Congestion Home Remedies List

I thought I would share some of the congestion home remedies list that helped us get through a couple of really sick months earlier this year. I wrote this when I was pregnant with Ember. Cameron had a combination of pneumonia and RSV, doesn't he look miserable here. There is a picture of his x-ray at the bottom of the post. John and I had bronchitis.  Anara and I had pneumonia. Nia also had viral respiratory ick.

1. Eucalyptus essential oil

We have gotten a lot of comfort from eucalyptus oil. Put 2 or 3 drops on the bottom of the feet for relief from coughing and to make breathing easier. Add a few drops to bath or a pot of boiling water or to a diffuser to breath in it's aroma. Add a few drops to some olive oil natural lotion and gently massage over the sinus area (be careful not to get to close to the eyes), just behind ears, and down throat and chest to relieve congestion. Ok, I realize here that essential oils are not something that everyone has sitting in their cupboard or maybe even know how to get their hands on. If you live close to a Giant Eagle or Whole Foods, you're in luck, it's just a trip to the grocery store away. If not, Amazon.com is where I usually get mine. I like the Now (also labeled Now Foods) brand. There are many other brands available all over the internet and their prices range anywhere from about $3 to $40 an ounce. There are several articles out there dedicated to purchasing and using essential oils. For eucalyptus essential oil look for one that is steam distilled and 100% pure.

2. Honey

If you are not pregnant use raw (and preferably local) honey. Raw honey is not advised during pregnancy or for children under 2, however it is fine when you are nursing. Honey can be added to tea or other drinks or dishes. All the benefits of raw versus over processed honey are really best left for their own post, so I will try to get to writing it soon then link back to it from here when I do. However, even processed honey has benefits of soothing sore throats and helping to reduce coughing. A large spoonful of raw honey with a few dashes of cinnamon 3 times a day have been known to knock out a cold. I did this one night as I started coughing and feeling stuffy and the next morning I was symptom free.

3. Hot Tea

I like a good spiced or peppermint tea when I'm under the weather. Adding honey, lemon, and/or cinnamon to it is a good way to combine home remedy treatments. Obviously you would drink the tea. Also breath it in as it is cooling to a drinkable temperature. Breathing it in will help loosen up mucus and sooth inflamed sinus tissues.

4. Lemon

Lemon has antiseptic qualities and boost immunities  It also reduces swelling, helps clean out your system, and is packed with vitamins.  Add lemon to water and hot teas. If you are blowing your nose a lot leaving nostrils inflamed or have a swollen throat, I highly recommend adding lemon to your drinks to reduce the swelling. It is also good in warm baths or add to boiling water to diffuse into the air. On a side, unrelated note, if you suffer from swelling while pregnant adding lemon to your water could offer you some great relief.

5. Chicken Soup

Not only does it soothe the throat and help open up nasal passages. There are properties of chicken soup that have actually been proven to reduce the length of a cold. If you're making homemade, I advise adding plenty of salt and garlic to the mix as both help in warding off germs.

6. Humidify

We have 2 humidifiers and both go full blast when we are congested. I can definitely tell a difference in my comfort level when they run out of water or when little Cameron sneaks over and turns the level of produced mist down. Cool mist is supposed to be better than the hot option (not sure why). Make sure you keep the humidifier clean or you could actually make your symptoms worse. I've heard or seen where others advise to add vicks or eucalyptus to your cool mist humidifier. I've tried both and can't tell or smell a difference with either. I think getting these into the air only works if you are using some sort of heat or a device designed to diffuse them into the air.

7. Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

You should do this even when you aren't sick, but since all that mucus coming out of you takes a lot of fluid to make, extra hydrate at this time. Drink water with lemon, warm teas, even sports drinks to keep up with the lost fluids and help cleanse your system.

8. Spices: Salt, Garlic, Cinnamon, Ginger, Cayenne, & Mint

Obviously, if you are allergic or have been advised not to use any of these then don't. All of these together in one recipe probably wouldn't be too pleasant on the taste buds. Add 1 or few to as many dishes or drinks as you can though. They all help with congestion and have antibiotic or antiviral properties. Also, the cinnamon, ginger, and mint can be diffused into the air to help kill germs and clear sinuses.

