Are you ready for Christmas? I’m ALMOST ready… Everything is made and wrapped except one project… and I’m waiting on dear hubby to finish his part so I can do mine. I RARELY am this late finishing up and it stresses me out!!!! I like to be mostly done except wrapping by Thanksgiving. Not happening this year! Continue reading “Christmas Preparations!”
It’s that time of year again! I feel like Thanksgiving is the kick off for the start of the Christmas season. I don’t mean to minimize Thanksgiving, but it seems that our already busy lives just kick it up a notch until the new year. Continue reading “Thanksgiving 2013!”
We had a very rare treat this last weekend so I couldn’t help but post about it! My parents organized a camp out at their house for our oldest three. They picked them up Friday late afternoon and then we went out to their house Saturday early afternoon for lunch and to pick up the kids. Continue reading “Trip to Washington DC”
About 1 month ago I did a post on gout and now dear hubby is having another episode. Thankfully this one seems to be much shorter in duration than the last few. Maybe because we started our home remedies sooner, but then again maybe not! Continue reading “Gout Revisited”
We had a wonderfully relaxing and enjoyable beach vacation with friends. It was so much fun! Thankfully we had lots of sun even if it was a little on the cool side! We did lots of eating, napping(for the kids!), walking and soaking up the sun!
Enjoy!
Yesterday our family left for the beach! Ocean City, MD bound! My grandparents have a condo on 131st street and I’ve grown up going there for at least one week a year for as long as I can remember! Continue reading “On Vacation”
I’m sure some of you saw the title of this post and I thought… typo!!! or maybe an old post resurfaced and accidentally got re-posted… or some type of glitch in the dates or something or other! But no… sorry to say… not the case. Continue reading “Christmas Gift Ideas”
So of course I had to jinx myself and mention plugged ducts and mastitis in my post on breastfeeding. All had been going well until a week ago. Continue reading “Plugged Ducts and Mastitis”
So today was our first day of first grade for Tonchi! I know everyone says your children grow up so fast, and I am a firm believer! I can’t believe he is already 6 and that he now has 3 younger siblings. I love them all dearly and can’t imagine life with out them, but how did it happen so fast? Continue reading “The Start of First Grade!”
ATTN Male readers (if any): this post may make you feel uncomfortable or may contain photos you prefer not to view… read at your own risk!
I debated a post on this… but as our precious baby girl Xanthie has arrived, this what a lot of my day (and night) consists of. And since this is not only a blog about health, and food and green living, I’m trying to add more about our family and family life in this home! So here are some of my thoughts and experiences!
Thankfully I’ve been able to breastfeed all four of my little ones. I know that sometimes isn’t a desire or sometimes isn’t possible for some. I thank God daily for equipping me with the ability to nurse my children. I also thank God that I’ve been blessed with more milk than my children need and with the last three births I’ve been able to share what God has given me.
It is additional work and time and effort and some minimal cost to pump extra to donate, but I also think it is very special. I feel honored that I’m able to bless a little baby somewhere with healthy milk to help them grow, mature and develop. I know the mamas who have received milk appreciate it and are very thankful they have some breastmilk to feed their children besides just formula.
But enough of that… it has been a special part of having babies for me, knowing that it provides a new time to bless others as well. However, there is so much more than just that!
Breastfeeding does take a lot of time and I do need to be the one getting up with baby through the night, but sometimes even when baby is finished nursing I just sit and stare at them. Enjoying their sweet smell, hearing their restful breathing and just enjoying the snuggles before time passes all too quickly and they are grown and running around.
I’ve known since I was young that I wanted to nurse my children… in fact I didn’t really think there was another option! My mother breastfed me and my four younger siblings, so I really didn’t even know there was any other option! I also remember other mothers sharing milk with those who were in short supply. It was normal for me and just a natural part of living in close community with other families.
Thankfully each of my children has been quick to learn to suckle (within a few minutes of birth) and it has come pretty easily for both baby and I. My milk always came in on the third day after birth which always gave me a happier newborn!
I can’t say it’s all been fairy tales and roses though… I’ve had my share of the run of the mill issues as well, engorgement, blocked ducts, mastitis, sore and cracked nipples, babies with lazy latches that caused a lot of pain, unexpected letdowns, and other such excitement! However, we have been able to work through all of them and press on!
In fact, each time I get a blocked duct or mastitis it is usually early in the life of the newborn and I know it’s because I felt great and tried doing too much. I usually feel almost 100% back to normal within the first week after birth, but that always seems to bite me in the boo boo…. I end up trying to fix dinners, do laundry, take a few trips too many up and down the stairs and etc and etc in the life of a mama! Thankfully, taking a step back, resting and a few other natural remedies I’m able to get it cleared and healed! It’s certainly uncomfortable in the process, but thankfully we have been able to get it cleared up and move on!
My children also don’t want to learn to take the bottle until they are 3 months old or older. This has been tough since I have return to my job when they are 6 weeks old. I feel bad for poor hubby as he has to fight them to take it and usually has at least 4 hours of a screaming little baby until I get back home. Those days are hard, especially when I call home on break and hear my little baby crying and there isn’t anything I can do until I get off. Those days are really hard…
But even with the struggles and hard work that it takes, the pleasure and bonding is so worth it! With each baby I look forward to sitting and snuggling and taking that time that I HAVE to sit down to nurse the baby when I have 1000 other demands of the day. It makes me sit, take a moment to put my feet up and enjoy this new little one that has joined our family!
Home of the Hymn of the Month Community
Striving to preserve what we have graciously been given.
Striving to preserve what we have graciously been given.
Green & Grateful 