"Children Are Born Persons"

"Children are born persons."

This simple quote from Charlotte Mason has really resonated with me lately.

As a mom to 3 little girls (ages 7, 5.5 and almost 3) I'm learning that I need to respect who God made them to be. It has nothing to do with me and everything to do with God. Yes, they need discipline. I need discipline but what's that look like when you have a kid who isn't typical?

One of my girls was diagnosed with a sensory processing disorder back in December. I'll be honest, I'm very skeptical of all the "stuff" surrounding these labels. For one, I don't fully understand it all. I know I never will. I'm an avid reader, read trusted sources, etc, but I still don't fully get it. But, and this is a big but, there is something "different" (I don't mean different in a negative way) about her. She's been a more sensitive child than our others. We knew this from pretty much day 1. She got overtired super quick. She liked pitch black darkness. She had her likes and dislikes and made them known. Fast forward 2 years later and we have a very verbal child. But she still can't fully express her needs (she struggles with that even now as an almost 6 year old). And she now walks on her tiptoes (and has since she was 2). And she has meltdowns so easily. And she likes her clothes a certain way-nothing itchy, shorts that are soft and slip on and off, no jeans or buttons or zippers. She's so sensitive, more so than I feel a typical child is. She cries through half of a movie in the theater (something we've done twice) because Dory can't find her parents. When she misbehaves I discipline and nothing works. Timeouts. Room time. Spankings. You name, we've tried it.

And denial creeps in for pretty much 3 years. I write off her behavior. "Oh she's just being 2." "Oh, she's just being 3." You get the point. Really, if I'm honest with myself, I write off her. I give up on her. I get angry with her. I yell at her. I cry about it and think it'll change but it doesn't. I don't, not for a while. And there's a lot of guilt attached to how I act towards her. I blame it on me not being consistent enough in disciplining her. I blame it on whatever circumstance is happening. But I can't control everything. And I can't control her.

I realize when she turns 5 that we need some intervention. I can't ignore our really hard days anymore. And I mean really hard days. And they very much outweigh the good days. We have probably 1 good day to 6 bad days some weeks. She can't cope. I'm still yelling at her about how she acts. And I'm lost. I have no clue what to do. And I don't want to treat her like this anymore. She's a person! She's a loving, compassionate, sensitive child who God made and entrusted to me and I am not treating her with the respect she deserves.

I struggle to understand what a sensory processing disorder means. I know there's negative connotations that are attached to that label but I'm beginning to understand what it means for my girl.

My girl senses the world around her more strongly than I do or than most people do. That's how I interpret a sensory processing disorder for her. If she falls, stubs her toe, bumps into a wall she will scream so loud. It's a piercing scream that isn't always easy to take. If I'm sensitive to getting hurt then she's triple sensitive to something, at the very least. If I find a movie challenging to watch, it's more intense for her. Her feelings and emotions are just MORE. And that's simple to understand. She senses the world around her more strongly than I do. She gets overwhelmed very easily, especially in unfamiliar places. Even in familiar places she may struggle with what's around her.

If I'm honest with myself and honest with her I've not treated her with the respect she deserves. She's a person and she deserves not being made fun of if she falls and hurts herself. She deserves not to be yelled out or told to "get over it." When she seems dramatic, it's not that, it's that she feels her hurt more intensely than I do. More intensely than you do. And just because I don't understand what she's feeling doesn't mean I need to disrespect her. Everyone deserves respect, whether child or adult.

"The person should know about his worth, his unique place as a creature made to have a relationship with God. He understands who he is, his ability to choose, that he matters, that he is accepted and valued. He should like himself, even love himself. He is realistic; he accepts his own limitations, and knows that he can be creative within them. Having liked and accepted himself, he will go on to have the basis for liking and accepting his neighbor. Knowing that God has loved and served him, he will know that it is fostered by the child's human relationships, more than words about God to begin with. He should be with people who treat him with respect, politeness, truth. This includes the parent/teacher's (ANY grown-up) not pretending to know everything or acting as if he has arrived and is morally or spiritually perfect. If we are truthful about our own knowledge/intellectual limitations, this fresh air of truth and openness will help the child accept himself. It will help him strive for what is right and good. We prefer the company of others like ourselves, to the intimidation of a superman or woman who makes us feel rotten."
From For the Children's Sake, pgs. 148-149

Thanks for reading.

Whole 30 and Paleo Recipes

Food is my jam. It's a good thing and a bad thing. I'm thinking about food a lot. I'm thinking about the 3 meals I'm cooking each day to feed our growing family and snacks in between. I'm a real foodie and most everything in my kitchen needs to be cooked. So I have to plan. And that's okay with me because I love a good plan!

We've been eating some new to us foods and recipes. Some have been good and some bad. I like Pinterest for finding new recipes, though they can be real flops. But I guess that's just like any recipe. Here are some recipes we've been trying.

Suppers:

Whole 30 Chicken Tenders

Verdict: We liked these. They didn't brown up like tenders in the deep fryer do but they were still delicous!

Cauliflower Lasagna 

Verdict: We all liked this. I wasn't sure how Daniel or the girls would like this but it was really tasty and I didn't even miss the gobs of cheese you usually find in lasagna. The "noodles" are made out of cauliflower, so that's a little bit of a process but it wasn't as challenging as I thought it would be.