9. Hot Shower or Bath

Sometimes this is really all it takes to clear things up in the morning to get you going. I have never been sick and not felt at least a little better after a hot bath or shower. For baths adding epsom salt, lemon, mint, or eucalyptus will give you even a little more relief. It will allow you to breath them in and absorb their nutrients through your skin.

10. Saline, Mist, or Neti Pot

These have the ability to clear out your sinuses and shove antiseptic treatment right to the source. Saline mist is the easiest of these three and the only one I would recommend for children. Some older children may be able to use the neti pot, however some adults even have a really hard time using this one. There are a couple of kinds of neti pots on the market and are available at most any drug store. Basically  with a neti pot you are pouring or shooting a warm water solution into one nostril and allowing it to flow out the other.

11. Gargles

Gargling warm salt water is probably the most popular of gargles. You could also gargle with warm water and ONE  of the following: baking soda, lemon juice, crushed garlic, or mint. There are some warm water and essential oil blends that can also be gargled as long as the oils you are using are food safe. For this drops of any of the following will work: peppermint (only use 1 drop), eucalyptus (5 or 6 drops), oregano (1 drop), tea tree (2-5 drops), sage (2 drops), garlic (2 drops), ginger (2 drops), or lemon (2 drops)

12. Lymphatic Drainage Massage

This one is kind of new to me. Here is a link to a youtube video that I watched to teach myself how to do it. What you are doing with this is massaging the drainage passageways of the lymph system to encourage the funk to move around and hopefully out of your body.

13. Eat Healthy

When you are down and out, it's really tempting to grab whatever is quick and handy. However, if you put crap in... I don't really need to go on here. Simply put, the better you eat, the quicker you should feel better. If you are not knowledgeable on nutrition, there are a variety of pamphlets, infomercials, books, and websites that are easy to find. Just google proper nutrition and a few of your symptoms.

14. Rest

This is a no brainer. Your body can't heal if you don't allow it to rest.

15. Warmer, Cleaner Air

Over several weeks, my family used all of the above suggestions and did gain some comfort from them. Some may cure you some of the time, obviously none are  a cure all of the time or we would have all felt better much quicker. What eventually did the trick to get us well again was week long trip trip south to grandma's house. The clean, warm air of the rural south turned out to be the best medicine for our sick lungs.

The girls walking to creek to get water for fresh picked flowers on our trip to grandma's.

John getting a breathing treatment for bronchus. I was pregnant with Ember at the time, no breathing treatments for pregos.

Little Cameron's x-ray.

Catching Up....

I have a little catching up to do on this blog. The last entry that I started to write was actually about my baby shower. I never finished that post, but I'm sure you will see it here eventually. It was a really great baby shower by the way, my friend Megan (her blog Growing Up Blessings can be found here) did a spectacular job putting it together and we all had a great time!

The week after the baby shower, crazy kind of went wild in our house. Five and half days after the baby shower, Ember had arrived! After his welcome home I began an intense battle with postpartum preeclampsia. I've never had 'regular' preeclampsia, so I'm not sure what that feels like, but having it postpartum is a complete nightmare. I was placed back in the hospital a few days after coming home from the hospital with Ember. After coming home the second time, I was a complete wreck, and am still very far off my game.

One great thing about my extended recovery, I was able to spend nearly a month doing mostly nothing but holding my sweet baby boy while laying on the couch. Thankfully also, we have a huge comfy sectional that easily accommodates our big family. If I'm in just the right spot, I can easily cuddle 3 of the kids at once.

Tonight was the first time I've been home without John or Nia (my constant babysitters) for more than half an hour in about 6 weeks. John and the girls have an overnight thing at our church, so it was just the boys and mommy. It has been a fabulous night! I'm starting to feel more like myself each day and can do a little more each day. John did order gluten free pizza from Uno's for Cam and I so I wouldn't have to worry with dinner. Which gave us time to do this little craft

and when Cam went to bed, I had a little time to finally finish these up

Guest Post On Intoxicated On Life (1 of 3)

Hello Everyone, check out my guest post on the Intoxicated On Life blog. This is the 1st post of 3 that I am doing about my breast feeding experience for Intoxicated On Life.

