As my fifth baby turns 6 weeks old, I find myself a bit emotional. She is growing so quickly and I don't know if I will be blessed to experience this precious newborn stage again. It has been tough and exhausting many times, as all newborn stages are, but I have found myself slowing down and just enjoying her more than past babies because I know she might be my last and I just don't want to miss a moment or forget how precious a newborn can be.
With my first baby, I was determined to try to be a good mommy...I watched the clock constantly, not wanting to feed her too often or not often enough and trying to make sure she slept the perfect amount of time. With my 2nd baby, I was too sleep deprived and honestly wouldn't remember a thing if I hadn't blogged about it. My 3rd baby was thankfully an easy one and fell into our routine nicely but I gave up blogging so much because there just wasn't time with 3 little ones running around. My 4th baby was very fussy and my life was absolutely crazy with a recent move, my husband losing his job, and trying to homeschool a 2nd grader, a kindergartener, and a preschooler while bouncing a fussing baby in the sling. She pretty much lived in the sling. But this time, with my fifth baby, I find myself not even knowing when I fed her last or when she went down for a nap. I purposely try NOT to look at the clock. If she yawns, I put her down for a nap. If she cries with her precious cough that means she is hungry, I feed her. Even if it seems like I just did. If a new mom asked me for advice, I would just say, "Enjoy your new baby. You can't spoil a new baby. Babies were meant to be held. Don't worry about the clock. Don't worry about how much time you spend rocking. Don't worry about sleep-training those first 3 months. Just enjoy your baby." Because it passes all too quickly. And it is such joy to just love on that baby instead of watching the clock.
Saturday, December 31, 2016
Friday, December 9, 2016
My 5th Birth story
We are so in love with our new baby girl! She truly came at the perfect time with just the right people available to help and I wanted to remember all the little miracles that happened along the way.
I must start her birth story about a month before my due date. The previous month had been a tough one, with all 4 of my girls coming down with a long, miserable virus and many sleepless nights. Mark and I also came down with sickness, although thankfully not the virus. Needless to say, I was sleep deprived, utterly exhausted, and my immune system was down. Shingles chose that unfortunate time to strike and it is honestly the most painful illness I have ever endured. Between the baby kicking my bladder and the intense pain of the shingles, I could not sleep at all. Only a month left before our sweet blessing arrived (if she waited that long!), and I could not do anything to get ready. It hurt to even walk around, let alone clean the house or wash baby clothes. Also, we had no room for the new baby yet. My husband and his Dad were busy putting up a wall to make a new bedroom for the big girls so the baby could take theirs, but in the meantime, the house was a chaotic construction zone and everything from our former family room (think tons of books and games and art supplies) was scattered around the house, waiting for me to feel good enough to find new homes for them. It was a miserable time but we are so thankful for amazing family and friends who brought us meals and helped take care of the girls when I was in too much pain to move. And we all just prayed hard that Alyssa would stay put until I felt better enough to get the house back in order and be able to take care of her!
Finally, after about 2 1/2 weeks of intense shingles pain, it finally lessened (turned into very frustrating itching) and I was able to start doing the things I needed to get ready for our baby girl! It was such a joy to wash her little clothes and finally set up her new room! But I still didn't feel great and still had much work to do to get the house back in order and continued to pray that she would not come til we were ready.
About a week before her due date, news reports claimed the coming of the biggest/ closest full moon in about 70 years on Monday. The old wives tales say that full moons bring on babies and my delivery nurse friends and chiropractor readily agree. (My OB, however, says that a change in barometric pressure affects labor the most.) I began to wonder if it would affect me at all. My 2nd born had come a week early so it would not be a surprise for this baby to come that early. I had been experiencing Braxton Hicks since about 15 weeks and they had been stronger and more frequent the past week. But I really wasn't ready for this baby to come yet...
Sunday morning dawned and my 3 year old seemed sick again... some kind of stomach virus. And my husband had come down with a miserable sore throat. I had gotten the baby's room and clothes ready, but had not yet had the time to sort through all the junk from our family room, let alone deep clean the house since my neglect during the shingles. But regardless of whether I was ready, the pull of the moon brought strong, painful contractions that evening. My husband was trying to discuss baby names with me and the pain was too much for me to even hold a conversation with him! I honestly was overcome by fear, once again reminded how much labor hurts. I just wasn't ready to do this! I needed my husband healthy and my house straight and my faith stronger. I went straight to bed and just lay there and ached and prayed the contractions would cease. I wrote down the times of my contractions and they were pretty constant for about an hour and a half, a lot of times only a couple of minutes apart. But they didn't grow worse and finally ceased and I drifted off to sleep. I was so thankful!
The next day, my body seemed to be cleansing itself, getting ready for labor. But the contractions never returned! My poor mother-in-law kept her suitcase and make-up in the car all week long, thinking labor would start again and she would need to rush over and take care of the girls. But God gave me just the week I needed to get everyone healthy, my house clean and straight, and my courage revived.
(Note: many people have wondered why I chose to birth at a hospital this time rather than the birthing center I used last time. It was a purely financial decision. I absolutely loved the birthing center and my midwife and would go there again in a heartbeat, but our insurance changed and we just didn't have the extra almost $2000 it would take to do the birthing center rather than the hospital. I had heard many good things about this particular OB and after meeting him, I felt he would be perfect for delivering our baby.)