Fried Cabbage with Bacon

Verdict: First, let me say we are NOT cabbage people. We joined a local CSA from a local farm and got a cabbage. I didn't know what to do with it. I asked my friends on Facebook what they do with it, then found a recipe on Pinterest. Oh my goodness, it was delicious! Both Daniel and I were SO skeptical but wow. I made some of the Whole 30 ranch dressing and drizzled it on my helping, yum! Nyla even gobbled this up for dinner last night and lunch today. The key is not to overcook the cabbage. I like a little bit of a crunch left in it and I did it. I also added cut up kielbasa. I added it a couple minutes after I added the cabbage so it could heat through. And it was all so tasty. I think I'll definitely be making it again.

Honey Chiptole Chicken

Verdict: This was just okay. It had good flavor but I don't think it was a flavor that just wowed us. We all have different taste buds but this just didn't do it for us.

Sides:

Hassleback Potatoes

This is such a weird name!

Verdict: Yummy! I've made these at least 3 times in the last 3 months and they never disappoint. Here's some advice: don't overcrowd the pan with a bunch of potatoes. They need room for the oven heat to circulate around them and cook them. They won't all be crispy but more like a baked potato. If you're able to cut the pieces and have some flop out, they'll crisp up more. But they are great!

Vegetables vegetables and more vegetables!

I roast mine in the oven. 400 degrees F. My favorites are brussel sprouts, cauliflower and broccoli. Roast about 30-40 minutes. Before putting them in the oven drizzle olive oil on top and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Yum-o!

I also love green beans. I use my cast iron skillet almost daily and I always cook my green beans in it. First, start with bacon. 4-6 pieces, cut up and placed in the hot pan (medium heat). Cook until almost crispy then place the green beans in the pan, as many as you want. I've used frozen and fresh, either are fine. I stir them frequently for approximately 8-10 minutes. I do drizzle with a little olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper, to taste. No water is needed. They are divine this way!

Breakfast:

I'll be honest, breakfast has been tricky for me. I love sweet stuff for breakfast and that just isn't doable on the Paleo diet. Now. we only have sweet stuff (i.e. pancakes, waffles, etc) occasionally. Yes, there are recipes out there for Paleo pancakes, etc, and I've made them and we like them. But we don't need them everyday, so I do try and limit that. 

I eat a lot of eggs. I'm talking tons. I eat at least 2 every morning, fried and a little runny. That yolk just tastes so buttery to me. Mmmm! The girls eat theirs scrambled. I think I usually scramble 6 or 7 each morning and between the 3 of them they can put them away. We always do a fruit with our breakfast. They could live on fruit alone so there's always plenty around. I also like bacon in the morning with my eggs. I mean it's bacon. Need I say more?

Lunch:

Lunch tends to be leftovers in our home. That's just easiest and convenient for us. We'll have sandwiches occasionally but I try and limit their gluten intake. I've noticed if they have too much in their diet they get a little crazy but Nyla gets bags under her eyes and looks worn out. I think gluten is her enemy more than it is for the other girls. But it's a theory and I'm testing it out for her.

And there you have it. I know it's not much but I get a lot of recipes from my cookbooks, too. I try and have my paleo cookbooks handy at all times and I'm finding the authors have come up with great substitutions for my favorite foods. They've done all the hard work for me!

Favorite Cookbooks:

Paleo Baking

Against All Grain

Against All Grain: Meals Made Simple

The Pioneer Woman: Dinnertime (not technically paleo but I've made a few adjustments to the recipes I've tried to make them paleo for us)

Well Fed

Well Fed 2

It's Been Awhile...Hello!

Hello out there. Is anyone still out there?

I popped in for a quick update. I'd love to say I'll be back soon or Daniel will but only time will tell.

So, here goes!

I've been on food journey for quite a few months. In September, while on vacation at the beach, I read an eye-opening book, The Whole 30. On October 1st I began the Whole 30 journey. I completed another round right after Christmas. What sprung this on? My health. I wasn't feeling top notch, had some tummy issues and just didn't like my relationship with food. I still don't like my relationship with food but some days it's not such a burden. I do pray it's something I don't pass onto my girls, though. After the 30-day experiment (that's what it was to me in October) I realized it was truly life changing. I had way more energy, a few inflammation issues I have struggled with for a decade or more were gone and I just over all felt like a better version of myself. And I lost 17 pounds in 30 days. All by eating real food and exercising a little. Amazing! I went through the 30 day program again in late December into January and lost 12 pounds. I still struggle with food but I'm much more conscious of what I'm preparing and eating. We tend to not have contraband food in our home quite as much. I control it, since I do the shopping, so it stays in the store where it belongs. On my food journey, I did learn that I don't tolerate dairy very well, gluten or large amounts of sugar. I don't have allergies to it but my tummy and my head appreciate when I stay away from those food items. I try to stay away from those items as much as possible. It's still a daily struggle but I feel like I'm getting the hang of it.

Nyla started an art class back in August through a local homeschool enrichment program and she has absolutely thrived! The picture below is all the pictures she drew from August-December. It's been so amazing to seen her confidence bloom through that class. She had a great second semester and is looking forward to taking the class again this coming Fall. 