Here is pic of my new little guy sleeping

Ember is a week and a half in this picture. Yes he is as big as he looks in this photo.

Welcome Ember!!

Ember Rowan Richards

May 4, 2013

9 pounds 14 ounces 

21 inches 

(This picture is today, the above was at birth)

Has it really been a month since we added this little guy to our family? I've herd other parents make the comment that when they brought home their baby, their family just finally felt complete. I think I know the feeling they have talked about now. We all love him so much and he seamlessly has meshed right in. Ember is definitely the bigest of all of my babies and has a big personality to match. He is generally a very happy baby. He is rarely put down, which is good because he loves snuggling with all of us. Literally, this kid is generally in someones arms about 16 to 22 hours a day. Although he didn't sleep through the night last night, the previous 6 nights he has slept a solid 6 hours. Ember has a fiery temper that goes well with his red hair. When he wants something, he lets you know immediately, and continues to let you know for a short while after he gets what he wants. So far he is generally calm and very observant. He likes watching things that move, like the mobile above his swing and his super speedy sister Anara.

I am amazed at how well  my older children have adjusted to their new baby brother, but I have to say I am especially impressed with how well Cameron has taken on his new role as a big brother. As soon as Em begins to cry, Cameron often feels this is a call to duty and grabs whatever he feels the baby might need at that moment. Cam's favorite thing to do right now is to hold or lay down next to his baby brother. Cameron was very timid around Ember until the 2nd day we were home. For a few months before Ember's arrival,  Cameron had acted out a situation with dolls and the bouncer seat where he would put a doll in the seat and cover it with a blanket then proceed to kiss the doll's head and rub the doll's hair. With Cameron seeming to be afraid of getting to close to Ember in the beginning,  I decided to see if he would like to have this playtime routine reproduced in real life. It was the sweetest thing, and was exactly what Cameron needed to affirm his abilities as an excellent big brother. Since this little event, Cameron is constantly by Ember's side taking care of him.

The girls also love having a new baby in the house. Partially because they have had an extended vacation from school, I'm sure. Nia, is our family's care taker. So, she obviously snatches him up every chance she gets. She likes feeding him bottles and snuggling up for nap time with him. Nothing would make her happier than to be put in charge of baby care for the entire day. So far, Ember and Nia seem to kindred spirits with very similar personalities.

Anara likes to hold him also, but she isn't much on sitting still for very long, so she generally likes to hold him for helpful tidbits when someone needs to hand him off for just a few moments. Her favorite time with Ember is playtime. She likes making faces at him and holding things up for him to look at. She is also my little songbird and has quieted Ember down several times by singing to him.

Baby Countdown Update

After my OB appointment yesterday, I thought I would give a little baby countdown update. Today there are 23 days remaining 'til my due date!!! The hospital bag is packed and in the car. My bedroom is set up for our little guy to come home. Tiny clothes are clean and put away. All of the necessities have been put into place. Now, I just wait, and make more baby crafts (like the really wrinkly one to the above).

My appointment yesterday went really well. The ultrasound reviled  fluid levels were actually up just a little from a few days ago. No induction this week, whew! That's a relief. He has moved down where his head is against the pelvic bone, which I have to say isn't comfortable and also means there is no way do get a look of his face. This is where I should point out how jealous I am of all of my friends 3-d and 4-d ultrasound images of their little ones' faces. However, I was told this is a good sign as it means he is in the "I'm ready to come out" position. Here is a run down of how things looked yesterday: All of Baby's stats are looking great! He is in the 73 percentile in size, heart looks good, heart beat looks good, all measurements are exactly where they should be! My heart- looking good. My blood pressure- starting to creep up there, but not a cause for concern. Swelling- rarely and even then very little. Lower back- hurting often, but gets better quickly. Blood sugar levels- also really good.

Pregnancy in the North and South

Even though several people warned me that once you hit the Masson/Dixon line it's like a different world, when I was preparing to move to Ohio, I never really thought there would be much of a difference between it and Kentucky. After all, they are only separated by a little water. I have lived south of Kentucky in Tennessee, Florida, and Gorgia. Those 4 states are simular enough, how different could one state up be? Was I in for an awakening? Heck even living in foreign countries is more like living in Kentucky when compared to Ohio. Things that are considered normal or kind in the south (and many other parts of the word) are invasions of privacy and rude here. Don't get me wrong, it's not all bad. There are some things that are definitely better in Ohio. Here are my major comparisons, keep in mind this is only the items that stand out for pregnancy. The girls were born in the south, and the boys either were or will soon be born in the north.

