Waiting for the other boot to drop… by Jasa
Our family has been in a somewhat constant state or worry over the last 7 months. Since the day Jake and I met, we have not been together for more than 17 months. The 17 month 1 day mark hits and Jake comes home with orders to be deployed. It seems like we get into a good rythmn and then BOOM, the other boot drops and we are disrupted again.
I have gotten used to it, or so I think. It has gotten easier for me to wave good-bye or not go into hysterics when we drop him off in front or some non-descript building near an airfield - in the middle of the night. I have watched him walk away from us more times than I care to recall, but thankfully he has returned safely to us when his time was served.
What does not get easier is the look in our childrens eyes when he walks away. As they have gotten older, the real meaning of what daddy is doing has begun to sink in. When our oldest was younger, it seemed like daddy was on vacation and would come back when he was done, and I wish I could have felt that. But as both of children have grown up with daddy gone, it has become harder to sugar-coat. Our son gets moody and our daughter gets SUPER clingy, to the point where I have to be in the same room at all times, even the bathroom. We talk about what daddy is doing and where he will be and that he has a very important job to do and that when he is done he will come home again.
So Jake has been home for just over two years now and we are just waiting for the call or the envelope in the mail and when it does come I will be prepared to take on the many additional roles that my children need me to play. We will go on as close to normal as we can and wait for the phone calls and letters and cross off the days on the calendar until the one that says “Daddy is coming home”
Have a fabulous day.
Jasa
Stroller Strides Gives Moms the Strength for Motherhood
Stroller Strides Gives Moms the Strength for Motherhood
Stroller Strides opens in Wilmington area
Wilmington, North Carolina (Grassroots Newswire) January 9, 2008 — Stroller Strides, the nation’s largest fitness program for new moms, has arrived in Wilmington.
“Stroller Strides is a great way to get back in shape, as well as stay in shape,” said Jody Smith, owner of Stroller Strides of Wilmington. “We present a fun opportunity for the moms of the Wilmington community to turn their strollers into a workout.”
Stroller Strides of Wilmington is celebrating its grand opening on February 21, 2008 at 10:00am at Hugh MacRae Park, Shelter #5.
Stroller Strides is a total fitness program for new moms that they can do with their babies. It includes power walking and intervals of body toning using exercise tubing and the stroller. Taught by nationally certified instructors, it’s a great workout for any level of exerciser. In 60 minutes, you will get a total body workout improving your cardiovascular endurance, your strength and your flexibility. The classes are equally beneficial for babies as instructors will weave songs through the workout and incorporate activities to make it fun.
In addition to the classes, Stroller Strides offers playgroups and mom’s night out, giving women an opportunity to socialize and further relationships.
To celebrate their arrival in Wilmington, Stroller Strides is offering the Grand Opening class free to the Wilmington community. There will be great deals on membership for moms who sign up at the Grand Opening as well as a raffle and goodies for everyone.
“We provide the outlet that moms need to enjoy time with other moms, while also focusing on the much needed exercise to fuel their demanding lives,” Smith said. “You can make new friends, get into shape and enjoy time with your baby.”
According to Smith, Stroller Strides allows women to exercise in a social atmosphere and children can benefit from watching their moms participate. For more information on Stroller Strides, contact Jody Smith at 800-691-6154.
About Stroller Strides
Founded in 2001, Stroller Strides has 300 locations and more than 15,000 participants nationwide. The unique stroller workout offers a challenging class for moms who bring their babies and toddlers in strollers, utilizing power walking and exercise tubing. Stroller Strides instructors weave songs and activities into the routine designed to entertain and occupy baby, while mom is led through a series of exercises incorporating stretch tubing, the stroller, the baby and the environment to create an outdoor gym. This unique program also provides moms with the opportunity to meet other moms, form playgroups for their babies, as well as form lasting friendships. Stroller Strides is open to all child caregivers from fathers and grandparents, to babysitters and nannies. Stroller Strides has been featured in publications such as Entrepreneur and Woman’s Day and on programs such as The Today Show and Access Hollywood. Its tremendous growth comes from a franchise opportunity that supports motherhood.
Sadie’s a Night Owl
After a whole week and weekend of pretty much no sleep my husband and I were starting to argue over the silliest things. Sadie Lynn seems to either have really bad teething problems or is deciding to be a night owl…As her mother who thinks she couldn’t be rebelling against bedtime ( since she is such a good baby) I truly believe its teething. 
We decided to get out of the house and try to get Sadie to be happier…it worked!! For the first time Sadie sat in her stroller like a big girl instead of just in the car seat. It was so cute watching her in the stroller looking around at all the different sights and sounds of the MALL!! OOo exciting..oh well its winter and the Mall is a warm and convenient place to go out to. Sadie cooed and talked while we pushed her around she also loved laying down in the recline position and drinking her juice. These cute moments wipe away all the lack of sleep and frustration. We also ran into my parents who gladly watched Sadie for a few moments while Dustin and I had a break ( I love my parents and parent n laws so much for raising us kids and also still wanting to help out with grandchildren!! got to give them credit.). We love Borders so we went there for some quit reading time.