Homeschooling is what I expected to be and not at the same time. How that's possible, I don't know but it's how I feel. I'm finding myself enjoying the process. We love the unhurried mornings, the spur-of-the-moment playdates with our friends/neighbors and quick field trips to our local zoo. There is a huge learning curve with homeschooling but I feel like it's right where we need to be. I'm not patient enough or smart enough but I do feel like this is where God wants our family. Our vision is to instill truth, beauty and goodness into the lives of girls, to create an active learning environment and help them feel loved and inspired. In my mind, homeschooling is the right fit for these conditions. It's right for our family. 

The big sisters, Nyla and Naomi, are best friends. I'm so thankful for that. Nyla loves "doing school" and having lots of free time to pursue her interests, like art and crafting. She's beginning to read and is gobbling up books. We take weekly trips to the library and come home with a huge box of books. Naomi is beginning the process of reading. Even at 4.5 years old she still struggles to recognize all the letters in the alphabet but All About Reading is helping with that tremendously. She loves the program and the zebra puppet (we are using the Pre-Reading with her) and having her little school time. She won't officially be in Kindergarten until the Fall of 2017 so we have lots of time, but she's shown an interest and I'm going with it. She also loves to draw but her real passion is books. She could sit all day on the couch or the floor and read read read. She wants to flip through books constantly and have me read just as many. She really enjoys playing outside and jumping on the trampoline. She always finds the biggest sticks or logs outside and carries them around. She never walks anywhere (always running, jumping, prancing, or walking on her tiptoes) and she has a great big imagination. She is a funny girl who has us laughing constantly.

The picture below is one of the many examples of their love of books. Today we sat on the floor for an hour in a row and read a bunch of books. And then continued to read on and off throughout the day. We don't watch TV or movies so reading is a favorite in our home!

And since we're chatting about reading, here's my stack from February. I bought this stack of Ruth's books when she was having a bundle sale. The Unstuffed book is just a little sneak peak. The actual book just released a couple weeks ago and I've yet to get my hands on it. But I will. There's so much wisdom in her books about spending less and getting rid of clutter. They are books I'll come back to time and time again. 

Nyla and Naomi got big haircuts a couple months ago. Nyla's makes her look so grown up. They are just like their mama loving big haircuts!

Here's Natalie. She's so big. She is 20 months old today and she's everywhere. She thinks she's as big as her sisters and does keep up with them pretty well. She eats anything I put in front of her, loves to jump on the trampoline, she's also and avid book lover and is the happiest girl. In 2013 I really felt like someone was missing from our family. Not a boy, just someone else. And she's definitely been the missing piece. She is so content and does so well with our ever-changing days. We can tote her anywhere and she's ready for the ride. I'm thankful for such an easy 3rd child since we're out and about frequently these days.

And there's our big update!

Love Languages

A good rule of thumb: When you think you're doing a pretty good job at this parenting thing, that's when you are getting ready to learn something new or, in this case, re-learn something old. Such was the case with us Monday evening.

At bedtime, Ginny likes to ask our two big girls three questions: 1) What made you happy today? 2) What made you sad? 3) What did you learn? We could tell Nyla was feeling off Monday, just not the typical 5-year old she usually is. After some poking and prodding, Ginny was able to get a tearful Nyla to admit that she did not get enough hugs and kisses from Mommy. (Not what you want your child to tell you.) Nyla also tearfully told me that she wanted Mommy and Daddy to draw her pictures. You see, Nyla loves to draw. I mean, she enjoys it so much. I have at least a dozen pictures in my cubicle at work that she has drawn for me. And here she is, crying that we haven't drawn her any pictures.

We are proponents of the book The Five Love Languages. It's a great read and great way to find out how you feel loved and express love. For instance, my top 2 love languages are words of affirmation and physical touch. Ginny is quality time and acts of service. Nyla, we determined, was receiving gifts and probably acts of service. You see where I'm going with this, right? Her "love tank" was empty, because she didn't get any gifts! Here she was, drawing pictures for us, and we were ignoring that as a sign that she needs to get gifts, too! Thanking her for them and telling her how pretty they are weren't enough. Needless to say, Ginny and I felt terrible. I held Nyla at bedtime and told her that I was sorry for not drawing for her, because she draws many pretty pictures for us.

So naturally, I drew her a picture that night - a picture of Madeline (from the books) and three toys. I wrote a note telling Nyla I loved her and asking her what toy she thought Madeline should pick. As you can see from the picture, my drawing (and love) was well-received.

Yesterday, she was back to being our sweet, happy Nyla. Nyla, Naomi, and I sat down at the table last night and learned how to draw birds, a sailbot, a rocket, a bat, and an elephant. (Thanks, Pinterest!) The lesson here is to always, always, always be mindful of how your child (or spouse or family or friends) loves and feels loved.

-D

Homeschool Digest #1

Nyla is reading!

Naomi is continuing to learn her letters. Letting her just play with them seems to help her.

Hello out there, it's been forever since we've blogged! I have tons of ideas rolling around in my head but alas I'm busy and never sit down to blog. 

This is our first official year of homeschooling and things are going about as I expected. It's taken us some time to get adjusted to sitting down and "doing" school. I expect things to continue to evolve and change every few weeks. Thankfully, I feel equipped to handle the changes that come our way. Since the girls are constantly growing and changing I have to be ready to embrace our changing days. And with a toddler underfoot, things are always interesting! 