Touching. In the South people were always touching my pregnant self. Most generally in my belly region.  I have to say, it would get annoying sometimes. When pregnant with Nia, I was washing my hands in a public restroom when an older women put her arms around me from behind to rub my belly. NOT FUN! On the other hand, in the North, pregnant or not it is extremely rare anyone touches me period. Even my closest friends up here wouldn't dare put their hand on my pregnant belly. If you would have told me this after the hand washing incident, I would have been thrilled. A few nights ago I actually found myself crying about the lack of touching though. I got used to people touching me when pregnant with the girls. The people doing the touching are always thrilled and have a big smile. Being pregnant is stressful, constant happy touching helps a lot with that.

Advice. There is just something about pregnancy that seems to encourage even the most timid people to give you their opinion. On parenting. On sex. On what you should and shouldn't do while pregnant. You get the idea. It still happens up here in the North, just not as much. Also, if your really obvious about not wanting to hear an opinion, a northerner will generally shut up about it. A southerner, well, they are going to give you their opinion until they think you have adopted it.

Heat. It's a lot hotter in the south, obviously. The girls were born in Tennessee and Kentucky. Where we lived in Kentucky is generally about 20 degrees warmer than where we live now in Ohio. Pregnancy and heat don't mix. Although, it does make watermelon taste so much better.

Hospitality. The south is known the world over for hospitality, people just do things for you. If your pregnant they do even more. I never carried anything, opened a door for myself in public, or had to look for a spot to sit in the south while pregnant. Here, I've carried groceries into the house while my neighbor sat on his front porch. A simular situation in the south would have had a neighbor griping at me for going to the grocery alone in my condition while he carried in all the groceries for me.

Tea. You can get a fabulas glass of iced tea in the south anywhere you go. It's the easiest thing in world to make, Petra can do it and I'd bet with a little help even little Troy could manage the task. But somehow, it just doesn't seem to work out for the restaurants that try to make tea up here. With the gestational diabetes I don't get it sweetened, but a southern girl REALLY needs her tea if she goes out to eat.

Men. Men in south are not expected to do much as far as the dirty work with kids and the home. My friends always considered me really lucky because John does do stuff, a lot of stuff actually. He feels he should do an equal amount being half the parental unit. This isn't always the case down south. Several men don't do much if anything at all at home and laugh at the guys that do. In the North this would be really frowned upon. People get divorced for this up here.

Free Stuff. There is so much free stuff for pregnant women in the south it's crazy. I have to wonder if it's because the south has a much higher poverty level. Birthing classes, always free. If you show up, more free stuff. From car seats, to diapers, to high chairs, if you need something for your coming baby in the south, you can probably find an organization or state funded entity giving it away. Not the case up here in the north. Enfamil and similac will each send you a free sample. Huggies and pampers, 1 free diaper and 10 wipes each. That's about it when it comes to freebees in the North.

Visiting. People have a tendency to just pop in down South. If someone drove by your house and you were home. Instant company. This doesn't happen at all in the North. People don't go out their way to drive by your house and most wouldn't dare dropping by without calling first. Funny, in the south it can be considered rude not to drop by someone's house if your in their neck of the woods where the opposite it true here. I wouldn't have known about this etiquette rule had I not had a friend with a northern mother growing up. People popping in for no reason, without calling drove her crazy and I did it all of the time.

Medical Care. With Nia, I'm fairly sure now I had gestational diabetes. I gained about 90 pounds and was over the top moody. I was never tested for it though.  Otherwise, I have to at least say the doctor was nice. With Anara's pregnancy I remember handing my mid-wife a birthing plan. She laughed at me. Also with Anara, I was told I asked way to many questions and if I wanted to talk about an idea, a procedure, or a treatment I had read about, I generally got a eye roll before being told that it just didn't happen outside the big city.  I would have happily went elsewhere, but the next nearest doctor or mid-wife was another 45 minutes away (which put them about 75 minutes from my house). In the North with Cameron and my current pregnancy, my OB (his website) is fabulas! He asks me at least once each visit if I have questions and is more than happy to answer them. He also always makes sure I have all the information I could possibly want or need. He and everyone in his office is also very nice, caring, and supportive.

