Lyn at Homecoming....

Lyn is a few days away from being 15 years old. Her date's family really wanted to get some pictures before the dance. They didn't turn out too bad. I guess I make cute kids! :)

Communing with the little kids at one of my favorite nature spots

Since the little kids missed church today we made our way into the woods down one of the trails I frequented as a child and teenager. We went over a lesson from one of my favorite books on nurturing Spirituality. We also collected evergreen leaves, a feather, and a few Fall flowers for an art project this week. The kids did great maneuvering the trails. Even Elaina tried really hard to climb the rocks. Eliot listened well and worked on the lesson about Finding Our Way. The pictures of me were taking by Eliot. She is getting pretty good at taking pictures. Being 31 weeks pregnant hasn't slowed me down yet....

My time as a volunteer CLC

I feel so lucky to be able to help mothers with their breastfeeding questions and situations. I am lucky to establish relationships with the entire family and visit the mothers and their babies in their home. This really helps me understand their specific needs. Today was a good visit!!

This pregnancy

Some mothers will say every pregnancy is different and some will say they are all pretty much the same from their viewpoint. Well, all of pregnancies HAVE been pretty much the same as I remember them at this moment. Even my pregnancy that had some complications and resulted in a baby born by C-section at 28 weeks still felt the same up to that point. Physically I feel like a woman in the beginning of her third trimester but emotionally I feel barely pregnant. I guess because we had such a scare at the beginning that she wasn't even going to be born alive that I have just now acknowledged that she is OK. Or as OK as any mother knows at this point. I am having difficulty imagining her after she is born and I am having difficulty imagining birth. Usually with my last few births I have had clear pictures in my head what I wanted out of the birth experience. Of course most of that never happened because I was not in control in the hospital setting. I am a mad mama bear when I don't get my way. I wish this little one would just be quick and be born at home. I wish Midwives were legal and affordable to mothers in Alabama. I just wish I had choices.....

This is a very stressful time financially also. I usually don't talk too much about money because I am proud to live a frugal life. Now we are just plain poor. I am looking for full time work but who will hire someone who is so pregnant knowing they will need time off? I feel so stuck....

Volleyball so far...

Lyn is enjoying volleyball this year but so far her team hasn't had the best luck. The haven't won a game yet. Her skills are improving. This will probably be her last year playing on a YMCA team. I wish it was going better but she is at least improving her own skill set.

Happy Birthday Eliot!

6 Years Old!

 

 

 

 

Nothing like a simple birthday party at a local park.... 6 years ago a baby girl weighing only 7 pounds was born within an hour of reaching the hospital. She was born easily even though she arrived "sunny side up". Now after that she was a handful. She was a pretty grumpy baby till she could move around on her own. When she could scoot and then crawl she was and still is a calm easy going little girl. She is coming into her own but she is a generous little spirit.... 

 

 



Daddy gave them to us....

 

Ice cream cones on the first day of FAll!!! Again, Daddy gave it to them so I assume he will clean them up....

Welcome Fall at church

Elaina is such a big girl. She was the youngest in the nursery today at church but she still enjoyed making Fall leaf artwork!

One of the perks of working in the nursery is that I get to be a part of all this. I do miss the classroom sometimes.

First day of Fall

Kids

30 weeks

 

I am getting there... I don't quite look very pregnant just big in this picture but little girl is growing just fine. I actually only weigh 2 pounds heavier than I did when I got pregnant with Elaina. But I have gained a little over 20 pounds. I was on my way to loosing weight and was about 15 pounds from my target weight when we got pregnant. Everything has been OK these past few weeks once we found out little one doesn't have any markers for trisomy as was believed at the beginning of my pregnancy. Being 39 years old and working with special needs children I understand there are no absolutes till you actually meet your baby. I am fine with whatever her needs are when she is born. I am looking forward to a quick delivery hopefully without any interventions... Again, I wish Midwifery care for home births was legal in my state.

A day at the playground

 

 

And Ben is somewhere running around. Elaina is hanging out with Granny..

We found a grasshopper and some caterpillars and plenty of sunshine.

Working with oils.. making a warm back rub

 

 

I enjoy making my own health salves and ointments. I am REALLY enjoying working with Young Living Essential Oils. The therapeutic value of them is better than anything else I have worked with. There is a great oil called Panaway which is like a natural Icyhot or Bengay but I just don't really like the smell even though it works wonders. I prefer using "hot" oils that are more spicy than minty mixed with a carrier oil (coconut oil is my favorite). Since I am pregnant I don't use Sage right now but Oregano, Marjoram, and Rosemary work wonders to add heat to a back rub. I added White Angelica to support the spiritual need when pain may be involved and to mellow the scent and feel of the "hot" oils. Working with Oregano can be tricky. With sensitive especially fair skin it can burn with just a drop. I always suggest using it with a carrier oil and having extra carrier oil nearby in case you find you are extra sensitive and need to dilute further. Just rub extra carrier oil on and the heat will decrease. I heated my coconut oil slightly to a total liquid before I added 10 drops of all the essential oils except the Oregano oil. Since it is so hot I only used 5 drops of it. This ensured that everything mixed evenly. It solidified when it cooled and was evenly distributed for future use. A few drops of these in a warm bath followed by this rub mixture makes for a great pain free evening....

End of Summer bonfire

 

 

At church tonight Evan, Eliot, and Ben and I joined in the bonfire celebrating the end of Summer. The kids enjoyed the s'mores best of all I believe. I brought white ceremonial sage and rosemary. I provided the kids with some jute twine and they made mini smudges to add to the fire. I also lit 4 hurricane candles representing the four elements to provide lit and guidance for myself. All in all a simple yet fun evening and all the littles were asleep by the time we got home.

Math the fun way...

 

 

Evan had fun working on sets and grouping with some fine art appreciation thrown it. Gotta love guiding your own child's understanding of the world...