As we find our groove the most important subjects I want covered daily are Bible/character study, math, reading and writing. I feel accomplished when we get those items done. We have numerous reading times throughout the day. We are not a TV watching family so reading and crafting just come natural to us. 

Speaking of crafts, I'm not overly crafty but the girls sure do enjoying hands-on activities each day. Thank goodness for Pinterest in finding EASY crafts. I like the type of crafts that I can just look at the picture and figure it out myself. I don't want to make time for reading a detailed instruction guide on how to do a 10 minute craft. We do more in-depth crafts occasionally but I want simple. We try and color once a week, but also use scissors, glue, watercolors and oil pastels. I always have googly eyes, construction paper and other crafty items on hand for the girls to choose. 

Busy girl toddler keeps things interesting. She's been walking about 3 weeks.

Naomi in her eagle mask.

   

Nyla in her eagle mask.

We enjoy staying home most days but we take a field trip every 2 to 3 weeks or so, more when the weather is nice. A few weeks ago we visited Priddy Farms pumpkin patch. We were there a couple hours and had a great time.

Field trip to Priddy Farms.

It's fun to watch our girls develop into their own person with each passing month. Naomi (our #2 girl) NEVER walks anywhere. She likes to dash, jump, twirl, tip toe, run, skip, prance, etc everywhere. I'm not sure she knows how to just walk. :) 

She enjoys flipping through books constantly. She has a BIG imagination and is constantly talking and figuring out life. She is full of questions, funny answers and sayings. This girl LOVES life! I hope she keeps that wonder of it all.

My ultimate book lover, Naomi!

Little Miss Muffet and spider craft with a proud Naomi. 

Nyla (our #1 girl) really enjoys writing. She's been able to write her name since she was 3 years old. She just figured it out on her own. I made letters and books available but she learned letter recognition pretty much on her own. She's VERY independent and wants to figure things out on her own. But she's not stubborn and will ask for help if she needs it, thankfully. She is constantly coloring and drawing pictures for people. I think Daniel comes home and always has something she's drawn him that day. She's taking an art class in a local homeschool enrichment program and she's really enjoying it. She comes home each Tuesday and draws for me what she learned in art that morning. She says she'll be able to bring her portfolio home before Christmas. I sure hope so because I'm ready to see what she's learned.

Nyla loves to write!

Natalie (our #3) girl is a budding toddler. She's been walking about 3 weeks and she is EVERYWHERE! She practically got up one day and walked across rooms, like she's known what she's doing all along. She enjoys playing outside with her sisters, she's saying a dozen or so words, enjoys flipping through books, stealing the big girls toys, coloring (I'm going to have to watch her and walls, I do believe), helping the girls with their puzzles and carrying her lovey around. Thankfully, she's an excellent sleeper (except when teething), a great eater and a fun girl. She is constantly smiling and we can tell her wheels are always turning in her little mind. She is such a ham and walks around just giggling about nothing, at least it's nothing to us. She's been the missing piece in our little family.

We're raising another bookworm!

Natalie enjoys writing on our chalkboard in the kitchen, just like her big sisters.

After our corn maze field trip with one of our homeschool groups, we checked out a local pumpkin patch.

So, that's a wrap up of the last few months. I hope to update more than every 4 months. :)

Suburbia [Board Game Review]

Remember the computer game SimCity? Remember trying to build up your city and become a megalopolis? Or, if you're like me, remember building up your city only to unleash disaster after disaster on it? What if there were a board game that captured the city-building of SimCity? What if you could build a city and interact with the cities of other players? Good news, board game geeks, there is a game like that, and it is called Suburbia - a wonderful game released in 2012 by Ted Alspach and Bezier Games.

Suburbia is a game for 1-4 players (with 2 solo variants available) and should take roughly 90 minutes to play. In terms of complexity, this is definitely a step above games like Acquire and Ticket to Ride. I would not recommend starting an inexperienced strategy gamer with Suburbia. It is a game that you need to build up to before giving it a go.

At its core, Suburbia is a tile placement game, with each tile being a hexagon representing a building or landmark for your city/suburb. On the right, you see your starting suburb, and you purchase additional tiles to add to the suburb. The catch? All tiles interact with each other in different ways. At the top of the purple board are numbers representing reputation (i.e. do people want to move to your suburb?) and income. Different tiles will increase or decrease reputation and income, and the interaction of the tiles in your suburb (and in some cases, your opponents' suburbs) can affect your reputation and income even more. For instance, for obvious reasons, building a landfill next to houses decreases your reputation; or building a farm in your town increases your income as other players build restaurants in their suburbs. As you progress more into the game, the tiles become more expensive and more complex in terms of interaction. On your turn, you purchase a tile, place it in your suburb, and resolve all effects of that tile, the tiles adjacent to it, the tiles in your suburb, and the tiles in the other players' suburbs. Then you collect your income and add/subtract your population based on your reputation. As always, this is not meant to replace the rule book (as you know by now), so be sure to read through it a couple of times before you play. I should also mention that at the beginning of the game, end-game bonus discs are revealed, and one is selected in secret. These goals award bonus population at the end of the game if you have the most/least _____. For instance, you can earn bonus points for having the worst reputation. That one is my favorite, because it means I get to make the worst suburb possible. Once the bonus points are added in, the person with the most points (i.e. population) is the winner.

