Maggie's Sleep Adventures

My Maggie has an amazing talent: She can sleep just about anywhere in just about any position! Here is the evidence:

Half-way standing up on Nana!

On the cold tile floor!

On the playmat in her bedroom while playing with stuffed animals!

In her bowl of pasta!

On the carpet with a purple raquetball!

In a homemade pup tent!

In a folding chair after talking to Daddy!

The Home Stretch to our Home Birth

Well, I think we're just about ready to meet our miracle baby! Today, I am officially 37 weeks pregnant, even according to the midwives' revised estimated due date. By my calculations, I'm actually 38 1/2 weeks, but who's counting anyways? At this point, it looks like we are really going to have our baby at home, which has long been a desire of mine.

The thought of a home birth did not even cross our minds when I was pregnant with Mary.  We were living in Davis at the time, which had an extremely unusual pro-natural childbirth hospital.  Two of the rooms were even equipped with birthing tubs.  Our primary care physician arrived just in the nick of time to deliver Mary in the tub!  (We spent only an hour and a half total at the hospital before Mary was born, so I was pushing by the time he arrived!)

After experiencing a birth once, I would have liked to have our second child at home, but we moved to New Orleans when I was 35 weeks pregnant with Maggie. The circumstances were just not ideal, but we found a wonderful midwife who delivered babies at a local hospital. Maggie was also born in the water and came even faster, twenty minutes after the midwife broke my water!

Third time's the charm, right?  For the third pregnancy, we were definitely set on a home birth...until we found out we were having twins. I hear stories about people birthing twins at home in certain states, but Louisiana does not allow it.  I thank God for providing us with an ob who allowed me to deliver the twins vaginally!

And, now, here we are about to have the child that was not part of our plan at home! Lord willing, I will pick up the birthing tub at my appointment tomorrow. I have all the other supplies stowed in our bathroom cabinets:

• birth kit received from midwives
• digital thermometer
• box of tissues
• 2-3 tall paper bags for trash
• 2-3 tall plastic trash bags for trash/soiled linen
• flashlight
• mirror to see baby
• wash cloths for hot compresses
• 10 receiving blankets
• extension cord
• heating pad
• cookie sheet with corners for supplies
• 2 towels
• 2 large pots with lids to make compresses
• 1 medium bowl lined with plastic trash bag for placenta
• 3 medium to large bowls for midwifery supplies
• hydrogen peroxide
• alcohol
• cotton swabs
• witch hazel
• chux pads
• sanitary pads
• clothes for baby
• diapers and wipes
• clothes for mom
• snacks for birth team
• juice
• camera with charged battery

So, now we are playing the waiting game!  And now, for your continued reading pleasure, five things you should try to avoid saying to any pregnant lady at any time during the course of her pregnancy.  By the way, I have fielded each one of these.  Fortunately, I am not quick on my feet, so I manage to avoid the sarcastic comebacks below!

1. You haven't had that baby yet???  Obviously, no I haven't!
2. Is that one baby or two in there???  Ummm...the ultrasound shows only one baby.  Thanks.
3. Oh, my, you look like you are ready to pop!  Actually, no, but I could offer you a balloon.
4. Would you like me to make your drink decaffeinated?  No, thank you, if I wanted decaf, I would have asked for it.
5. Why are you so tired?  Could it be the extra thirty pounds I am carrying around?  Or maybe the baby gymnastics that keep me awake at night? Perhaps, the expectancy that labor pains could begin any moment now?  Maybe it's because I need to go to the bathroom every 30 minutes? Or could it be because my ankles are as big as my knees right now?

Our New Chore System

After visiting family in Redding for Christmas, we stopped to visit with friends in Davis.  Our friends, the Morejohns, also have four children, but are way more organized than us!  While we were there, I noticed that they had assigned chores for their three oldest children.  While we have required our children to do chores from an early age, we certainly didn't have a systematic approach.  When something needed doing, I would just say say the word and everyone would work together to accomplish said task.  As you may imagine, this did not often work well.  Although we should love one another and work together in complete unity, there was often strife!  "But, I wanted to put Daddy's bowl in the dishwasher!"  "But, I need the stepstool!"  "I'm trying to put xxx away and she's just following me around not doing anything!"  Or, since no one knew exactly when I was going to decide it was necessary for a chore to get done, someone was always being interrupted from playing or reading. 

After we returned home from our visit, I was mulling  over implementing some sort of a new chore system and even mentioned the idea to David.  Then, out of the blue, Mary came to me and said, "Mama, do you think we could have a schedule like Peter does that shows what chores we are supposed to do?"  This new system was drafted that very day!

