Easter Sunday // 41 Weeks Pregnant

  

Oh Happy Day!  I am ransomed.  I’ve been set free.  Also, I’m super pregnant.  

We are talking 10+ months people.  And although I love every moment of feeling this sweet girl wiggle, every little hiccup, housing her safely while she grows & forms, hidden away for as long as God wants her to be, the struggle is real. 

Having delivered 3 beautiful boys each 1 week early, I could not have imagined Easter morning arriving & not sharing it with my baby girl!  In my head, we were pajama clad, homebound, lounging all morning & just relishing in this new soul that had entered the world.  Establishing our new family unit and praising God for His awesome goodness.

 In reality, I spent the Saturday before the holiday searching for coordinating outfits, fighting crowds at the grocery store, and desperately trying to set aside family time to color eggs, decorate, and have a real discussion about what the true meaning of Easter is.  It’s was a mad rush, but I got it done.  Score 1 for mom #winning

Easter morning came and I purposed to have a stress-free day with the family.   The boys each opened a small basket filled with: a new notebook, colored pencils, Annie’s Homegrown bunny snacks, and ears (because who doesn’t like to be festive?).  Then we sent them in our new yard (see previous post) to hunt for eggs while we set up a surprise inside.  [I wish I could post the video, but I haven’t figured that out yet]  Instead, let me share this pic of the boys’ “Pre-baby-life-is-about-to-change-again” Easter surprise:

 

He’s not a dog, but they’re pretty much in love!  🐰

Lots of bunny play & cuddles later, we put on our Sunday best and headed out to celebrate Resurrection Day with our church family.   

 I promise I was super uncomfortable… I mean happy in this picture.  No really, the contractions I was feeling and the giant muumuu masquerading as a maternity dress made me feel like a super star.  We are talking Beyoncé status here…  no really…. Okay not really.

We made it to church for a beautiful service, and only 15 minutes late which was pretty impressive.  It made it all the more special for my husband to sit with us, as he is usually working in ministry, running the sound board.  Thank you Jesus for knowing something so small, like having Hubs by my side, was just what this hormonal, contractioning, prego needed.  Plus, isn’t he just so cute?

  

We spent the rest of the day at home as a family.  My parents & younger sibs brought lunch over and we enjoyed a super low key holiday, playing with our new bunny and enjoying each other’s company.   It was as perfect as a day could be 💕 and we had no idea how much more wonderful it was going to become as day turned into evening…

6 Months passed & a Brave, New World

I shared last October that we’d bought our FIRST house and I would be blogging to share our house remodel/DIY modifications. 

What I DIDN’T share at the time was that I was 8 weeks pregnant with our 4th little miracle.   

Say what?!   
That’s right.  Not only had we bought a cozy fixer-upper and had just started our 2nd year of homeschooling, but we were pregnant too!  

Call us crazy (we’re not).  Call us Duggars (we’re not that either).  Call us gluttons for punishment (I’m on the fence about this one).  What we are is insanely, incredibly, and abundantly a blessed. 

  
More posts soon & more often starting MAY 1st.

Home Saint Home

It’s official: We’re Homeowners!!!

After 11 years of marriage and 3+ babies, we are finally here. I’m so excited…and scared.

At 100+ years old, it’s definitely what you would call a “fixer-upper”. But We will make it our own. We will fill it with us; with basketball trophies and piano recitals, with dance breaks and coffee breaks, with broken arms and someday broken hearts.

We’re finally homeowners. We’re finally here. Welcome Home, Saint Home.

Dirt, Crawlers, and Spring at Last!

Now that both boys have finished History for the year (yep, they’re done for the entire school yea already), I’ve started to introduce science.

Truth be told, I HATED Science as a child. It tied with math for my least favorite subject. And let’s not even talk about chemistry or calculus. But can I just say, elementary science is SO FUN!

This week while my 3rd grader was learning about eyeballs and inner ears, my 2nd grader was learning all about animals, specifically insects. We decided to take advantage of the warm New England weather (50 °) and bring the learning outside.