On Friday morning I went to see my OB and he told me he would be on call the next day. I love my OB (He has 11 kids his wife birthed naturally so he really understands me!) and I knew he would be on vacation for Thanksgiving after that, so I immediately started praying that I would go into labor on Saturday when he was there. I did a bunch of exercises that are supposed to help spur on labor and texted Mark that I wanted to eat spicy Mexican for dinner since many people affirm that spicy foods help encourage labor. There is also a particular pizza place in our area known for its patrons going into labor after eating there so I had decided to do lunch there the next day if the Mexican wasn't enough. Friday afternoon was a gorgeous, amazingly warm day for November and my husband had the idea to take the girls hiking to enjoy the weather. So we walked trails with some good friends for over an hour and I tried to keep as good a pace as I could. I was doing everything I could to get this baby out!
Our friends joined us at the Mexican restaurant for dinner and while we were chatting, mentioned an activity going on the next day. I jokingly said that we wouldn't be able to join them because we were going to be at the hospital to have this baby. My friend retorted, "Oh yeah? What time will you be going?" I responded with, "Oh, about 7am!" as if I had any control over when this baby would come and we all had a good laugh.
After such an exhausting day, I went home and took a shower and went to bed early. I was a little disappointed because I wasn't having any contractions at all, not even Braxton Hicks! But I went right to sleep and had the best night's sleep I had enjoyed in a long time. At 5:23am, however, I was awakened by a sharp pain and just knew it was time. 5:30, 5:34, 5:37, 5:40. I just knew. No doubt about it. This baby was coming. I went ahead and called the hospital to let them know I was coming and (more importantly) to ask what time my OB came on call. 7:00 Perfect! The nurse asked how long I had been experiencing contractions and when I said ten minutes there was a big silence on the phone. It was obvious she didn't believe that I was really in labor. I said , "Listen, this is my 5th baby and we aren't even coming to the hospital for another hour but I just wanted to let you know and to find out when my OB would be coming in." She sounded relieved as if in an hour I would realize it wasn't really labor. I laughed to myself and breathed through contractions and called the grandparents and packed a few things. I finally woke My husband up around 6am because I was having trouble getting anything done in between contractions and needed his help. He took a shower and finished doing the things on my list and we were off to the hospital right around 7am! I later laughed at the irony of our dinner conversation but was in too much pain to think of it at the time.
We got to the hospital and my nurse read my birth plan and said, "I used to be a doula so I think your plan is awesome!" I almost cried with relief but a contraction came at that moment and I threw my arms around her and groaned as she held me up as we swayed through it together.
After the contraction was over I told her she was an answer to our prayers. (I had wanted a doula but my favorite one was going to be out of town for the holidays and I really hated to pay that much money for a new one when I knew I'd only need her for an hour or so. So I never asked anyone to help me and had regretted it when the pain of contractions became fierce.) My nurse Rebecca turned out to be so awesome. She encouraged me and helped me through my contractions and showed my husband where to push on my back to help relieve the pain. She is a Christian as well and has volunteered for years at our local crisis pregnancy center and knows many of the same people we do! It was so wonderful that God placed her in my room when I needed her most!
When my OB came in the first time he checked me and said I was already at 8cm! My contractions had been quite intense and I was so incredibly relieved to hear I was getting close! He laughed and said, "I knew if I saw you in this hospital it would be almost baby time!" I usually walk the halls for hours during labor but by the time the doctors and nurses had finished doing their initial checks, I was pretty far along already! I endured contractions for a bit longer and then started to feel pushy. I told my nurse/ doula and she checked me and said I was complete! She left to get the OB and my husband got pretty nervous about the baby coming while everyone was gone.
It seemed to take forever for them to get back! I was already on the bed on my hands and knees ready to push. I was also waiting for my Mom. My parents live an hour away and hadn't expected labor to progress quite that quickly. Right after the OB and nurse came back and I started pushing, my mom rushed through the door. She had run the entire way through the hospital and was out of breath but I was so relieved to see her! She is always the encouragement I need!
Even though I have done this 4 other times, I always forget how to push and how to hold it out long enough to be effective. The pain just makes it hard to focus at first. I kept asking if they could see her head yet and it seemed to take forever! Finally my mom told me she could see it and that baby girl had tons of dark black hair! That was just the encouragement I needed to push her out! I was determined to push her out in a single contraction because at my last birth, I pushed out her head and then rested and it seemed to take forever for the next contraction to get the rest of the baby out and my strength had lessened. So this time I just kept pushing and managed to get her all out in one contraction! Such a relief! My water did not break until her head came out, which turned out to be another little miracle. I was GBS+ but didn't get to the hospital in time to get the antibiotics. If my water had broken earlier, they would have had to immediately administer antibiotics to my baby, but staying in the water sac had protected her and instead they just did a 48-hour blood test to make sure she wasn't infected. I was so thankful that she didn't have to start out her little life with antibiotics that could ruin her gut flora and give her tummy trouble!
If you are interested in any of my other birth stories, here they are:
Baby #4
Baby #3
Baby #2
Baby #1
I must start her birth story about a month before my due date. The previous month had been a tough one, with all 4 of my girls coming down with a long, miserable virus and many sleepless nights. Mark and I also came down with sickness, although thankfully not the virus. Needless to say, I was sleep deprived, utterly exhausted, and my immune system was down. Shingles chose that unfortunate time to strike and it is honestly the most painful illness I have ever endured. Between the baby kicking my bladder and the intense pain of the shingles, I could not sleep at all. Only a month left before our sweet blessing arrived (if she waited that long!), and I could not do anything to get ready. It hurt to even walk around, let alone clean the house or wash baby clothes. Also, we had no room for the new baby yet. My husband and his Dad were busy putting up a wall to make a new bedroom for the big girls so the baby could take theirs, but in the meantime, the house was a chaotic construction zone and everything from our former family room (think tons of books and games and art supplies) was scattered around the house, waiting for me to feel good enough to find new homes for them. It was a miserable time but we are so thankful for amazing family and friends who brought us meals and helped take care of the girls when I was in too much pain to move. And we all just prayed hard that Alyssa would stay put until I felt better enough to get the house back in order and be able to take care of her!
