Finally...Pictures!!!

Here are a few pics of Travis. I am working on the birth story and hope to post it soon.

Travis is such a joy to all of us. I enjoy every minute with him and am so thankful for God’s grace each day.

Sorry for not posting! No posts means I am playing with my baby!

Welcome to the World, Travis!

This is Nichola's sister, Cilla.  Nichola asked me to let everyone know about the new arrival in her family.

 

Travis Brawner was born Friday, Nov 28th, at 5:14 pm.  He weighed 9 lbs, 4 oz, and was 22 inches long. 

 

Nichola had to be transported to the hospital for an emergency C-section because of a prolapsed umbillical cord.  Thankfully her midwife was there and knew exactly what to do.  They lost the baby's heartbeat momentarily but Carol got everything under control quickly and he was not deprived of oxygen or otherwise affected.  Cord prolapse is immediately life-threatening to the baby so she did save little Travis's life with her actions. He is healthy and from the sounds of it, very happy.  Nichola is recovering well, but said she is quite a bit of pain, especially when she has to cough.  She plans to be released from the hospital tomorrow afternoon and should post the full details of the birth when she is better.

Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy Thanksgiving to all reading my Blog today! May the Lord bless you and keep you and yours!

Thank You!

Thank you to everyone who has posted comments! Thank you so much for your prayers. I am feeling better today than I did yesterday, but am not quite over this. I did get my kitchen cleaned and reorganized yesterday. I had really been wanting to do that…

Now, let’s start praying up some contractions…

Past The Due Date...

Yesterday was my official due date. There was no sign that this baby is getting ready to do anything. Other than feeling it lower in my pelvis, everything seems pretty calm. I am thankful, on the one hand since David and I have still not shaken this junk. On the other hand, I am ready to get this baby here! =) But I do have quite a to-do list that would be nice to get done first. Not feeling well is making it hard to do that… So, keep us on your prayer lists!

A Special Thank You!

I don’t know if the person that this thank you is for reads my blog or not, but if not I know that there are those that do who can get it to them! (hint, hint)

Last week, we received a box in the mail from OR marked ‘Baby…’ Inside were some very sweet and essential items. The gift blessed our whole family. So, to the giver, (or givers?), thank you. Thank you very much.

Maybe I won’t get to use swaddling clothes after all… =)

Hmmm...

Well, last night and this morning I have been having contractions. Nothing major, but enough that I am taking notice. It seems like the baby has dropped some more and so I am having someone banging around on my pelvis…

I would covet the prayers of those reading this out there in blogland. We are all still dealing with some head cold stuff. I am fighting congestion and pressure in my head. Not really the way I would like to go into labor. I know that the Lord will give me grace in all circumstances, but I am asking for healing! And for healing for our family.

And, I will try to post if things pick up and I go into labor. Or maybe I can show David how to post…

The Good Thing About Computers...

…is that if you were talking to me in real life, I would be exposing you to whatever bug is circulating at our house. As it is, the only thing that viruses affect in the virtual world is computers. So, be thankful for your buffer…

We are still battling this junk, although I think we are about to see the last of it. No one has fever anymore, (I had a round of fever last night), and the coughing does seem to be subsiding a bit.

Speaking of coughing, my syrup pic on the post below does look rather awful! As I have though about it, I think it looks more like a bowl of worms… Actually, the only part of that concoction that is used is the juice that the honey draws out of the onions. We did try to eat the onions, and they were gross.

I do think that this baby will be coming soon now. As I am feeling better, I am having more contractions. In the past, I have not monkeyed around too much with contractions days and weeks ahead of time. I think I did some with Keilah, but not with the others. It seems to me that things are just waiting for a good excuse to get going.

I hope I am right…

Cough Syrup...

I have been asked about my cough syrup.

Yes, the one mentioned in my previous post was my own invention, although I was drawing on things that I had tried or read before.

Although the kids did like that one, I don’t know if it did anything major to help or not. I know that it didn’t hurt. :) I think it was about as effective as many commercial syrups, without the yuckiness.