This week seems to be getting better and she is just back to waking up 2-3 times at night instead of every half hour.
We also finally trimmed Sadie’s hair this week ..just her bangs b/c they were touching her nose! So far she has had to have two bang hair cuts…this girl has tons of hair for a baby
Also another incident that brought laughter in our house was caused by me (mommy)….
After two and half years of marriage and living on my own…I finally figured out why the koolaid mixes got so bad after I moved out. I would buy the 20cent lil package to make some punch..lemonade etc…mix it up with water
and then dump it after every time it tasted horrible…thought that the company just got worse.
Realized tonight after trying to make it again and it turned out bad again…Dustin commented about sugar!! Ahhh another Bethany moment that lasted for a long time,…I thought the sugar came in the packet and totally forgot about that. oops
We were all laughing even Sadie seemed to catch on that mommy had made a goof. She crunched up her nose and did her silly lil face that she loves making when we all laugh. We love her so much Even at 2am …
NO WHITE FLOUR REVOLUTION
There are articles, news reports and comedians that put there “two cents” in on what should be this years New Year’s Resolution. So I decided to join them and suggest to the world to eliminate white flour. There are many supporting facts on why we should do this but we are a Wonder Bread Society and habits are hard to break.
White flour came onto the scene around the time of the Industrial Revolution. We started milling wheat and removing the beneficial germ to increase the bread self life. Naturalist would say that they removed the life of the grain which is what makes it so beneficial to the body. I think this is a valid point but the thing that scares me the most is the use of chemicals in the process. The most common used in the production of white flour is called alloxan. This chemical is used to make white flour look so beautifully clean and this same chemical has the power to destroy the beta cells of the pancreas. What does that mean to our bodies in the long term, the risk of diabetes? Scientists have known the risk for years and even use it to induce diabetes in lab animals by injecting alloxan directly into the animals. How does alloxan cause diabetes? The alloxan makes beta cells fail to operate normally and they eventually do not produce insulin which causes one variety of adult-onset type 2 diabetes. The white flour industry argues if alloxan was the primary cause of diabetes more Americans would be diabetic. Even though that is a valid point we also know that not just one thing usually causes a single health issue.
If you are diabetic or have a family history of diabetics one of the first steps in prevention is the elimination of white flour.
The baker’s at Bizzy Lizzy Bakery have come up with a wonderful solution. They have created a breakfast “Hearty” cookie that is packed with fiber and protein. These soft and delicious cookies have 4 grams of fiber and NO FLOUR. Most high fiber products have wheat flours, which many are trying to avoid.
from Grandma Darcey
When our daughters moved out, it was hard at first. But now it is fun. I get along better with them since they are out of the house. My oldest one is a spitting image of me and she calls me everyday. My youngest calls me about once every few weeks or so. But of course I still worry about them. No matter whether they are married or not and what age they are. They still need mom and dad. And then the grandkids. My husband is a pushover when it comes to the grandkids. We never had a boy and our first grandchild was a boy. He pals around with grandpa all the time. It is funny to watch. You do seem to treat the grandkids different from how you raised your own kids. And then our oldest will ask her father, “Who are you?” Anyone out there know what I mean?
Time for Giveaways!!
Monday January 28th 2008, 10:00 am
Filed under:
FREEBIES
There’s lots of fun going around the blogosphere this week. Bloggy Giveaways is hosting a giveaway carnival! Right here at the Baby Boutique I will be giving away a $20 gift certificate to one lucky winner. All you have to do to enter the contest is to leave a comment here to let me know you want to be in the drawing. Make sure that you enter your email address when you comment, or I’ll have no way to get in touch with you if you’re the winner.
I also want to tell you that EVERY ONE of my visitors here can get a FREE ebook, The No-Cry Parenting Guide by parenting expert Elizabeth Pantley. All you have to do is sign up for my newsletter by going here. Also, you’ll get a $5 gift certificate as well!
I am hosting other Bloggy Giveaways this week at my health and wellness blog, and at my Supermom’s No-Lice Advice site. Lots of good opportunities!
After you sign up for all of my giveaways, head over to Bloggy Giveaways so that you can cruise around and sign up for some other fun contests as well! There will be hundreds of new blogs to check out and prizes to be won. Woo hoo, fun!
This Baby Boutique blog is gaining momentum since we added a whole bunch of new contributing bloggers to the site. We have three military moms, one young first-time mommy, a mom of 5 kiddos including a 2 year old with Down Syndrome, and a grandma! Come back often to read about their adventures in motherhood.
In the meantime, have you seen these adorable new crib shoes that I just added to the boutique? They are TOO SWEET! We have styles that are perfect for Valentine’s Day and Easter too. Say it with me—awww!!!!!
Thoughts on the war from Jasa
It seems that being a military wife gives you an inside political track, at least that is what everyone thinks. Over the past ten years I have been asked things like, what do they do in that big building with no windows, do you know if the war is going to end this term, and the ever present, so how do you feel about the war, the President or the media? I always warn people not to ask me about the war unless they are prepeared to receive an honest answer.