Finally, after about 2 1/2 weeks of intense shingles pain, it finally lessened (turned into very frustrating itching) and I was able to start doing the things I needed to get ready for our baby girl! It was such a joy to wash her little clothes and finally set up her new room! But I still didn't feel great and still had much work to do to get the house back in order and continued to pray that she would not come til we were ready.
About a week before her due date, news reports claimed the coming of the biggest/ closest full moon in about 70 years on Monday. The old wives tales say that full moons bring on babies and my delivery nurse friends and chiropractor readily agree. (My OB, however, says that a change in barometric pressure affects labor the most.) I began to wonder if it would affect me at all. My 2nd born had come a week early so it would not be a surprise for this baby to come that early. I had been experiencing Braxton Hicks since about 15 weeks and they had been stronger and more frequent the past week. But I really wasn't ready for this baby to come yet...
Sunday morning dawned and my 3 year old seemed sick again... some kind of stomach virus. And my husband had come down with a miserable sore throat. I had gotten the baby's room and clothes ready, but had not yet had the time to sort through all the junk from our family room, let alone deep clean the house since my neglect during the shingles. But regardless of whether I was ready, the pull of the moon brought strong, painful contractions that evening. My husband was trying to discuss baby names with me and the pain was too much for me to even hold a conversation with him! I honestly was overcome by fear, once again reminded how much labor hurts. I just wasn't ready to do this! I needed my husband healthy and my house straight and my faith stronger. I went straight to bed and just lay there and ached and prayed the contractions would cease. I wrote down the times of my contractions and they were pretty constant for about an hour and a half, a lot of times only a couple of minutes apart. But they didn't grow worse and finally ceased and I drifted off to sleep. I was so thankful!
The next day, my body seemed to be cleansing itself, getting ready for labor. But the contractions never returned! My poor mother-in-law kept her suitcase and make-up in the car all week long, thinking labor would start again and she would need to rush over and take care of the girls. But God gave me just the week I needed to get everyone healthy, my house clean and straight, and my courage revived.
(Note: many people have wondered why I chose to birth at a hospital this time rather than the birthing center I used last time. It was a purely financial decision. I absolutely loved the birthing center and my midwife and would go there again in a heartbeat, but our insurance changed and we just didn't have the extra almost $2000 it would take to do the birthing center rather than the hospital. I had heard many good things about this particular OB and after meeting him, I felt he would be perfect for delivering our baby.)
On Friday morning I went to see my OB and he told me he would be on call the next day. I love my OB (He has 11 kids his wife birthed naturally so he really understands me!) and I knew he would be on vacation for Thanksgiving after that, so I immediately started praying that I would go into labor on Saturday when he was there. I did a bunch of exercises that are supposed to help spur on labor and texted Mark that I wanted to eat spicy Mexican for dinner since many people affirm that spicy foods help encourage labor. There is also a particular pizza place in our area known for its patrons going into labor after eating there so I had decided to do lunch there the next day if the Mexican wasn't enough. Friday afternoon was a gorgeous, amazingly warm day for November and my husband had the idea to take the girls hiking to enjoy the weather. So we walked trails with some good friends for over an hour and I tried to keep as good a pace as I could. I was doing everything I could to get this baby out!
Our friends joined us at the Mexican restaurant for dinner and while we were chatting, mentioned an activity going on the next day. I jokingly said that we wouldn't be able to join them because we were going to be at the hospital to have this baby. My friend retorted, "Oh yeah? What time will you be going?" I responded with, "Oh, about 7am!" as if I had any control over when this baby would come and we all had a good laugh.
After such an exhausting day, I went home and took a shower and went to bed early. I was a little disappointed because I wasn't having any contractions at all, not even Braxton Hicks! But I went right to sleep and had the best night's sleep I had enjoyed in a long time. At 5:23am, however, I was awakened by a sharp pain and just knew it was time. 5:30, 5:34, 5:37, 5:40. I just knew. No doubt about it. This baby was coming. I went ahead and called the hospital to let them know I was coming and (more importantly) to ask what time my OB came on call. 7:00 Perfect! The nurse asked how long I had been experiencing contractions and when I said ten minutes there was a big silence on the phone. It was obvious she didn't believe that I was really in labor. I said , "Listen, this is my 5th baby and we aren't even coming to the hospital for another hour but I just wanted to let you know and to find out when my OB would be coming in." She sounded relieved as if in an hour I would realize it wasn't really labor. I laughed to myself and breathed through contractions and called the grandparents and packed a few things. I finally woke My husband up around 6am because I was having trouble getting anything done in between contractions and needed his help. He took a shower and finished doing the things on my list and we were off to the hospital right around 7am! I later laughed at the irony of our dinner conversation but was in too much pain to think of it at the time.
We got to the hospital and my nurse read my birth plan and said, "I used to be a doula so I think your plan is awesome!" I almost cried with relief but a contraction came at that moment and I threw my arms around her and groaned as she held me up as we swayed through it together.
When my OB came in the first time he checked me and said I was already at 8cm! My contractions had been quite intense and I was so incredibly relieved to hear I was getting close! He laughed and said, "I knew if I saw you in this hospital it would be almost baby time!" I usually walk the halls for hours during labor but by the time the doctors and nurses had finished doing their initial checks, I was pretty far along already! I endured contractions for a bit longer and then started to feel pushy. I told my nurse/ doula and she checked me and said I was complete! She left to get the OB and my husband got pretty nervous about the baby coming while everyone was gone.