I did look up and try a few recipes. Of course, I always have to monkey a bit with the ingredients… At least I am learning more about things that are helpful.

One interesting syrup that I have been messing with is very simple to do. And it tastes great. You simply slice up some onions and dribble honey or sugar over them and let the mess sit for 5-24 hrs. The honey draws the juice out of the onions and makes a very tasty syrup. It does seem to help, esp in conjunction with some of the other concoctions. Do a Google search for ‘homemade cough syrup’ if you are interested in several ideas for dealing with the different types of coughs. I found that adding butter or coconut oil to them helps to coat a sore throat as well.

BTW, if anyone has any interesting info to share, I would love to hear things that have worked for you and your family…

Good Morning!

I stayed at home today, even though David is sharing at church today.

No, I haven’t had the baby.

All the kids are coughing and doing the sniffle thing. And, one by one they have made the thermometer throw a fit and give a reading that lets me know that they’re bodies are fighting something. Right now, the girls are reading normal and Jakin has a low fever.

So, we are listening to Caedmon’s Call this morning and drinking vinegar and wonderful things like that.

Actually, I made a cough syrup this morning that everyone seemed to like. I melted some coconut oil, honey, lemon juice, a pinch of cayenne, a tiny sprinkle of garlic powder, a bit of vit C powder and a small dribble of apple cider vinegar over low heat, just enough to melt the coconut oil and warm everything up a bit. I also added a few drops of peppermint extract. They requested more so I am assuming that they liked it. :)

I am also not feeling over the top. But so far no fever on my side. I’d like to keep it that way.

The baby seems to be doing fine. That is if kicking and spinning are any indication. :) The way I am feeling this morning makes me think that it won’t be long. I am starting to have contractions off and on. And, while the baby hasn’t dropped, I am feeling more movement and pressure in my pelvic area. I think somebody is starting to play with the idea of getting out of there.

I was thinking this morning about how my labors have been in the past.

As far as I know, all my mom’s labors started at night. She usually had the baby in the middle of the night or early morning.

I have, so far, started labor in the middle of the night or early morning.

Also, my mom seemed to be more affected by the moon phases. I have not been.

Just randomness that I was thinking about this morning…

38 Weeks

Today I am 38 weeks pregnant. One week closer to having the baby.

Last night I had some contractions. Nothing major, but contractions nonetheless. I was happy to be having them, but at the same time, trembling.

My sister is also pregnant. She is due before me by about 2 weeks. In a conversation the other day, she warned me about having my baby before she has hers. According to her, it just better not happen.

Of course, I can’t promise anything.

But, I was wondering what the consequences might be if I have my baby early…

 

Prayer

Sunday at church, nearly all the women suddenly surrounded me. I knew something must be up.

Grinning, Sue said, “Can we pray for you?”

It was so sweet to have the prayers and support of my sisters in Christ. They prayed for the birth, for my health and the baby’s health. And for my midwife. They also asked what they could do to help us out in whatever way was needed.

I am very blessed and thankful for loving support and help from our family in Christ.

37 Weeks! (Warning: Long Post)

Today I am 37 weeks pregnant. Wow. The time has really gone fast. I could have the baby anytime now, although, I don’t really anticipate going into labor earlier than 39-40 weeks.

Still, it could happen…

Am I ready?

Well, it depends on how you define ‘ready’.

If you define ‘ready’ to mean having all the baby clothes and supplies, gear, etc that one would normally have ready before the impending birth of a baby, then, no, I would not say that I am ready. As of today, as far as clothes are concerned, I have one onesie and a few pairs of socks.

If you define ‘ready’ to mean having the basic equipment and supplies needed to have the baby, and some of the things needed for taking care of the baby, then, yes, I would say that I am ready. I have a wrap, cloth diapers, a few blankets, and a nursing pillow. What else do I really need?

Oh, yeah. Clothes.

