Children

"Children, obey your parents in the Lord for this is right."

D told me that he didn't like this verse from day one!  That made me laugh because he didn't really even understand what it meant. 

I couldn't think of any craft to do with this one really either.  I had D look through a magazine for pictures of children.  By the way, Women's Fitness has no pictures of children!  So the boys colored a C and glued a picture on it.

The motions were rocking a baby for "children," pointing to your ear for "obey," sign language open hand with thumb on forehead for "parents," pointing up for "in the Lord," and holding up your right hand for "this is right."  Doing the motions does seem to help him remember them some. 

Do Unto Others

"Do unto others as you would have them do unto you."

This has definitely been the most difficult verse so far.  I think the wording of it is hard for a little one to grasp and I can't come up with motions to help.  However, this has been the easiest to do a lesson for.  Just search for "golden rule" and you've got a thousand lessons!

I came up with the idea to make a little paper doll chain and write the verses on it.  It probably means nothing to D, but I think it's cute.  The other lesson we did (which he probably didn't understand) was coming up with "nice" things to do for people and writing them on petals.  Then we made a little kindness flower with the verse on it. 

We still haven't mastered this verse and we work on it pretty much every day.  The other verses sound great though!!

Every Good

"Every good and perfect gift comes from above."

We learned this verse on Valentine's Day, so we were able to talk about gifts a little bit more than a normal day.  I got out a birthday bag and put some gifts in it that God has given us--a picture of the family, a truck like Dad's, the Bible and a dollar.  We talked about these gifts and how God has given these and many more to us.  They are perfect and they came from him. 

I cut out a little "gift" and wrote the verse on it for our craft.  I also introduced D to the song we sing at church that goes with this verse--"Father of Lights." 

 

I don't have any motions for this verse other than to point up at "above." 

Believe

"Believe in the Lord, Jesus Christ, and you will be saved." 

I wasn't feeling very creative and couldn't figure out what little craft to do for this one, so we made a cross.  I then realized we had LifeSavers in our candy pile!  This seriously saved the lesson and helped D remember the verse.  Plus now he begs for a candy every time he says the verse.  There was one glued at the bottom for one night.  He ate it off first thing the next morning before I got out of bed!  He always needs a little help with the word "believe" but can do the rest, however he says, "and I will be saved!" 
The motions which he doesn't usually do are pointing to his forehead for "believe," pointing up for "the Lord," doing sign language for Jesus Christ which is pointing to both palms, and pointing out for "you." 

Making Clothes

 I cut the bottom few inches off of an old pair of jeans and the neck out of a t-shirt to make this cute little skirt.  I had to gather up a few pleats so that the jeans would fit into the band, but I think it turned out really cute.  It was super easy and just barely fit over her thunder thighs! 

The back has 2 little pleats also.

Our A Bible Verse

We started our ABC Bible Verses today with an easy one--Joshua 24:15. 

Here D is showing the motions we came up with to help us remember the verse:

  

We also made a little house, colored it and wrote our Bible verse on it.  We are going to go over this one and all the others at night during dinner. 

He did such a good job!  I hope he remembers it tomorrow!! 

2012 To Do List



Used under Creative Commons
by puzzlescript



I don't make resolutions, but I sat down tonight and started thinking of things that I need to do this year differently than I've done in the past.  I decided to write them down and then share them on this post.  What's on your list? 

Read at least 3 books to the kids daily

ABC Bible verse weekly

Read story/devotional at night (dinner)

Read the daily Bible

Exercise at least 3 times a week

Pray

Drink 8 glasses of water daily

Straighten up the den, common areas daily
Clean bathrooms weekly

Change sheets weekly

These are the projects I need to finish up soon:

Prayer board
Menu board
Laminate meals, games
E's quilted stocking

ABC Bible Verses

So love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul, and strength. Memorize his laws and tell them to your children over and over again. Talk about them all the time whether you’re at home or walking along the road or going to bed at night or getting up in the morning. Deuteronomy 6:5-7



Used under Creative Commons
from jamelah

I am taking this command seriously this year and planning to teach my children Bible verses.  I have gone through a few websites and created an alphabetical list of 80 verses that I plan for all of us to learn this year.  I hope to accomplish this task by doing the following things for each verse:

Look verse up and highlight in the Bible
• Write verse on a card with a picture representation
• Craft to go along with each verse
• Song, video or rhyme that goes with the verse if there is one

I am going to try to come up with the ideas off the top of my head and record what we've done on here.  I am hoping to do about two verses a week.  Feel free to share any ideas you have for any verses or activites, songs, etc.  I think it should be fun and in the end, we will have learned 80 verses as a family if all goes according to plan! 