So what do I think? I feel like a broken record, but this is another game that we enjoy. Each game will be different because you do not use every tile, so there is variability in what tiles appear. There are 20 goals as well, so there will be many different combinations of goals. Plus, it really does feel like you are building up your suburb. The tiles interact thematically as you would expect. Building parks cost money but improves the look (and reputation) of your city. Too many factories and no one wants to live there. We're really that this one is part of our collection. It's not a game for newbies, but if you're a serious gamer, you should definitely get Suburbia.

-D

Kingdom Builder [Board Game Review]

*Tumbleweeds roll across the wind swept plain, as a figure appears against the sun.*

Hello? Helllllloooooo? Is anyone here? (Squinting) Ah, yes, it looks like I've got a few of you here. I'm back to talk to you about a fun game recently added to our collection - Kingdom Builder. I'd like to thank Geek & Sundry, or more specifically, Table Top, for introducing me to this one. Similarly, Ginny would like to un-thank them. ;-)

Kingdom Builder is a game for 2-4 players and should take no more than 45 minutes. In terms of complexity, this is a fantastic gateway game - a game that you could introduce to board game newbies. The goal of the game is to score the most gold/victory points as you place your settlements across a board of various terrain types - fields, forests, deserts, canyons, and flowers. On your turn, you reveal your face-down card with a terrain type on it and then place 3 settlements on hexes of that terrain type as well as adjacent to any existing settlements you have on the board. The board is setup by choosing 4 of 8 smaller modules and combining into one larger board. This is great for replay ability. Each board contains at least 1 palace/castle hex, and 1 or 2 hexes of a different building. Building next to palaces scores you end game points, and building next to the other building hexes allows you to bend the rules in different ways. As I always say, please refer to the rule book for the full rules description. The end game condition is met when one player runs out of houses to place, at which point everyone gets one more turn (except for the start player). Points are awarded based on 3 cards drawn from a set of 10 scoring cards, each of which awards points for different scenarios (i.e. houses next to water or mountains). Each player then scores 3 points per palace to which they are adjacent. Most points wins!

What do I think of this game? It's easy, and it's fun. The modular boards and end game scoring cards ensure each game will be different. Nyla, now 5, and Naomi, closer to 4 than 3, both really like playing this game. They understand that building next to a palace is good. We haven't explained the 3 scoring cards as of yet - there's only so much they can grasp. Even still, they have a good understanding of the game and look forward to flipping over their card. Some serious gamers will find this one too light and too luck-driven (the terrain cards), and that's certainly understandable. For me, however, I have found myself enjoying these lighter games recently. The girls enjoy it; I enjoy it; Ginny enjoys it. This is a game that I think should be in your collection.

-D

The Birth Story of Natalie Grace

Obviously, this is a touch late. I worked on this just a couple weeks after the birth of our third daughter, Natalie Grace, but life got me so I never finished it. But here it is. I hope you enjoy!





It's 4:30 a.m. and our alarm is going off. It's time to get up, shower, get dressed and get our things in the car. It's baby having day!

The ride to the hospital only takes us fifteen minutes and it's just after 5:00 a.m. so there's very little traffic on the roads. Daniel and I chat about the process we'll be going through for the morning. Since Naomi's birth was a scheduled c-section we know what to expect this time. We'll be separated for a good hour or more while they prep me in triage.

We arrive at the hospital right at 5:30 a.m. We take the elevator up to floor number two and I'm asked to fill out a little card and told by the woman up front to have a seat and I'll be called back in a few minutes. As we sit in the waiting room I update my status on Facebook because I know everyone wants to know that we're at the hospital. :) About fifteen minutes later we get called back for our insurance cards and chat with the woman in records. She sends me back to the front where another woman tells me she'll take me back to my triage room and Daniel has to go sit up front. They'll bring him back when it's closer to time. We part ways which is always hard. I don't want to go about any of this process alone. The hospital is cold and sterile. While the faces are friendly it's not somewhere I want to spend a lot of my time.

I get to my room and the woman hands me a bag and tells me to remove all my clothing and any jewelry and put it in the bag.
"A nurse will be with you shortly." she says.
"Thank you so much, "I tell her.
Even as uncomfortable as this process is I still put a smile on my face and am friendly to everyone I encounter.

I undress, place my stuff in the bag, lie on the bed and patiently wait. Thankfully, I don't wait long before a nurse comes.
"Good morning," she says.
I reply, "Good morning."
"Who's here with you today?"
"My husband is."
"Before we start, is there anything you need to tell me in confidence?"
"No ma'am."
"Do you feel safe going home? Do you feel safe taking your baby home with you?"
"Yes and yes."
She hooks up the baby heart monitor. These are the last few moments I'll hear Natalie Grace's sweet little heartbeat from my insides. It's been such a joy being able to carry another little person in my belly. While I've been very uncomfortable for the last 10 weeks or so and the weather turned hot on me, it's truly been a joy carrying this precious life inside of me. I know there are so many who can't or won't ever be able to experience what I've experienced in carrying 3 healthy children. This is never far from my mind as I know a few woman personally who have struggled with getting pregnant or never could get pregnant. I am thankful.

