Up late and pondering… January 24, 2010

As usual Im up late…Ugh how I hate being up late. The boys decided they didnt want to go to sleep easily yet again tonight Usually they are so good at going to bed on time. Such pleasures and no hassel. Well at bedtime lol. So here I am trying to get my alone time and trying to pry my eyes open at the same time. I finished my Finals today. Did ok. Wish I could have done better, but I did pretty good considering I didnt read hardly anything from any of my classes. SO. Thats done. I start my new semester Feb. 1st. Im ready. So ready to start fresh! Tonight I got to thinking. I wanted to challenge myself this year. I have not yet found anything of GREAT interest to blog about or challenge myself with. Or so I thought…Then I realize…I am a stay at home mom to 2 boys and pregnant with number 3, going to school full time(online), working on my doula certification, and will manage to move ALL THE WAY to Germany! Wow! Now that sounds challenging doesnt it? Also, I need to do conduct a lot of prayer on whether or not I want to take up the challenge of homeschooling. Not to mention my challenge to challenge the OB’s and do as little appointments as possible during this pregnancy. So I have my hands plenty full. No need to challenge myself at all. Not to mention we REALLY need to get on a schedule!

As far as the pregnancy is going:

I feel pretty good. Very normal so far. Tired, nauseous, headaches, and cramps. Not to mention peeing ALL the time. I still cannot eat anything sweet. I crave meat. And MILK! Mmmm Milk! However, my babies dont seem to like milk Ive managed to down quite a few glasses so far though. I go for my initial appointment on Tuesday with Dr Rathe. I have decided to do the initial ultrasound just to be sure how many babies are in there to make sure I get proper care. If its multiple babies I will be getting normal routine prenatal care as I am not familiar with how to take care of myself with multiple babies. I have not done any home tests or anything like that. Just continuing to stay in tune with my body and baby. I am continuing to do yoga stretches which seems to be helping with the cramping. I did notice a new but very familiar symptom today. Its starting a little early this pregnancy, pressure and pain between my legs. It started sometime in the first trimester with Raymond too. Im figuring with this one it is probably just stress. Its not too bad just really sore. I didnt do anything strenuous or out of the ordinary today or yesterday.

Well as for tomorrows plan of the day, Im going to do laundry since I didnt get to it today. I also have to finish my last two homework assignments and turn those in. We had planned on going to church but Daven appears to still be sick so its probably not a good idea. We do need some groceries though Anyways just laundry and hanging out with my kiddos tomorrow. I think we’ll do our own little service at home since we cant get out to church.

Have a blessed day readers.

More good news :) January 19, 2010

The Lord sure is amazing! He has answered another prayer for me…The one that I have been crying about for almost a year.

WE ARE PREGNANT!

I am about 5 weeks along according to LMP(Last Menstrual Period). I found out a few weeks ago but had to send hubby the news first. We are super excited to be expecting baby #3. As some of you know I have wanted to have an unassisted pregnancy. I have agreed to have certain appointments per hubby’s request.

Appointments:

Initial appointment-8wks

Gender/testing appointment-18wks

More testing-30 wks

Group B strep testing-35wks

This is the plan as long as everything goes healthy and as planned. I bought a Prenatal/Postnatal yoga dvd at walmart today! Oh its fabulous! Im so excited! Im also making sure to drink plenty of fluids. I like to mix half water half juice Tastes better that way lol. I also plan to get some diabetes supplies to double check my sugar levels. I will most likely be doing this right before we move. Im hoping to wait til 14 weeks but I think we will be moving before that. Therefor I will be buying my supplies here to take over there with us. Im not really doing much more than that. Just trying to listen to my body. Obey the cravings, eat healthy, and NOT load up on sugary foods. So far I havent craved any sweets. Just mainly meat. AND CHIPOTLE! I have yet to indulge in chipotle since finding out Im pregnant.OH! I am taking some vitamins. Folic acid, B6, and Red Raspberry Leaf. Folic Acid is for the babys development I believe. This is why the docs stress prenatal vitamins so much, folic acid. Prenatal pills and multivitamins do NOT like me, lol, therefor my last obgyn, Dr Rathe, told me that I could take Folic Acid by itself Thank you doc! The B6 is for energy which is VERY needing during the first trimester especially when you have other children. Red Raspberry Leaf is very good for uterine health. I started taking it about 9 months ago to help ease my symptoms from the dreaded aunt flow who didnt realize her visit was LONG OVERSTAYED . Im pretty much just playing everything by ear. Trying to keep the pregnancy natural and peaceful.