As for me and my house, we will serve the Lord. Joshua 24:15
Ask and it shall be given you. Matthew 7:7
All have sinned and fall short of the glory of God. Romans 3:23
As for God, his way is perfect! Psalm 18:30

“Believe in the Lord Jesus, and you will be saved.” Acts 16:31
Be strong and courageous. God is with you! Joshua 1:9
Be kind to one another and build each other up. 1 Thessalonians 5:11

Children, obey your parents in the Lord, for this is right. Ephesians 6:1
Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me. Psalm 51:10

Delight yourself in the Lord, and he will give you the desires of your heart. Psalm 37:4
Do to others as you would have them do to you. Luke 6:31

Every word of God is pure. Proverbs 30:5
Every good and perfect gift is from above. James 1:17
Every knee will bow before me: every tongue will acknowledge God. Romans 14:11
Even a child makes himself known by his acts. Proverbs 20:11

Faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the Word of God. Romans 10:17
Fear not, for I am with you. Isaiah 41:10
For nothing is impossible with God! Luke 1:37
For God has not given us a spirit of fear and timidity, but of power, love and self-discipline. 2 Timothy 1:7

God is love. 1 John 4:8
Go into all the world and preach the Good News to everyone. Mark 16:15
Great is the Lord, and greatly to be praised. Psalms 48:1
“Give thanks to the Lord of hosts, for the Lord is good.” Jeremiah 33:11

Honor your father and mother. Matthew 19:19
Hear O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. Deuteronomy 6:4

If ye love me, keep my commandments. John 14:15
I have hidden your word in my heart, that I might not sin against God. Psalm 119:11
If any of you lacks wisdom, let him ask God James 1:5
In all your ways submit to him and he will make your paths straight. Proverbs 3:6

Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life:” John 14:6
Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today and forever. Hebrews 13:8

Keep your tongue from evil and your lips from telling lies. Psalms 34:13
Know that the Lord, he is God! Psalm 100:3

Let us love one another for love comes from God. 1 John 4:7
Love the Lord your God with all your heart, soul and strength. Deuteronomy 6:5
Listen to advice and accept instruction. Proverbs 19:20

Make a joyful noise to the Lord, all the earth! Psalm 100:1
Man shall not live on bread alone, but on every word that comes from the mouth of God. Matthew 4:4
My help comes from the Lord. Psalm 121:2

Nothing can separate us from God’s love. Romans 8:39
No eye has seen, no ear has heard and no mind has imagined what God has prepared for those who love him. 1 Corinthians 2:9

No man can serve two masters...Ye cannot serve God and mammon. Matthew 6:24

Oh Lord my God, I will give you thanks forever. Psalm 30:12

Obey them that have the rule over you, and submit yourselves: Hebrews 13:17

Oh come, let us worship and bow down; Psalm 95:6

O God you are my God. I earnestly search for you. My soul thirsts for you. Psalm 63:1

Praise the Lord. Psalm 103:1

Peace be unto you. John 20:19
Praise the Lord. Give thanks to the Lord for he is good: his love endures forever. Psalm 106:1

Pray without ceasing. 1 Thessalonians 5:17

In Quietness and trust is your strength. Isaiah 30:15
Quench not the Spirit. 1 Thessalonians 5:19
Let every person be Quick to hear, slow to speak, slow to anger; James 1:19

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Philippians 4:4
Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.” Exodus 20:8

Set your affection on things above, not on things on the earth. Colossians 3:2
Submit yourselves therefore to God. James 4:7
Surely God is my help. Psalm 54:4
Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness and all these things will be given to you as well. Matthew 6:33

Teach me to do your will, for you are my God! Psalm 143:10
Trust in the Lord with all your heart. Proverbs 3:5
They word is a lamp unto my feet and a light unto my path. Psalm 119:105

Understanding is a fountain of life to one who has it. Proverbs 16:22
Until I come, devote yourself to the public reading of Scripture 1 Timothy 4:13

Vanity of vanities; all is vanity. Ecclesiastes 1:2

Very truly I tell you, no servant is greater than his master. Nor is a messenger greater than the one who sent him. John 13:16 With God we will gain the Victory. Psalm 60:12

Vengeance is mine, I will repay, says the Lord. Romans 12:19

Wait on the Lord. Psalms 27:14

“We must obey God rather than men.” Acts 5:29

When I am afraid, I will trust in you. Psalm 56:3

Whatever is true, noble, right, pure, lovely, admirable—if anything is excellent or praiseworth—think about such things. Philippians 4:8