Next, what seems like one hundred questions, begins. It's everything from, "Do you have a religion preference?" to "Do you have a living will?"

Dr. Li comes in and asks how I'm doing. I tell her, "I'm good and ready."
"Do you have any questions for me?" she asks.
"Nope, just take care of me." I say.
"I will," she says.
And I believe her. I'm thankful for my doctor and know that she will take care of me. This is our third c-section together so I have every confidence in her.

Dr. Li leaves and the questions continue by one nurse and the other is poking me with a needle to get my IV going and apparently I'm a "bleeder" because out shoots a good amount of blood. I look but quickly turn away. Blood doesn't make me queasy but it was quite a lot and it's just after six in the morning and I've not eaten anything. I think it best to not look at what's going on. And she got it all over my hand, the bed and the floor. So, yeah it was quite a bit.

Finally, my IV is in, some fluids and medicines are starting and the questions are over. I ask when my husband can come back and not long after Daniel arrives in the room. Finally! I have his smiling face next to me and we can chat to pass the time.

Waiting in triage

I can't imagine going through this with any other person. I thank God for him and that he's next to me. We talk about our last guesses of how much and how long Natalie Grace will be. He's sticking with under Nyla's birth weight (she was 9 pounds 8 ounces) and I say she'll be a bit bigger but not ten pounds, though I did dream a couple weeks ago that she was 10 pounds 5 ounces. A nurse comes in and tells us it's almost time. She leaves and I ask Daniel to pray for us, just as I did with the other girls. Tears roll down my face as he's praying. I am so thankful for the spiritual leader of our family and thankful for his words during this time. Tears of anxiousness and excitement. Tears to say goodbye to being a family of 4 and hello to being a family of 5. Life as we know it is about to change. As the time has passed today, the more nervous I've gotten. I know what to expect this time and while knowing ahead of time usually makes me feel more comfortable (I'm an introvert after all), this time it has not. I'm not looking forward to the spinal or the surgery. I'm ready to get it over with and praying I don't have a similar recovery to Naomi's.

It's just before 7:30 a.m. and the time has come. It's time to move into the surgery room. I know Daniel and I have to part ways for another few minutes and this makes me more nervous but I know he'll be by my side before long.

The room is very cold and sterile. I move to a thin, hard table for the surgery. I have to sit back and hunched over to get the spinal. I'm nervous. The anesthesiologist talks with me about what to expect, what I'll feel and the order it all goes in. He's really nice and comforting. It helps a little to have him tell me each step. His assistant does the actual spinal and he keeps talking to me. She presses on my back to find the right spot and this is fairly uncomfortable. The shot to numb the area comes next and it hurts. My nurse, Lindsey, is there next to me. I'm hunched over holding a pillow saying, "ouch ouch ouch." I have a very low tolerance for pain yet I take pregnancy and all that comes with it like a champ. At least I think I do. Next comes the actual spinal. I'm glad I don't see the needle because I expect it's fairly large. I feel quite a bit of pressure from the needle and I'm thankful when it's over. Now I have to lay down and my legs are going numb. It's such an odd sensation. I remember with Naomi I went numb almost instantly and I don't this time and it worries me. I don't want to feel anything and I don't want to get incubated because the spinal doesn't work. Thankfully, it starts to kick in as they're prepping me. The next thing I know the sheet is coming up in front of me, my chest feels heavy and it's hard to take deep breaths. It feels like I have an elephant sitting on top of me. The assistant anesthesiologist pricks me here and there and asks if I can feel anything on different areas of my body. Most importantly, I don't feel below my chest so I know I'm good to go!

He's ready!

Daniel comes in and sits down next to me. I'm thankful for his calming presence. We are ready to meet our baby girl.

Anxiously waiting

I don't hear too much around me. Well, really, I'm blocking it out and trying to talk to Daniel. I want him to distract me so I don't hear anything that scares me or freaks me out. I feel quite a lot of tugging and pulling for a few minutes. I keep thinking Natalie Grace should be here, I don't remember it taking so long with Naomi. Dr. Li says I have a good bit of scar tissue and that's why it's taking a bit longer. Well, that explains it. But soon enough I feel tons of pressure on my chest. It's almost as if someone is sitting on me to pull her out. "You'll feel lots of pressure," someone calls out. I definitely do. Then I hear, "That's a big baby!" And then I hear her cry. There is nothing quite like hearing your baby's first cry. As I did the two times before, I cry tears of joy. Natalie Grace is here. Each girls cry are so very different and I just love that. I know I won't ever really remember exactly what it sounds like, just that it's one of the most beautiful sounds in all the world. Thankful. Grateful. Full. Joyful. Loved. All my emotions hit me at once. This pregnancy is finally over. Natalie Grace is finally here. Praise God for this little life.

She's here and she's beautiful!

Yes, you're reading this right. 11 pounds 9 oz.
We had so many comments on her weight. I would proudly tell people she's not my first 11 pound baby. Naomi was 11 pounds 4 oz. :)

Big girl!