I intend on posting at least a weekly update on how im doing. I might even do some pics in a few weeks. Depends. I took photos every week with Raymond. However, I dont see the growth being that much different so Im not really motivated to this time around. If you have any questions about unassisted prenatal care or limited prenatal care please feel free to leave a comment.

God Bless!

Sometimes its pointless to plan January 12, 2010

R has been sick since christmas eve and has yet to recover. I took him to urgent care last week and he was diagnosed with an ear infection. Last night he was coughing so bad that he stopped breathing then started vomiting all over the place. This happened while he was sleeping poor baby. So I took him right away to the hospital. They discovered that he has now developed pneumonia. Whew. It sucks! Poor boy is coughing SO much at night. We barely get any sleep. Then he’s up with the sun cause he doesnt sleep well during daylight unless its naptime. Anyways he has a follow up appointment tomorrow. So hopefully doctor will have a better plan than antibiotics that plain are not working for him.

On another note. Im working hard to try to get on schedule but not working very well with a sick kiddo. Hoping to get everything caught back up on my break from school which starts the 24th. Gotta get everything cleaned and organized. Oh and get boxes went through for moving.

Im also reading the Duggar’s book which is amazing! I am learning a lot about them and about what I want for our family. Hubby and I have hoped for a large family. We dont have a number but just what is in Gods plan for us. We also do not want to be in debt all the time. The Duggar’s went to a financial seminar in ther early years of marriage, they learned to not owe any man debt. Instead, to save up for whatever you needed or wanted. All needs become before wants. Therefor, Im going to sit down soon…Hopefully with Hubby if they send him home right after training. I am going to go through all our debts and what needs pay off and set up a method to pay it all off. As well as every month set aside money for needs or wants in savings. Not being able to purchase right away at the store. We need to sit down and talk before making purchases.

Hope you all have a blessed day!

By the way, keep an eye out for my newly developed chicken cordon bleu lasagna its in the works now.

Parenting the Parent January 8, 2010

Have you ever noticed how many parenting books, shows, blogs, and so called parenting counselors there are out there? Tons! Just Google it sometime and see how much you can find on the topic of parenting.

www.parenting.com

www.parenting.org

www.parentingmagic.org

Several and that’s not to mention the books and “doctors” there are out there claiming to have the solutions on how to tame or change your child not to mention how to put your child on a schedule. Im not saying that all of the advice out there is bad. However, some of it is just being put out there for the people to make money. I’m not going to name any names at all on who I think is putting crappy advice out there. I’m not here to people bash specifically but to help others. Really help others…that’s why I do it for free.

My oldest son D is very hard to deal with on pretty much a daily basis. Some days we are lucky to have a whole hour that is enjoyable. Other days and even weeks are amazing. Then out of nowhere he is back at it. We have tried everything! Now I know you’re probably thinking I hold a grudge against all this advice cause it hasn’t worked for us. No that is not true. I have seen a lot of the advice work for my other son or for other people I know. I am saying that some of the advice out there is not from direct experience with parenting. A lot of “professionals” don’t even have children and if they do their children are in daycare or school all day long. So are they truly parenting their children the way they are telling others to? This is something you have to look at when taking advice from other people. How do they REALLY parent their children. How often can they be home with their children if they are gone on book tours or workng 12-16 hour shifts as a doctor? I think their should be more parenting advice out there by REAL stay at home moms. Now I’m certain someone is going to read this and get really offended and probably show me all the advice that is out there by stay at home moms. I will be most grateful to hear all that you have to show me.

The reason for me getting irritated is the Nanny 911 television show. Now I have seen these nannies do AMAZING work and transform families. However, I have also seen them do crazy things! Take things away from children because they are “too old” for someone’s standards. Or do this or that. The episode I saw tonight really upset me. The mother and father did not agree with what she was doing with their children. Yes, the parents should have stepped in. But why should they have felt so bad about this? To want to make their children cry the way they were over something so trivial as going to bed with milk? We should not make mothers feel bad for choosing to parent different than us. As long as the child is healthy and happy then its no one else’s business. Right?

