The Birth Story of my Sweetheart

Our baby boy is finally here! As most of you know, I decided to have a home birth this time around. I'll quickly tell you the story so I can get back to my beautiful boy and Sweetpea.

Since I was uncomfortable in the hospital with Sweetpea, and since I'm part hippie, I had to try a home birth with my second child. I went to bed that night having some contractions and had a feeling that I would go into labor soon, but knew I needed to rest. I woke up a few times that night with contractions, but went back to sleep. At 3:00 am I woke up and the contractions were strong and close together, so I got up without waking anyone, and decided to do my hair and makeup since Sweetface said he was going to video tape. I was in the bathroom for about 20 min washing my face and breathing through the contractions and finally said, "forget the hair and make up you vain girl you, it doesn't matter, this baby is coming soon!" I ran into our bedroom and shook Sweetface and said, "lets do this! fill the birthing tub!" He jumped up and got the hose and had to run it from Sweetpea's bathroom because it wouldn't work in ours. I called the midwife and told her the contractions were 2.5 min apart. She said, "are you sure? drink and eat something and I will be there soon." Sweetpea woke up and was totally confused and started crying. I got her out of bed and laid with her in our bed for a few min but had to focus on the contractions. My mom was visiting, so I got her up and told her to lay with Sweetpea and take her somewhere. I locked myself in the bathroom and got in the bathtub which really soothed my pain. The midwife arrived and I was already 7 cm dilated! Whew, that was a relief. Then Sweetpea calmed down and my mom took her to my in-laws and that helped me relax more. In between contractions I quickly walked to the living room where the midwives were setting up and where the birthing pool was. Everyone spoke softly to each other and let me do my thing (on my knees, rocking back and forth, and taking deep breaths). I visualized the baby moving down and kept telling myself, "you can do this, just a little bit longer, and you get to see your little boy." It was more of an overwhelming feeling than a painful one. Like something so big was happening to my body, that I couldn't control it. It was doing what it was made to do. The sun started to rise and I could hear birds chirping outside and I thought, "this is special, and would be a nice time to meet this precious little baby." I could feel burning and pushed his head out in the water. The umbilical cord was wrapped around his neck! The midwives had to clamp and cut it because it was wrapped so tight. They told me to stand up so they could do that. Then they said, "PUSH!" and I said, "but I'm not having a contraction!" They said, "PUSH!" So I did, and he was born at 6:19 am. They had to give him some puffs of air and stimulate him to get him to cry.

So now it is 2 weeks later and his temperament seems very sweet and easy going. He doesn't fuss or cry much and is a good eater and sleeper. Sweetpea loves him to pieces. If she is upset about something and sees him, she will stop crying and kiss and hug him. I feel so blessed to have such an easy labor this time, and extremely happy when I see my two babies together. Right now, he is going through his 2 week growth spurt, so I have to go feed him again!

Spring Cleaning!

Fumes from conventional cleaning products smell great to me, but then I think about how BAD they are for my body and brain cells! Then I get really sick to my stomach when I think about that precious little girl running around my house in them. Young children are vulnerable to the toxins in such cleaning products. Everything goes in their mouths and they virtually live on the floor. And kids are more sensitive because they are still developing the basic body systems: the brain, internal organs, respiratory and immune systems are not fully developed until adolescence. So what's a girl to do when she wants clean, but toxin-free living?

The simple, cheap, and extremely effective nontoxic cleaning agent that I probably use everyday is white vinegar. Vinegar kills bacteria, mold and germs and won't hurt Sweetpea. If you like to see things bubble or fizz put some baking soda down on the surface you are cleaning first. This also helps exfoliate the soap scum or dirt in the shower. If you don't like the smell, don't worry, it goes away when you rinse it and it dries. You could also mix a little lemon juice (from a lemon, not from a bottle), vinegar, and water in a spray bottle to help with the vinegar odor.

If you want to get fancy, I make a spray that you can not only clean your toilet with, but also your face (but don't put it in your mucous membranes). I mix tea tree oil, colloidal silver, and reverse osmosis water in a spray bottle. Tea tree oil is a natural antibacterial disinfectant that was commonly used as a general antiseptic by the aborigine tribes for thousands of years. More recently, the scientific community has confirmed that Tea Tree Oil has tremendous medicinal benefits. I used it to get rid of some fungus I had on my toenail. Yeah, it took care of it totally and I didn't have to take that prescription crap that damages your liver and kidneys! Colloidal silver is good for everything (google it). I even drink it when I feel like I'm coming down with something and it goes away. Anyway, this product smells fresh and clean so you may like it better than the vinegar. Oh, and you can buy the tea tree oil and colloidal silver (my dad makes his own) at health food stores or online. I got my tea tree oil from vitacost.com.