5 Months Old

Dear Natalie Grace,

I cannot believe you are 5 months old! It really does go by so quickly, but especially with you since I am caring for your big sisters. Speaking of big sisters, they are in love with you and vice versa. You smile at them constantly. I think they may get more smiles than Daddy and me. I get you out of bed each morning and the first thing they ask, "Can I hold her?" They kiss on you constantly and try and make you laugh. Naomi's latest to you is, "Natalie, I just love you so much." And she does it in her baby voice. :) They are smitten.

You refuse to lay on the floor for longer than 5 minutes. You haven't rolled over yet but you do try and sit up. You lift your head up off the changing table, your bed and the floor to try and sit up. I will occasionally put the boppy pillow behind you but you soon topple over. You have a large head. :)

You smile constantly and love to laugh. The silliest things make you laugh. I act like a complete moron just to hear your baby giggles. And I wouldn't have it any other way.

You weigh over 19 pounds and you just moved up to 12 month clothes. I think you were in  9 month clothes for 8 days. We love your chunkiness and talk about it daily. You LOVE to nurse and are great at it. You are nursing 7-9 times a day or roughly every two hours. I don't mind since you sleep 10-12 hours a night. Thanks for that, by the way.

You are an excellent sleeper. As I said, you like to sleep 10-12 hours at night. The funny thing is when you wake up you like to be up 1-2 hours before your first nap of the day. Below is a picture of you fussing because you are ready to go upstairs. You take a 2 hour nap in the morning and a 2 hour nap in the afternoon. You prefer an early bedtime, 6:30 to be exact. For the first few weeks of your life we were keeping you up and you were an overtired baby. Once we finally figured out you wanted to be in bed early, you became much easier to handle at night. Oh, and you hate night lights and the humidifier being on in your room. You are sensitive to those lights and sounds and want nothing to do with them. You like it quiet in your room. :)

You are loved, little bit. So loved. We are enjoying your baby stages. They seem to be flying by even quicker than with the big girls.
You have a few nicknames and they are little bit, butter bean and monkey. I'm not sure you'll know your real name for the longest time because we all call you by your nickname.

You have strawberry blond hair and look so similar to Nyla. Comparing pictures of the two of you, it's almost scary how similar you two look. We also think you look like Sir. I think the strawberry blonde hair and bright blue eyes have something to do with it. Your eyes have lightened up in the last few weeks but I hope they stay blue! 

I was recently talking to Aunt Ernie about what kind of personality we think you'll have. I'll be honest, I'm hoping you're more even-tempered like your biggest sister, Nyla. Naomi is our blond spark plug but I'm not sure I have the energy for another firecracker in this family. Though, if your red hair stays around, you just might be a firecracker!

Happy 5 months sweet one! You have brought so much joy to our family. I love you, little bit.

Mommy

A Day in My Life-2015

Here's but a glimpse into our lives. While everyday is different there are definitely moments that are similar. Somedays it feels mundane but I remember I'm raising little people for the Lord and there's not a bigger reward than that.
(Nyla is 4.5 years old, Naomi is 3 and Natalie is 5 months tomorrow.)

6:45 a.m. I'm actually up and ready for the day, which is so rare. I'm usually out of bed after 7. I make my bed and get dressed, somewhat dressed. We're home all morning so I keep on yoga pants and a sweater. I really do try and make my bed each morning, as it makes the room look so much cleaner! I head downstairs to tackle the laundry. I have 3 loads to wash but forget I left diapers in there overnight. Oops! This happens more often than I care to admit. :)

 I hang up the diapers and start the loads I need to get done today. My big girls are early risers so I've already seen them this morning. They are playing nicely in their playroom.

 7:30 a.m. I get this sweet girl up. I change her diaper and nurse her. The big girls tell her good morning and want to hold her, as they do most mornings.

 8:00 a.m. I switch out laundry and start another load. And Naomi helps me prep our breakfast. We have oatmeal (her favorite) and eggs (Nyla's favorite), fruit and milk. I like real food but also like quick food! After breakfast we clean the kitchen and Naomi helps me sweep a little. Then the big girls go and play in their playroom. I get called to come see that they're playing school.

 8:50 a.m. Natalie is ready for her morning nap. She likes to be up just over an hour and then wants her first nap. This baby girls loves to sleep! I nurse her again and put her in bed.

 9:20 a.m. It's reading lesson time with Nyla. We're working through How to Teach Your Child to Read in 100 Easy Lessons. It was recommended by a fellow homeschool mama and friend. Nyla is only 4 years old but we are avid readers in this house and she began to show an interest in wanting to learn to read herself. I bought the book used on Amazon for under $10 and decided we'd give it a try. She is really catching on and seems to enjoy our time together.

10:00 a.m. Now it's time to do some folding. This is definitely my least favorite part and somedays laundry sits in it's basket for a couple days. Such is life and it is what it is. I pick and choose my battles or I'm learning to. I'd rather be cooking tasty meals and snacks than folding laundry. 

The girls do fold or somewhat fold their own laundry. My new laundry system (I've been doing it 2+ months) is that each girl gets her own basket. I wash and dry it and they have to fold it (with help, if needed) and put it away. Naomi gets "tired" folding her laundry (3 year olds, right!?!?) so she needs extra help. Nyla usually does it all on her own and quite perfect as well. I guess she's a bit of a perfectionist, like her mother. ;)

10:30 a.m. I got pizza dough out of the fridge to make pizza's for our freezer. I make a couple while the girls are playing and they wander into the kitchen and want to help. It is a challenge having 4 and 3 year olds in the kitchen but I'm learning patience from it. They want to help and I want them to learn to have an appreciation for homemade food.
(Naomi is on the left and as her typical 3 year old self, she doesn't want to me to take her picture because it's not on her time. Nyla is happy to pose for me.)

