due date is three weeks away. If you go into labor now, his lungs will likely be mature enough to fully adjust to life outside the womb. (Some babies need a bit more time, though. So if you're planning to have a repeat c-section, for example, your practitioner will schedule it for no earlier than 39 weeks unless there's a medical reason to intervene earlier.)
Your baby weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2 inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only peach fuzz.

Thursday, September 15, 2011

Technology Tickets

So, I saw this idea somewhere...probably through Pinterest, considering it's my new addiction.  I cannot find the source now, but here is the scoop.

I printed these tickets meant for DIY lottery scratch-offs.  I wrote "30 minutes" on each one.  I laminated them at Mardel.  I made holders for them by cutting, then folding scrapbook paper in half and stapling up the sides.  Then I used painter's tape to mount the holders. Done.

I wanted Caleb to be more aware of his TV/Wii/Computer time, so I printed out tickets worth 30 minutes each.

On Monday after school, he will receive 10 tickets (5 hours) for the week.  He keeps his tickets inside the cabinet of the entertainment center.

I keep his spent tickets on the wall behind the TV.

To use his tickets, he hands one to me and I start a 30 minute timer.  He knows to turn off whatever he's doing when he hears the timer or that he has to give me another ticket.

I have set a 3 ticket maximum for any given day and I reserve the right to refuse technology time for the day.  This might be due to other activities, behavior at home, or behavior at school.

So far, I love how it's working out.  He's much more aware of the amount of time he's watching TV and I haven't heard any whining when it's time to pull the plug.

But then again this is only the 3rd day.  We'll see how long this works so beautifully.

I may consider giving 12 tickets on Monday instead of just 10.  Also perhaps extra tickets for rewards.

Wednesday, September 14, 2011

Quote of the Day


Caleb: "We should pray for that baby."

Oh, what a tender-hearted young man we have!

To give you some context for today's quote, he said this while watching a commercial for Cook's Children's Hospital.  The commercial was featuring the neonatal intensive care unit.  Caleb's eyes were glued to the screen the moment he saw babies.  He really have a soft spot for newborns.  And that's a great thing since we're expecting one so soon!


Friday, September 9, 2011

Baby #3: 36 weeks



How I'm Feeling: 
Good, but totally uncomfortable during the night.  I wake up several times a night with a backache.  Boo.

Baby Center says:
Your baby is still packing on the pounds — at the rate of about an ounce a day. She now weighs almost 6 pounds (like a crenshaw melon) and is more than 18 1/2 inches long. She's shedding most of the downy covering of hair that covered her body as well as the vernix caseosa, the waxy substance that covered and protected her skin during her nine-month amniotic bath. Your baby swallows both of these substances, along with other secretions, resulting in a blackish mixture, called meconium, will form the contents of her first bowel movement.
At the end of this week, your baby will be considered full-term. (Full-term is 37 to 42 weeks; babies born before 37 weeks are pre-term and those born after 42 are post-term.) Most likely she's in a head-down position. But if she isn't, your practitioner may suggest scheduling an "external cephalic version," which is a fancy way of saying she'll try to coax your baby into a head-down position by manipulating her from the outside of your belly.

Sarah Talk + Yesterday's To-Do List

We're back home from taking Caleb to school this morning and I have a few fun things to share with you.
_________________________________________
Sarah is saying sentences!
She frequents the phrase "I can..." (insert jump, do it, brush teeth, hold it, get it, eat it, etc)
Here are a few of the sentences I've heard in just the last few minutes:
Take shoes off now.
I am cold.
Cover up.
Help, Mommy.
Dark in here.
Get silky. (her blanket)
Need pillow.
_________________________________________
Caleb was at a loss this morning when he couldn't find the cars he picked out to take in the car on the two-minute drive to school.  I found them shortly thereafter.  Can you guess how they ended up in there?

_________________________________________
I finished the fall mantel yesterday.  It was one of the three things I accomplished from yesterday's to-do list.
I only see a few similarities between it and my inspiration photo, but I love my version just the same.
It cost me nothing.  That is always a beautiful thing.

  • I cut branches from our crape myrtle and stripped them of their leaves.
  • I used fabric and paper I already had for the large frame.
  • I printed pictures onto regular printer paper and taped them to the front of the frames.
  • The white pumpkin (it was maroon, but I spray painted it white), leaves, and votive holders are from last year.
  • The leafy battery operated candle that you can barely see of the far end is a purchase from last winter when it was marked down from $16.95 to $2.18 at Pier One Imports.  Score.

_________________________________________
I made the laundry soap using the recipe from Great Oak Circle.

6 cups Borax
4 cups Baking Soda
4 cups Washing Soda
4 cups Fels-Naptha bar soap (about 2 bars)

It made about 3 1/2 mason jars of detergent when all was said and done.
Two Fels-Naptha bars did NOT yield 4 cups after being finely grated in the food processor.  It was more like 3 cups.

The Fels-Naptha looked like cheddar cheese after the initial grating!

Remember that you only use 2 Tbsp for each load of laundry, so this should last quite a while.

Also, I thought you might like a price break down in case you're considering doing it yourself.  
All of my items were purchased at Wal-Mart without coupons or sales.  Every item was found on the laundry ailse.
2 Fels-Naptha Bars @ $0.97 each

Arm & Hammer Laundry Powder @ $3.24
Borax @ $2.98
Large Box of Baking Soda @ $2.12
TOTAL was $10.28 before tax

I also purchased Main-Stays brand Mason Jars @ $7.88/dozen
_________________________________________
Later, taters!

Show and Tell: The Letter M

Caleb's class will be having Show and Tell each Friday.  This is an optional activity, but I think it will be quite fun.  I'm not sure about Caleb, but it will be fun for me!

Each student is asked to find an item from home beginning with the letter of the week.  Then we are to put it in a bag and give three clues to help the class guess what the item is.

Let's see if you can guess what Caleb picked out for this week!


Thursday, September 8, 2011

To Do List: Thurs, Sept 8

1. Quiet Time (Beth Moore's Breaking Free)

2. Make Laundry Detergent using a recipe from Great Oak Circle (dot com).

3. Create our fall mantel using inspiration from Sweet Something Design.

4. Finalize a pattern for Advent calendars or banner to place in my Etsy Shop and my booth at the Spring Valley Craft Bazaar.

5. Plan a few meals for the next week or so...you can tell how ambitious I am.

Wednesday, September 7, 2011

Bright and Cheerful

Oh, yeah.  This is how my girl flashes her best smile!

Thank you, Granny, for my new outfit!  I LOVE it!
And yes, Granana, that is a hair bow that you made!

AND...since I don't want to create a post with a depressing title, I'll go ahead and include my 35 week belly photo here, too.
I have officially reached the point where it's too risky to wear the tankini bottom to this swimsuit.  And by too risky, I mean that my baby belly pushes it down a little too far...if you get my drift.

Thursday, September 1, 2011

Baby #3: 35 weeks



How I'm Feeling:
Thankful for the motivation to get out of the house or to actually do things when I am spending the day at home.  I'm just trying to keep myself active and busy.  It helps the time pass and helps me feel like I'm doing something to keep my weight gain at a minimum (30 pounds so far).


Baby Center says:
Your baby doesn't have much room to maneuver now that he's over 18 inches long and tips the scales at 5 1/4 pounds (pick up a honeydew melon). Because it's so snug in your womb, he isn't likely to be doing somersaults anymore, but the number of times he kicks should remain about the same. His kidneys are fully developed now, and his liver can process some waste products. Most of his basic physical development is now complete — he'll spend the next few weeks putting on weight.