Bits and Pieces

Some little updates:

~ I still cannot find my camera. I did find it, but it has disappeared since. I don't know if it was thrown into the 15 or so boxes we have left to unpack, but I hope I find it soon.

~ Our housewarming party is next weekend and I am so excited!! We are doing open house style.

~ The Mermaid continues to love her gymnastics class. I'm bummed I haven't been able to take pictures yet. I am definitely going to keep signing her up as long as possible. On the other hand, she is increasingly losing interest in soccer, due to the cold weather. I think next season we will try to get her into the Spring session and see if she likes it better then.

~ I finally got curtains and some decorations up around the house, but the walls are mostly bare. We've still got some unpacking and decorating to do before the party.

~I've joined FlyLady again, determined to keep our new house clean. So far, it's going great. Having a dishwasher helps.

~ I'm hoping to put the Guppy back in cloth diapers soon. We just need to buy some new diaper pails. I am so over the smelly, chemical filled disposables that she's been wearing the past three weeks. Yuck.

That's it for around here. Hopefull I'll find my camera soon.

Bits and Pieces

Quality Level of Care

A while back I invited readers to share their birth stories to be published at Inspiring Birth Stories. One of my readers sent in her beautiful and empowering story of the birth of her second child, A.

I think what I like best about her story is that she clearly talks about the difference between the quality of care that she received from her midwife vs. her OBGYN from her first pregnancy. It really does make a difference when you are cared for by someone who sits and talks to you, who knows you personally, knows your dreams and desires for the birth. With my old OBGYN, she would come in for the last five minutes of my prenatal appointment, check my chart to make sure she had my name right, talk a little bit about numbers and procedures and tests, and then leave. The difference is astounding.

Head on over and read the birth story of A. It's a great story, very empowering.

Quality Level of Care

I Almost Fell Into That Trap

It's something that every nursing mother experiences at least once. It's mostly known as "The Holiday Wean", but really it can happen during any major transition or stressful period.

Like moving.

Because the Knight and I were in a hurry to get the house painted and us moved in, the girls spent a lot of time over other people's houses while we packed, painted, and unpacked. In fact, the night before the move, the Guppy and I spent our very first night apart: she slept over her Grandmother's while the Knight and I stayed up until midnight to finish the painting. I figured she would be okay with it.

The next afternoon, after the move, when my MIL brought her home, I thought she would want to nurse immediately. Imagine my surprise when she wanted nothing to do with me. She was angry.

It took about four hours before she would finally come over and give me a hug and kiss. And it wasn't until the next day that she decided she would nurse again (to the relief of my sore and engorged breasts).

You would think that I would've been more aware of what was happening. I did mention to the Knight once or twice that she wasn't nursing as often during the packing phase, but didn't really think much of it. I got too wrapped up in other things in life, and forgot the important lesson that the Guppy teaches me every day: sit down and rest, slow down, take care of yourself.

Thankfully, the Guppy is now back to her regular nursing schedule. She and the Mermaid love their new room and the house. We are all grinning ear to ear over here.

Have you ever experienced the Holiday Wean? How do you remind yourself to take time to make sure your nursling is getting his or her "na nas" during stressful and busy times?

I Almost Fell Into That Trap

Home Sweet Home

Home.

It's such a simple word, but now it has such a new and inspiring meaning to the Knight and I.

We have a home. Ours. It has a backyard and a beautiful deck. It has more than one bedroom. It has two bathrooms. And it's ours.

I feel like I'm having a babymoon all over again, only its with a house instead of a baby. Each time I turn the key in the lock and walk in, my heart skips a beat.

Does this feeling happen to everyone when they buy their first house? I know the jokes, Yes, until the first mortgage bill comes in, ha ha. But does it truly fade then? Does the feeling of being a home owner become an every day, run of the mill feeling? It doesn't seem possible.

Our house is small and simple. It is definitely not impressive. But it's clean, it's warm, and it's ours. It's a place for our family to live together, eat meals together, and grow together. And even though I consider myself as someone who is not materialistic, I can't help but fall in love with it. It's wood and wires and plumbing and cement and yet, it's so much more. I love it.

We'll see how I feel after the first payment is due. But for now, I am basking in the warm feeling of being a home owner, of cooking my family nutritious meals in a kitchen that we own, of tucking my daughter into her very own bed in her very own room at night.

I've got lots of thoughts to post about and some pictures too. We should be completely done packing and fully back on schedule on Monday. In the meantime, how did you feel when you bought your house? How long did this warm feeling last for you?

Home Sweet Home

I'm Back!

Well, sort of.

We got Internet, cable and phone this morning, yay! We're doing good on the unpacking. Our goal was to be completely done tonight, but it isn't going to happen. However, all we have left is the office (most of which is already done, we just need to put books on bookcases), and the living room (also mostly done, just waiting to get a media cabinet and entertainment center so we can put our movies away).

Can I tell you how happy we are to be in our own home!? I have lots to write about, and I hope to be back into my regular schedule within a few days!!

I'm Back!