Let us eXalt his name together. Psalm 34:3

Let us eXamine our ways and test them, and let us return to the Lord. Lamentations 3:40

I will eXtol thee, my God, O king: Psalm 145:1

EXamine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. 2 Corinthians 13:5

You are the light of the world—like a city on a hilltop that cannot be hidden. Matthew 5:14

You shall love your neighbor as yourself. Matthew 22:39

Zion heard and was glad. Psalms 97:8

“Zacchaeus, hurry and come down, for I must stay at your house today.” Luke 19:5

My Homebirth

I still can't believe that I had a baby at my house...in my clawfoot tub...with no medication! I was so excited about the experience and didn't really know what to expect even though it was my third birth. I had tried to go natural with my first son, but was convinced by the nurses to have pitocin and an epidural after a few hours at the hospital. With the second, I was induced and got an epidural first thing in the morning without ever questioning it. This time, I wanted things to go differently!

I went to see my midwife the day before my due date (Oct. 27) and knew the baby would be coming soon. By the next week, the baby had still not arrived, but I was okay with waiting. I saw my midwife twice that week and at the second appointment, she gave me some herbs to take to start the process. She said it could start up with a few dosages or it might take the whole bottle. A few days later, I finished the bottle.

I started having contractions on Saturday and began timing them around 3:30 in the afternoon. They were manageable, but they were noticeable. They didn't really increase in strength very much and didn't get closer together. My dad decided to take our boys over to my brother's house in case the baby came that night. Around 10 that evening, my midwife contacted me to see how things were going and to tell me to go to bed. I decided that walking sounded like a better idea, so my husband and I headed out for a tour of the neighborhood. While walking, the contractions were really close, but not really strong. We headed home.

On the way back to the house, we saw a falling star, so that was really cool. We walked in the door and my mom met us asking if we had felt the earthquake. Earthquake? In Dallas!? We had missed it, but she said the dog was going crazy and the light fixtures were all swaying. Then my husband turned on the light to walk down the hall and we saw a possum laying in the hallway!! Our dog had gotten out the back door, killed a possum and brought it in for us! I was afraid it was "playing possum" and would jump up when my husband went to scoop it up with a shovel. That, however, was not the case! After all the excitement, we decided to head to bed.

My contractions lasted all night long and I kept waking up to time them on my phone. I got up around 6 because I was starving and my mom met me in the kitchen. She hadn't slept at all! This was on a Sunday morning and I knew the baby was going to be coming that day!

We started getting things ready. We put the shower curtain liner under the bed sheet in case I delivered in the bed. We got all of the necessary towels and other items out and ready. My midwife called in the morning to check on me, but there was really no reason for her to head out yet.

I took a shower and got dressed. When I would have a contraction, I would bend over and hold on to the couch, sink or whatever it was and sway back and forth. I tried to control my breathing and remembered that saying "ah" or "oh" helped. I did this for pretty much every contraction. Laying in the bed hurt really bad, so resting was out of the question.

My contractions took a turn around noon. They were really strong and about 3-5 minutes apart. My midwife said she would come over around 1:00 to check on me, so I knew I could make it that long. She called a little after 1:00 to see how I was doing and let us know that she was going to see another client on her way over to our house. She heard me having a contraction in the background and decided that she had better come see me first! She arrived at our house around 1:20.

When she got there, she said I could get in the bath and to run the water really warm. It felt really good after I got it cooled down a little bit! I relaxed pretty much immediately and my contractions were a little more manageable and I had a little bit of a break. She checked and I was dilated to 7 cm!! This was wonderful news!!

Ben had decorated the bathroom with candles and even a tree in the corner. The tree actually became something I focused on between contractions instead of looking around and seeing everyone watching me! It really did look nice! My mom, Ben, my midwife and her assistant were there.

My midwife suggested a few positions, but most of the time I felt best just laying back and holding on to the side. Sometimes I sat up straight when I had contractions and sometimes I just laid back. I tried to breathe through them. Sometimes they were so hard that I was yelling somewhat and breathing fast. She always would remind me how to breathe deep from my belly and I would regain my control.

She said I could push whenever I wanted and see if it felt better. Honestly, I wasn't sure if it felt better or not, so I would try every once in awhile. This was definitely different than being told to push and counting to 10 in the hospital. I could push as much and as long as I wanted during each contraction.

I remember saying at one point that I thought my belly button was going to explode. It was poking up a good inch from my belly! I also yelled that it hurt so bad. At one point, they said they could see the baby's head and that was really motivating. I was ready to have this baby out.