This is my standard…” I think that we are over there for reasons that we, the normal people, will never know. But because I have a long family history in the military, I support the President and most of all, out troops. My husband and my father have both spent tours in Iraq, Bosnia, Kosovo, Afghanistan, and Kuwait. I have to support our troops, because I KNOW that there is good being done. I have walls full of pictures, real pictures not printed off of a web site pictures, of children waving and giving peaces signs to passing soldiers, pictures of old women collecting brass from the shooting ranges and being helped by soldiers, pictures of my husband and his unit feeding a stray dog and cat and I have pictures of a beautiful country that has known so much violence and suffering, but of a country where schools are being built, children are getting medical care and people can feel a little bit safer because the United States is there.”
Some people might argue that there is also harm being done, but I think of it like this. When you decide to clean your closet, you have to pull out all of the junk and make a bigger mess before you can get everything in order again. So we are cleaning out all of the “junk” to make Iraq a safer place for it’s people to live and hopefully, in the end we will have helped make it a place where people want to go instead of the place our husbands and wives HAVE to go.
Have a blessed day and remember to thank a soldier.
Jasa
Encouraging your child to read
How many times do you grab a good book, pull your child or children into your lap or snuggle on the couch and read to them? So many of us are guilty of never finding the time, when reading is such an important skill for children to learn. We as parents have the greatest influence over whether or not they begin to learn or choose to learn to read. We can encourage them to learn to read by making books and reading an important part of their life from day one.
“Reading aloud with children is known to be the single most important activity for building the knowledge and skills they will eventually require for learning to read.”
— Marilyn Jager Adams
Reading offers so many valuable things to children. Here are just a few:
- Reading is entertaining. Do you think they always had cable television wired to most every house in America, well of course not? Great literature was a popular concept many years ago, much more so than it is today and reading was a favorite past time of almost everyone. Why not make that the case for your child by starting them out reading at an early age and continuing to encourage them to read over the span of their childhood.
2. Reading encourages learning. Reading to your child encourages them to want to learn and gives them the opportunity to have their curiosity stirred by new ideas and concepts, such as how people live differently in different places, how things are made, or where things came from. We can use reading to teach about cultures, traditions and the similarities we all share. So many questions can be formed in the mind of a child as you read to them, thus encouraging them to dig in and find out more!
3. Reading increases your child’s vocabulary. If you want to ensure that your child begins to talk at the right age, learns to say your name, the names of their family members and even things out in the world, you can help them to do so by reading to them. Reading to a child begins teaching them and exposing them to a wide vocabulary, even as a baby. Many doctors encourage women to even read to their babies while they are still in their womb.
4. Reading gives your child knowledge. Knowledge about the world, people, themselves, everything you can think of. Thousands of ideas, topics, themes and concepts can be found in written form in books, on billboards, or even on the side of your morning cereal box. Knowledge is all around us and we consume it by reading it. Encouraging your child to read allows them to soak up all this knowledge.
Lisa Smith has a BA in psychology, & is the Owner of Regionz Kidz (www.regionzkidz.com,) a multi-cultural infant and toddler clothing line with ethnically diverse characters and designs. She publishes a blog on the Regionz Kidz website that features articles about cultural diversity and children & she is a guest blogger on several other websites and blogs relating to parenting and children’s issues. You can contact Lisa directly at: lisa@regionzkidz.com
The Nutritional Value of Plaster by Military Momma
My daughter, “Punka”, has a lot of behavioral problems that are not uncommon for children her age, such as being a picky eater, throwing tantrums, refusing to sleep, insisting on being naked, etc. She seems to take the phrase “Terrible Twos” as a challenge, and is determined to find the weirdest, most frustrating ways to test our parenting skills.
At this point she’s winning. It seems every time I make progress with Punka, her daddy goes to the field or participates in some other Army related event that takes him away for long periods of time, disrupting her schedule and setting off a chain reaction of bad behavior.
Her newest tactic in the quest to drive mommy insane is to gnaw the paint and plaster off the corner of her closet. Thankfully our house is less than 10 years old, so I know she’s not consuming lead paint. Just the same, this can’t be good for her. The frustrating part is that I don’t know how to prevent it.
It always occurs when she’s supposed to be napping, and so we don’t discover it until it’s already happened. I have no clue how to stop her. I’ve wondered if there were some sort of bumper to place on the corners, but that makes me think it would just make it appear more like a teething toy and an invitation to chew. I wonder what a liquid thumb-sucking deterrent would do to the paint? There’s got to be some sort of solution.
I tried to research it online, and hidden in between articles about how to get your puppy to stop chewing on your furniture, I found a few articles that suggested some toddlers may partake in this unusual behavior of eating non-food items when their nutritional needs are not being met. Very plausible considering my daughter’s recent refusal to eat anything that isn’t in hot dog form slathered in ketchup. What am I going to do with this kid? I wonder if there is any nutritional value to plaster…?
