The Birth Story Part 2 and a Surprise Blessing

Continued from Part 1

My midwife finally arrived at about 6:20pm.  As soon as she got there, I lost my zen.  I don't know if it was the presence of someone else in the house that I wasn't familiar with, or if it was another transition in my labor.  The pain was reaching it's high point.  Another thing that didn't help was her psychotic ring tone that kept going off. If you've ever watched Kill Bill, you will know how wrong it is for a nurse midwife to have the song the female assassin whistles as she walks through the hospital dressed up as a nurse ready to kill the main character as she lies helplessly in bed. Eric and I exchanged looks of horror as we heard:




The contractions kept getting more and more unbearable and I was slightly disappointed with myself for not being able to keep my cool. I had read so much about not tensing up for contractions that I knew I was not heading down the right path.  Midwife checked my cervix (the second and ONLY time in the entire pregnancy- Thank you midwives!) and I was only at 5 centimeters.  She praised me, but I knew it was not good enough.  When the birth assistant came, my midwife met her at the door and unknown to me, said she had plenty of time to get things together since I was only at 5.  It's a good thing I didn't hear that! 

While she was out of the room, I prayed for a quick resolution to this labor since I was reaching the end of my wits.  I started making noises that I didn't think I would make while everyone told me I was doing great.  Not so much, I thought. I'm losing it over here!

 Eventually,  I succumbed to the pain.  It was unbearable. I was tense all over and couldn't relax.  The contractions spilled over from one to another and there was no rest in between.  My birth assistant told me to try to relax, and I desperately wanted to.  She said, "You need a break between contractions, try to relax." I remember wining like a five year old child, "YES! I need a break!" I knew something needed to change- either a position change, or to sit in the hot shower, or something. I couldn't do it very much longer.  I said another prayer as I lied there in my bed shaking from the tension.

Then suddenly, I felt the need to push like the most intense uncontrollable bowl movement ever. I keep telling people it was like a bowling ball moving at 50 miles an hour through my body. There was nothing I could do but push.  I screamed, "I need to push!" mostly because I didn't believe it myself.  The midwives had only been there for an hour (my birth assistant is also a midwife).  I didn't think they would let me push- not like I could do anything about it!  Eric didn't think it was time for me to push either.  "BREATH SARAH, BREATH!" was his response. So I breathed, then I pushed. I screamed, "I'm PUSHING!" again, to my astonishment because was surely, it couldn't be time.  The midwife was still not in the room at this time. She was on the phone- not believing me, I guess.

After the second push, the birth assistant called for the midwife to get in here, right away!  My husband recounts this part with hilarity.  There was a tone of urgency and bewilderment in her voice.  No one believed that I was actually pushing the baby out only about 45 minutes after having my cervix checked at 5 centimeters. So she calmly told me in voice like you talk to a small child "sometimes it feels like you need to push, but the cervix is not quite ready". The next contraction came and again, there was nothing I could do but scream and say "I'M PUSHING!" They finally believed me and ripped my pants off. The baby's head was crowning.

The next contraction, her head was out. The cord was wrapped around her head and the midwife told me to push her out.  All this time, I had been pushing involuntarily with the contractions, and I knew another one was only a few seconds away. I knew the baby could wait a couple more seconds, so for the next contraction, I pushed her out.  It was 7:17pm.  My water hadn't broke, so the midwife pulled the water sack off her head and unwrapped the cord. She was perfectly healthy.  She had some fluid in her lungs, but nothing to be concerned about.  To my amazement, I didn't have any damage due to the fast and heavy pushing either.

The baby was placed in my arms, but I didn't have the strength to even hold her. I was completely drained. I recall with amusement the placid epidural births when the doctor would tell me to push and I calmly pushed with a smile on my face.  Then afterwards, I would hold my baby and feel completely normal as if I just went for a walk in the park.  This time, I lay there, shell shocked- from the adrenaline, the pain, and the exhaustion. It was my first experience of raw, unadulterated child birth. It was a good feeling and a proud moment.  I also couldn't believe I just screamed that loud.  The pain from pushing was more than I expected and I had been screaming at the top of my lungs; now my voice was a bit hoarse.   If I had been in the hospital, I think I would have been humiliated.