Well, this is the way I see it. None of my kids have ever gone naked. I have always had what I needed. I will with this one, too. Whether that is through finding what I need myself or through the Lord getting things to me, I know that I will have what I need for this baby. I was thinking about this the other day, and as we are approaching the time when we celebrate the birth of Jesus, I was thinking about how God’s Son came into the world.

Joseph and Mary were not rich. They were away from their family and friends at the time of the birth, and in a town that had no place for a lady in labor. I don’t get the idea that they had intended to have the baby in the stable. It sounds like they tried the inns and that is why it is recorded that there was no room for them.

My guess is that if the inns were full, the stable probably was too. And it was probably not all that private or quiet, either. I would think that there would be people in and out tending to their animals, or servants/slaves tending to the animals. Do you really think they were tip-toeing around? Maybe, maybe not.

Plus, can you imagine having a horse, donkey or camel watching you while you are in labor? Not that they would really get it, but I can just see a camel with a mouth full of hay, munching and swallowing,(and probably belching), and watching the proceedings in the stall or corner Mary and Joseph were finally able to secure.

Oh, and have you been out to a stable lately? It doesn’t smell all that pristine and sterile. Just the kind of place you’d expect to find the King of Kings being born…

They might have brought clothes with them, but it doesn’t sound like they had much to me. The bare minimum that they would need is probably all they had. Swaddling clothes are not a big part of the Western culture as far as baby care is concerned, but at that time they were used. After reading here and here, I don’t get the idea that they were very elaborate or would that it would take a lot to be able to quickly convert something into swaddling clothes.

I was looking at baby furniture catalogs the other day. I don’t know what options Mary would have had had she been in more ideal circumstances. But surely, even in that time, she would have preferred to have something a little more high class to be able to lay her Baby in.

(BTW, I wonder if this was anything close to the picture she had had as she had thought about the birth of the Baby during her pregnancy? She got pregnant by a miracle, was told that she was carrying the Messiah. I would be thinking that there was going to be some kind of awesome occurrence at the birth of such a One. There was, but I wonder what Mary was thinking as she prepared to give birth in a stable, and as she laid the Babe in the manger.)

So, back to the new baby expected at our house…

I am confident that the same way that God provided for His Son, that He will provide for our new little one, even if we just use swaddling clothes… :) I am praying for the things that I will need, but am in eager anticipation of what kind of stunt God is up to here. The birth of this baby will be nothing compared to the birth of the Son of God, but this baby is a miracle. The fact that I am typing this post is a miracle, and the fact that I was even able to become pregnant is a miracle as well.

I know that I can continue to trust Him. Where is the line where we stop trusting God and start worrying? What circumstance is the one that is finally too big for God? So far, I haven’t found it.

Do I worry?

Yes, I do. To my shame. But when I turn my brain back on, I quickly see how stupid it is to be worried about any of the circumstances in my life. God has had a totally consistent track record, not only in my life, but down through the ages. He has kept His word in every area. It is just my silly human fears that would cause me to question the Almighty in a given situation.

Okay, now I am preaching. For the sake of the reader that might have something to do and got trapped reading my post, I now release you. I’m done, for now…

Home Birthers Have All The Fun!

I just had to post this. Some will not see the humor, but I think it is hilarious!

The other day my midwife was planning to stop by my house and do a prenatal since she was going to be passing through. Well, things didn’t go as planned, and she ended up leaving way late. That meant that she would be passing through at about 11 pm.

As she had some things to give me and equipment to leave at my house, and since she needed to do a check up, I agreed to meet her in the parking lot of a convenience store on her path through.

Yes, you read that right. I met my midwife for a prenatal appointment at 11 pm and did my prenatal check up in the back of my Suburban.

Who else gets to do crazy stuff like this?

Next time someone says to me in reference to home birth, “Oh, you’re brave!” or “I could never do that!” I am going to grin inwardly and think,

“You don’t know the half of it!”

*Yawn*

I got out of bed about 2 minutes before 9 am.

Pitiful.

I was going to get up sooner, but fell back asleep. I really didn’t want to stay in bed the whole morning. Oh well, maybe I won’t need a nap later…

Hmm. As I was typing that, I yawned. I see a nap in my future…

And The Webs Came Tumbling Down...

