Birth Center Orientation

Today we attended the orientation/birthing class at the birth center. It's mandatory, no matter how many births you've had there, so although this will be our third birth there we had to attend.

They've remodeled since 2004 since we birthed there last and Cherie has changed the color scheme. It's a really beautiful home.

We were very proud of how The Pupster did during the meeting. We sat at the end near the door and he played in the next room, with the puppets and other toys.

For almost two hours straight, he stayed there and played and made almost no noise. The other couples even complemented him on doing so well. I think a lot of his energy, at other times, comes from the stimulation of his other siblings.


During the orientation, one of the mothers-to-be asked about the level of involvement she should expect from the midwives and birth assistants.

I'm really glad she asked that question because Cherie's answer included some statements I don't think I had heard before.

She talked about their goal of having the husband and wife work as a team and having the wife see her husband as her savior during the process.



She said that if they see that the wife needs a cold towel or a warm rice sock on her back, they take it and place it in the husband's hand so he can apply it, and the wife will thank him for helping her.

That's was really great to hear.

She also mentioned that there are many birth situations where there is a doula present, and that's helpful mostly in a hospital setting if the couple is not allowed as much freedom.

Many times doulas get a lot of credit for doing the comforting and encouraging and coaching that is designed for the husband to do.

No disrespect to doulas, I just like it this way. It strengthens the bond between the husband and wife during this extremely sacred process.


Below is the tub where the Pupster was born in 2004. I didn't plan it that way, I was there to relax and out he started coming!!!!



Hopefully I'll get to take a happy picture like the one below, during and after labor, when we come back in a few weeks, or a couple of weeks!!

3 weeks before your due date

Here's how you're growing so far. You're still moving quite a bit so I guess you still have a bit of room in there.

What are we up to? Today at school we read a chapter of David Livingstone (missionary to Africa), we worked on memorization (a poem we're learning, called The Year), we worked on writing (copywork), and we had an interview with Uncle Ed (Jeoff's brother) in Japan since we're studying Asia for geography.

During the younger kids' naptime and Diona's independent work time, I washed and folded a boat load of clothes and did the dishes.

I didn't have quite as much cleaning to do as usual because the kiddos are becoming such better helpers and much better at playing in one area and cleaning that area up. But only if I stay on top of them with reminders and pointers - that's the key!

This evening your big brother had soccer practice, which was cute as always, and afterwards we all headed to Lowe's to look at some kid room decorations and wallpaper for the kitchen.

Tonight we watched the finale of America's Best Dance Crew - Go Jabbawockeez!!!!

I missed the finale of Celebrity Apprentice although I watched the show pretty faithfully through out the season. I'll have to catch it online tomorrow or this weekend. I think Trace Adkins won. At least I hope he did. These are really the only two shows we watch and Jeoff just got into Dance Crew last week as I was flipping through the channels. The other two I flip on every once in a while are A Baby Story - which is getting on my nerves, Top Model, and Extreme Makeover Home Edition. A Baby Story is getting on my nerves because I want to see stories of more women walking around during labor and pushing in different positions other than laying almost flat. Oh we also flip in at Biggest Loser and Dancing with the Stars.... and yeah Hannity and Colmes or Larry King if there's a good guest or topic. Why am I rambling about this??? Hmmmmm .... I guess just so I'll have it documented for history's sake. Seriously though, the tv is usually off at our house except about 5-6 hours all week.


Update: Friday, March 28
We went for my appointment at the birth center today and I was dilated almost to 2cm. Beverly encouraged me (reminded me) to make sure I walk an hour each day to help with labor. My blood pressure was normal and she took blood for them to check my iron level again. My stomach measured 43 1/2 inches today.

Another update - Piers won Celebrity Apprentice. Oh goodness. I hope he improves his attitude.

4 weeks before your due date

Today was a date day for Daddy and me. Wow! We don't even remember when we had the last one of those. But it was absolutely great. We felt like teenagers out on a date together or something.

It was nothing major just good time spent together.

We had an appointment that morning at 10:30 and after the appointment we had lunch at Red Lobster.

Stopped by Fry's Electronics.

Went walking at the new outdoor mall.

Came home and greeted Grandma and the kids.

That night we had planned on watching a movie but opted out of that and decided that talking and actually having more reflection on the day would be much better than taking in a movie.

I had an appointment at the birth center yesterday. My waist (well whatever the part of my stomach that's biggest right now) is about 43 inches. I've gained about 22 pounds so far. Blood pressure and fetal heart rate were normal, thank God! They'll check my iron again NEXT TIME - Thank God!

Your estimated weight as of yesterday was about 5.5 lbs.

One Month Before Your Due Date: Baby Update - 36 Weeks

Today is the first day of Spring Break. We'll rest today and do some activities later in the week.

