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

I will praise you for I am fearfully and wonderfully made. Psalm 139:14
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 and with all your soul and with all your mind and with all your strength.  Mark 12:30
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 here 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?

Other Finished Projects

I have been trying to finish up a few projects recently before our baby arrives. Here are a few of them: Our son's Name Blessing cross stitch
Time Out Spots for the boys using my embroidery machine.

Planning D's 3rd Construction Birthday Party

Preschool Activities

Here are some activities we have taken from other sources that I've done with the boys to give them a little structure and learning throughout the day. (I don't have the sites that I used, so I'm sorry for not giving them credit.)


We made an I-spy jar out of an old peanut butter jar, rice and some little items we found around the house.

We painted an egg carton to look like a caterpillar. Well, that was the idea. They scribbled on it about 10 times and then tore them to shreds.


We painted on a paper. #2 hated his smock!

This little sick guy did a good job of putting magnets on a paper over the letters of names.

(See, we really do wear clothes!) He used his Little Speller to write words.

#2 laced up some pictures.

#1 moved marbles from a bowl to a cup using a spoon.

He practiced cutting up old magazines and really liked doing this!

He strung beads on a pipe cleaner to make "snakes."

We made homemade play dough and cut shapes out of it. It has lasted a long time!!

We made a gel pouch with a Ziploc, hair gel, glitter and food coloring. It was fun until the bag popped.

We washed our toy cars with scrub brushes and a little tub of water and bubbles. This was fun!

This was not a favorite activity in the end. Mom cut out letters from a magazine and then wrote the letters on a paper. #1 then glued the correct letter from the magazine on the paper. This was a struggle after about 3 minutes, but we finished it!

We wrote on our dry erase board with markers. He even made a D!

We played Sequence for Kids.

We taped his name on a finger paint paper and then painted over it. Then we realized we really should have used painters tape instead of duct tape when we went to peel it off and half of the paper came up with it!

We used our Bingo and Do-A-Dot stampers to color in some pictures that we printed off the Internet.

Bible Lesson Plans Week 1

This week I decided to take some of the stuff I've been learning at my Bible study and make little lesson plans for my little guys (21 months and 3 years old). It didn't take that long to plan and I'm sad I didn't start them earlier! Better late than never. Here is what we did this week:

On Monday, we talked about God is Good. This was before I came up with a lesson plan. So the boys used their stampers and stickers to decorate a paper that said, "God is Good" with a smiley face.
Then I found a lesson plan template for the next lesson. On Wednesday, we talked about "God Made Everything" from Genesis 1:1. We watched a DVD that went along with our Bible that talked about creation and had little song called "God Made Everything." Then we talked about how God made colors and read a book called God Must Really Love Colors. That evening, we went on a walk and took a paper sack to collect things that God made. They had so much fun doing this--sticks, rocks, flowers, leaves, etc. When we got home, my husband drew (I have no artistic abilities) an acorn on the paper (because I had seen it elsewhere, but any shape would work or no shape at all) and the boys glued their items to the paper. At the top I wrote "God Made Everything Gen. 1:1." It is now hanging on #1's door. It was a fun activity and they seemed to really love it!


I had three lessons planned for this week, but we didn't get to the third. Guess it will carry over to next week!

Here is the lesson plan that I used (designed for toddlers):

Story/Verse, Song/Rhyme/DVD, Learning Activity, Craft, P.E., Special Activity

We didn't do all of the activities with each lesson, but that will be the future goal in a relaxed setting. If you're interested in specifics about any of the books, DVDs, etc., please leave me a comment and I'll get back to you. We did use the Read 'n' See DVD Bible.

Finished Projects

This is my 100th post! It has been a little while since I've posted anything on this blog, but I've been working...on a lot of things! 39 weeks pregnant this week, I finished up a few projects that needed to be done.

I was able to make a nursing cover for my sister-in-law who is due at the start of November and one for myself. I make them bigger than most--27"x37"! I also like to make them reversible.
I also was able to finish the quilt I made for my nephew and I like it a lot. I will give it to him when he is born!
Linked up to Finish It Up Friday.