Okay, I don’t think that is how the song goes…

But, I did get the yucky webs wiped off my walls today. Ah, THAT was a good feeling! We had a hatching of spiderlets down here that invaded everything. I thought I better get all the webs down before someone mistook my house for the haunted house event! :)

Now if I could get my windows washed…

Sweet Success!!!

Ah, at last, a clean living room!

Yes, I was victorious yesterday. With the help of a friend who dropped in, I got my living room under control. We also folded my mountain of clean laundry. It is very nice to have that out of the way. :)

Home Again!

We had a wonderful time at the conference in Houston. It was just as good as last year, only better!

There were more people in attendance than last year. I am not sure what the ratio of increase was, but it seemed pretty significant. It definitely seemed like they have outgrown the facility were it is held.

The sessions were just as good as last year, and even better. So many of the questions that we had going down were answered. We came back refreshed and challenged. Hopefully, I will get a chance to write more about what we learned later.

We had planned on camping, which we did, but in a modified way. When we got to the campsite, we were informed that there was a cabin available. It was very nice, and comfortable for a lady with a big belly. :) We spent one night there and then one of our friends from the church invited us to stay in their home on Saturday night. That was a blessing as well. We had a good time of fellowship that evening.

Now I need to get to work on my to do list. Lots of things are screaming for my attention! Pray for me today if you read this post… I am heading to war and I intend to be victorious over the enemies of clutter and piled up chores! :)

 

Goat Vanilla?

I was listening to the kids while they were playing this morning. They have had a grand time digging up grub worms in the goat pen lately. They were discussing what should be done with the ones they have. Jakin was informing Sarah that to keep her worms alive, she would have to put goat vanilla in the bucket where they now were held captive. She was arguing that it was not needed and he was calmly insisting that it was.

It took me a minute to catch on to what he was meaning to say.

Yesterday David and Jakin had a similar discussion, where David gave Jakin infomation about how to keep his worms alive. After talking about some of the other details of grub worm habitat, David told Jakin that for the best chance of his worms staying alive, he would need to add goat manure to the soil he already had.

Goat manure.

Goat vanilla.

Sarah knew what he meant.

:-)

Ready To Go!

I am pleased to report that I acomplished the goals I set earlier in the week!

I made the best bread today, possibly the best I have ever made. It is 100% whole wheat, but sooo light and fluffy. It is just perfect sandwhich bread.

I got the roast cooked and sandwhiches made with it.

I have pre-sliced cheese and mayo packaged, ready to go.

I even boiled some eggs to take...

I feel very set and ready to go. At least in the area of eats!

On the other side of packing, I am waiting for one of Sarah's dresses to dry and we are running the kids through the tub. After I run me through the tub and throw toothbrushes in, I will pronounce everything to go.

Houston, here we come!

Off To Houston...

Well, it is official. We will all be attending the FIC conference this weekend.

I am so excited!

For several reasons.

One being the conference.

The other being, this will be my first trip to Houston in a pregnant state. Part of me just wants to march into MDA and show my belly to everyone! I know my Dr. would love to see me…:)

I have a lot to do to get ready, but come time to leave, ready or not, here we come!

I am planning to cook a roast, make some bread and then make up sandwiches ahead of time to take. Adding a few fruit type snacks and maybe some chips to that should work nicely. I may also take some of the old standby peanut butter and jelly sandwiches. With peach jelly, of course. :)

We are planning at this point to camp while we are down there. It will be a different way to experience Houston than we have previously done, but should prove to be enjoyable. I suspect the kids will like it much better than a hotel room. There is much more space outside than in a cramped space that you are supposed to be quiet in and not bother things. (Of course, I might be wrong. They might really miss jumping from bed to bed, and then to the chair, and being told not to. They might miss being told not to stomp if we are upstairs and having to be quiet, even though they have had to be quiet all day already. Maybe I am wrong, maybe they will really miss the hotel…)

FIC Conference in Houston!