After the baby was clean off and I could hold her properly, she latched on and was breastfeeding fine.  I caught sight of her eyes and they looked very different- almond shaped.  The birth assistant came in and asked if I had any questions. I knew what she meant. "Do you think she has Down Syndrome?" She nodded and walked over.  "Yes, she is very, very special", she said.  I wasn't disappointed, just surprised.

Earlier in the pregnancy, an ultrasound showed a spot on her heart, which is a marker for Downs. Since she had no other problems, and I'm only 31 with my husband even younger, no one thought much of it. She was given a 1% chance.  Who ever thinks they will be the one who gets the 1%?  Looking back, I'm glad were given the heads up.  It was the chance we needed to mull the idea over in our heads and come to terms with it- IF it would ever happen- which we didn't think would.

So when Eric came back in the room to see the baby, I told him she has Downs Syndrome.  He took it very well. I don't remember exactly what he said, but he told the story of his friend's brother who had Downs and almost killed him with a bear hug.  He only saw it as a blessing and still does.   Of course, we are nervous about the unknown.   The thought of her going through any pain is hard for us, but fortunately, she doesn't have any health problems that we know of.  Her heart appears to be functioning well, as is everything else about her.  Her muscle tone is a little low, but that's it.  She is a very low-key baby. She sleeps more than my other babies and only cries when she's hungry.  I tell people she's TOO good!

After the birth, Eric went to get the kids and Ginny came over to make us food.  While we ate our dinner, the midwife did all the newborn measurements on the bed with me while the kids watched.  It was such a peaceful and happy time.  We were filled with so much gratitude for a good birth and a healthy baby.  The children couldn't stop smiling at their baby sister either.

Afterward, Eric put the kids to bed and the midwives and Ginny hung out in the kitchen eating and talking while finishing up last minute things.  Eric's parents drove into the driveway at 11:00pm, just as everyone else was walking out.  They talked for awhile in the other room before going to bed at midnight. I was left alone in the bedroom all this time with my baby.  Too exhausted to move and too exhausted to sleep. I had so much on my mind.  I think I only got a couple hours of sleep even though the baby slept very well. 

I feel very blessed to have such a special baby.  One of the first things Eric said about her having Downs is that she is going to help us get to heaven. I said, "Yeah, it's going to be pretty hard to screw this one up!" If there's anything we knew about people with Downs is that they keep their beautiful, child-like innocence all their lives.  We both felt from the beginning that she was given to us as a wonderful gift from God. How else do you explain the surprise, but anything but being chosen for a special purpose?   I admit to being completely naive about what it's going to take to raise this special child, but for right now, I want to keep it that way.  We will take the challenges as they come.  It's all in God's hands- her life and ours. No one knows what the future brings, but for those that trust in the Lord, He will be their strength.

http://lorielizabethphotography.com/blog/

http://lorielizabethphotography.com/blog/

Merry Christmas From All of Us!

photos by Lori Elizabeth Photography

Love,
The Clay Rosary Girl

P.S.
Someone got her Christmas wish from last year. Remember when she asked for this?

http://lorielizabethphotography.com/blog/

Faustina's Birth Story- Part 1

Faustina's foot while being weighed. photo courtesy of Ginny

This birth was to be a lot of firsts for us.  After being stuck in the hospital for three days before my last baby came for a scheduled delivery, my husband and I were ready for a change of scenery this time around.  Despite the fact that I've always wanted to have a natural birth, for my hospital births, somehow I've ended up being hooked up to IV's, pumped full of pitocin, stuck to an obnoxious baby monitor that threatened me with every dip of the baby's heart beat to have this baby or have a c-section that I knew I didn't need and had my cervix checked more often than I cared.  That's not natural- not a natural setting, not a natural feeling and just plain uncomfortable.  This time I was ready for the "hand's off" approach, even if it meant I couldn't have an epidural. I've always had epidurals even though I tried not to. I would go as long as I could without one, but I would cave at the end when my cervix was going no where and the baby's heart rate was going down. 