Let me just say, digging for earthworms is difficult business! My husband insisted it was because we weren’t “early birds”, but I think the (brrr) Spring weather was working against us. After 45 mins of both digging and trying various soapy/watery concoctions, we triumphantly brought a bucket of worms home and began our experiment.

Our experiment was to:
“Discover which Environments Earthworms Prefer: wet soil or dry sand”

Materials Used:
*glass jar
*jar lid w/ holes (we used tin foil)
*dark colored construction paper
*tape
*moist soil
*dry sand
*several earthworms

Directions:
1.) fill 1/2 the jar with moist soil
2.) fill the top 1/2 of the jar with dry sand (leaving a few inches of air at the top)

3.) add the earthworms!
br />

4.) add the lid
5.) cover sides of jar with dark construction paper for 1-2 days

6.) uncover & observe which environment the earthworms prefer and discuss why

The boys (and Hubs) loved this project, and have since adopted all 17 earthworms.
Try it out with your little ones! Make a day of it. Dig holes. Soak up some vitamin D. Observe. Explore God’s world.

Adventures in Homeschooling

It’s been a while since my last post… Okay, it’s been months since my last post. Life has taken another turn, and as much as I was excited about being a stay-at-home mom while my older boys were away at school, Hubs and I decided that we would pull our boys from their private school in January and begin the very new and scary adventure of homeschooling.

Really…homeschooling?! Honestly, somedays I still don’t believe it myself. For years it was suggested to me as an option by trusted family members, but my answer was always, “Umm, maybe for you, but not for me!”
It’s amazing what prayer, God’s timing and our obedience can do to change the most stubborn of minds.

10 years ago, I loved being just a wife, partnering with my husband to serve God and others. We make a great team.
9 years ago, I loved being a mom of 1 and then 2 little boys, guiding them, growing closer with my husband and to God.
1 year ago, I loved my teaching job. It was an amazing environment to work in, with coworkers I still consider family, doing what I loved in service to those around me.
6 months ago, I loved being a stay-at-home mom to my little cupcake, having fun learning about cloth diapers and waiting for his big brothers to get home.
And now, I love homeschooling my kids, and being a stay-at-home mom, and a wife all together. I love my coworker, (he’s my best friend) I have the most hilarious, original “students”, and I especially love how Cupcake’s face lights up when he hears his big brothers’ voices. I love how close we’re growing.

God is so smart.

He knows what you need before you need it. So close your eyes (or better yet, fix them on Him), take a breath, and leap out in faith. He’ll catch you, I promise.

Who runs the world? Moms!

It’s 8:55am on a Thursday morning. Some of you may just be beginning your day, some of you won’t start your day for another few hours. Then there are the few who have been up since 5am, have gotten the kids off to school, saved the world at least once already, and are just sitting down for a few sips of their first precious [insert Golum voice] cup of coffee. We are the few, the proud, the moms.

Being a mom isn’t easy. It is the most exhausting, most demanding job I’ve ever had in my life. And you moms that work full time outside the home? My hat is off to you! Bravo. There are some days I can’t even fit a shower in!
No joke. I smell like breast milk and baby drool.

Some mornings I wake up, a plan for the day in my head (I like lists), thinking I have it all together, and then BLAMO! I’m immediately reminded that as much as I like to pretend I have it all together, that no matter how many lists I make or check books I balance, I have no control in this life.

Life is life. It is hard and scary and crazy and beautiful and it can bring me to my knees. But when I get there, when I’m in that place, on my knees, I can talk to the one who does have it all in control. When things are moving at a dizzying pace and the world is spinning faster than my head can handle, I am able to reach out and hold firm to Christ, my Rock.

The Bible says that the Dad is to be the {spiritual} head of the household, but I firmly believe that the Mom sets the tone for the home. My attitude dictates my children’s behavior and sets off a chain reaction that I, as a mother, am solely responsible for.

Now, I’m not claiming to be perfect or happy all the time. It’s often the opposite. I believe it’s important for children to see (constructive) conflict and (peaceful) conflict resolution. A life without mishaps, without disagreements, without mess isn’t real and ultimately teaches nothing. But living through the mess: cleaning up a spilled breakfast [I have rugs in the dining room…so it’s not easy] by singing Pippi Longstocking’s “Scrubbin’ Day”, or turning a ripped [and personal favorite I bought from pier 1 imports when Hubs and I were first married] pillow into an impromptu laughter-filled pillow fight, or hugging/kissing Daddy and “agreeing to disagree” our opinions shows them that, although problems/mistakes/conflicts/accidents happen, it’s in OUR power to make the best of them. It’s our choice how we will react – good or bad.