We are looking forward to the FIC conference that will be in Houston next weekend. Voddie Baucham, Paul Renfro and Rob Rienow will be the keynote speakers at this year’s conference. There will also be breakout sessions, which were great last year.

The deadline for the conference registration has been changed! So, as long as the registration is in by the 7^th of Oct, there will be a meal included with the conference fee. (A very nice meal, I might add!)

At this time, we are not sure if the whole family will be going or not. While we would really like to take everyone, David was hoping to be able to take/go with a group of men this year. So far it looks like there is no one to go with him. We are still waiting to see what the Lord does in that area.

Please pray that the Lord will show us what to do.

If there is someone needing/wanting to go with David, pray that we will get connected.

If we just need to go as a family, pray that we will have clear direction and provision to do so.

If you are interested in info about the conference, click here.

For a direct link to the registration page, click here. This page says that lunch is not included for registrations after Sept 26, but we received an email from Grace Family Baptist stating that registrations received by Oct 7^th will include the lunch.

BTW, if you are reading this and are planning to be at the conference, leave me a comment! :)

An Interuption To My Day?

Today I had one of those experiences.

You know, I had a plan and something got in the way.

I tried to print a picture for Sarah this morning. I printed one picture, but was not able to print the next one. I have had several issues with my printer lately, but this was a new one. “Cartridge Error,” it said, as if it was only logical. The poor thing didn’t even know what to tell me was wrong with it. It said, “See user guide”

After digging here and there, I finally found the manual.

I looked up the error.

The manual didn’t know what was wrong. It said to check the manufacturer’s website or call customer service. This was an advanced error.

So, still trying to do something else and a bit disgruntled that I was going on a hunt for a solution to an “advanced error” I logged on to the website of the manufacturer. I searched this way for the answer, that way for the answer.

Nothing.

The website didn’t know what was wrong, either.

Finally, I called to speak with a human.

After going through menu prompts, I got to a human. He asked me info about my issue, then offered to sell me more print cartridges, (at a better price, of course), before transferring me to a technician who would help me.

No, thank you. I am having a cartridge error. I think I will wait to see if it can be resolved before I buy more cartridges…

After I was transferred, the technician took info that I had already given…

We worked through a series of steps to try to resolve the issue…

As I was trying pulling my cartridge in and out, unplugging my printer, etc, the technician made polite comments about things unrelated to the printer issue. I asked where he was located. He was in India, he said. He commented that although my address said TX, I didn’t sound like a Texan.

At one point, I decided to tell him that I had 3 kids and was pregnant with my 4^th. I then told him about how I had been diagnosed with cancer and how I am now healed.

My technician friend was getting a bit excited at this point.

I am not sure, but it really seemed to me that he was a believer. He said that he would pray for a safe delivery for me in Nov.

I also told him about the fire and how we are now living in the house that God saved in the fire.

He was very encouraged, it seemed like. He could see how God was taking care of us.

I got off the phone having gained a friend on the other side of the world.

Thanks to my printer throwing a fit today.

Oh, yeah. The printer.

It still isn’t working. They are going to send me a free cartridge and see if that resolves the issue.

It is going to be inconvenient having the printer down. But somehow, I don’t really care that much.

Because of my stupid printer, or stupid cartridge, whichever is to blame, I made a connection with, I am assuming, a brother in Christ on the other side of the world. I was encouraged and I hope he was. I have a prayer request from a brother in Christ to pray over.

I think I can handle a messed up printer and plan.

Cat Momma...

There has been some concern expressed that this pregnant momma will not be able to see over her belly and will trip on her new rug.

I would like to lay all such fears to rest with one question.

Have you ever seen a pregnant cat trip and fall?

I never have.

This momma is like a cat.

I may moan and groan in the bed like a cow, waddle like a duck, and even resemble a hippo in appearance.

But, when it comes to balance, I think I can be compared to the cat.

Just thought I would ease the concerns out there. ;-)

First Rug!

Okay, I am admitting right up front that this is a weird way to be nesting, but here I am. I have the rug bug.