The Business of Being Born
Have you heard about this new documentary that explores the way birth is managed in the USA? Ricki Lake directs in this film that gives a message that people need to hear.
As a mother of six, I have had
a hospital birth with an OB
a home birth of a posterior baby, attended by a lay midwife
a birthing center birth with a certified nurse midwife
a c-section for a premature breech baby and a placental abruption
an unassisted home waterbirth VBAC
a c-section for another placental abruption
Watching the film trailer here I was moved to tears remembering my own birth experiences–particularly the very empowering ones. I was reminded that women are getting ripped off every day with the messages and management of birth in our society. Women are so used to the message that birth is dangerous and that their bodies aren’t able to birth without intervention, that they believe the lies and allow their natural rights as women and mothers to be stolen away from them.
At the risk of sounding like a fanatic, I want to tell you this: Women, you are being lied to. You are being told that you are broken and weak. And for the vast majority of you that are forced or convinced into believing this, you may not even know what you are being robbed of. But you are being robbed nonetheless. And it is tragic. Truly tragic.
Take some time to watch this movie. I’m including some videos here, but you can also go to the official web site for more information, including info on local showings all over the world. Wilmington, NC residents–you have a community showing coming up on Jan. 31. Also, the movie will be available through Netflix in mid-February. Do a search on youtube.com for “the Business of Being Born” and you will find quite a few interviews, etc. to watch.
~Erica
The Down Syndrome Express– Intro
My friend, Erica, invited me to write something about my life as a mother of five, for her blog at the Baby Boutique. She asked for something that other moms might relate to, or might identify with.
We have five children. We had four for quite awhile, nearly six years, before our little buddy was on the way. I was so nervous about being pregnant at my advanced age of 43. I wasn’t worried about anything in particular, just the whole idea of giving birth again, even though I had had four wonderful births with the older children. I think my biggest fear was that I would have an even bigger baby this time. Our daughter, our fourth child, was 11 pounds, 7 ounces. I couldn’t imagine giving birth to a bigger baby than 11 ½ pounds!
My due date was January 9. I was hoping for December 31 since that is my husband’s birthday and I thought that would be fun, to have two birthdays on the same day. I also secretly felt that if the baby was born before the beginning of the new year, everything was going to be all right with him and the birth.
During my pregnancy, my baby had had the hiccups every single day and the baby’s movements had been so much more noticeable than in earlier pregnancies. I noticed the difference but did not worry that they meant any particular thing.
I wanted a water birth with this baby because my two sisters had had their babies this way when I was about six months through this pregnancy. Their stories were so wonderful that I decided to pursue this option for birth. The local hospitals offered laboring tubs but explicitly stated that giving birth in the water was prohibited. My doctor was of the “ask forgiveness, not permission” mentality, but I knew I would be very uncomfortable if there were nurses tapping their croc-shod toes at me. Eventually, I decided I wasn’t going to give birth in the hospital and met my lay midwife less than one month before I was to give birth.
My husband and I felt an immediate connection with our midwife and moved forward confidently with this plan.
On New Years Eve, clearly the baby was not going to be arriving before the end of the year. We spent our evening with our little family, looking back at the year previous and looking ahead to what was coming in the new year. We watched a DVD by John Eldredge which taught that Jesus is the hero of the story and we are part of his story. Midnight came and went and I tried to tell myself that my little superstition had nothing to do with reality.
One week early, January 2, I spent six hours laboring and giving birth to our little guy, our smallest baby by far at 8 lb 12 oz. I have thanked God many times for the wonderful labor and birth I enjoyed. Thanked him for the fact that our children got to meet the baby and hold him minutes after he was born. It all came together eventually as an amazing example of the grace and providence of God, but . . . pretty much as soon as I had the chance to hold the baby, I could see that he looked like he had Down syndrome. At that point, I knew nothing about Down syndrome, and was pretty sure that I would not be a good mother to a child with special needs. I knew nothing, and I didn’t see myself as particularly compassionate or filled with whatever genes all “those” other mothers had who mothered special children so well.
We spent the first night at home, but needed to visit the pediatrician the next day due to the fact that the baby’s color was indicative of not enough oxygen in his blood. Directly from the pediatrician’s office, we traveled by ambulance to the hospital where we spent the next seven days in the NICU. It was during this time that the diagnosis of Down syndrome was confirmed through a chromosomal test.
What a hard time that was, as we were separated from our other children, dealing with recovering from childbirth, dealing with our own emotions, and learning everything we could about Down syndrome. But who could ask for better doctors or nurses? Who could imagine the level of care we received from the hospital? Who could ask for more than my mother, sisters, and brother-in-law gave to help out with the kids? How could we have imagined what kindness would be poured out to us from friends from church, and friends and acquaintances from the previous summer’s swim team? In short, truly it was Amazing Grace.
I have an indelible memory of gazing at my brand new baby as he lay in my arms and knowing almost instinctively that he had been born with Down syndrome even though I had no conscious understanding of how I knew this to be true.
