before and after

Just a brief before and after. My husband and I have debated when to cut our baby boys hair. We were torn because it was so beautiful, and it just gave him so much personality. He was a spectacle. You don't see a five month old with hair on his shoulders everyday. About a week ago hubby woke up and thought our little girl was laying next to him because he had long flowing hair in his face. It was our baby boy. I cut his hair that night. In the bumbo seat on the bathroom counter. He didn't like it! He hardly fits in the seat to begin with but he kept throwing his whole body backwards in protest. But I got it done, and I think he looks so cute! I know I am partial.

This is so true!!!

How to prepare for nursing. The following is an article that was taken from a parenting magazine years ago after I nursed my daughter. Starting out was one of the roughest things I have ever done in my life. I ended up nursing her for 21 months, J for 24 and am just starting out again with P and it is one of the most rewarding experiences as a mother but honestly painful and @ times discouraging and draining. I hope you enjoy and get a laugh or two.

How to PREPARE for Nursing

1. Gently rub your nipples with sandpaper.

2. At bedtime, set your alarm clock to go off every two hours. Each time it rings spend 20 minutes sitting in a rocking chair with your nipples clamped with a pair of chip clips.

3. Draw branching lines all over your chest with a blue-green marker and stand in front of your bathroom mirror and sing "I Feel Pretty."

4. Open your already crowded freezer and make room for five dozen plastic milk bags.

5. Fit the hose of a vacuum cleaner over one breast and set on "medium pile." Turn off vacuum when nipple is three inches long. Switch breast.

6. Obtain "DO NO CROSS" tape from your local police station and wrap firmly around your chest. when your spouse asks about it, say, "Get used to it."

7. Tape a water balloon to each breast and squeeze into a maternity bra. Repeatedly hook and unhook the nursing flaps with one hand while using the other hand to balance a sack of squirming puppies.

8. Dine in the fanciest, snootiest restaurant you can afford, making sure to arrive with a big wet spot directly over each nipple.

9, Record your mother proclaiming, "Just give the baby some cereal like God intended and and she'll sleep right through the night." Play in an endless loop at 1 A.M., 3 A.M., and 5 A.M.

10. Slather your breast with peanut butter, top with birdseed, and stand very still in your backyard.

11. Go someplace public -a museum, a courthouse,, the steps of your office building-and stuff a lifelike baby doll under your shirt. Use the doll's arm to suddenly hike the shirt up past your collar bone. Lower shirt. Feign nonchalant smile.

12. Suckle a wolverine.

CONGRATULATIONS!!!! You are now ready to nurse a baby. Maybe!

(Melissa Balmaain, a freelance writer)

The Baby is here!!!!

I am NOT pregnant anymore!!!!!!!!!!! I am so very thankful and I am feeling so so so much better. Our son "P" was born on my husbands mother's birthday. She passed away 21 days before our son J was born which was almost 3 years ago. Our daughter got to know her. Our son J was named after her. And now P shares her birthday. They all have a piece of her. My labor was easy as can be expected. I had a very good epidural! The delivery was easy peasy. My hubby pushed the epidural button moments before delivery so I was completely numb for the pushing. It turned out to be a good thing because I had to wait while I was 10 centimeters for the Dr. to get there. He wasn't even at the hospital! But he got there and it was 3 contractions to push through and we had our newest bundle of joy. We are so very blessed! He is so precious and such a good baby. I couldn't ask for a sweeter little boy. He was 9.2 lbs! I was shocked to have an over 9 pound baby. But I knew that he had to be big because I was HUGE and I hurt so bad. I am enjoying this new adventure of 3 children. I am in a bit of a dreamland for now because my mother is here helping me and she will be greatly missed when she returns home. But I am not thinking about that for now.
All glory to my loving Heavenly Father for knitting together in my womb this child, and trusting him to my care. Let me teach him to Fear and Love the Lord!

Hillbilly baby.

Just a picture I thought I would share from the past week. It was Hillbilly Days in Pikeville, KY. I thought it was fitting I take a picture there, barefoot and pregnant.