I started this rug yesterday afternoon and this morning got it finished.

Well, almost.

As I was putting the edge on it, I ran out of jute!  So, as you can see, the right edge looks a bit rough. Otherwise, I am so pleased with it. It worked up quickly, (I just crocheted it), and it seems like it is going to wear well.

Anyone have a scrap of heavy jute lying around…?

If You Want To Do Something...

…about the bailout package being rammed down our throats, follow this link.

http://www.daveramsey.com/etc/fed_bailout/

Like Dave says, first, PRAY for those that have gotten us in this mess.

If you agree with the plan that is laid out, send it to your Senator’s and Representatives.

I don’t know if Washington will listen to us or not, but isn’t it worth a shot?

“By the People, for the People…”

Resisting The Devil...

I very much appreciated this post, again from Jess.

http://makinghome.blogspot.com/2008/09/sex-spiritual-warfare.html

I have never heard anyone bring out this point on this issue. I agree very much with the thoughts of Jess and pastor Mark Driscoll. I’d love to hear your thoughts after you read the article…

Post 100!

Wow. This is my 100th post! Okay, so 100 posts is not that many for a little over 3 years. But I have stuck with this blog and am very glad that I have done so.

I hope to do better at posting more frequently with the next 100 posts…

BTW, thank you for reading!

Okay, So I Am Not Superwoman.

I failed. I didn’t get anything except the dishwasher run and supper made yesterday.

I did get some baby-building done, but what about that multi-tasking thing?!

I did do a few other misc. things, like got David registered for the conference coming up, took a LONG nap and things like that. But I wanted to do more. Oh, well. Here I am. I am hoping to do some today.

Pray for me when you read this? J

Spots? What Spots?

I am pleased to report that I am no longer the lady with the spotted belly. J The spots have been fading for the last few days and my skin is almost back to it’s pre-spotty state! So, sorry, I can no longer post any spotted belly faces.

Sorry to disappoint everyone…

 

 

Onto The Front Half...

I have conquered the back half of my house and am hoping to conquer the front half today. Or maybe half of the front half… J

I have quite a list to get done, but am going to give it a shot.

I am superwoman. Why wouldn’t I be able to do it?

 

 

America, Land of Freedom..

I got this update from the Free Market Foundation today.

Judge Rules in Favor of Vietnamese Baptist Church

Plano Church Can Now Hold Services in New Building

PLANO, Texas – Judge Greg Brewer today ruled in favor of the Plano Vietnamese Baptist Church (PVBC) in their case against the City of Plano, Texas, which has been enforcing an unconstitutional ordinance against small churches.  PVBC recently purchased a building in Plano but was barred from using it because the plot of land is too small to meet the two acre requirement in the existing zoning regulations. 

 “I’m walking on air,” said Thomas Le, pastor of PVBC, who, with his family, traveled to the United States as a boy to escape the Communism and religious hostility of Vietnam.

With today’s ruling, PVBC will now be allowed to use their worship in their new building, beginning next Sunday. 

 Jeff Mateer, lead counsel for PVBC, said, “I’m thankful we had a good judge that followed the law and gave these people the religious freedom the have traveled so far to find.”

 Many PVBC members fled religious persecution under a Communist regime in Vietnam, traveling to America in the 1980s and 1990s.  Pastor Le started PVBC in 2003 with a handful of individuals, and after the church grew to 50 members, began to look for a building of their own.  The property Pastor Le found on Avenue G in Plano had been a church, but was converted to a daycare, and was sitting unoccupied.

 Pastor Le and members of PVBC followed the proper procedures to purchase the property, and many of the members drew from their own life savings.  They then petitioned the City of Plano’s Board of Adjustment to make an exception to a two-acre-minimum site requirement, as the Board had done for other churches in the past.  Despite staff’s recommendation for approval, the Board denied Pastor Le’s request, which was overturned by Judge Brewer today.

 “This is the kind of thing that makes you proud to be an American,” said Kelly Shackelford, chief counsel of Liberty Legal Institute and co-counsel in the case.  “Judge Brewer did the right thing and the church is thrilled that they will be able to hold services in their new building immediately.”