I know Im not the only mom who has been made to feel like crap after sharing how they do things with their children. I have breastfed, public breastfed, delayed shots, not given flu shots, extended pacifier use, extended night time feedings, co-slept, kept my children in my room til almost 2, put my kids to bed by 8pm(normally), spanked, not spanked, attachment parenting, cloth diapered, elimination communication, you name it, ive probably tried it. Normally it is all about trial and error. My boys are healthy and for the most part happy. D does have an anger and obedience problem but from what I hear its normal for his age. I still dont find it acceptable but we’re working on it.

Now Im most certainly not saying I’ve got it all figured out or my way is the right way for everyone. Being a mother is about listening to your childs needs and yes sometimes we dont know how to answer those needs so we seek the advice of others but if it makes you feel horrible and you want to cry when you are making your children do these things others suggest then chances are its not whats right for you or your children. Only you can truly know whats best for them. Listen to what your instincts are telling you. You’ll figure out just what it is they need from you

Internet…Bad or Good? January 7, 2010

Tonight im voting bad! I had planned on going to sleep early. But now its almost 1am and I find myself STILL stuck on my computer. Looking up this and that…Its wednesday and I still didnt do any homework. How is it that I can manage to spend countless hours on a dumb computer?! I do not know! But maybe this should be my new years resolution! To not spend more than an alloted time on the computer! Unless of course Im ACTUALLY completing homework! Im sure my house would be cleaner, I would get more sleep, and maybe just maybe dear D would behave better. Although most of my computer hours are spent while the boys are sleeping. I only do about an hour during the day while they are awake. BUT STILL! HOURS! I have been on this thing since 8pm almost 5 hours! Oh the Bible study and cleaning I could get done in that time! Thats it! Tomorrow Im going to sit down and decide how much time I should get a day for the computer. AND STICK WITH IT! Sure its going to be hard. However, its necessary! Anyone else care to join me? You should…Just like the TV its stealing our lives…Yes its just an object and only we can allow something to steal our time. But we ARE allowing it. Its time its stopped! How can I be a good christian wife/mom if Im not even reading my Bible every night! I need to get back on track with school, cleaning, my challenges on here, D’s homeschooling, and last but definitely not least, my Bible reading!

Tomorrow night I will give myself enough time to write an update. Good night dear readers

On our own again… January 4, 2010

Today hubby left to head back to training…bleh, this never gets easy. But oh well. Gotta do it anyways.

Today D is starting kindergarten here at home! We are starting the school day at 9am Which is pretty early for us. We had to get up at 530 this morning to get ready to take daddy to the airport.

Next on the list is some cleaning. Im going to get the kitchen done and then take the trash out of the bedroom and bathroom. I probably wont have the time or energy to get all the clothes put away so I will most likely tackle that tomorrow.

Then, it will be bedtime, and time for mommy to do her homework.

Dont really have anything planned for dinner, was going to make chicken noodle soup but idk if Im going to. Not really up to going to the store right now. I have chicken so maybe I will make fried chicken fingers for the boys or something like that.

OH and I need to pay bills. Almost forgot about that with hubby being here. Well, time to get going with my day. Have a blessed day!

And….for anyone wondering. I will probably be starting back up the FlyLady challenge on Monday. That gives me a week to get things back to normal before I rush into things too much.

Having to let go January 3, 2010

Well, my darling love heads back off to training on monday. Im so sad that I have to give him back for at least another month. We’re hoping they send him home right away after training. Hopefully they wont send him straight to Germany. That would be awful. Its going to be really hard to let him go. Although, it always is. Its very hard to go back to life as if he was never here. We continue on with life while he is gone, growing and changing. Yes, he changes as well. The kids hurt the most. R has gotten so close to him, clinging to him the whole time. Oh how I dread holding him while he cries himself to sleep asking for daddy.

But this is our life, the life we have chosen and the life God has blessed us with. Other people might take their family members for granted, we have learned not to do that. We are always counting down a return or departure. Daddy will miss things, but we enjoy every second he is here.

On a lighter note, while he is gone, I get to prepare us for our HUGE move. Not to mention doing my schoolwork, D’s homeschooling, keeping up with R, and hopefully some biblical studies and spiritual growth. And most exciting of all, I get to look forward to taking a pregnancy test! We have been praying and trying for #3 and hopefully the middle of january will bring a positive test.

Monday I will be posting my goals for the day and week Time to get back into our routine and get everything ready for the new adventures to come.

God Bless.