I Hate Packing

I'm still here, just a little overwhelmed with moving and packing. So far we've painted the two room we wanted to in the house, taken care of all the small details, and almost finished packing. Closing was on Wednesday and tomorrow is our offical moving day.

I know I won't have internet access until Tuesday the earliest, so until then wish us luck on our move!! I have lots to write about when I get back, and pics too.

I Hate Packing

Sarah Palin Debate Chart: Too Funny

Sarah Palin Debate Chart: Too Funny

Birthing Goddess

As a doula, sometimes I get frustrated and wonder why I am doing this.

I have heard a few people state that doulas are simply witnesses. It's even been stated that doulas may be "perpetuating the very system that they are in the business of changing." Sometimes I feel that way. Sometimes I feel that all I am able to do is sit back and watch as IV's are put in, pitocin started, requests denied, and sometime, even scare tactics are used to keep the woman in compliance. As woman are told that their babies are too big and their pelvis too small; they are too "overdue"; their labors are taking too long; they are not progressing; they are unable to birth their baby without the doctors and their array of wonderful drugs don't worry there is minimal risk involved and why not just get the epidural don't you know that women who give birth naturally don't get gold stars?

However much debate there is, the statistical benefits of a doula still stand true and proven. So I keep packing my bag, keep taking clients, and keep praying at night that the next birth will go as the mom plans, that the nurse/doctor won't be in a rush or having a bad day or whatnot.

Then I'll have a client who's birth does go as planned. And it makes it all worth it. I get home, sit on the couch, and think about what I witnessed and say "wow".

Today I'm over at Inspiring Birth Stories talking about such a birth. Head on over for some inspiration. And if you want to submit your own birth story, feel free to email me.

Birthing Goddess

Bits and Pieces

Some updates:

~ Both my September client and my October client have given birth. Now, so far I'm off call until the end of January. I need more clients :o)

~ Closing day is exactly one week from today! Then we paint paint paint (only two rooms, thank goodness) and move move move. I bet you think I'm so on top of things and that I've already packed up a lot of our stuff. HA!

~ The Mermaid has about 4 weeks left in her current curriculum and then we start another one. I am so excited. Because she is actually going to have a bedroom. And we can learn in her bedroom, instead of all over the kitchen table. We'll have an actual "learning center" and everything.

~ I signed the Mermaid up for gymnastics. So now she is doing gymnastics and soccer, and I've drawn the line. As tempted as I am to sign her up for dance as well, I think two organized activities at a time is enough.

~ I found my camera. Enough said.

~ Can I tell you how much I am loving being a two car family? No more waking the girls up at the crack of dawn to drive the Knight to work because I need the car later that day....no more planning my schedule around the Knight's work schedule....no more feeling guilty because the Knight had to miss another day of work because I'm at a birth and I have our only car. It's sooo nice.

~ The Guppy has become fascinated with money. Maybe obsessed is a better word. She loves sorting it, stacking it, and putting it in her piggy banks. She also likes to throw it across the room and make a huge money mess, but that's a post for another day.

That's it for the bits and pieces. I'm not sure how much I'm going to be able to post in the upcoming two weeks due to the move (YAY), but I'll return soon.

Bits and Pieces

A Guiding Presence

My daughter is four and very angry at me.

She doesn't know that watching too much television is not good for her, in so many ways. She doesn't know how much better it is physically, mentally, and emotionally, for her to play outside instead. She just knows that she wants to watch Dora, and that her mommy won't let her.

My daughter and I usually communicate well with each other. I usually don't yell, and I never hit or spank her. Time outs and banishment to bedrooms don't work in this house. Instead, we normally use feeling words and try to talk to each other about how we feel and come up with a compromise. However, once in a while, like today, we come up short in communication.

My daughter doesn't want to talk. She wants to yell and cry and turn her back to me. She doesn't want to be hugged or touched or cuddled. She just wants to be angry. This leaves me with two choices: I can threaten, yell, or punish her in some other way until she starts to "behave," or I can use this as an opportunity to guide her.

I know that when I am angry, I get overwhelmed. It's hard for me to stay calm, it's hard for me to think about anything but whatever I am angry about. From my experience with anger, I know that yelling or punishing her at this time isn't going to help; it wouldn’t work with me, so why would it work for her? It would make things worse. And so, I choose the other option.

She's laying on the couch, crying, her back to me. I sit next to her. I don't touch her, or hug her, or try to talk to her...I just sit quietly, letting her anger run its course. I know she can feel my presence beside her, keeping her company while she tries to sort through the powerful and overwhelming emotions that have taken over her body.

Time passes, and her crying starts to slow. Soon, she sits up and starts wiping the tears from her face. She looks at me and then climbs on my lap. I wrap my arms around her and kiss her forehead.

"Feel better?" I ask. She nods. "Want to go outside now?" She nods again, grinning, and jumps off my lap to find her shoes.

No, my daughter doesn't know about the studies that show the harmful effects television can have on her. She doesn't know that she is building memories of nature and animals and plants that she will look back on fondly. But, she does know that I am always there for her, no matter what. That my presence will always be in her life, ready to guide her whenever she needs it. That is one of my gifts to her.