But the overarching memory of that time was that Amazing Grace. The music that was playing when the baby was born was the CD Dwell. The words stick with me:
Dwell in the midst of us
Come and dwell in this placeDwell in the midst of usCome and have your way.Dwell in the midst of us
Wipe all the tears from our faces
Dwell in the midst of us
You can have your way.
Not our will, but yours be done
Come and change us
Not our will, but yours be done,
Come sustain us.
And he has changed us. And he always sustains us. And our little boy is an incredible blessing that we could not have imagined. There are still days when my mind does the math and remembers how old we will be when our little guy is a grown man, but we believe that God will be with us and with him every day of his life. Oh, and if you ask my son, I’m pretty sure he’d categorize me as quite a good mom to him. Amazing Grace.
Coffee Increases Chance of Miscarriage
I found this interesting article today and wanted to pass it along to you gals. If you are looking for an alternative to coffee, why not check out Teeccino Herbal Coffee? It comes in many different flavors, including Vanilla Nut, Almond Amaretto, Hazelnut, Java, and even an organic version. It brews in your coffee pot and smells heavenly. Zero caffeine! You can check it out here.
Stop! Is there a deadly weapon in your home?
As a parent, you do everything you can to protect your child’s health and well being, don’t you?
Of Course you do!
There is another hazard you may not be aware of: toxic chemicals that are present right in your own home. If your is the typical home, you are probably use dozens of cleaning and personal care products, purchased at the local grocery store, that contain chemical ingredients that may be harmful to you and your children.
Would you put your child in danger on purpose? No, no one would want to harm their children. This is sad to say but our children are the guinea pigs for a dangerous experiment. Have you often wondered why there has a been a rise in illnesses as asthma, allergies, and cancer? Well there is a direct link to the chemicals that we are exposed to on a daily basis that play a role in the cause of these diseases.
Your home is the #1 source of toxic chemicals!
These types of chemicals are found in all types of products that are in your home, right now!
Some of the most common are:
Dishwashing liquid
Bleach
Fabric softner
Stain remover
Window cleaner
Shampoo
Deodorant soap
Mouthwash
Cosmetics
This is just to name of a few!
BUT THERE IS A HAPPY ENDING!!
For every toxic product there is a safe alternative available. I don’t know about you, but I did not waste anytime about getting those safer products in my home!!
Life is full of risk. You risk your life driving down the street. don’t let living in your own home be a risk as well!!
By : Cindy Stork
Sadie’s Birth Story
My daughter Sadie Lynn was due on May 26, 2007 which was my father’s birthday and also the day that my husband purposed to me so that day was pretty significant to us. As it got closer to the due date I was nervous about making sure we were all prepared for her big arrival. We both finished our school finals and due to low blood pressure making me black out all the time I was pretty much stuck at home through out my pregnancy unless my husband Dustin took me out somewhere. Dustin planned to take a motorcycle safety course two days before her due date which I was all nervous we would spend the money on it and then he would have to miss it because I went into labor.
On Thursday May 24, 2007 Dustin had just finished his safety course and was with me until work that night from 5-1 am….and I really wanted to clean the apartment, do laundry, and go grocery shopping. I had this sudden feeling that everything needed to be done. So we did laundry went shopping and did some cleaning. At this point I was very sick of people touching my belly and calling to see if she had been born yet. So while Dustin went to work I invited my friend to come over and hang out for a couple hours. We watched a movie and I started to feel very uncomfortable and sick…I just kept ignoring it though because I thought it was just nerves or some stomach bug. So she left and then Dustin came home on break and I told him I thought I might be having contractions…he said to walk around and take a bath and see how I felt afterward. We had already had one false alarm a month ago so we weren’t too sure this was the real thing. I took a bath thinking that would help but it didn’t so I called him around 12:30 and he came home. We called the obgyn and the midwife asked how far apart the contractions where. AT this point they were every 5-6 minutes on the dot and pretty campy. Since I had tested positive for Group Strep B she said to come in to the hospital since I would need medicine soon.
With excitement building we packed up and headed out to the car at 1:45am and driving over to the hospital was a exciting and also painful trip since my contractions kept coming every 5 minutes and the bumpy roads did not help. When we got there the nurse checked me and said I was around 2 to 3cm…Yeah!!! I was so nervous they were going to send me home…this was the real thing now! They gave me the medicine through the IV for 20 minutes and monitored the baby for awhile then let me get out of bed which felt great. I did not like laying in bed while in labor. We tried the tub for awhile…but after awhile I got too hot and dizzy and got out. We were both exhausted and it was 2am when we got to the hospital so there was no sleep in the near future. I tried walking a bit but then decided to try a shower which felt nice….around 4am the contractions got closer and we were delighted to hear that after a couple more hours I had dilated to 4cm. I did not like when the doctor did the exams because my cervix was hard for them to find so it hurt a lot and every time I got a contraction I wanted to be left alone.