Before we go out and do a lot of activities we're cleaning inside the house. Daddy got you guys (well all of us) a little sweeper which we desperately needed. Today we're testing it out and teaching everyone how to use it - Even Lamby.

This past weekend was pretty eventful. Friday night we went to Auntie Rita's for their Bon Voyage party, before their cruise. Saturday morning at 7 I had breakfast with my friend, Tasha. That was long over due for us. It was nice to get out early and have the fellowship with a good friend.

Later on Saturday, I took all your siblings to Cia's birthday party at Going Bonkers. They had a really good time. Especially your sister Lamby. If I had let her, she would have ran loose all over the place!

Yesterday we all went to worship service. I can't wait until you have your turn to learn to sit in service with the family! :-) After service, we visited the Farmer's Market again and got lots of good fruit and vegetables.

The afternoon, was family BTU (Bible Study) at Granny's House. We're currently studying Ephesians 6 - Responsibility of Children & Parents and The Full Armor of God. Your sister, Lamby, hung out with Daddy while we were there so she could get her good long 3 hour nap; and after that they went grocery shopping at Walmart!

You are continuing to grow like a weed. I'm 36 weeks pregnant and I'm sure you're running out of room to get around in my tummy. I am very thankful that, at my last birth center visit, Cherie suggested that I start taking a calcium/magnesium supplement. And it has done wonders for the joint aches and pains I had been really suffering from!!!!

I take one whole one and two halves, with breakfast, lunch, and dinner respectively.

There's a baby shower planned for the end of this month. I'm excited about it! I know some people to have showers after a 1st, 2nd, or 3rd baby (or more) but I'm hoping this will just be a great time for fellowship and celebrating the fact that God has added you to our family!!!!! We'll also be celebrating motherhood in general - both natural and spiritual. I think it'll be a fun time. Especially since there will be some friends there who I didn't get to celebrate any of the other pregnancies with - so that's special JUST FOR YOU LITTLE ONE!!!

I put a comparison photo below, in the same outfit so you (and all of us) can see how your grow over time!

Oh yeah, you've also had a couple of little buddies born within the last couple of weeks that I'm sure you' grow up right along with. Little Carson was born about 5 weeks ago and baby Joel was born just on Friday.

Talk to you soon!

Here's how you're growing......

Baby Update - 35 Weeks

Pupster's Prayer

After the usual and most often uttered, "Now I lay me down to sleep.....," The Pupster asked us to repeat the following "open prayer," as we call them.

It was so cute, I had to post it:

thank you Lord
for making this day
we love you so much
because you’re so friendly
and whenever we do something bad
mommy pinches us, or daddy pops us or grandma puts us in the corner or granny pulls our ear
amen

I didn't realize........

....I looked so big!

Until Jeoff took this picture of me today, outside in the bright light LOL

34 weeks and counting

Baby Update - 34 Weeks

Baby Update - 33 Weeks

The Grammar Stage - Homeschool Update - 02/2008

When we started home school in August of last year, I planned to use the Trivium Method with my two oldest children (then ages 5 and 3). I think we did a fairly good job of it. We were not really strict with any particular curriculum but did, follow the first stage of the trivium on most days.

The following are the 10 things that are suggested for focus, From Birth through Age 10. This period of time they are in what's called the Early Grammar Stage or Knowledge Level.

1. Reading and Writing
I've been really pleased with Kitty's progress with reading and writing. In the last couple of months she has blossomed in her interest of reading and asks all the time, whether she can read her favorite books, along with new books.
The Pupster has amazed me as well. He tells us all the time, the words that he knows how to spell and he's constantly putting together new words (or non-words) with his letter blocks or letter puzzle pieces.

We've used a combination of TATRAS and the McGuffey readers for phonics.

For copywork, they have practiced copying the days of the week, months of the year, their name and birthdate, and memory verses.

2. Oral Narration
This is one of my favorite parts. We've read lots of books and ventured into some of the longer unabridged stories as well. They have most enjoyed the missionary novels which are included in the My Father's World Curriculum. The one we're reading currently, is David Livingstone - who was an amazing missionary to South Africa. It's exciting to hear them narrate the stories back and hear them mention details in the story that I had even forgotten! They also narrate short stories and fables (like Aesop's fables).

3. Memorization
For memorization, we've focused on Greek Alphabet, Catechism, Weekly Memory Verses and Passages, Poetry, and a new mantra that we just came up with. That helps them review rules of the house, conduct when outside the house, in worship service, and instills in them WHO WE ARE AS A FAMILY.

4. Hearing and Listening
For their ages, this goes along with narration, since I read the majority of the stories they have to narrate. They have grown tremendously so far this year, in this area. I remember hearing Laurie Bluedorn say that she allowed her children to have things in their hands while they listened and I thought that was a little weird. I thought it best to have them sit completely still and look at me while I read. But I've been surprised to see them write or play with a block or action figure while I read and were still able to narrate details of the story to me. After I saw that I relaxed. They are now able to sit through entire chapters of books (like the missionary novels).