Beauty through His Eyes December 27, 2009

Since beginning to cover my head I have noticed a lot of women here in Phoenix who cover their heads as well! Not just in my own parish, but in various places in the city. I noticed one woman at Denny’s the other day. Her husband looked to be military and they appeared…I use appeared very lightly as I do not know by fact…to be caucasian as well. How wonderful! She was wearing a hijab style scarf I suppose you could call it. She looked so simple but elegant all at the same time. Oh how I find it so wonderful. I also noticed women at malls, even two more today. Who were dressed in what appeared to be complete hijab and their head covering style of choice was more old fashioned I guess where the headcovering went past their elbows I think. I had a really hard time finding a picture to show exactly what I mean for some odd reason lol. So picture any picture of Mother Mary with her head covered and how long her veil was, thats how these wonderful ladies were covered. As I had mentioned before, I do not cover while out with my husband. Well I went to the mall with my sister in law to grab a present for hubbys birthday, and failed to cover my head I felt the guilt when I saw these ladies. Its really hard not covering while out with my husband. Im not sure why yet. As I thought originally I was only being called to cover while away from my husband. I feel closer to the Lord somehow while covered. If any of you ladies reading this have tried covering, Im sure you know what I mean. Maybe its not the covering itself, but the act of submission which does it for me. This has got to be the biggest thing God has asked me to do. No other time has it been an outward submission for everyone to see. I do feel nervous, and wonder what others think. I know I should not and that I do not owe anyone an explanation. I hope one day these feelings will end. I am now thinking about praying about full time headcovering. Although Im still not quite sure the rules for being on a military base and headcovering…and I do not want to cause my darling husband any problems.

But as always the Lord’s will be done. As I think of this, I remember watching the nativity story this weekend. The way they portrayed Mary coming back to town and everyone SEEING her obviously WITH CHILD…and the dream Joseph has about stoning her. Oh my! I never thought about what a social outcast it had made her! Those who didnt know the truth thought her to be an unpure woman! Oh if only they knew! She was in purest form at the time. Carrying the Lord himself. Growing him in her womb! Oh the joy that must have filled her. But can you imagine the knots in her stomach as she endured the long ride back from Elizabeths. All the praying she did? Im sure she was sick to her stomach…maybe even asking herself “Why did I do this? Lord why must you ask ME of this?” But then again maybe God had already given her the strength to face those people. God will never give us more than we can handle. However, he cant give us the strength or the guidance if we do not ask and are receptive.  Oh how I want to be receptive to everything he has to offer! The Lord can tell us great and mighty things if only we ask Jeremiah 33:3  My favorite verse! I believe it to be the first verse I memorized as a young child. The Lord has answered my cries, calls, pleads, and prayers numerous times, that I am SO very greatful for! Now, I have a thirst. I want to experience Him and his word full force. Although I do not discipline myself to do so. Do any other ladies out there have the same problem? I am thinking of starting a new challenge the first of the year…Along with continuing the flylady challenge of course…but a religious challenge. I want to learn as much as I can! Anyone want to join me? What do you think God is challenging you to do? Or what would he challenge you to if you were to be receptive? 5 minutes of Bible study in the mornings? 30 minutes? Morning Prayer? Family Bible study? Head covering? Modest clothing? Community Service? Anything else come to mind? Please do share!

God Bless have a wonderful Day!

Julie and Julia December 26, 2009

I received this movie today from my darling hubby! I knew from previews that I would adore it, however, I did not expect to laugh SO much! Honestly before this movie came out I knew nothing of Julia Child. Amazing isnt it? Im a homemaker and NEVER heard of Julia Child. My husband was extremely shocked. If you have not seen the movie you must set aside the money to AT LEAST rent it ladies. It is a fabulous story! I cant even put into words how amazing it really is. I love movies that motivate women to be fearless at what they do. We are strong homemakers and mothers, some even working women! We must be proud of what we do Be fearless to learn new things as well. Challenge yourself to something new every once in a while. You never know what you might learn or enjoy! Thank you Hollywood for putting this story out there. Well for those of you who do know of Julia Child…

Bon Appetite!

Big News! Big Move! December 24, 2009

Well we have finally been told where we are being stationed! Vilseck, Germany! How wonderful! We are so blessed! We have always wanted to go to Europe and now we are getting the chance. We will of course miss family, but this is a once in a lifetime opportunity and plus I cant wait to find out what God has planned for us there. Well, just wanted to post a short post for all you ladies! Will do more after the holidays.

Merry Christmas!