I'm not going to lie, if it weren't for all my cool friends around here having babies at home, I don't think I would ever think about.   Thankfully, they all went through it first and had tons of great advice. Having a baby at home was so different on a few different levels. First, you have get so much ready at home for the baby and midwives. I spent an entire week cleaning and organizing my house. It's never been so clean! Second, there is different level of responsibility the midwives give you vs. the obstetrician. In many ways, I felt more in charge of this birth than ever before.  From being in charge of my own charts in the office to making all decisions about the birth, to being responsible for the supplies- surprisingly, I liked it better this way. I don't know if I would have liked it for the first, or even second birth when I didn't know what to expect. But this time, the doctors and nurses weren't having this baby- my husband and I were.  The midwives were along for the ride.

Now on to the birth. I started contracting on Tuesday morning at 4:00am.  They started off good- about 10 minutes apart.  I called my husband who was at work. He was more than happy to come home early. We spent the day preparing for a possible birth that day, but then the contractions slowed way down. We ended up running errands, doing last minute cleaning and driving around to see Christmas lights with the kids. It was a nice way to spend a day before the baby came.  I had checked off everything I wanted to get done before the baby came and now I could relax.

I have to say there is something about being mentally prepared to have your baby. With my other births, I've always gone 10 days over- the longest time the obstetricians will let you before being induced.  This time, I only went three days over and it was the first time I didn't need an induction. I was surprised it actually happened on it's own this time.  I attribute it to being able to mentally welcome the whole birth experience- pain and all. Letting go of the fear and anxiety of child birth was only made possible by all the reading up I did on natural birthing. The reading material led me to believe I could have a good birthing experience by welcoming contractions instead of dreading them. This was mostly true... there's a point, however, that no matter how much relaxing you do, the pain finds you and takes over. It's all good though. Having something to offer up is helpful at this point! 

For me, being spiritually prepared is essential for giving birth. I like praying the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary with the meditations from Immaculee's Our Lady of Kibeho.  It's the third time I prayed it while in labor and it always gives me the right mind set for making the pain a spiritual offering.  This time, I prayed for the conversion of family members.  We received word that one person in our family (whom we were unsure of) went to confession two days after the baby was born.  I don't know if it's related, but we thanked God for the sign of hope that was given.

Back to the birth...The next morning was Wednesday 12/12/12, the contractions started strong again at 3:30am. This time, they didn't go away as soon as I got up and I was sure this would be the day. We sent the kids off to my friend's house continued to make last minute preparations- finding the perfect music and getting the bedroom ready with the bed sheets put on the right way, so that after the birth, there would be clean sheets ready to go.

When it was about 1:30, the contractions started slowing down again- from 10 minutes apart to 15 minutes apart and they were weakening. We decided to pick up the kids again.  The plan was to  have dinner at home, put the kids to bed and maybe have the baby the following day. But as soon as the kids got home, things picked up again! My two year old was crawling on me when I had a huge contraction. I yelled for Eric to take the kids away and he brought them to another friend's house.

While he was gone, I called the midwives and told them the labor was picking up and to think about coming down soon.  15 minutes later, I called again and told them they better head down. Things were picking up faster than I thought.  That was at 4:00pm and rush hour was at its worst.  It would take them at least two hours to get to Fredericksburg from D.C. I prayed they would make it on time.