5. Family Worship
We're growing into this and it's a sweet period of growth. I read recently that you can't expect children to learn proper behavior in worship service, if the only time you train them is IN worship service. We don't have a worship service every morning or evening at home but we are committed to at least having it one evening a week and we're adding on from there. Through this time we're teaching them the meaning of each aspect of service (worship, prayer, communion, offering, and sermon). It also helps them to see Mommy and Daddy enter into God's presence and learn to respect that by being quiet and reflecting on the Lord for themselves.

This is also a time where we can either teach them new principles, review things we've taught them in the past, or review lessons that were taught in worship service by the Pastor.

6. Arts and Crafts
One of the kids' favorite parts of home school and one that has, lately, been freeing for me. Now that they are getting to the point that they can be trusted to work together while I'm not in the room (without causing a big raucous), I can give them washable markers and drawing paper, or kid scissors and construction paper and let them work. This is what I do when I don't have a planned art project for them to do. It's definitely been the case the last couple of days, as my activity level is decreasing. They come up with the most beautiful and imaginative drawings and other creations!

7. Field Trips
We did more of these during the beginning of the year when the weather was nicer. I'm not much for getting out in the cold. They've enjoyed the ones we have taken, though. Including the Zoo, The Wildlife Park, The Science Place, Steinberg Piano, to name a few.

8. Work and Service
I think I could stand to do much better in this area. I've focused on work ethic at home but not so much outside the home. We've taken a few trips to visit relatives who are home bound, and made cards for some of them but we need to up our efforts in this area. Regarding work in the home, I have to hand it to them, that through a few reward systems and us adhering to the advice of "punishing every act of disobedience" they have improved by leaps and bounds in this area!

9. Discipline
Similar to the section on Work and Service, I believe the fact that we are the ones administering the training and discipline for them almost 100% of the time, instead of outside teachers, our children have come a long way!!! If you had seen them a year ago, you might agree. We're still working on it though because I know it's a long term process, just like our own obedience to the Father.

10. Play and Exploration

This area is the most natural for our children, like most. As long as their behavior is under control and the proper tone and expectations have been set for the day, we can allow them lots of free time for this. It's fun to see the things they come up with too! Just a couple of nights ago, they had all their animals lined up and they took them to church. They conducted the church service, discussed behavior with their "children" and The Pupster shared with them the Gospel Message! So so sweet!!!


The next two stages we plan to follow, according to the trivium, are
- The Understanding Level (or Logic Stage) and
- The Wisdom Level (or Rhetoric Stage)

For more information on Teaching the Trivium see the Bluedorn's Website and also below is some information I posted previously from these wise homeschool parents.

Thoughts from the Bluedorns

I took these notes from their audio seminar entitled, A Less Hurried Approach to Homeschooling.

In the early years give your children the following
- Brain-appropriate challenges

Focus on self-management and self-control

Do not focus on force-feeding academics

They need foundational things like:
- Honoring God and parents
- Developing the capacity for language
- Appetite for learning
- Encouraging creativity
- Developing the memory
- Work and service

Academics need to built on a foundation of moral character

Build a larger store of categories of thought

Don't focus too much on academics first

They need to develop:
- proper behavior
- moral outlook
- service for others
- household management chores

Focus on special projects. These promote diligence, perseverance, attention to detail and the like.

Instill a love of learning!

The best quote!
"If you build too hastily on the building, skimping on the foundation, the building may sag and lean and parts may fall, as the foundation sinks or crumbles underneath it."
-- Harvey Bluedorn

Two Months Before Your Due Date: Baby Update - 32 Weeks

Baby Brother,

Today is President's Day so we don't have any official school. It's just mommy here at home with your siblings. Last night was Kozy Night in the Family Room. We usually watch a movie or play games on Kozy Night but last night we sang worship songs together and that was better than anything else!

This morning your biggest sister made breakfast, as I rested a "few more minutes". I won't disclose exactly what I allowed her to make, LOL, but she did a great job and I even heard Lamby happily exclaim, "I'm done Yah Yah!"

It's almost time for her birthday party. We'll have it the week before her birthday this year because she has another exciting event to attend the following Saturday (her actual birthday).

This time of year (Spring Semester) is a very exciting time, because all of you have birthdays!!! I feel like every month we're either sending bday invites or thank you cards or planning for the next event coming up. It makes the Summer and Fall nice, though, because we can just focus on Thanksgiving and Christmas and OTHER PEOPLE's BIRTHDAYS!!