Then the nurse suggested this big ball to squat on and that was the best idea ever! Dustin rubbed my back and I swayed back and forth on the ball every time a contraction hit…by 7am the pain was getting worse and I was very tired…I started to lose it but then this nurse who was the best nurse I ever met..came in and calmed me down and stayed with me for a long time helping me concentrate on just getting through the contraction. Around 9:30am I was 6cm and was unable to deal with the pain anymore…I was disappointed in myself but the pain just became to much and felt like my hips where being torn apart every time a contraction hit. I also was tried and so was Dustin so I decided to get a epidural which was so great. After waiting forever I finally got the epidural around 11am and was able to rest. I did not like how my legs went numb and I still felt faint contractions for awhile and the numbness switched in legs. I also had to have a catheter which was unpleasant.
Around 1:30 I felt different and pressure in my butt and asked the nurse to call the doctor..she checked me and found I was almost 10cm…I had to wait for the last lil bit to dilate which seemed like forever. They turned the epidural off and it was pushing time. Around 2:45pm they let me start pushing which was exciting and both hard work. I knew we were closer to seeing our beautiful baby but it still was painful and scary. The thing that kept me going was the encouraging nurses and my husband encouraging me and looking so happy. He was watching and the smile on his face was priceless. Anytime I felt like giving up I saw him looking so happy and saying “sweety she is almost here”…that helped me a lot. I was not so good at pushing at first…I just wanted it over with so I pushed anytime I could, but then they instructed me to push only when a contraction came. After an hour the doctor was thinking of giving me a little bit of pitocin to push things along…I did not want this though and I am glad I did not end up needing it. I started pushing with all my might and got the hang of it…even after nineteen hours of labor I somehow found energy to push her out. As the baby started to crown they let me touch her hair which was a great experience and when Sadie Lynn finally entered the world I was both in shock and amazement that this was my baby that was in my belly for nine months and she was on me skin to skin. It was the best moment and I will never forget looking into her bright blue eyes and getting to hold her for the first time.
Dustin cut the cord and she was weighed…8lbs and 2 oz!! Big girl she also was 19 ½ inches long and had tons of hair! She still has tons of dark brown hair and green/blue eyes. My recovery was slow…nobody warned me how much it hurts afterward! But after about a month I felt more like myself and breastfeeding was going great and still is!
I am very happy with the overall care and treatment we received at the hospital..the nurses followed our birth plan and respected our space and wishes. And Sadie Lynn is a healthy, energetic, and happy 7 ¾ month old!! She is our joy and I still find myself just amazed at this lil miracle God blessed us with.
Grandma Darcey–Intro
I am a native of Arizona. My husband and I grew up in the same neighborhood but didn’t like each other until later we were 18. Been married to him for 22 years now. Still live in the same neighborhood we grew up in. We have two girls, 24 and 20. They have moved out now so we are empty nesters. And now we have three wonderful grandchildren. So we are busy to say the least.Well, raising our girls was one thing. But being a grandparent is something else. You know, you hope you are doing the right thing with your kids. Teach them right from wrong, don’t do this, don’t do that. No you can’t have a cell phone, or a boyfriend until you are 18. Just get through school first. Then you have your oldest tell you that she is never having kids and never getting married. Because how can you stay with one man for all those years. And she is the one that said to us, I am engaged. And I said really. Never getting married, huh. She said yeah well. Now she has three children and I was able to be in the delivery room with all three. I even got to cut my grandson’s umbilical (not sure if I spelled that one right) cord because my son-in-law really didn’t want to. But he did cut the other two granddaughters umbilical cords when they were born. And now being a grandparent is great. More coming later.
Darcey Shumaker
Avon Independent Sales Rep
Helping Your Children Embrace Diversity
Sunday January 20th 2008, 6:31 am
Filed under:
EducationalDo your kids understand and embrace the ethnic diversity of those around them? Or, have they not been exposed to other races, cultures and ethnicities enough to even know that there are differences? Today’s culture lends itself to be a little more open about such differences, and this is a positive turn in our society.
Flip on the television and even on the preschool channel, there are a variety of culturally diverse shows including Dora the Explorer, Sesame Street, Go Diego Go, Little Bill and even Pinky Dinky Do, whose main character has pink hair.
Allowing your child to watch this variety of shows will show them at an early age that there are many different types of people in our world today. Pointing out the differences but realizing that these differences do not make one group of people better than or worse than another group of people will help your child to understand and embrace all cultures.
There are movies out there that can show your children a wide variety of cultural areas and allow them exposure to the different cultures that make up the world. You can also purchase dolls and clothing that are culturally diverse teaching your children even more about the many cultures that come together in our society.
The United States is becoming more and more of a “melting pot” as so many of us were taught in history class years ago - today it is becoming a reality. We want our children to embrace this concept of cultural diversity and be tolerant of people who are different from them.
Pop culture joining the ranks can only help us to teach more effectively. Allow your children to play with culturally diverse toys so that they can learn to be tolerant and loving to other cultures. Teach them about their own culture, helping them to understand why culture is important to everyone.
Be tolerant and embrace the cultures who are different from you and your family. Children will almost always copy what parents do, so, how you act towards other ethnicities gives them the framework for their own ideas and beliefs. Begin with yourself, and then teach your children, soon the world will be made up of one big happy diverse family if we can all work together to encourage tolerance and diversity.