For the next hour and a half, Eric and I worked through the contractions with Yanni and whatever other cheesy new age music Pandora could find. It's not my typical listening choice, but it was good for relaxing. I laid on the bed on my side with the lights off and Eric massaged my back the entire time. I wouldn't let him leave for a minute. I was working hard to stay in my zen and I knew the minute he left, I would lose it.  From all the birthing books and advice we learned, to have a successful natural birth, relaxation is the key.  Eric recited some hypno birthing relaxation scripts, which were somewhat useful. I knew I wasn't going to be able to enter any sort of state of hypnosis, but at least I could try to use them to relax. So he talked about rainbow colored mists and opening flowers while putting pressure on my lower back to counteract the pressure from the contractions that were getting stronger and stronger.  Now they were only a minute or two apart. 

To be continued...

Baby Faustina

Mary Faustina Guadalupe Harkins was born on 12/12/12 at 7:17pm on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. She is so sweet and we just love her. More info to come, but here's a fun list of firsts with this baby:

1.  First baby to be born sans meds
2. First home birth
3. First midwife/birth assistant birth
4.  One more surprise, but I will explain that later.

God is so good!  He has answered all our prayers for a good, natural delivery and a healthy baby. He has blessed us beyond our expectations.

St. Andrew Bead Jewelry

I'm on a role here with putting new jewelry in my shop! These were all made with my purple star kaleidoscope beads that I used for the St. Andrew Chaplets (which is underway this advent!)

http://www.clayrosaries.com/necklaces.html

 This was a special request necklace that turned out so well, I decided it needed to be in my shop too. Thank you to Sherri for the inspiration!

http://www.clayrosaries.com/bracelets.html

http://www.clayrosaries.com/earrings.html

Those Antiqued Butterfly Beads

I went through quite the experimentation and thought process to transform my marshmallowy butterfly beads into something more appealing.  In the end, I think the burning process is too hazardous, so I will probably not be making more of these beads. Here's what I did to make the butterfly bracelet beads:

First I sliced large pieces of the butterfly bead and rolled them to make nice little marshmallow looking balls.

Then I took three colors of the Liquid Polymer and mixed them to make my antiquing color.  I rolled the balls into the liquid and then baked them.

I think I re-glazed them after the first baking because I didn't like the color.  Then I baked them some more at a hotter temperature than recommended and cooked them longer than recommended until the liquid polymer started smoking.  Then and only then, the liquid polymer transformed into a glassy glaze with an antiqued look. 

So you see, slightly hazardous, but very pretty.  These will likely be the only ones I will be making.

Oh, and the glaze clogged up the holes, making it impossible to string anything in them.  My husband had to drill holes through them. So from start to finish- it was quite the process.  The photo doesn't show how shiny these beads actually are- but take it from me- they are niiice and shiny.

http://www.clayrosaries.com/bracelets.html

Butterfly Rosaries and Folk Art Rosaries, Servite Rosary

I finally put my butterfly beads to good use and made two new rosaries with them.  The first is all clay- which is my personal preference.  I think the all clay rosaries (with clay cross and centerpiece) are nice because there are no metal parts with potential for tarnishing, or snagging. The feel of an all clay rosary is more comfortable to me than the cold metal parts and I definitely prefer it for sleeping with- if you like to sleep with your rosary as much as I do!  In the end, it's just a personal preference, which is why I provide both options.

http://www.clayrosaries.com/butterfly-rosaries.html

 I used three coordinating colors to outline the butterfly beads and gently rounded each bead to give it a nice, finished look.

http://www.clayrosaries.com/butterfly-rosaries.html

Now, my favorite rosary: the Folk Art Rosary.  I have two options for this rosary as well.  Remember those flowers I made to put on the rooster beads? I dug them out and reconfigured them into snazzy beads for this rosary (and also the jewelry set for girls).  The combination of the folk art flowers with the folky rooster beads is my personal favorite rosary.  I didn't think I'd like the turquoise glass beads with this rosary, but I ended up loving them!  If you'd prefer a metal crucifix with this rosary, I also have that as one of the options.

http://www.clayrosaries.com/folk-art-rosaries.html

Lastly, I put the Servite Rosary, or the Chaplet of the Seven Sorrows of Mary back in my shop with my lastest black roses.  I guess there was something on EWTN recently with Immaculee and this devotion because several people have asked about this chaplet, so here it is:

http://www.clayrosaries.com/seven-sorrows-of-mary-chaplet.html

Butterfly Jewelry, and Loads of Girl Jewelry

Quite a lot of new things in my shop- just in time for Christmas! Some of my favorite pieces ever, I think.