It seemed to take forever for them to get back! I was already on the bed on my hands and knees ready to push. I was also waiting for my Mom. My parents live an hour away and hadn't expected labor to progress quite that quickly. Right after the OB and nurse came back and I started pushing, my mom rushed through the door. She had run the entire way through the hospital and was out of breath but I was so relieved to see her! She is always the encouragement I need!
Even though I have done this 4 other times, I always forget how to push and how to hold it out long enough to be effective. The pain just makes it hard to focus at first. I kept asking if they could see her head yet and it seemed to take forever! Finally my mom told me she could see it and that baby girl had tons of dark black hair! That was just the encouragement I needed to push her out! I was determined to push her out in a single contraction because at my last birth, I pushed out her head and then rested and it seemed to take forever for the next contraction to get the rest of the baby out and my strength had lessened. So this time I just kept pushing and managed to get her all out in one contraction! Such a relief! My water did not break until her head came out, which turned out to be another little miracle. I was GBS+ but didn't get to the hospital in time to get the antibiotics. If my water had broken earlier, they would have had to immediately administer antibiotics to my baby, but staying in the water sac had protected her and instead they just did a 48-hour blood test to make sure she wasn't infected. I was so thankful that she didn't have to start out her little life with antibiotics that could ruin her gut flora and give her tummy trouble!
After she was out, I kept asking if I could hold her, but her cord was too short to reach my arms. It seemed like forever until it stopped pulsing and it could be cut and I could have her but oh, once I had her it was worth all the pain! My Mom said that as I was asking to hold her, my baby turned her head to the sound of my voice as if she knew it already and wanted to get to me also. New life is so amazing!
Baby #4
Baby #3
Baby #2
Baby #1
Tuesday, June 14, 2016
Summer chores for my girls
After going through morning sickness, I realized that my girls were capable of much more responsibility than I gave them credit for. I decided that I would make summer chore charts so that they could learn to do most of the housekeeping skills so that I wouldn't have to oversee them so much when the baby comes. It took a little work the first couple weeks as they were learning, but now they are doing an awesome job! I made myself a schedule as well, so that I sweep and mop on alternate days or vacuum, etc. That way all chores get done at least twice a week and if they don't do them perfectly, I can make up the difference. It has just been wonderful! My house is cleaner than ever! I have to say that one of the biggest differences has been the amount of laundry I have to do now that my 7 and 9 year olds do theirs completely. When you have a family of 6 people, cutting out two really helps! I thought I would share our chore charts. I also made a document giving them an opportunity to make some money. I don't want to raise entitled children so if they ask for money for something, I just point to their chart :)
Summer Daily Chores
Karis (9 years old)
Monday -- Do your laundry and sweep bedroom
Tuesday - Wipe down bathroom sink and potty
Wednesday -- sweep and mop under dining table
Thursday -- Empty and refill dishwasher when asked
Friday -- vacuum and straighten family room
Karlie (7 years old)
Monday -- Wipe down bathroom sink and potty
Tuesday --Empty and refill dishwasher when asked
Wednesday -- Do your laundry and sweep bedroom
Thursday -- sweep and mop kitchen and art area
Friday -- Sweep and mop under dining table
Abbi (5 years old)
Monday -- Sweep and mop bedroom
Tuesday -- Help Mommy do your laundry
Wednesday -- Help empty dishwasher when asked
Thursday -- Wipe down bathroom sink and potty
Friday --Help empty dishwasher
Summer Ways to earn extra money:
First, ask yourself if you have done the following:
- Bed made, nothing on floor, drawers shut
- Daily chore
- Dressed, clean teeth, and brushed hair
- Been kind to sisters
- Happily done previous 4:30 clean up
- Devotions
- Clean table spot after each meal or snack
- At least one page of math workbook
Extra money options:
- Scrub tub -- .25
- Sweep and mop kitchen and art area -- .25
- Sweep and mop under dining room table -- .25
- Clean all windows, mirrors, and doorknobs that you can reach -- .25
- Clean out toys, books, and trash from van -- .25
- Clean and vacuum family room --.25
- Maps from memory -- 5.00
- Fill in States and tell me capitals
- Blob the continents and oceans with Latitudes, PM, eq, & directions
- Fill in Periodic Table H1 to Ar18
- Finish a math workbook -- 5.00
- 8. Multiplication book in August - 2min/number: 5.00
- Be able to sing the following grammar songs from memory: 5.00
- Sentence
- 8 parts of speech
- Noun
- Verb
- Adverb
- Adjective
- 4 Purposes of Sentences
- Pronoun
- Preposition
- Linking Verb
- Helping Verb
- Recite all science or history songs from CC cycle 1 -- 5.00
Friday, January 29, 2016
Honey-Ginger-Lemon-ACV-Elderberry tea for Great Health!
Several days a week I make this tea and I really enjoy it! I started with just lemon and ginger and raw honey because I read how it could help a sore throat. Then I realized that it made my raw apple cider vinegar much more tolerable and I began adding that (because ACV is truly one of the the most beneficial things you can drink but boy, does it have a strong taste!) Then my Mom gave me an awesome berry tea for Christmas that contained elderberries and I thought to add those to the mix. And now I have a super healthy drink that I love! It is so simple to make also!