To read more posts about "Giving Our Children Guiding Presence", visit the Attachment Parenting International website to learn more about the upcoming carnival.

A Guiding Presence

Linky Love

Some lovely links:

Mama K NJ talks about an article she read describing five ways to reduce your BPA exposure.

Nicole over at Bellies and Babies hosts an alternative and uncommon birth video festival.

Tanya over at the Motherwear Breastfeeding Blog talks about what the Chinese formula crisis says about breastfeeding.

Over at the Homeschool Classroom, Angie talks about age appropriate chores for children.

That's all today for Linky Love.

Linky Love

Safer Prenatal Test for Downs Syndrome

From the article:

A prenatal blood test can be used to determine if an unborn baby has Down's syndrome without the small risk to the fetus posed by invasive testing methods
such as amniocentesis, U.S. researchers said on Monday.

Researchers led by Stephen Quake of Stanford University in California
created a way to look for the extra chromosomes that cause Down's and similar
birth detects in the tiny amounts of fetal DNA that circulate in the mother's
blood.

The test, which requires a small blood sample from the mother, is safer
than amniocentesis, in which a needle is stuck into the uterus, and can be done
earlier in a pregnancy.

You can read the full article here...

Safer Prenatal Test for Downs Syndrome

Spot Shot Carpet Stain and Odor Eliminator: A Review

It's a fact that every mom knows: kids and carpets don't mix. And those "leak proof" sippy cups that you can buy in stores? They really aren't leak proof. Plus, I'm sure that there are other "lazy" moms out there like me who are too "busy" to look for the lids for the cups and just hand the cup full of juice and no lid to their two year old child with the advise "Don't spill."

Anyone? No one? Hmmm....

Anyways, my current house has all hardwood and no carpets so carpet stains have not been an issue yet. However, in two weeks we are going to be moving into our first house which has WHITE carpeting on the stairs and hallway.

Yes. White. I can hear you hysterically laughing already.

So, I was so happy when my friends at Mom Central sent me a bottle of WD-40's Spot Shot Carpet Stain and Odor Eliminator. And I was delighted when I learned that it is non-toxic and certified biodegradable. Yeee-haw, I can have clean carpets without the guilt of exposing my children to dangerous chemicals. But, the question remained: does it really work?

Along with the sample and literature they also send a sample of carpet with some chocolate (a favorite in this house) and ammonia (main ingredient in pet urine, ewwww) to try out the awesome stain removing power of Spot Shot. I painted the chocolate and ammonia on the carpet and followed the simple and quick directions, and viola! Clean carpet. Cool.

Of course, with my camera packed I wasn't able to take pics, but trust me: this product rocks.

So, if you have pets and kids and carpets, this is a product you need. I give it two thumbs up!

Spot Shot Carpet Stain and Odor Eliminator: A Review

What Are You Waiting For?

What Are You Waiting For?

Inspiring Birth Stories: Birth of Baby S

When I meet with a birth client, I always tell them the same thing: avoid negative birth stories.

It seems that when a woman gets pregnant, every person she meets seems to have had, or know someone who has had, an awful and horrendous birth experience full of pain and danger. Why do we feel the need to scare a soon-to-be mom like that?

I usually give my clients a list of websites and books that contain positive birth stories for them to read and focus on.

Inspiring Birth Stories is such a website. Full of positive birth stories written by moms and doulas, it's a great site for all expectant moms to visit, or anyone who likes to be inspired by birth.

Recently, I was invited to become a contributing author at Inspiring Birth Stories. I'm over there today, talking about my September client's birth. Come on over and be inspired.

Inspiring Birth Stories: Birth of Baby S

Wordless Wednesday: From The Archives: Summer's Birth

Wordless Wednesday: From The Archives: Summer's Birth

K'NEX Sesame Street Building Sets: a Review

Finding a common toy that is age-appropriate for both my children really isn't hard: except when it comes to building blocks. The Guppy can't seem to grasp and put together the smaller blocks that the Mermaid loves to play with, and the Mermaid gets bored with the bigger blocks made for the Guppy's age.

Problem solved. Sesame Street has teamed up with K'NEX and is introducing a line of building sets based on Sesame Street. These sets are made for kids 2-5, and as the age recommendation suggests, both my girls loved playing with them!

The Mermaid loved building one of her favorite Sesame Street character and playing with the fun activity cards provided in the box, while the Guppy had no problem building with the colorful and chunky rods, connectors, and blocks. The set also included educational tips for parents that I enjoyed reading.

In fact, both girls enjoyed the blocks so much, that they forgot to argue with each other. Peace ensued. And they loved taking turns role playing with the Elmo character they just built!

In the end, I give this product two thumbs up.

K'NEX Sesame Street building sets are very reasonably priced, with sets starting at $10.99. Sets can be combined to let your child's creativity flow. Visit the K'NEX website for more information.

K'NEX Sesame Street Building Sets: a Review