I can't beleive Kitty is about to be 6 years old!! She has these long long legs and she's such a better helper, and with that comes the fact that she's a much better talker and negotiator. :-)

Your next check up is this coming Friday. They'll take blood again and see where my iron level is nowadays. Still trying to get it to increase. At last check they suggested that I take the Slow Fe twice a day and a liquid iron supplement once a day. The reason it didn't go up last time could have been because I took it with food sometimes. Apparently it would have been better to not take it at all, than to take it with food. So many little details.

On another note, last night I went to a life team meeting for the CTI Alumni. Daddy stayed on this side of town and took Kitty and Pupster to AWANA. We wanted to make sure they didn't miss that! It was really nice to see some of our fellow classmates and hear what they're up to these days. I look forward to getting together with them more regularly and networking. I know there are many of us who have gifts that can help each other grow in their individual ministry endeavors.

Let's see what else did we do today. Everyone took a nap which was nice. Some days we're off schedule so this doesn't happen, but today it was much needed since I'm getting over a cold. I also needed to catch up on laundry and dishes, which of course never ends.

We prayed together and sang after lunch because we needed to change the atmosphere. There had been some complaining going on, among the brethren that I was not going to tolerate so I knew at that time the Holy Spirit was better than me, at bringing peace.

Tonight, I made chili, thanks to a recipe over the phone, from Granny. It actually came out really good! It was my very first time making homemade chili. Everyone liked it. Kitty said she wants to have it every night. (But she also says that about steak, and stir fry and tilapia LOL).

Baby Update - 32 Weeks

Baby Update - 31 Weeks

Experimenting with Podcasting

Our family's first time posting one of our episodes for others to peek in and see. Click the play button to hear the broadcast.

We're just having fun, so I hope you enjoy and bear with us work on our studio presence with the kiddos.

You can click the 'Posts' button to see additional episodes.


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Imari - National College Football Signing Day!

Yesterday was the big day - National College Football Signing Day.

Imari's school hosted a ceremony and of course his grandparents and all of his aunts had to be in attendance. Oh yeah, and his parents too. Auntie Rita even made today's newspaper with him, in the High School sports section.

We're very excited and proud of him! Especially the things the coach had to say about him during the ceremony.



It's an honor for him to receive a full scholarship to a school, which costs over $10,000 per year for tuition, room and board, and food -- The University of Nevada at Las Vegas.



Yeah I know, Las Vegas. He's a mature young man and I pray that he will stand against all of the "wiles" that he surely will face as a young college student. And that he will use his education wisely, to place him in a career that will adequately provide for his family to come!

Congratulations, Bubba!!

Baby Update - 30 Weeks

Baby Update - 29 Weeks

Baby Update - 28 Weeks

Three Months from your due date (27 weeks)

Your big brother just celebrated his 4th birthday on Sunday (the 13th). He had a great day. The funniest, and perhaps the best part was when the entire congregation sang Happy Birthday to him at the end of service. That was really special. This picture is at Pupster's party - me and another expectant mother/friend who's due in a few weeks.

Today your big cousin, K, came over for the day. She's back in regular school now and today they were out so she came and stayed with us. The other kids were happy to see her again, during the school day. Your brother and sister and other cousin still had to get their work done for the day, so K helped with some much-needed clothes folding while we did our lessons.

Tonight, your brother and two sisters went and played with some friends while Mommy and Daddy had a date night at home. We ate tasty Macaroni Grill and watched the movie, Fracture, with Anthony Hopkins and Ryan Gosling (the guy from Remember the Titans and The Notebook). It turned out to be a really good movie, although it had me wondering for a while.

It was a great day today. Three more months to go!! See you soon, son.

And Here's how you're growing these days....

As long as their needs get met?

I saw an interview recently, with a mom of multiple children (she has 13 I believe), and the question was asked,

"How do your children receive the attention they need?"

She gave a very good answer, and this is in no way a criticism of her, but part of her answer was that if she was not able to give them the attention, someone else would. She was speaking of her other children, who are there to help out immensely when mommy is not available. This appeared to be a very hard-working, loving, and dedicated mother so I don't believe she had any ill-intentions or that she pushed her responsibilities of on others.

A few days later, I thought of this interview again, with respect to the time and attention I give my children. It's funny that I will listen to one of my nieces read a story to my baby, I think about when the last time I read a story to her one on one.

Then it made me wonder how many times I have shifted such a responsibility onto someone else - whether it was learning the Bible at Sunday school, learning phonics at preschool, or being lulled to sleep by a CD player - and was satisfied with the fact that they got their need met.

I thought further about how I should be careful with that type of mindset because if I adopted that as a principle I might become lazy in my responsibilities to meet the needs of my family.

Think about it..... Would you be comfortable if, in your marriage, your spouse did not have any complaints because his or her needs were being met, but not necessarily by you? I don't think so. I think most of us would work really hard at making sure the their needs were being met by us!

All of those thoughts that came together for me this morning, should motivate me to take the time out that is necessary, although not always convenient or comfortable, to meet the needs of my husband and my children.