My back started hurting really badly and this was the end because I kept saying I couldn't do any more. I knew I had no other choice, but I wanted them to know that I was done and I wasn't playing!!

A few more pushes and suddenly the pain was gone at 4:07 pm. There was a baby laying on my chest. Ben told me I had a girl! Then he told me to tell everyone her name which is Elizabeth Dawn. My mom was so excited and started crying (the baby was named after her and my dad). I remember noticing that she was so clean but a little blue. After just a few seconds, she started crying a little bit. They wrapped us in towels and got us to the bed. A little while later we had an herbal bath. I was blessed. She was perfect and the birth had gone perfectly!

The birth happened 2 1/2 weeks ago. My recovery has gone really quickly. I did receive a few stitches, but even those seem to have healed quickly this time. My arms were sore from holding the tub. I pretty much was feeling great within a few days of the birth and back to normal within a week.

Elizabeth has also done really well. She was very alert after the birth and we enjoyed hanging out on our bed and spending some time with her. She has taken up breastfeeding very well and has gained weight. She is precious and the perfect addition to our family.

I love that I had her at home and had such a supportive group around me. This was a great experience, although it was a lot of work and quite painful (but only really painful for about 4 hours).

 I have been asked if I would do it again and I think I would. I read a lot of books, blogs and websites about birthing before going through this experience. They each had different information that I took from them to use during the birth. I am so thankful for the birth in the comfort of my home surrounded by people who understand and support my decision. 

November 6, 2011

7 pounds, 9 ounces

4:07

 To see why I chose home birth, please read THIS post.  To answer some of the FAQs I hear, check out this LINK. 

My Planned Home Birth FAQs

I have one friend who has given birth at home. When she first did that, I thought she was crazy!! Now that I'm planning a home birth, I have been doing a lot of research about birthing at home. When I mention it to my friends, family or strangers, I often get a lot of funny looks and questions.

Here are a few of them:

1. Are you going to give birth in your bed?
I will give birth wherever is comfortable, but I haven't ruled out giving birth in or next to the bed.
2. Are you going to labor or birth in your tub?
Again, I'm not sure where I'll end up giving birth, but I do plan to use the bathtub at some point. We have a large claw-foot tub in the middle of our bathroom, so it should work out well.
3. Who is going to clean up?
My midwife and her assistant stay around for a few hours afterward to clean up, keep an eye on the baby and me and take care of any final things they need to do.
4. How did you pick your midwife?
I did a ton of research, but starting at 12 weeks pregnant looking for a midwife, I kind of wanted to get it done. I e-mailed a few CPMs, but we decided to go with a CNM because of the nursing background. I interviewed a birthing center in the area, but we thought that felt more like just going to some hotel to deliver--plus they kick you and the baby out a few hours after birth. So we met with the midwife we chose and really liked her. She had a lot of helpful insights and treated us well.
5. Are you going to have any pain medication?
No, I will be using relaxation methods, water, etc. to help deal with my pain. Plus I plan to focus on Scripture and pray a lot!! Doing a home birth pretty much ensures that you're going to go natural.
6. What happens if there is an emergency?
My midwife brings along a lot of supplies in case there is a minor problem. If there is something major, we can transport to one of the local (close) hospitals. We can either go in the car or call an ambulance if needed. We do not anticipate a problem, but if one arises, we will be prepared and follow the advice of our midwife.
7. When will your midwife come over?
She will be here while I am in active labor. She will come over when we call and tell her that my contractions are 5 minutes apart and lasting about 60 seconds for an hour. When I am "working with" them, breathing through them and focusing.
8. Will she have an assistant?
She will have a birthing assistant with her. Plus my mom and husband will be there!
9. Does she bring everything you need?
She gave me a list of supplies I need at home like towels, diapers, a birthing kit that I ordered online, a heating pad, thermometer, etc. She brings the other necessary supplies including oxygen, IVs and other supplies that she will need (whatever those might be)! Pretty much anything that is available at the birthing center she will bring with her. These are also items that are available at the hospital.
10. What made you decide to do this?
My other blog post at Today's Housewife explains pretty well.
11. Were your other babies born naturally?
My other two were born in a hospital with epidurals. This will be my first unmedicated birth!
12. What is going to happen with your 2 other children while you give birth?
Someone will take care of them if it is during the day. If it is night, they will be sleeping. They will not be participating in the birth!
13. Are you crazy?
Nope. I just want to protect my baby and myself as much as possible now that I have read a lot more about birth and what I want it to be like that I don't think I can achieve in a hospital setting.

What other questions do YOU have?