Lisa Smith has a BA in psychology, & is the Owner of Regionz Kidz (www.regionzkidz.com,) a multi-cultural infant and toddler clothing line with ethnically diverse characters and designs. She publishes a blog on the Regionz Kidz website that features articles about cultural diversity and children & she is a guest blogger on several other websites and blogs relating to parenting and children’s issues. You can contact Lisa directly at: lisa@regionzkidz.com
Energy!
Like a lot of you, I’ve tried many different vitamins and supplements. In the last year (or two, or three….or who knows how long?!) I have felt very, very tired and run-down, and always like I was just one step away from getting sick. During this time I have done things like eating a mostly raw-foods diet, or exercising 4-5 days a week, or trying some new vitamin that someone told me made them feel great. Well, for me, none of those things helped. I gained a pound a week (for 7 weeks straight!) while I ate a 100% raw foods diet (!!!!!), only felt more tired and more hungry when I was working out, and the vitamins didn’t give me any energy but did succeed in making me constipated! (Thank You, Iron!!) ugh.
As a lot of you know, I have six children, plus homeschool, plus run my businesses, plus have a husband. I Need Energy!! I had been watching projects pile up, things going undone, and just felt too stinkin’ tired all the time to get a handle on any of it.
Recently I was doing some reading and two new supplements caught my eye. Because of my desperation to feel better, I got both (they were very reasonably priced) and started taking them. The first time I took them was at night, and by the next morning I was literally BURSTING with energy. That day I worked around my house conquering all sorts of projects and chores for at least 12 HOURS!!! It was amazing! Since then I have continued to have a lot of energy, except on the days when I realize I have forgotten to take the stuff. It has been since December 23 and I am still GOING STRONG and feeling SO thankful that I found these supplements.
The first product is called Bee Strong, and it is a bee propolis supplement. This is well-known for giving lots of energy, and it certainly works for me. Of course, if you have a bee allergy, this isn’t going to be something for you to take.
The second product is called Berry Well and it is an elderberry syrup with good stuff like raw honey, raw apple cider vinegar, among other ingredients. Berry Well is intended to be taken if you are sick, or feeling like you’re getting sick. I decided to take it since I could tell that my immune system just wasn’t very good. Although I do experience good amounts of energy when I take the Bee Strong, I feel really, really, REALLY great on the days when I take Berry Well. I really enjoy it mixed into my healthy lemonade, and that has proven to be a great way to give it to my children. (You could even make it into a popsicle for sick little ones that need a health boost!) The taste of the syrup is fine and not objectionable, but when I put it in the lemonade it just makes a yummy berry lemonade that is very refreshing. (It mixes up great in juice as well)
I highly, HIGHLY recommend these new products to you. If it helps you feel half as good as I’ve been feeling, you will be THRILLED that you gave it a try!
Both of these products are now available at my other business, Supermom’s Health and Wellness. I have been selling lots of this stuff since I started telling people about it, and it seems like it’s really helping others. I hope it helps you too!
Jasa’s Intro
I am delighted to be writing a blog on my adventures as an ARMY wife and mom to two BRATS. Though it has been hard and we have spent more time apart than together, I wouldn’t trade my ARMY man for anything.
I got married VERY young, right out of high school, to my favorite soldier. We have been married for almost 10 years, but we joke that it has only been 5 since he has been gone so much.
Being married to military man, or woman, is no walk in the park. You learn to rely on yourself and make friends with those who are in the same boat. Not knowing if your spouse will be home at the end of the day can be quite unnerving and it has happened to us. Don’t blame your soldier, they are doing the job they signed up for and that is something you should be proud of.
Having children and being married in the military is whole other ball of wax. You get to be the mother, father, nurse, teacher, doctor and maid all in the same day, sometimes for months at a time.
I hope that in writing this blog I can help some one who may need support or make another military wife say “ok, so I am not the only who is going through this” You have a huge network of wives and husbands out there going through the same thing. So welcome to my Blog and enjoy the fun and tears and know that you are not alone.
Jasa
Military Momma: Welcome to Chaos
My goal here is to give readers of the BB@WW Blog a new perspective on the struggles and joys of being the wife of a soldier and the mother of an Army Brat. Army wives have been known as the “Silent Ranks” and until recent years, the civilian world gave us little thought. Now with the media saturated with images and stories of war and military, we’ve begun to receive due recognition. The trouble is, the media often stereotypes us and misleads the public on what our life is really like. With this blog I hope to educate everyone about my personal reality of being a military wife and family.
That said, let me introduce myself. My name is Deb. I am 25 and have been an Army wife for close to 5 years now. We are currently stationed at Fort Bliss, Texas with my Staff Sergeant husband, our 2 year old daughter “Punka”, and mutt dog named Bubba. My husband has been deployed twice to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, and recently spent a year unaccompanied tour in Korea. Last Spring when he returned from Korea, we relocated to Fort Bliss and I became a work at home mom. I am a graphic designer by trade, but a stay at home mom by choice. I freelance from home and also have a side job crafting.