Here's one of my butterfly necklaces- I have four different kinds! Check them all out here.

http://www.clayrosaries.com/neclaces.html

And for the girls, Butterfly Jewelry. Click here for more.

http://www.clayrosaries.com/girl-butterfly-jewelry.html

More Jewelry for little girls: Children's Immaculate Heart Jewelry.  These jewelry sets are very affordable.

Here's my daughter wearing the Immaculate Heart necklace. She loves it so much.

http://www.clayrosaries.com/immaculate-heart-jewelry.html

Folk Art Jewelry Set for girls with matching bracelet:

http://www.clayrosaries.com/rooster-girls-jewelry.html

Guardian Angel Set for girls with matching bracelet:

http://www.clayrosaries.com/guardian-angel-jewelry.html

Did I mention these sets are very durable and affordable?


More earrings added too!

http://www.clayrosaries.com/earrings.html

Signs of Waiting

On a different note- the winner of the inappropriate maternity comment goes to the man who said to me, "You're hanging low, baby." Creepy man, please don't call me baby. I wish he were referring to the child in my womb, but the way he said it, I know he was not.

My six year old wrapped this pretty little advent wreath that he made in school today
 and gave it to me. So sweet.

Survival Tip for Moms

Moms: If you ever find yourself stranded without a baby carrier- follow this handy tip.

Brilliant idea inspired after an impromptu dress up game in my room unbeknown to me. Crazy kids. I'm not allowed to show you what the rest of them looked like.  Let's just say dress up is not allowed in my bedroom anymore.

Making a Living Advent Wreath

This year, I dismantled the 7 year old Advent wreath that I made with fake evergreens and bright purple and pink ornaments. It's been growing out of my favor in recent years. Funny how your tastes change.  I was happy to see it being replaced a living, handmade Advent wreath that is so much more symbolic. 

The symbolism of the Advent wreath is beautiful. The wreath is made of various evergreens, signifying continuous life. Even these evergreens have a traditional meaning which can be adapted to our faith: The laurel signifies victory over persecution and suffering; pine, holly, and yew, immortality; and cedar, strength and healing. Holly also has a special Christian symbolism: The prickly leaves remind us of the crown of thorns, and one English legend tells of how the cross was made of holly. The circle of the wreath, which has no beginning or end, symbolizes the eternity of God, the immortality of the soul, and the everlasting life found in Christ. Any pine cones, nuts, or seedpods used to decorate the wreath also symbolize life and resurrection. All together, the wreath of evergreens depicts the immortality of our soul and the new, everlasting life promised to us through Christ, the eternal Word of the Father, who entered our world becoming true man and who was victorious over sin and death through His own passion, death, and resurrection. (taken from here)

 Last year, my friend mentioned how she made an advent wreath and kept it alive all advent by spraying it with water.  I guess the book she got it from also advised to soak newspaper in water and wrap that around the wreath first, but since she managed to keep her wreath alive without that step, I decided to go that route too.

Today we collected the prickly holly and everything else that was still green and pretty.  When we got home, I put everything around the brass candle holder with floral wire.  It didn't take much imagining to think of the thorns on Jesus crown like the above paragraph states. I'm still a little sore from all the pokes!

I obviously do not have a natural talent for floral arranging, but the kids approved. It's circular and green and alive- those were the only requirments of this craft. Beautifully arranged- optional.