So Moms, IT’S OKAY that your child’s school uniform is in the dirty hamper and he needs it this morning, or that you only remember your van needed an oil change [over a month ago] when you’re sitting in the front seat already driving somewhere, or, in my case today, that there are poopy diapers “drying” all over your kitchen table because your spouse was being helpful (I do so love you, my Hubs!). LIFE HAPPENS to all of us.

Moms, don’t compare yourself to each other. I know you do it- I do it. I sometimes think “not good enough” should be tattooed on my forehead. That mom with the immaculately clean home, or the sleeps-through-the-night baby, or the Mom that’s a super skinny toothpick with the 6 week old baby, or the family of five that arrives at church perfectly coordinated… THEY ARE NOT PERFECT. They are real people with flaws. You don’t see their daily life, but I’m pretty sure part of it involves secretly comparing themselves to YOU! Let’s uplift and love each other, Pouring the love out, instead of keeping the self-hate in.

Our job is full time with no sick or personal time. But the benefits package is worth it! I’ll take first steps and toothless grins and homemade cards over a 401k any day. Take a minute today and applaud your accomplishments- YOU WOKE UP AND CHOSE TO DO IT ALL AGAIN TODAY!

You are beautiful and appreciated and you make the world go ’round.

It’s not the Flu!

So Cupcake and I are sick. It’s been 7 days of varying symptoms. I know what it isn’t – the flu.

I don’t get the flu.

So rather than complain about my zombie-like appearance or regale you with tales of my amazingly sweat-tastic week (seriously, we are talking POOL STATUS, people), I will talk about some of the all natural cold remedies I am using to fight this mother.

Braggs Apple Cider Vinegar

This organic, unpasteurized liquid is known to aid in heart health, high cholesterol, weight loss, diabetes, and cancer. It’s used as a “folk remedy” to lower fever, relieve sinuses, aid indigestion, etc.
How I use it:
2 tsps in HOT water with 1 tbsp of raw honey. This way I can fool myself into thinking I’m drinking hot apple cider.
You can also drink the 2tsps alone, but I’d liken it to a shot of whiskey… Blech.

Raw Honey

Unpasteurized, unprocessed, and full of health benefits, raw honey is full of vitamins, minerals, and both antiviral and antibacterial properties. It is used to relieve allergies, help digestion, relieve sore throats, balance both blood sugar and blood pressure, strengthen immune systems, etc.
How I use it:
I add it to hot tea, apple cider vinegar, use it as a sugar substitute in baking, and take it by the spoonful to relieve an achey throat.

Cinnamon

Used in both stick and ground form, cinnamon has long been used in Chinese medicine to help with indigestion, pain relief, and increase energy. In current [western medicine] studies, cinnamon has been shown to aide in lowering cholesterol, lower blood sugar/raise insulin levels, fight candida (anti fungal properties), and has an anti-clotting effect in the blood.
(**Cinnamon is TOXIC IN LARGE AMOUNTS)
How I use it::
Sprinkle ground cinnamon over my baked goods, in my coffee, and over the main course in our “French Toast Saturdays”

Neti-Pot

Used for nasal irrigation, it is a pot or squeeze bottle containing a saltwater-saline solution designed to rid your nasal cavity of sinus congestion, allergies, and cold symptoms.
How I use it:
I follow the directions on the box! Though it feels weird and I refuse to look into the mirror as I use it… so gross… I haven’t drowned yet! *IT IS IMPORTANT TO ALWAYS BOIL TAP WATER & let it cool to room temperature before using**

Alba Un-Petroleum Jelly

This multi-purpose jelly contains beeswax, vitamin E, coconut oil, castor oil, and is used to moisture and soothe.
How I use it:
I use it in the place of Vaseline (which contains petrolatum). Specifically, I smother my nose in it to moisturize the red, raw skin left over from too much nose blowing (achoooo).