1. Set water in teapot to boil
2. Cut a slice of lemon and place in mug
3. Cut a slice of fresh ginger and add to mug
4. Place some dried elderberries in a re-usable muslin tea-bag and add to mug
5. Pour boiling water over lemon, ginger, and elderberries
6. After cooling a bit, add raw honey and as much apple cider vinegar as you can handle.
1. Set water in teapot to boil
2. Cut a slice of lemon and place in mug
3. Cut a slice of fresh ginger and add to mug
4. Place some dried elderberries in a re-usable muslin tea-bag and add to mug
5. Pour boiling water over lemon, ginger, and elderberries
6. After cooling a bit, add raw honey and as much apple cider vinegar as you can handle.
Thursday, January 28, 2016
Natural Remedies for Constipation in Children
Constipation is one of the most common and most miserable childhood problems. If a child has a difficult time staying dry through the night, it is highly likely that the child is constipated. Two of my children have dealt with constipation. My second child went through a stage where she needed to avoid dairy and gluten in order to heal her gut. Anytime she ate one of those foods, she would get constipated. Through an elimination diet, chiropractic care, and probiotics, we were able to heal her gut and now she can eat whatever she wants. My 4th child, on the other hand, is a stubborn toddler who does not have a food sensitivity. She became prone to constipation during potty training. She simply does not like to have a bowel movement and will stubbornly hold it until it is very painful. She is incredibly strong willed and this has become a major health problem for her. One pediatrician recommended that I give her a half of a chocolate Ex-lax and another recommended Mirolax. No thank you! Those options can destroy the digestive system and cause health problems in the long run. I did my own research and found several more gentle, natural options that have helped my daughter.
1. Mommy's Bliss Constipation Ease -- this is a very gentle, natural medicine that my toddler actually loves to take. It has no stimulant but gentle herbs and prune juice to make a bowel movement easier as well as prebiotics. We use this more than anything else and I give it to her at the first sign that she is getting constipated.
2. EZ Move Constipation Support Herbal Organic Remedy from Trilight Health. -- this one is more expensive but works well and my daughter loves the taste also. I kind of take turns with these first two so she is receiving different herbs to help her.
3. Slippery Elm bark -- This soothes and lubricates her digestive system so her bowel movements are easier and it has many valuable minerals in it as well. I get this in a capsule that I can open and pour into anything I think she will eat. Usually I add it to her applesauce or tea. This is something I give to her on a regular basis as often as I can. It has no negative side effects or stimulants and is completely natural.
4. LB Extract -- This one is much stronger and I only use it if she is really miserable and only until things get going easily again. But it is natural and really works!
5. Epsom salt bath -- I know it sounds simple, but nearly every time my child is constipated and I give her a bath with Epsom salts, within minutes she is jumping out to go potty. The magnesium plus the feeling of water seems to stimulate her immediately.
6. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar -- This is hard to stomach on it's own, but adding ACV to juice or tea can really help to keep someone regular. I make a tea by pouring boiling water over ginger (also good for digestion!) and lemon and then adding raw honey and some ACV to it after it cools slightly. It really helps my daughter. I also sometimes add it to my diluted Kombucha and my daughter will drink it.
7. Avoiding dairy and processed foods with white flour. My daughter is not allergic to these foods, but they simply stop up the digestive system. My daughter's constipation always flares up when traveling because I am not as careful about what she eats. She can eat as much of my homemade bread (made from freshly ground spelt berrries and soaked for better digestion) as she likes without any problem. But every time she goes to church and eats goldfish or crackers or other processed food, I have to give her some of the above remedies or she will have a major problem
for the next week. Too much dairy makes a huge noticeable difference as well.
8. Baby food prunes mixed in with unsweetened applesauce -- When my daughter first had problems with constipation, I gave her lots of prunes to keep things moving. But she quickly grew tired of them. I finally thought of adding the pureed prunes to her applesauce, which she loves! I also add in Slippery Elm bark powder and probiotics, She loves it!
9. Chiropractic care -- we can't afford to take her as often as I would like, but nearly every time we do, she comes home and has a bowel movement. It really makes a difference to be properly aligned!
1. Mommy's Bliss Constipation Ease -- this is a very gentle, natural medicine that my toddler actually loves to take. It has no stimulant but gentle herbs and prune juice to make a bowel movement easier as well as prebiotics. We use this more than anything else and I give it to her at the first sign that she is getting constipated.
2. EZ Move Constipation Support Herbal Organic Remedy from Trilight Health. -- this one is more expensive but works well and my daughter loves the taste also. I kind of take turns with these first two so she is receiving different herbs to help her.
3. Slippery Elm bark -- This soothes and lubricates her digestive system so her bowel movements are easier and it has many valuable minerals in it as well. I get this in a capsule that I can open and pour into anything I think she will eat. Usually I add it to her applesauce or tea. This is something I give to her on a regular basis as often as I can. It has no negative side effects or stimulants and is completely natural.
4. LB Extract -- This one is much stronger and I only use it if she is really miserable and only until things get going easily again. But it is natural and really works!
5. Epsom salt bath -- I know it sounds simple, but nearly every time my child is constipated and I give her a bath with Epsom salts, within minutes she is jumping out to go potty. The magnesium plus the feeling of water seems to stimulate her immediately.
6. Raw Apple Cider Vinegar -- This is hard to stomach on it's own, but adding ACV to juice or tea can really help to keep someone regular. I make a tea by pouring boiling water over ginger (also good for digestion!) and lemon and then adding raw honey and some ACV to it after it cools slightly. It really helps my daughter. I also sometimes add it to my diluted Kombucha and my daughter will drink it.
7. Avoiding dairy and processed foods with white flour. My daughter is not allergic to these foods, but they simply stop up the digestive system. My daughter's constipation always flares up when traveling because I am not as careful about what she eats. She can eat as much of my homemade bread (made from freshly ground spelt berrries and soaked for better digestion) as she likes without any problem. But every time she goes to church and eats goldfish or crackers or other processed food, I have to give her some of the above remedies or she will have a major problem
for the next week. Too much dairy makes a huge noticeable difference as well.