 

11:15 a.m. Natalie woke up 15 minutes ago so I go upstairs and get her. I change her and nurse her again. We head downstairs and sit and read to the big girls. We usually read 3-5 books in one sitting before the girls get wiggly and want to go play. Today we read Fox in Sox, Making Friends, Molly Lou Melon and Hop on Pop. Naomi has just about memorized Hop on Pop so she basically read it to me. 

She loves to nurse while covering her face

12:00 p.m. It's lunch time. I quickly make lunch while the girls are playing. We have some leftovers from the weekend and read Milly Molly Mandy during lunch. She's one of our favorite characters and they like hearing what she's up to. I'm working on Nyla telling me what happens in the story. I try and stop after a page or so and get her to tell me in her own words what Milly Molly Mandy is up to. She's getting better at this. My goal with Naomi is for her to just sit still and listen to me read, which she does. She loves being read to.

After lunch I run the tomato soup through the blender. I made it Saturday but by the time it was done cooking on the stove the girls were in bed and the blender is too loud. I got them in canning jars and put away in the freezer for Daniel to grab for lunch at work or for us to have for quick dinners. 

And then I cleaned the kitchen. This definitely does NOT happen each day after lunch. Some days dirty dishes sit in the sink until after dinner and more are added from dinner. But everyone was happy so I quickly cleaned up.

1:15 p.m. I get the big girls tucked into their beds and nurse and change Natalie. Yes, my 4.5 year old does still nap...sometimes. She enjoys the quiet of her room even if she decides not to nap. She isn't allowed to come down for at least an hour. Mommy needs a quiet hour, too!!!

I switch out laundry, again and sit down and read. My goal for the year is to read 36 books. It's a lofty goal but I finished 4 books in January and am working on 4 for February. Yes, you read that right I'm reading 4 different books at the same time. Daniel doesn't understand how I do it but I like to change things up sometimes. I do stick with the same book here and there but if I need a change of pace I read another. Right now I'm reading John Rosemond's, The New Six-Point Plan for Raising Happy, Healthy Children (We're having some discipline struggles with Naomi and I picked it up just yesterday. I needed to my refresh myself on it.), Karon Andreola's, Charlotte Mason Companion (we're homeschooling and this book has been on my shelves for 2 years but I'm finally picking it up), Leigh A. Bortins, The Core (another great book for the homeschool mama, who's looking at Classical Education) and The Journals of Lewis and Clark (edited by Bernard DeVoto). All these books are great reads and they all offer me something different. 

At the bottom of my pile is my current journal. I make notes of our day, funny things the girls say, struggles we're having with them, favorites quotes or lyrics, Bible verses, prayers and lists (I love lists!).

2:20 p.m. Naomi hasn't been napping too long the last couple of weeks (sad) so she comes downstairs just after an hour. I tell her to either quietly play in the playroom or go back up to her room to rest. Surprisingly, she obeys, for a few minutes anyways.

3:30 I get Natalie up from her nap, change her diaper and nurse her. Today we're headed to our drop point to pick up my Azure Standard order. Our drop time has recently changed to an afternoon time so I'm having to pack the girls up and take them with me. 

(Below we're coming back from the drop and my 30 pounds of butter in my freezer.)

4:40 p.m. We're home, thankfully the drop didn't take too long, and more laundry awaits. I think this load totals 4 today. I don't do 4 loads everyday but it does happen 3 times a week or so. And I do at least one load a day just to keep up.

5:30 p.m. I just got done nursing Natalie while our pizza cooked. Naomi and Daddy are out on a date at McAlister's Deli (kids eat free on Tuesday nights!) and Nyla and I decided to have one of the pizzas we made this morning. Natalie wasn't happy about sitting in her high chair. The girls "witching hour" starts around 5 and continues until I put her in bed just before 7. She loves to be held the whole time but it's just not doable. Nyla and I also baked some oatmeal chocolate chip cookies (we keep cookies balls in the freezer to pull out for quick desserts).

6:30 p.m. Daniel and Naomi have been home a few minutes and we all sit down to play a quick game of My First Carcassonne. The girls got it for Christmas and it's quickly become a favorite. We've have the adult version (see it here) for a few years and I still enjoy playing it. It's quick and some nights when Daniel and I want to play a game this is all there's time for. 

7:30 p.m. All girls are in bed. Daniel put the big girls to bed while I nursed Natalie and put her down. I came down to finish laundry and unpack the rest of my Azure order, tidy the kitchen and den and fold one more basket of laundry. 

Okay, this was a really fun experiment and I've never done one of these before! It was a challenge to take a picture almost every hour as I don't have much time for that. I sometimes feel like I'm not too productive each day but this shows me I am. This is a fairly typical day in our home (besides picking up our Azure order). We pack a lot into our days! I've surprised myself with this. 

Thanks for reading.

I'm joining Rebekah over at Simply Rebekah for the Day in the Life linkup.

I'm also joining Simple Homeschool for their Day in the Life of Homeschooling