Then we sprayed it with (not floor cleaner!) water. I had emptied this bottle for water.  Now we just have to remember to water it every day and hope it stays green.  Hope you are having a peaceful time preparing for advent. We are preparing for more than one birth this year! I look forward to having my husband off for much of December since he will be on leave when the baby comes.  We'll have every reason to slow down and stay at home. I think this will be the best Advent yet.

DIY Christmas Gift: Wooden Memory Games

As promised, here are a few pictures and tutorial of a fun Christmas gift- or anytime gift- that can be unique as you want it to be.  I have been Miss Procrastination lately as I feel pulled in a million directions with the baby coming, homeschooling and such, so I didn't get a chance to take as many pictures of the finished projects as I wanted since they were finished late at night or the very last minute before rushing out the door to give them away.  But I will provide all the resources and instructions you need.

1. Order the wooden blocks for the correct size of picture you want on them. I settled on 2 inch squares, so I ordered 2 inch square blocks and 2 inch square pictures.  I also did a set of 2 inch round blocks with the 2 inch round pictures, but decided with the game of memory, it's better to have squares that circles. Here's where I ordered mine: http://www.etsy.com/listing/113001126/50-2-unfinished-wooden-squares-2-inch-5

2. Order the download-able collage pictures in the correct size. I was able to request to have a set resized to two inch. Most people will do this for you.  Here are the collages I settled on, after hours of searching for the right look. There are so many different themes and styles- it was too fun to look through them all!  adore the charm of the vintage, so I picked these three:

• Vintage Fairies and Fairytales
• Vintage Animals
• Vintage Catholic Saints and Holy Images

 3. Print out the downloaded collages. Pick 12 images and double them up so you have 12 pairs for the memory game. I made one extra and drilled a hold in the extra one to tie a string on it and put it on the outside of the bag where they are stored. It made a pretty tag/label for easy identification.  Here are the bags I purchased: http://www.nashvillewraps.com/organza-bags/cotton-drawstring-bags/sku-83410.html

4. For the complete vintage look, I antiqued the squares before I decoupaged the images onto them. You can easily do this by taking a brown stamp pad and swiping the edges of the squares across it. I also did this to the images that I thought needed some antiquing- like the circles pictured.  In theory, you could skip a step and antique the images and the edges of the wooden block after you glued them. However, I didn't feel like testing any theories. I'm not sure how the ink would look over the glue or if it would look quite so neat.

For my vintage animals, I used a rust colored ink for the edging instead of the brown.

5. I also used the ink pad to stamp a simple design on the back of each square. For the religious ones, I used a Fleur De Lis and for the other ones, I used a pretty sunflower. 

6. Decoupage the image onto the wood. Put two layers of decoupage on top the image and one layer on the back and sides for a finished look. I have not tested the durability of the decoupage...get back to me in six months- these are Christmas presents, so I should know by then.  I think they will be fine, though.

7. Place them in your cute bag and put your tag on them (see #3). Finished! Depending on the cost of the collage, how many sets of each design you use and how many of the supplies you already have on hand, the estimated cost of the project is about $13.00- $15.00.

Back on My Game

Very shortly, I will be posting pictures to accompany all the claims I make in this post.  I am back on my game, now that my husband is done working 12 hour shifts and done being away for weeks at a time.  I feel like I can breathe again! He comes home everyday and gets to spend time with us.  It is feeling like a luxury after the last several months.  He even picks things off the ground for me knowing how much I hate to bend down with my basketball of a belly.  He's really wonderful.

Also, a huge weight off my shoulders- another year down for making things for the Mary's Shelter Benefit.  I love doing it for them, but for some reason, I thought I could put a billion things together at the last minute this year.  Instead I ended up stressed out and keeping my in laws awake until midnight because I was working in the same room where they were supposed to be sleeping. Sorry! Not such a great way to kick off their visit.