8. Baby food prunes mixed in with unsweetened applesauce -- When my daughter first had problems with constipation, I gave her lots of prunes to keep things moving. But she quickly grew tired of them. I finally thought of adding the pureed prunes to her applesauce, which she loves! I also add in Slippery Elm bark powder and probiotics, She loves it!
9. Chiropractic care -- we can't afford to take her as often as I would like, but nearly every time we do, she comes home and has a bowel movement. It really makes a difference to be properly aligned!
Wednesday, January 27, 2016
Homemade liquid laundry detergent
I was recently given a used but like-new HE washing machine! Such a blessing! The only downfall is that HE detergent can be pretty expensive, particularly since I like to buy natural, chemical free detergent. Now, I still like to use my soap nuts and they work fine in an HE washer. The only problem is that they need warm or hot water to work well. With my old washer, I would start the water on hot to get them working and then switch it to cold when I threw in my clothes. But my new HE washer doesn't work that way. So I like to have an alternative for when I wash a cold load of laundry. I found this recipe and was pretty pleased with it. I love that I can use whatever essential oils or scent of castle soap that I want my clothes to smell like! Also, most recipes contain Borax and I've read many debates on whether that is truly good for you so I liked this particular recipe because it didn't contain Borax. I ended up using 4 half gallon containers to store it in and it works nicely. I put my re-cap for pouring on whichever one I am currently using and it cuts down on spills. With my family of 6, I have been using up about one of the half gallon jars a week. This recipe was a bit messy to make, but not expensive and it lasts almost a month. I highly recommend checking out the original recipe for the first time because she has great pictures and tips.
Ingredients:
First, measure out 1/2 cup of the Super Washing Soda and pour into a 2 gallon bucket. Add just enough hot tap water to cover the washing soda, and stir well to dissolve. Measure out and pour 1/2 cup of Baking Soda into the water/washing soda mixture, and stir well to dissolve. Fill up your bucket all the way to the top with hot tap water, only leaving about 1/2 inch of room on top. Make sure you do this BEFORE adding in your castile soap, or you’ll have a bubbly mess! Measure and pour into the bucket 3/4 cup of castile soap. Pour in 30 drops of your favorite essential oils. Carefully stir everything together until well mixed. Pour the detergent into jars or bottles
TO USE:
Ingredients:
- 2 gallon bucket
- 2 gallons water
- 1/2 cup Super Washing Soda (found at any grocery store I believe!)
- 1/2 cup Baking Soda
- 3/4 cup castile soap
- 30 drops of your favorite essential oils
- Large wooden/plastic spoon to stir (not pictured)
- 2 1-gallon glass containers
First, measure out 1/2 cup of the Super Washing Soda and pour into a 2 gallon bucket. Add just enough hot tap water to cover the washing soda, and stir well to dissolve. Measure out and pour 1/2 cup of Baking Soda into the water/washing soda mixture, and stir well to dissolve. Fill up your bucket all the way to the top with hot tap water, only leaving about 1/2 inch of room on top. Make sure you do this BEFORE adding in your castile soap, or you’ll have a bubbly mess! Measure and pour into the bucket 3/4 cup of castile soap. Pour in 30 drops of your favorite essential oils. Carefully stir everything together until well mixed. Pour the detergent into jars or bottles
TO USE:
Pour 1/3 cup of the detergent in with your dirty clothes and wash as normal. Contents might settle to bottom or clump, but just give the bottle a good shake before you use it.
Tuesday, January 26, 2016
A more simplified preschool approach
I LOVE teaching preschool! I am now homeschooling my 3rd preschooler and I have learned a lot. Mainly, I don't do as much as I did with my first two. I have learned what is the most beneficial and that is all I do. I don't worry about teaching all the subjects. Preschoolers need time to play and imagine and pretend and listen to stories! Yes, preschoolers can learn a ridiculous amount of information. But they don't have to do it right away. And they can learn a ton in just a short amount of time each day. Reading to a preschooler is absolutely the most important part of their education. It covers all subjects and gives them a love for learning. Honestly, I think if you did no other schoolwork but read to a preschooler for at least an hour each day, it would be fine. Everything else can be learned easily in Kindergarten. With that said, I pretty much waited to start any preschool work til after Christmas with my little girl. She turns 5 in February and I really don't think children need to do much tablework before 5 years old. Yes, we read TONS of books everyday and did puzzles and used math manipulatives that she thought were all games. But I didn't do anything really structured until after Christmas.
Here is what our preschool day now looks like:
1. While eating breakfast, I go over our phonics cards. I have the lovely phonics cards from The Writing Road to Reading and I introduce a new one each day if I feel like she has mastered the previous ones. She thinks this is a game and enjoys telling me the 3 sounds that the letter "y" can make or all 4 sounds that "ou" can make. Then we do a few math flashcards from Rod and Staff. She isn't doing any math worksheets yet because I don't like her to have to write much because it is still hard work for her and I want her to enjoy math. But she likes these flash cards that ask what number comes before or after or which number is greater or smaller. And we use math manipulatives to count things (and she really likes to tell stories with our colored bears and pattern blocks). We also practice whatever poem we are currently memorizing over breakfast.
2. She pretty much plays for the next hour and a half. If the weather is good, we go outside and if not she just plays inside with her two-year old sister. Lots of imagining and pretending and cutting and coloring going on. It makes me smile! I wish I could say that I prepare crafts for them but my life is too crazy. I don't.