You know those bumps that some people have on the back of their arms?

I used to have them. They annoyed the crap out of me, so I asked my dermatologist, my esthetician (when I had one), the lady at the makeup counter at Macy's and whoever else would listen, how to get rid of them. I got all kinds of answers: exfoliate every day, moisturize every day, use salicylic acid on them, try this prescription cream etc. Nothing really worked, and since I refuse to give up until I find the truth, I did some research on the subject. It turns out that it is a common condition called keratosis pilaris - a complicated name meaning bumpy skin. Actually, 50% of people have it, so if you don't have it yourself, you probably know someone who does. So guess what? I finally found an actual cure that I tried and it worked! If you suffer from this condition and want to get rid of it, try omega-3 oil. The best kind that I've found is krill oil and I order it from, you guessed it, my favorite website mercola.com. Now, I'm taking Carlson cod liver oil, because I'm not sure if you can take krill oil (it comes from tiny shrimp) while you are pregnant and I know that cod liver is great for an unborn baby's brain development. You can find that kind at most health food stores or online at vitacost.com. It took a while for me to see a difference. I wasn't really inspecting my arms everyday and was actually taking the krill oil for other reasons too, but then noticed one day while wearing a tank top that my arms looked pretty darn good!

I tried to find a pic of the back of my arm, but I guess it's just not natural to take pictures like that, so this is the only one I could find! Sweetpea sat on a strawberry.

I'm not crazy!

Today I thought I was going to lose my mind. I felt like I had a million things to do and Sweetpea was testing me, needing me, ripping the house to shreds, etc. and therefore I couldn't accomplish one single thing!

I decided to take a shower, and it took only 3 hours for me to complete that process. First, she had to come into the bathroom while I was in there, which made the shower longer because I had to keep telling her, "no, don't flush the toilet, no, don't put the flattening iron in the water." You get the picture. Then, while I was getting dressed she figured out how to get all the way out of her pajamas AND DIAPER and started running around the freezing cold house naked. She, for one, thought it was hilarious. I got her dressed, and settled down and we went to the living room to eat, and watch a little Blues Clues. While I was trying to do my hair, she got up to go play and slipped on something on the hard wood, fell down and started crying. I was like, "what the heck did you slip on?....oh, a puddle...is that pee???" Yeah, she had peed on the floor while she was running around naked! UUUUUGGG. Do you ever feel like saying to your child, "mommy needs a little space right now, and I think it would do you some good too, sooooo you play in here, and I'll be on the computer." This is how she was all day. I felt like every other word out of my mouth was "NO." I kept picturing what my life would be like on a day like this with a newborn stuck on my boob to add to the madness!

Finally I escaped next door to bible study. We listened to a Beth Moore study, which discussed 1 Timothy 1:7 - For God did not give us a spirit of timidity, but a spirit of power, of love and of self-discipline.
She was talking to me when she said the devil is after your mind and wants you to feel like your losing it. Oh wow, that is exactly what I needed. I almost didn't make it tonight because Sweetpea was hanging on to my leg with her runny nose when I was trying to leave. I'm so glad I did. Faith drives the sound mind and I am going to need lots and lots of it in a few more months (God is probably prepping me now so that I understand I need it EVERY day). What a blessing these studies, my neighbor and all the girls in the group have become! I feel like my family is where we are supposed to be right now.

When I got home, Sweetface had fed Sweetpea, we gave her a bath, she cried when we took her out because she wanted to draw in the tub (oh yeah, she only had a 1 hour nap today and she usually sleeps at least 2), I wrestled with her to get her pajamas on, read her a book...and then, she closed the book, put her arms around me and without me saying anything to her said, "I love you (she says "I Lou")." She curled up on my lap and passed out! She usually doesn't fall asleep until she is in her crib, but I think she was also worn out from the day we had. That little girl made my heart melt and almost (ALMOST) forget about the long day. I was reminded tonight, that I have been given the mind of Christ, which is SOUND and sane. Panic never leads to rational decisions, so I need to relax, take a deep breath and know that He is in control. He has blessed me with my girl that I've been dreaming of since I was a child and then again with the baby on the way. Parenting can be draining and hectic (and I don't even know the half of it yet), but boy is it rewarding.

Thank GOD that Sweetpea is not like this everyday. I think it was a combo of her runny nose (she hates it), her nose getting chapped, our house being cold, and being cooped up all day. But anyway, I am happy we got through it, I have a few moments to myself and will be ready for a new day at 6:30 am.