We have been using our new chore system for about a month now.  One blessing that I didn't anticipate is that it gives me one-on-one time with each of the girls to train them in the tasks.  I can help each girl learn how to put the dishes in the dishwasher properly or actually wipe the crumbs off the table (instead of just pushing them around).  Each of the girls has even taken ownership of their assigned tasks and actually looks forward to doing their chores now!

Please note the boys are in training, too.  They each like to carry their silverware to the shisha and are also learning how to clean up the aftermath of the tornadoes that frequently come through our house!

Please note also that there are still other tasks that need doing on a moment's notice that we all just work together to accomplish.

Abiding in Christ

Well, here I am, once again sharing my heart with you.  Actually, the content of this post has been on my heart for well over a month now, but I just haven't taken the time to share how God has been encouraging me with His word. 

Honestly, I have been feeling very anxious about having another baby.  Many days, I feel really overwhelmed with the four children God has entrusted into my care.  I can't even imagine what it is going to be like to add another child to the mix.  If all goes well, Matthew and Jonathan will have celebrated their second birthday around the time that the baby is born.  There are two and half years between our other children.  Although six months does not sound like much time, there is a huge difference between a two year old and a two and a half year old, especially when you factor in the developmental delays typically seen in twins.

Although Matthew and Jonathan understand a lot more than they let on, they can only say four intelligible words: Mama, Daddy, no (accompanied by an entire body shake), and slide.  To really understand the rest of their words, you need the M-J dictionary: shu is truck, ba is cup, esh is trash, ady is bike, ola is stroller, suh is stuck, sah is sock and so on.  They do not know one baby sign, unless you count a wave for bye-bye.   

Raising twins is really challenging.  I am to blame for some of Matthew's and Jonathan's developmental delays because I have chosen the easy route.  One example: I still spoon-feed them most of their meals.  The times I have allowed them to feed themselves with utensils, the food has ended up on the floor.  I frequently opt to spoon-feed to avoid having to clean up a big mess times two afterwards.  Now, I am thinking ahead a few weeks and realize that spoon-feeding twins while caring for an infant is going to be really difficult.

I have resigned myself to the fact that I am just going to have three children in diapers at the same time.  This is again where six months makes a huge difference!  Mary was fully potty-trained by the time Maggie was born.  Maggie was fully potty-trained by the time Matthew and Jonathan were born.  Matthew and Jonathan will not be potty-trained by the time the baby is born.  They are not ready.  I am not ready.  I can admit that.  I am not going to enter into a battle now that will only result in one frustrated mama and two frustrated boys. 

Thinking about these things made me begin to feel anxious about the birth of this baby.  How could I possibly feel more overwhelmed than my current state???  Then, in early January, our pastor revealed the focus for this year:

Abide in me, and I in you. As the branch cannot bear fruit by itself, unless it abides in the vine, neither can you, unless you abide in me.  I am the vine; you are the branches.  Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing.  John 15:4-5

God really encouraged me through these verses.  He is an all-powerful God, the Creator of the universe.  It is He who makes me fruitful.  The fruit comes as a result of abiding in him, not of having children who can speak intelligibly, feed themselves or use the toilet.  I can't say that anxious thoughts about adding another little one don't still creep into my head from time to time. But when they do, I remember these verses and bring my anxieties to the Lord and ask him to bear fruit through me! 

My Husband, the World Traveler!

Recently, David had to go on a trip for work to Europe.  Tough job, huh?  He was invited to sit on someone's dissertation defense committee in Vienna and, not so reluctantly, agreed to go.  Then, he realized he also had colleagues in Amsterdam and Zurich, so he went there to give talks, too.  And, well, since he had to be there over the weekend, he even got to go snowboarding in the Swiss Alps.  He was gone for just under two weeks, the longest work trip of his career thus far!  (This is, of course, not counting the time he did a fellowship in Santa Barbara for four months!)

Lots of people ask me how I manage when David travels.  The truth is not very well.  Fortunately, God always manages perfectly!  The reality is that God pours out His grace upon me moment by moment to enable me to do all that He has called me to!  He calls David away for work, and He supplies me with everything necessary to function without him.  God has also blessed me with wonderful friends and family who check in on me, visit, bring food, even babysit! David's travels would be unbearable without God and His people!