4D UltraAWESOMEsound

I had my 32 week ultrasound yesterday and the technician did some of the photos in 4D. It was absolutely amazing! I am in awe at the mind God has given us to be able to invent a machine that lets us peek into the womb and see our unborn children. It is overwhelming looking at the life inside of me and being able to say, "He looks like his siblings." I see how fearfully and wonderfully made he is.
I told my hubby last night that no matter how uncomfortable I am and how "ready" I am for this to be over I know there is a prize waiting for me at the end of this 9 month process. I am anxious to hold my prize in my hands and see what God's hands have made secretly inside of me.

Another musical post

We have a channel on our TV that allows you to listen to Christian music. Saturday night we were listening and I heard a song from a group I had never heard of. Not that they aren't popular or haven't been around it is just that we mostly listen to CD's of our favorite groups or listen to CD's of catachisms set to music. The group was called Sanctus Real. Lead Me was the songs name. Mainstream Christian music doesn't always have a message worth listening to. Sometimes it can even be played enterchangably on secular stations so I was impressed by this songs lyrics. It was about A husbands cry to lead his wife, a fathers cry to lead his children, a mans cry to be lead by God to lead them the way God has called him to. WOW something real! Something worth crying out to our Heavenly Father for.
Side note, I love there name Sanctus, it is Latin for "to be holy". I even asked hubby if he like the name for a middle name for new arrival. I like the meaning but it may be a bit to out there. What do you think?

Feeling Ready!

I am almost 30 weeks along in my 3rd pregnancy. I am feeling DONE!!! I am READY!!!! Lets get this show on the road and NOT be pregnant anymore!!! I am Tired, Hurting, Swollen and have Zero energy!
I am feeling like all I do is whine about how much my body is HATING this extra weight and pulling and pressure. I don't like to whine and it seems to be my theme.
While I was in FL my sweet hubby and mother FORCED me to buy a new pair of tennis shoes, to give me more support. They also strapped a girdle around me for support and they tried to push me around the Brandon Mall in a wheelchair. I got out of that one by wearing the shoes and girdle. But I feel almost like I am to the point where even laying down is an effort. I have 10 weeks to go! I will make it. Hubby keeps saying "take it one day at a time". I have somewhere around 175 days to go and that just seems overwhelming!
So I am turning my focus to something else! (trying to) I am focusing on getting my classroom ready for the fall. I am focusing on cleaning out our unused unwanted clutter. I am focusing on house guests we will have in 2 weeks, and freezer meals for when Preston arrives. I am focusing on the 4D ultrasound that I get to have in 2 weeks. I am focusing on ANYTHING but the 175 day, or 10 weeks, or 2 1/2 months left!
I had a doctors appointment yesterday. My Doctor is so funny. He comes in the room each visit and says the same thing. "Weight looks good, blood pressure looks good, measuring good, this is your third time around, I think it is smooth sailing. Do you have any questions?" I want to scream "YES!! CAN YOU MAKE IT MAY ALREADY?!" But I don't I just kind of slip my statement of discomfort in like it is a question and he replies the same every time with "Third pregnancies do tend to be the toughest." That's it?! That is all you can offer me?! What about a tip to ease the pain or an encouraging word? All he offers me is that, what I am going through is normal. So, I pack up my things and get on my way.
OK, my tantrum is over! I will put back on my "pregnancy is wonderful attitude" and be thankful for this wonderful blessing from my Lord. I will praise Him that He has designed my body in such an amazing way to be able to handle childbearing. I will praise Him that He has opened my womb. I will praise Him that He is knitting together Preston and that he is fearfully and wonderfully made. I will FOCUS on this being a gift!

It's a...

BOY!
We found out this morning we are having another baby boy. All looked well during the ultrasound. The tech even told us he has 10 fingers and 10 toes. I guess she was counting. J is happy, G would be happier if it were a girl. But I think she will come to enjoy the perks of being the only girl. Well, now that I know it is a boy I can stop stressing out over making up a girl name. We already knew what we would name a boy. So now we just have to wait another few months to meet this little man.
We are super excited!
We covet your prayers for a healthy baby and an EASY delivery!