Water

Keeping hydrated when suffering from a cold or allergies helps prevent your respiratory secretions from becoming too thick, allowing you to clear them more easily from your airways (blowing your nose & coughing up that yummy phlegm, i.e. getting the mucus OUT!). It keeps you from becoming dehydrated especially with diarrhea or vomiting, and it helps keep nausea at bay.
How I use it:
Drink, drink, drink, drink! I’m already the toe of person who carries around a water bottle wherever I go, but when I’m sick I take it to the next level- No coffee or sugary juices, just water.

Tissues with lotion

Brands like Puffs Plus or Kleenex boast the softness to their tissues with added aloe or lotion. I’m partial to Kleenex as I find the Puffs Plus brand leaves a lotions feeling on my fingers that I don’t like.
How I use it:
Self explanatory!
This time around I’ve gone through 5 notes of tissues in 7 days. No exaggeration. I should probably buy stock or switch to handkerchiefs like my grandfather… Nope, totally grossed myself out just thinking about it. I’ll take cloth diapers over handkerchiefs any day.

Sleep

During sleep, your immune system releases proteins that are needed to fight off all the infections, inflammations, and stresses of your day. From touching a door handle to washing a load of dirty laundry, your body is hot with germs non-stop. Sleep allows your immune system to buildup, recoup, and get ready to battle another day.
How I use it:
Unfortunately, being the mom of an exclusively breastfed infant doesn’t allow me much extra sleep time. Napping for hours in bed is out of the question, so I put a sheet down over the couch, bring my pillows out with a comfy blanket, and “rest” my body as much as I can. On a good sick day, I can nap when Cupcake naps. On a normal sick day I can shut my eyes for 15 mins while Hubs heats up some soup or burps Cupcake. You gotta take what you can get- Any extra sleep while you’re sick is helpful

——————————
**Disclaimer**
I don’t have a medical degree, nor do I pretend to be a doctor. Always do your own research & check with your medical advisor before using any OTC medicine, alternative medicine, etc. This is just what is currently happening in my life [exciting right?] so I thought I would share it with you 🙂
——————————

Do you have any “natural cold remedies” that work for you? Share them below!

Time for a rest. I’ll leave you with little Sickee McGee (Cupcake) and his adorable “you just used a booger sucker on me” face.

Lunchboxes, Backpacks, and Folders… Oh My!

>>cue Christmas music<< “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year!”
Back to school time is here again and we have officially shipped our rambunctious older lads off to new teachers, new classmates, and new experiences.   And it’s new experiences all around in our Household, as I am beginning a new season of life as a stay-at-home-mom with our littlest Cupcake.  I’m nervous and excited to start this new adventure.  I’ve never been a woman that enjoys doing dishes or gets a thrill from removing a persistently stubborn laundry stain.  I’ve never felt accomplished by cleaning the house (pretty sure there is one closet still full of boxes from moving in 6 yrs ago).  But since the moment I met my husband 12 years ago, I’ve felt it my purpose to care for both him and now our children. If you are feeling particularly spiritual, you could say it was my calling.

Friends, I’m so pumped!  I’m excited to wash the 87,000 loads of cloth diapers.  I’m getting a kick out of fluffing the pillows so they [almost] look like they’ve never been climbed on by little feet or thrown by little hands during a mid-afternoon epic brother v. brother pillow fight to the death. It’s fun! Throw in the fact that being home by ourselves has Cupcake on a pretty great napping schedule and it’s party city. >> Woot woot!

I am so grateful for this time, right here right now. Enjoying every moment that God has in store for me, difficult or pleasant, and blogging about it along the way. Let the adventure begin!

Did you say CLOTH DIAPERS?!

So this is it. We have officially begun cloth diapering. [insert your grimace/awkward questioning here]

Let me preface this post by saying, we did not cloth diaper for our first two children. We chose to cloth diaper Cupcake for a few different reasons: it’s environmentally friendly, financially friendly, and sensitive skin friendly. Primarily, he was/is allergic to a chemical found in commercial disposable diapers. Huggies, Pampers, you name it, he’s allergic to it. And by allergic, I mean breaks out into a blistering, painful rash after just 1 day of use.