While you may not be able to relate to all the situations I write about, my day to day life is full of happiness, stress, struggle and strife just like any other mom. Mine just happens to be a different breed of chaos.
Enjoy!
DebD, MilitaryMomma
www.DunkDesigns.com
Meanest Mom’s Ad
Wednesday January 16th 2008, 6:04 am
Filed under:
ParentingHave you all seen this article about the “meanest mom on the planet”? She sold her son’s car after finding alcohol in it. What do you think about this? She gets two thumbs up from me. This woman has the guts it takes to be a good parent. That’s rare these days.
Looking for something different? How about a Diaper Shower!
If you have an option to have a baby shower or diaper shower… choose diaper shower!
My story behind this is:
My grandmother and most of my side of the family live in Pittsburgh, PA and me and my husband live in Altoona, PA (2 hour drive to Pgh, PA). We decided that since my Grandmother wanted to throw the baby shower in Pittsburgh, my Mother in law wanted to do a diaper shower here in Altoona. Dont you know, I wound up with so many diapers from that diaper shower… they lasted over a year! Actually, I wound up giving away a pack of diapers just within the last couple months that had come from that diaper shower… I did not need them and would not use them since my son is being potty trained and they were a size 6 diaper… I’m puttin him him in pull ups.
Needless to say… diaper showers were a godsend! I didn’t have to actually buy my first pack of diapers for atleast 2 months after having my son!
Since you will go through more diapers than clothes… opt for a diaper shower if possible… they totally come in handy!
Dawn Lidwell
Womb’s Window Top Baby Names for 2007
Over at Womb’s Window they help you see your baby before you see your baby. In 2007 they kept track of all the names of your little sweeties….and here are the ten most popular boy and girl names for their clients. Is your kiddo on this list? I have an Aidan, a Jacob, and a Haley.
Boys
1. Aiden with spelling variations of Aidan,Ayden,Aden,Aydn
2.Ethan
3.Jacob with spelling variation of Jakob
4.David
5.Jackson with spelling variations of Jaxon,Jaxson
6.Gavin
7.Christopher
8.Andrew
9.Noah
10.Joshua
Girls
1,Alyssa
2.Madeline with spelling variation of Madelyn
3.Haley with spelling variations of Haleigh,Hailie,Haylee,Hailee
4.Ava
5.Abigail
6.Emily
7.Ella
8.Hannah
9.Madison
10.Savannah
Birth Into Being Birthshops
Today I rec’d an email from Elena Tonetti, creator of the Birth As We Know It DVD, letting me know about her “birthshops” schedule for this year and next. I thought some of you might be interested in knowing the locations and dates for this. Contact information (and for details about what a ‘birthshop’ is) is at the bottom of this post.
January 25, 2008- Palo Alto, CA
“BAWKI” Screening at the “Blossom”
Mendy, elementsofmagic@gmail.comFebruary 23-24, 2008- Sebastopol, CA
“BIB” Birthshop, $350 single, $650 couples
March 4, 2008- San Francisco, CA @6:30pm
“BAWKI” Screening at The Natural Birth
Institute- http://www.naturalbirthinstitute.com
Earth at birthsage@wildmail.com or 510-410-5640
March 21-23, 2008- Los Angeles
Raw Lifestyle Film Festival
http://www.serenityspaces.org
March 25, 2009- Los Angeles
“BAWKI” Screening
March 26-27, 2008- Los Angeles- $350
“BIB” Birthshop
Featuring Raw Chef Dorit of Serenity Spaces
Sheila, 
562-843-1999
March 29, 2008- San Francisco, CA
One Day “BIB” Workshop http://www.naturalbirthinstitute.com
Earth at birthsage@wildmail.com or 510-410-5640
April 6-12, 2008- Hawaii
“BIB” Birthshop Level I & II-$1800
Including lodging, gourmet meals, swimming w/whales,
template ritual, and Jin-Shin Jitsu, etc.
A week long intensive!
April 18, 2008- Palo Alto, CA
“BAWKI” Screening- $10
Mendy, elementsofmagic@gmail.com
April 19-20, 2008- Palo Alto, CA
“BIB” Birthshop- $350
Mendy, elementsofmagic@gmail.com
May 3-4, 2008-Chico, CA
“BIB” Birthshop- $350
May 16-18, 2008
Conference of California Midwifery Alliance- Sebastopol, CA
May, 2008- New York, NY
BIB Birthshop
Level 1: May 21-22, $450
Level 2: May 23-24 $500
June 2008- South Africa!
Johannesburg Conference- May 28-29
Johannesburg- BIB- May 31-June 1
Cape Town Conference- June 5-6
Cape Town- BIB- June 7-8
June 20-22, 2008- Singapore
June 27-29, 2008- New Zealand
September 12-14, 2008- Arizona
Raw Lifestyle Film Festival
Dorit, ddorit5@sbcglobal.net
September-October, 2008- Poland<