Practically speaking, I do switch to survival mode whenever David travels.  My mission becomes nothing more than to keep my kids (and myself) alive!  Even so, during this last trip, we still had  a few "That really didn't just happen!" moments:

• Upon waking in the morning, Jonathan pulled his diaper down and pooped in his crib.  (This never happened with any of our other kids.  Jonathan thought it was hysterical.  I was beyond grossed out!)
• The handle to Matthew and Jonathan's trike snapped off.  (I did manage to fix it myself after a trip to the hardware store!)
• Maggie wore out one of the training wheels on her bike. (I couldn't fix this one myself, but I let her ride a bigger bike with training wheels!)
• Matthew found my lukewarm coffee (survival mode means caffeine is permissable), tried to drink it, and instead spilled it all over himself and the floor!
• Our frog died.  
• I dropped an almost-full, Costco-size, glass container of salad dressing on the kitchen floor while I was trying to get my ravenous crew fed!
• All the kids slept past 7 am!

February's Goal: Watch David Install Ceiling Fans

Only nine days into February and I've already completed my goal for the month!  Yep, I sat on my bum and watched David install ceiling fans!  He did an excellent job, which one would expect since this is our third home and, hence, third set of fans.  Now we have ceiling fans in each of the three bedrooms and in the living room.  If I had my say in the matter, we'd also have fans in the kitchen and dining room, but the house was just not designed with that in mind.  What were they thinking, really?  They installed a sprinkler in the center of the dining room and a recessed light in the center of the kitchen.  I did take a picture of David hard at work, but it really didn't turn out, so you'll just have to take me at my word that this goal has really and truly been met:)  At some point in the future, I plan to post pictures of our house, so maybe you'll catch a glimpse of the finished product then!

What We've Been Reading--January

In the month of January, we read two wonderful chapter books: Lad, A Dog and its sequel Further Adventures of Lad both by Albert Payson Terhune.  These books are a collection of true stories about an amazing thoroughbred collie, Lad.  The stories were originally published in The Ladies Home Journal years ago.  I really enjoyed learning more about the psychology of the thoroughbred collie.  The three traits which come to mind are loyalty, devotion, and honor.  Not only was the content of the stories interesting, but the writing style and command of the English language were excellent.  Many times, my eyes were filled with tears at the heroism of this amazing collie.  I hesitate to detail the heroic feats for fear of giving away the surprising conclusion of any chapter.  If we ever do get a dog, I am now casting my vote in favor of a collie.  Even if you are not a dog-lover, these books will soften a spot of your heart towards them:)  By the way, the books are public domain and are available for free.  Enjoy!

My First Order From Azure Standard

OK, I know this picture is probably about the worst one I ever posted. One of the kids had messed with the settings on the camera and my techy guru was away in Europe and couldn't help me and I was trying to take a "quick" picture while the kids were happily playing outside, blah, blah, blah!

Crummy photography aside, this is a picture of my very first order from Azure Standard:

• 50 pounds of whole wheat pastry flour
• 50 pounds of quick oats
• 25 pounds of black beans
• 25 pounds of split peas
• 25 pounds of lentils
• 5 pounds of milk powder

I had heard about this place from another blog when we lived in Louisiana and was really excited to order, but became dismayed when I found out they actually don't deliver to Louisiana.  When we moved to California, I was thrilled to place an order.  The whole process was pretty simple.  I called the company, and they gave me the phone numbers of a couple of people in Huntington Beach.  One woman gave me the drop location number and I just placed my own order online to come to that drop location.  (Each individual has to have an order totaling $50 or more and each drop location has to have an order totaling $550 or more.)

Now, here's where things got a little crazy.  I had planned to go pick up the order on Wednesday but then got a call on Tuesday evening about 6:00 from the woman saying that the truck was going to arrive between 8:00 and 8:30 pm on Tuesday!  So, I fed, bathed and pajamaed the kids and loaded everyone in the car to go to Huntington Beach.  I got there about 7:45 pm, but then the driver didn't actually arrive until 8:45 pm.  Hurray for the Story of the World and for kids who sleep in the car!  When the driver arrived, he unloaded and separated everyone's stuff.  The other customers were very kind and carried and loaded my stuff for me.  Once we had everything loaded, we headed home.  Fortunately, the kids transferred well from the car to their beds:)

I hadn't thought about how exactly I was going to store all the stuff I bought ahead of time.  I divided the beans into small ziploc bags (about one pound in each bag) and have them in a locked cabinet (so the boys don't play with them).  I bought some storage containers from Costco for the flour and the quick oats.  I am really happy with how the whole process worked out and will definitely order from them in the future, but I don't think we'll be needing anything for quite some time:)