 

Excuse Me?

I would like to bring attention to this blog post by Jess that I thought hit on some very true points regarding birth control.

I do not consider our family large by any stretch, but have definitely dealt with comments that are derogatory about having kids. Everything from, “You need to figure out what makes that happen…” to, “Oh, now you have a nice LITTLE family!”

Jess did not touch on this, but I have a bit of a peeve right now. I personally have dealt with it some, but also just see it in the lives of friends and family around me.

What business is it of everyone else in the world how many children we have or don’t have? I am increasingly aware of how NOSY everyone is. If you have kids, everyone has an opinion. If you don’t have kids, everyone has an opinion. And family seems to be a main source of the opinions in many, although not all, situations. “Oh, they are too young to have kids.” “Oh, I wouldn’t stack a baby on right now.” “I don’t even want to hear about any grandkids for 10 years.” Or the flip side. “So, are you pregnant YET?” “I keep trying to tell my son/daughter that I am wanting grandkids and I am getting tired of waiting.” (On this side of things, who knows what is going on? Maybe they ARE trying and for whatever reason haven’t been able to conceive yet. In this case such comments and pressure would be very painful…)

As far as I know, it is still a pretty private business getting pregnant. So, why is it okay to peek around the corner and try to direct the outcome of a couple’s intimacy?

What is that saying? Oh, yeah.

Mind your own business.

That one should cover it.

 

Charge!

Today I got some things done, in spite of swollen feet and a belly in the way! (I rested my feet…see,… I have them propped up right now.)

First, I attacked my bedroom. It was still clean really but the floor needed sweeping and a few things put in order. Then I swept the girl’s room and then Jakin’s room. THEN, I plunged in on the hall. Yeah, the one that was piled with stuff that I had thrown out of my room when I cleaned it up before, along with other misc. items. So, the back half of my house looks great right now. I am happy for now. I got some other misc. things done as well this morning…

Now if I could borrow a snow shovel from someone for the front half of my house…

BTW, I have some awesome helpers. They can make some awesome messes, but when it is time to clean up, I have a crew that can get in and get it done. I feel very blessed. And hopeful. With a new baby on the way, having big helpers can be very encouraging to think about! Thanks, guys!

PUPPPS...

I went to see my midwife yesterday for a full check up and all. Baby is doing great! She thinks, and I agree, that this looks like PUPPPS, minus the itch! Okay, I am not going to do any complaining or arguing here. No itch with this thing is just fine with me!!!( I do have bumps on my ankles now as well.) I am praying for all the symptoms to leave… itch or no itch!

The strange thing with this is that it usually associated with first pregnancies. But, hey, when have I ever been accused of being normal… I have thought about it though, and one theory is that this is the first pregnancy after my battle with cancer. Things are probably different in a lot of ways. Which ever or why isn’t really that important to me, but I did think it was interesting. I have definitely felt like this is like my first pregnancy… J

So, what do you think? Should I make a face on my belly? I could have a cool belly pic with acne…

More Belly News...

I saw my midwife last night and she said that nothing about this seemed serious to her. The fact that there is no itch is a pretty good indicator that there is nothing seriously wrong. But… I was wanting to take belly pics sans spots!!! I am to the point now that I could make some good ones, but not with spots all over!!! There is just nothing that sweet about a spotted belly! :)

So, here I am. Pregnant, getting kicked and pounded, my back hurts, I can’t breathe right, heartburn, two more months of this to go….and spotted. I think it is time for me to get the sympathy I deserve! :-)

Belly Spots?

Last night I noticed these spots on my belly. I wasn’t sure what it was, but thought maybe they had something to do with the tummy panel on my pants. Well, they are still there this morning. They don’t itch or anything, but I don’t get it. What are they? Anyone want to take a guess?

Files Camping Trip...

This week we camped at Brownwood State Park, which is only about 30 miles away. It was so pretty. The sites were nice, things were pretty clean and the scenery was peaceful. We enjoyed the walking trails as well.