Saturated fat that will change your life (for the better)

A few people have been asking me about coconut oil lately, so I thought I would share the info I have found from extensive research with all of you.

For a while, coconut oil got a bad reputation for being a saturated fat and the general public turned to other oils such as canola (which actually makes you fatter and messes with your hormones). Instead of writing a book on my blog about it, I will give you a list of the benefits of coconut oil.

~Increases your metabolic rate (weight loss)
~Natural laxative (weight loss)
~When added regularly to a balanced diet, lowers cholesterol to normal by promoting its conversion into pregnenolone
~One of the best natural nutrition for hair
~Anti aging when applied to skin and also is good for treating various skin problems including psoriasis, dermatitis, and eczema.
~ Anti aging when ingested
~Protects against the damage to heart cells
~Improves digestive system and prevents IBS
~ Anti microbial properties help deal with various bacteria, fungi, parasites etc. that cause indigestion
~Helps absorption of other nutrients such as vitamins, minerals, and amino acids
~Strengthens immune system


I've been using coconut oil for a year or so in some of my skin care potions and cooking with it. I also put it in smoothies and cream of wheat for Sweetpea. This, along with some other nutritional habits helped me loose all (plus more) of my "baby weight" after she was born. And yes, using natural ingredients instead of store bought synthetic lotion (cosmetics in general) does help with weight loss. Most lotion is made with chemicals and can cause estrogen dominance. When this happens, it makes it very hard to shed pounds because estrogen is in fat cells and your body starts to hold on to the estrogen (fat). Even when you are hardly eating and working a lot (trust me, this is extraordinary frustrating, I know from experience). Don't forget, whatever you put on your skin is absorbed into your body. When ordering your coconut oil, please make sure that it is good quality (organic, not refined, no chemicals added, no bleaching, no deodorization, no hydr0genation, made from traditional coconut palms only, no hybrid or genetically modified varieties, made from fresh coconuts not the dried "copra" used in cheap oils, made without heat processing). I order mine from www.mercola.com.

Halloween

I'm wondering if we will all dress up for Halloween every year til Sweetpea goes away to college. Hopefully she won't be the type who gets embarrassed at cool things her parents do like have coordinating Halloween costumes. Or posing like this in front of the camera:



Seriously, I don't know what comes over me when I get in front of a camera by myself. I have this urge that I can't ignore to pose in the cheesiest way possible! Anyway, this year we were 2 bees and a bee keeper.


I liked our costumes from last year better. So next year I will have to spend more time on them instead of throwing them together at the last minute. Here we are last year:


Sweetpea enjoyed Halloween this time around. She didn't know what to think at first with all the kids dressed up running around asking for candy. Then she started handing the candy out and she was so sweet! As the night went on and she started getting tired the kids would come up and say "trick or treat" and I'd say, "give them candy!" Sweetpea started saying "NOOOOOO" every time. At least they thought it was funny. I told the kids that was their trick and to run along without giving them the candy. He he. JK jk. Well, this has been the most boring post yet. Sorry. I'm tired, I'm going to go to bed soon. Better post next time!

Quick Update

Hi! I'm sorry I haven't posted anything in so long. I need to go to bed right now, but I have a few spare minutes that I can give to you.

So Sweetface graduated and we moved and are living our new life! Sweetpea is adjusting perfectly to the changes and is loving her new house and big yard. However, it breaks my heart when she looks up at me every once in a while and says "Mi mi, Papa." Then the other day I told her we were going to see her little cousin and she said "Ju ju!" (her friend from back home). I know she misses everyone. She looks at a picture of my family and says all of their names like she's reminiscing. But hopefully they will come visit soon! We have a few visitors lined up to come down, so I am excited about that!

We are all unpacked now, but I still have to wait to decorate! There are other things we have to spend our money on at the moment, so I guess I will just get more practice being patient.

Oh, and we have some red ant piles in our back yard that we are trying to get rid of, but we don't want to use any chemical products on our yard, so here are a few things that we tried. I will tell you if they work!

1. Mixed baking soda and powdered sugar and put them on the colony. They want to eat the sugar and then they also ingest the baking soda, and the baking soda is supposed to react with some kind of acid in their body and they die.
2. Picked up some ants from one colony and put them on a rival ant pile. This one is just plain amusing.
3. Apple cider vinegar.

Ok, that's all I have for you at the moment. I've got to go wash my face, apply my anti aging serum, and read for a little while.