3. We read picture books for about 45 minutes (or until the 2 year old gets restless).
4. We practice our CC memory work songs for about 10 minutes. This is the only structured history, geography, english, etc that she gets. But don't forget about all the reading we do. It covers all the subjects. :)
5. We have lunch and then go outside (unless it is raining).
6. Naptime for the 2 year old and handwriting practice for my preschooler. We only write for about 10 minutes and she also colors the answers in her Explode the Code book at this time. I don't make her write in her Explode the Code. The only writing she does is handwriting practice. After this quick tablework, we take turns reading. I read her a chapter from whatever chapter book we are enjoying It is currently Besty-Tacy. Then she reads me a lesson from her reading lesson book or Language lesson book or a story from Dick and Jane or her McGuffy Primer. We go back and forth as I read a chapter and then she reads something short to me until her sister wakes up from her nap. Then school is over and she plays the rest of the day.
Here is what our preschool day now looks like:
1. While eating breakfast, I go over our phonics cards. I have the lovely phonics cards from The Writing Road to Reading and I introduce a new one each day if I feel like she has mastered the previous ones. She thinks this is a game and enjoys telling me the 3 sounds that the letter "y" can make or all 4 sounds that "ou" can make. Then we do a few math flashcards from Rod and Staff. She isn't doing any math worksheets yet because I don't like her to have to write much because it is still hard work for her and I want her to enjoy math. But she likes these flash cards that ask what number comes before or after or which number is greater or smaller. And we use math manipulatives to count things (and she really likes to tell stories with our colored bears and pattern blocks). We also practice whatever poem we are currently memorizing over breakfast.
2. She pretty much plays for the next hour and a half. If the weather is good, we go outside and if not she just plays inside with her two-year old sister. Lots of imagining and pretending and cutting and coloring going on. It makes me smile! I wish I could say that I prepare crafts for them but my life is too crazy. I don't.
3. We read picture books for about 45 minutes (or until the 2 year old gets restless).
4. We practice our CC memory work songs for about 10 minutes. This is the only structured history, geography, english, etc that she gets. But don't forget about all the reading we do. It covers all the subjects. :)
5. We have lunch and then go outside (unless it is raining).
6. Naptime for the 2 year old and handwriting practice for my preschooler. We only write for about 10 minutes and she also colors the answers in her Explode the Code book at this time. I don't make her write in her Explode the Code. The only writing she does is handwriting practice. After this quick tablework, we take turns reading. I read her a chapter from whatever chapter book we are enjoying It is currently Besty-Tacy. Then she reads me a lesson from her reading lesson book or Language lesson book or a story from Dick and Jane or her McGuffy Primer. We go back and forth as I read a chapter and then she reads something short to me until her sister wakes up from her nap. Then school is over and she plays the rest of the day.
Monday, January 25, 2016
Beating the stomach bug quickly (and other natural remedies for an upset stomach)
There are very few things as miserable as the stomach bug. However, there is a solution for beating it quickly. Activated charcoal works wonders! And it is inexpensive! It is great for both food poisoning and for the dreaded stomach virus. The last few times my family has gotten a stomach bug, the members of my family willing to take activated charcoal only threw up once, while the rest were sick many times over and over. It is tasteless and can easily be added to a drink or applesauce. It turns the beverage or food black, however, so two of my children refuse to take it and then are sick much longer than the rest of us. The last two times, I have used it as soon as the threat was obvious and I had nothing more than stomach cramps for a bit. It works!
Activated charcoal is hands-down the best remedy for a stomach bug or food poisoning, but there are other things that can help with tummy trouble as well:
Redmond clay: This works in a similar manner as charcoal, but doesn't look as dreadful when mixed in with applesauce :) We use it for a simple upset stomach as well.
Papaya Enzymes -- These were my best friend when I was pregnant as it helped tremendously with heartburn and acid reflux! It aids in digestion and always works to help settle a stomach that might be queasy from eating too much or something too spicy or too fatty. My husband and children all ask for them if they have an unsettled stomach.
Nux Vomica -- I'm still learning about homeopathy, but this has been quite helpful as well.
Tummy Aid Essentail Oil roll on -- I love Plant Therapy's kidsafe line! I'm still learning about essential oils so I appreciate thse ready-made roll-ons that I can put on my children's feet and bellies. They carry the regular oil you can diffuse as well, but I love the roll-ons to put in my purse to whip out as the first whimper of tummy pain.
Tummy Plus Tincture from Trilight Health --- I love all the tinctures from Trilight Health! They don't taste badly so my kids will take them and they really work.
Activated charcoal is hands-down the best remedy for a stomach bug or food poisoning, but there are other things that can help with tummy trouble as well:
Redmond clay: This works in a similar manner as charcoal, but doesn't look as dreadful when mixed in with applesauce :) We use it for a simple upset stomach as well.
Papaya Enzymes -- These were my best friend when I was pregnant as it helped tremendously with heartburn and acid reflux! It aids in digestion and always works to help settle a stomach that might be queasy from eating too much or something too spicy or too fatty. My husband and children all ask for them if they have an unsettled stomach.
Nux Vomica -- I'm still learning about homeopathy, but this has been quite helpful as well.
Tummy Aid Essentail Oil roll on -- I love Plant Therapy's kidsafe line! I'm still learning about essential oils so I appreciate thse ready-made roll-ons that I can put on my children's feet and bellies. They carry the regular oil you can diffuse as well, but I love the roll-ons to put in my purse to whip out as the first whimper of tummy pain.
Tummy Plus Tincture from Trilight Health --- I love all the tinctures from Trilight Health! They don't taste badly so my kids will take them and they really work.