Oh, and the food was awesome! David cooked over the fire and we had plenty to eat. As well as a lot of fun! :-)
Sarah decided that she needed to take care of me while we were on the trail. It was so sweet. She said, “Now, you follow me, Mommy, so you don’t fall down.” She then went ahead on the trail and moved briars out of the way and warned me about the bridge we crossed. It was so sweet and cute! I felt very loved! :-)
We ended our time with some swimming. The kids will tell you that they learned to swim. :-)They had a great time, until they got out of the water and the wind hit them! But they all said that they liked the swimming the best!

I was happy. It got down to the mid-40's while we were there. I got cold!!! Yay for me!!! I loved it! :-) The fire felt so good... I forgot the hot chocolate, so I just had to imagine that I was drinking it!

BTW, this is a dolphin. But, of course, you knew that. :)

More Baby Stuff...

I have had some questions about the things we need this time around. So, I put together a few baby registries online to give anyone who wants to know an idea of what we need/like. (I did a few since not every place had the things I was interested in...)

Wal-Mart

Target

BabysRus

Amazon.com (This one has the most on it right now....)

Baby Stuff...

Yup, a new post!

I have been busy getting ready for baby, among other things! I am learning all I can about different topics, including,

Infant Potty Training (also known as IPT, EC, etc. This is practiced in different parts of the world with huge success and is a growing movement in the US.)

Babywearing (Another worldwide practice that goes along with natural parenting…)

ETC, ETC……

Here are a few links to interesting sites that I have been on lately….

The Baby Wearer

The Momatoto Project

Tribal Baby

Infant Potty Training

The EC Store

The Sling Station

I have had a lot of fun learning and planning. I am hoping to keep things more simple this time around as well as save time and money. :)

I am in true nesting mode now...

I think I am recognizing the symtoms....

• My bedroom is clean for the first time in several months... (Like, clean for real....)
• My desk is clean for the first time all year, I think.....
• I cleaned the kid's rooms up...
• Every thought and most conversations turn at some point to getting ready for baby, how we are going to do this or that when we have the baby....
• I am getting things done so far ahead I am beginning to scare myself....

If anyone thinks that I have misdiagnosed the symptoms, let me know! :)

Good News!

Praise the Lord! We had 2" of rain last night. We were really needed some to swell the peaches. They will ripen now. Next week we could have peaches. This looks like it could be our best crop yet.

I have shared with most, but have not posted online, but......we are expecting our 4th baby in Nov! We are very excited. David and I are acting like kids about to have our first one and the kids....well, they are just thrilled. My belly is now a point of observation. "Oh, mommy," I hear, "Your belly is getting BIG!" I am only about 4 months along, so it is not that big, but progress is progress to them!

I have been feeling good and getting a lot done. This is the time during pregnancy that I esp like. I don't feel yucky, my belly is not in the way too much yet and I have a drive to get things ready. Later I might be tired more, but right now, lemme at 'em. :-)

I am so hungry for information. I have had 3 babies already, but with this one I have a desire to read every pregnancy type book that I can get my hands on. I guess you never stop learning. I sure don't want to.

No promises, but I will try to post again soon. :-)

Okay, So I Haven't Been Blogging....

Hello, anyone reading. Here I am. Back in blogland.

I think about blogging. I plan posts. But I just haven't come to blogland to blog.

But here I am so......

First to post an update on the CTBHHM books....

I still have some available. BTW, if the shipping seems high in the paypal cart.... I will refund anything that is not used in actual shipping of the book.

I am so happy that spring is here. I am enjoying the beautiful foliage that is on the trees now and the green grass that is working to take over the pasture.

We are enjoying goat milk now. Not much since we are still feeding baby goats, but some are weaning now and that will help give the people more milk!

We now have a porch on the house. I will try to post some pics soon. The roof is all the way across the front and decking the length of the living room. It is very plesant to sit on. Now we are waiting to be able to do the west side and east side. Getting the roof done is the biggest priority as that will provide the shade.