For the first 3 months of Cupcake’s life, we used Seventh Generation disposable diapers. These are free of dyes, chlorines, and other icky chemicals that can bother sensitive skin. These icky chemicals, however, proved important when it came to the absorbency of disposable diapers. Cupcake had 2-3 blowouts PER DAY. After getting soaked through my dress with watery, mustardy poop having an accident during a Sunday morning service, I’d had enough. There had to be a better way!

I began researching cloth diapering. Can I tell you, it’s ADDICTING! There are so many different options out there – prefolds & covers, hybrid systems, all-in-ones, and pocket diapers to name a few. Don’t even get me started on soap/detergent options! It’s actually become a running joke (not to me) in my home that whenever I am on the computer, Hubs will walk by and say “Whatcha’ doin? Looking at cloth diapers?”, and then laugh hysterically. I hate to admit there’s 87% chance I probably am, haha.

Here is my first cloth diapering “stash”.
I followed some advice online and purchased a few different types of cloth diapers to see which would be best for our Cupcake. I will update soon with what is currently working for him, our washing routine, and bring you along with me throughout all of my trials & errors.

Ready? Set? Wash!

{Diaper Stash from left to right:}
Green Mountain Diaper unbleached cotton prefolds, medium size,
4 Thirsties all-in-ones
4 Kawaii onesize pockets
3 BumGenius 4.0s
2 Fuzzibunz (second hand)
4 Flip onesize covers & disposable inserts
6 gdiapers (small, second hand) 5 gdiapers (medium) & disposable inserts

Some websites I ordered from:
http://www.greenmountaindiapers.com
http://www.kellyscloset.com
http://www.cottonbabies.com

Third Time’s the Charm.

When Dear Husband (here on out referred to as “Hubs”) and I finally became pregnant with Baby 3, we were ecstatic.  Having had a 6 year gap between pregnancies and now being  in our 30s  a bit older,  we were really feeling prepared and excited for a new little soul to join our family.
“Baby Cupcake” [affectionately dubbed by the Big Brothers] was a perfect pregnancy.  Minus a scare with low blood platelets, it was text-book; I gained 35 pounds, still worked 5 days a week as a teacher,  actively participated in 2 fulltime church ministries, and thoroughly enjoyed every moment.   Well, almost every moment.  Already the parents of two boys, people decided it was okay to speak their opinions over me:
“Oh this time it’s going to be a girl!”
“Are you hoping for a girl?”
“Wouldn’t a girl be great?”
“You must WANT a girl after ALL these boys…”

We found out Cupcake was a boy at 18 weeks and we were BEYOND happy. After all, we knew boys.
We had fun with the “gender reveal” both in person & via Facebook post, choosing as a family to all wear either pink or blue. Every moment of “baking” Cupcake was enjoyed as a family. Being a family, a tight unit, had always been important to Hubs & I and Baby #3 just meant we would become even closer knit.

On Thursday, May 30th while Hubs was dropping our older boys off at school, I began to have contractions. What does a 3rd time around preggo do when she begins labor? Well go for a mile walk, of course! You can shake your head as you read this, my husband did too. Hubs & I took a walk down the beach, contractions 7 mins apart. At home, I decided to get ready for the hospital finish up the nursery – folding clothes, putting up shelving, and breathing heavily while bouncing on my yoga ball. When it was “time” to head to the hospital, the conversation went a little like this:
Me, putting on makeup in the bathroom: “Babe… how about [my contractions] now?”
Hubs, patiently standing at the door: “60 SECONDS!!!”
Me, lowly walking to the door: “Umm… we should probably go to the hospital now.”
Hubs, holding my hand, his keys, & the hospital bag: “Finally.”

Forty minutes later we were holding our little boy! The baking was over and our Cupcake had arrived. He zoomed into the world naturally; no pain medications, one push. One of the doctors jokingly asked, “Did you want to have your baby at home?” “Maybe next time”, I responded with a laugh.
Did I say next time?

So that’s the story of how our family went from 4 to 5. How we went from quartet to quintet. And how we became 3 Boys, A Girl, and A Baby.