Friday, January 22, 2016
Our Favorite Meals
These are the meals that I regularly cook for my family:
Our top 6 favorites (can you tell we like Mexican?):
Sweet n Sour Chicken Tacos or over quinoa or rice
Baked Spaghetti
Baked Turkey and Gravy
Baked Ziti
Barbeque Chicken (on rice/Sand/or w/ bacon and cheese)
BarBQ beef cups
Baked Turkey and Gravy
Baked Ziti
Barbeque Chicken (on rice/Sand/or w/ bacon and cheese)
BarBQ beef cups
BarBQ Chicken Soup
Beef Tenderloin (only on special occasions :)
Beefaroni
Bierocks
Breakfast Casserole
Brian's Chicken Casserole
Broccoli Chowder with Monte Cristo Sandwiches
Burgers
Caramelized Easy Chicken
Cheesy Chicken Nuggets
Chicken Alfredo
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup
Chicken Cordon Blue
Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole
Chicken Divane Soup
Beef Tenderloin (only on special occasions :)
Beefaroni
Bierocks
Breakfast Casserole
Brian's Chicken Casserole
Broccoli Chowder with Monte Cristo Sandwiches
Burgers
Caramelized Easy Chicken
Cheesy Chicken Nuggets
Chicken Alfredo
Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
Chicken Bacon Wild Rice Soup
Chicken Cordon Blue
Chicken Cordon Blue Casserole
Chicken Divane Soup
Chicken, grilled, with lime and cilantro
Chicken Parmesan
Chicken Parmesan
Chicken/Turkey Pot Pie
Chicken Salad
Chicken Mexican Crockpot Dinner
Chicken Taquitos
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken Divane
Chicken-Apple-Cheese Bake
Chili -- over spaghetti, chips, or potatoes
Corn and Cheese Chowder with grilled ham and cheese sand.
Cranberry Chicken
Creamy Chicken Spinach Pasta
Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
Crockpot Roast with veggies
Enchiladas
Grilled Chicken Salad with strawberries/grapes/almonds/whatever in fridge :)
Chicken Salad
Chicken Mexican Crockpot Dinner
Chicken Taquitos
Chicken Tortilla Soup
Chicken Divane
Chicken-Apple-Cheese Bake
Chili -- over spaghetti, chips, or potatoes
Corn and Cheese Chowder with grilled ham and cheese sand.
Cranberry Chicken
Creamy Chicken Spinach Pasta
Cream Cheese Chicken Chili
Crockpot Roast with veggies
Enchiladas
Grilled Chicken Salad with strawberries/grapes/almonds/whatever in fridge :)
Farmer's Market sausage skillet
Fried Tacos
Feta Salmon
Grilled Cheese (The Best Ever!)
Ground Beef Pie Topped with Bacon Twice Baked Potatoes
Ham Biscuits
Hawaiian Chicken Pile Up
Homemade Pizza
Italian Chicken with cream sauce
Italian Cream Cheese Chicken Casserole
Kielbasa and Potatoes
Lasagna
Lime Chicken Tacos
Mandarin Chicken Salad
Mango Salsa Crockpot Chicken
Manicotti
Meatballs (barbq, Sweetn-Sour, or Swedish over rice/quinoa
Meatball Subs
Meatloaf
Fried Tacos
Feta Salmon
Grilled Cheese (The Best Ever!)
Ground Beef Pie Topped with Bacon Twice Baked Potatoes
Ham Biscuits
Hawaiian Chicken Pile Up
Homemade Pizza
Italian Chicken with cream sauce
Italian Cream Cheese Chicken Casserole
Kielbasa and Potatoes
Lasagna
Lime Chicken Tacos
Mandarin Chicken Salad
Mango Salsa Crockpot Chicken
Manicotti
Meatballs (barbq, Sweetn-Sour, or Swedish over rice/quinoa
Meatball Subs
Meatloaf
Pinwheel chicken
Pizza with Home-made crust
Pizza Pasta
Pesto Chicken
Pollo Fundido
Poppyseed Chicken
Potato Soup and grilled cheese
Pumpkin Chili
Pumpkin Soup and turkey, apple, cheese panini
Quesadillas -- taco, pizza, chicken-bacon-ranch, turkey and cheese, etc
Quinoa, Beans, and chicken
Sausage-Tomato Cream Pasta
Salmon Pesto Pasta
Salmon Cream Pasta
Pizza with Home-made crust
Pizza Pasta
Pesto Chicken
Pollo Fundido
Poppyseed Chicken
Potato Soup and grilled cheese
Pumpkin Chili
Pumpkin Soup and turkey, apple, cheese panini
Quesadillas -- taco, pizza, chicken-bacon-ranch, turkey and cheese, etc
Quinoa, Beans, and chicken
Sausage-Tomato Cream Pasta
Salmon Pesto Pasta
Salmon Cream Pasta
Shepherd's Pie
Sloppy Joes
Stirfry w/ onions, peppers, and other veggies-- chicken or beef
Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Smothered Cheesy Roasted Club Sandwich
Stromboli (just using my pizza dough)
Steak Fajitas
Stuffed Mexican Peppers
Sweet Chicken Tacos or over quinoa or rice
Sweet N Sour Chicken
Taco Bake
Amazing Taco Salad
Taco Soup
Sloppy Joes
Stirfry w/ onions, peppers, and other veggies-- chicken or beef
Spaghetti Squash Casserole
Smothered Cheesy Roasted Club Sandwich
Stromboli (just using my pizza dough)
Steak Fajitas
Stuffed Mexican Peppers
Sweet Chicken Tacos or over quinoa or rice
Sweet N Sour Chicken
Taco Bake
Amazing Taco Salad
Taco Soup
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