The plus side of being stuck inside a pressure cooker for a day is that A LOT gets accomplished. I was able to finally put together a decent piece of jewelry from my butterfly beads.  It only took me about 2 months, 10 tries and a quick trip to Michaels for some different beads.   My friend bought it after it was on display for about 10 minutes.  I knew I should have made two of them!  I am looking forward to putting them in my shop this week.

Another hair brained scheme of mine was to put together some cute vintage looking memory games for the benefit. Because I really have nothing else to do!!  I will be posting a DIY on that soon.  Two nights before the benefit, my wonderful husband again saved the day and helped me decoupage the last of the sets.  It was a romantic evening of crafting together. What he wouldn't do for me!

This is why I say NO to learning to how sew.  I have used a sewing machine before and vaguely know how to put things together with thread, but I cannot have another distraction.   In another life, I would make the cutest things for myself and my daughters (boy clothes are boring) and sew all the time, but for this life, I'm good with clay.  This doesn't mean that I won't live vicariously through my daughter and have her sew adorable things with the sewing machine I am already planning on buying her when she gets old enough. 

So now I can focus on getting the rest of the things in my shop that have been waiting to get in there in between practicing relaxation techniques for the quickly approaching home birth in December. Oh yes, I did say home birth. It's going to be great. Eric has been reading The Birthing Partner and says we should get our money back from our expensive birth assistant because he's going to be that awesome.  His confidence is contagious.

Christmas Gift for the Girls

I have to share these with you:  custom made matching dresses for my daughter and her new sister! Thank you, Jesus, for talented friends who enjoy sharing their beautiful products! I think this is going to be my favorite gift to give the kids this Christmas. 
My friend, Chance made these for the girls:
Here Etsy Shop is: http://www.etsy.com/shop/MadeByChance?ref=top_trail

http://www.etsy.com/listing/113754902/custom-listing-for-sarah?

Thank you, Chance! Now I might have to get them some sweet red shoes and cardigans to match.

How could you not want as many of these as possible?

Today we are spending a cozy day in doors while the winds and rain go on around us. I don't think the storm is going to be as bad for us in Virginia as it is for our friends North of us, but we are hunkering down, nonetheless.

This morning, an Italian Wedding Soup recipe had me running to the liqueur store for some vermouth. It was nice to get out and see if the river had swollen to the road and how the world around us was fairing. Except for a few fallen branches, all was well.

As I was checking out, the woman asked if it was "martini time". Really?  Was that supposed to be funny or was she just checking to see if I was going to be drinking all that vermouth with my 8 month baby bump in tow?  For some reason, people think baby bumps are fair game for all sorts of inappropriate comments especially if you've got a few other younger kids.  I don't understand it.

The other day a seemingly nice man was helping me down from the hay ride we were on. As he saw my baby bump, he muttered (mostly to himself) "....with three young kids...whoa".  His pity had the opposite effect. I felt sorry for him.  I've come to the understanding that people who cannot see children as anything but burdens are the ones to feel sorry for.   Their lives must be so depressing that they cannot think past their selfishness to see how a child could bring anything but more burden.  How sad of an existence.

Sure my kids bring A LOT more work, less time for me and what I want. But that's kind of the point.  As I decrease (mostly by the shear force of many young children around me) the more I am able to let go of selfishness and let God in.   My heart increases and my joy increases.  But how do you explain this to people of the world.

Not only that, but kids are soooo cute! How could not want a million little toddlers to hug and kiss and say, "I lub boo"?  Their love is unconditional- pure and honest- unlike any adult on this planet.  Children are the face of God- not something to be pitied.

My husband has to deal with a lot of coworkers with the selfish mentality that children are burdens.  Since we became pregnant with our fourth, he says the comments to get "fixed" are nonstop.  He couldn't think of a more unmanly thing than to have his man parts mutilated.

His coworker once told him that she hates kids.  She kicks her nieces and nephews when they come by here. *kicks them*  I don't know how it's possible to even admit such a thing and not be filled with shame.  And don't get me started on how people would rather oogle over dogs than babies. makes. me. sick. Since when did dogs get cuter than kids? Oh, that's right, when you can lock them up in a pen and forget about them- that's when they become more desirable.

I'll leave you with something happy and very desirable- even if you happen to already have a few of them:

Jude had me attach these trains together so he could ride away on his train.  As he waves goodbye to go off on his long journey, he says, "blanket, tease (please)" Can't forget that!

Remember: as the children multiply, so does the love. so does the love.

Lounge Pants

Six years ago, when I was just pregnant with my first, I bought a pair of yoga pants from Express. They were perfect. Perfect for maternity- all the way from the beginning to the end- and perfect for after pregnancy pants. I even wore them out of the house on occasion without looking like I just came from the gym. I don't condone regular yoga pants use (too much showing, no matter if I can see the color of your skin or not), but sometimes, you just don't want to change before leaving the house, you know?

Anyway, after I wore these first pants out, I could not, for the life of me, find anything that compared. All other pants never fit the right way, shrunk, and the fabric was not the same. Until I found Gap Fit pants. I am wearing them right now- 8 months pregnant and they are so comfy.  They are not maternity pants, so you know how great they are if they can stretch that far and still be comfortable. I look forward to wearing these long after the baby is born. Best part- they are on sale right now for $25.00!

http://www.gap.com/browse/category.do?cid=87589&tid=gpemmain1&EV=GWMET10202012&DI=53309726&CD=GNC_GPR

I purchased the Gbalance pants above. 

Just promise me that you won't live in these!  Sorry for my tangent; I have seen enough women wearing ill-covering stretchy pants in Disney World to last a lifetime.  They are lounge pants or exercise pants, people- not for the public eye! (unless you are wearing a long shirt to cover your bottom).

Enjoy wearing them in the comfort of your own home :)

Autumn from the Front Porch

We have a gorgeous view from our front porch, (minus the cars driving by) especially in the fall. It's peak fall season here and it was 77 degrees today- how much more perfect can you get?

Jude is waving to the many cars driving past during rush hour.

My Blessed Nephew

Not only is my nephew blessed to have two wonderful parents, live in Rome, and be the product of a Montessori upbringing, but now he also has the blessing of the Pope! Here's a picture of him being kissed by the Papa himself.  (his friend is the other baby- somehow Mathias snuck in and two babies got kissed instead of the one).

All I can say is that this kid better turn out all right!

Best Pillow EVER!

FYI- if you have an aching neck from bad pillows...

SilverRest Sleep Shop Luxury Queen Comfort Memory Foam Pillow with Zippered Cover

I've had this pillow since 2009 and every time I am away from it, my neck aches. My husband steals it from me any chance he can get and when he's traveling and has to stay in hotels, his neck aches. The first thing he wants is my memory foam pillow. So this year, I am buying him his own for his birthday. They are a bit spendy for a pillow (29.00-shipping included), but three years ago when I bought it, I was desperate for something with support. This delivered and keeps delivering restful sleep year after year. BEST pillow award! (by me).

It weighs a lot more than regular pillow (4 or 5 pounds?), but that doesn't stop me from dragging it along to overnight stays. I just make my husband carry it! Now he'll be carrying two, no doubt.

p.s. I did not receive anything for this recommendation, although that would be great. I'd get one for everyone I know.

Apple Pickin'

This was the first time we've been to the orchard to pick apples in the fall. Such fun! And my, how we miss the mountains. I think we've forgotten how beautiful they are from when we lived in Denver almost 5 years ago.

Now comes the fun of what to do with a huge box of apples!

And finally, I will leave you with a maternity shot that says, "I am pregnant, hear me roar!"  The way people go on about how amazing I must be to be having my fourth child so young, you'd think I was some kind of super mom (so not true!) So here's my super mom shot:

BTW: two more months left! I feel fine except when I have to pick things off the ground, or when I've been on my feet for long periods of time. Other than that, I can't complain. Baby is doing great too.