Delivery. With both the girls, I wasn't allowed to get out of bed once I got to the hospital. With Anara, there were even tie downs attached the bed when I arrived and I was told that if I got to out of hand, they would be used. When the girls came out, I got one look and they were whisked away to the nursery for measuring, testing, and cleaning. With Troy, much different experience. As far as deliveries go, I would even describe it as enjoyable. There was a large tub, exercise ball, and anything else I could have possibly wanted to use while in labor or during the birth in my room. I was encouraged to get out of bed. I had three nurses and one was with me nearly the entire time just incase I wanted to send her to get something for me. One nurse seemed to be there just to massage my back, help me relax through the contractions, and give me words of encouragement. I held Cam for 3 hours before I decided to have him cleaned up. Which happened in the delivery room and then John got to hold him.

So, to sum it up, through this pregnancy and Cameron's I was really homesick. More so with this one. It feels a little lonely being pregnant up here to me. However, the difference in care from the medical community during pregnancy, delivery, and after has been worth the loneliness.

Essential Oils: Lavender

I'm kind of new to the essential oil craze, my first experience being with lavender. I say "kind of" because I've actually been using lavender oil for a couple of years, but only picked up a few of the other oils in the last few months. My first experience with lavender oil happened when I was pregnant with Cameron. I had been to baseball game with my family, and despite being sufficiently lathered with sun screen, was burnt to a not so nice shade of lobster. I tried putting every sunburn remedy I've herd of or googled on my skin. I killed and entire aloe plant, lathered on yogurt, bathed in buttermilk, sprayed on stinky sprays, and picked up a few other drug store concoctions. I would find relief for a few minutes, then back to pain. A couple of days after acquiring the burn I was at an evening church service where someone said, "I've got an oil for that." She gave me a small bottle and I proceeded to sprinkle way to much of it on the red areas.  Ahh, relief. I was sure the pain would be back soon, but I was pain free for the rest of the night. The next morning I it was sensitive to the touch, but I wasn't exactly in pain anymore. The skin was still red, but didn't hurt.

I spent several hours that day searching the town for more lavender oil with no luck (I now know you can find it in the health and beauty aids sections of Whole Foods, Giant Eagle, and Raisin Rack). The friend that had allowed me to use her oil actually sold oils through doterra, I would come to find that several of the women in my church did so at the time. I ordered a bottle, I didn't want to chance ever getting a sun burn again without it.

It sat in my cabinet for a few weeks, then I came across a diaper wipes solution recipe to use with cloth diapers. So, when Cameron was born I started using it in my wipes. A few months later I was given a suggestion to use it for diaper rash. I developed a rash on my arm and decided to see what would happen if I put some of lavender oil on it. Soon it was time for another bottle of this miracle oil. This was the point I decided google what else this oil could do. I went through the second bottle much, much quicker than the first. I was loving the oil, but at about $30 for 1/2 an ounce... well, I had to either find it cheaper or stop using it so much. I was using a little over one of those 1/2 ounce bottles at a time.

I had been using lavender oil for about a year. This was about the time I put some on a friend's son that was staying at our house for a few days. He had developed a rash that was responding to nothing and had been to the doctor several times. My friend was amazed at how well the oil worked and actually knew where to get 4 ounces of it (in a different brand) for the price I had spent on 1/2 an ounce. I have to say I was amazed when her MUCH cheaper her oil was and it worked just as well as my doterra. Don't get wrong, I love my doterra selling friends & want to support their businesses, but 8X the price is just a little more than I can logically do on a regular basis.

With my current pregnancy (update: DO NOT USE LAVENDER OIL WHILE PREGNANT! See warning below) I actually crave the smell of lavender oil. I've found putting it on my feet before I go to bed at night is the only way I can get more than a couple of hours sleep at a time at this point. Last night I slept a miraculous 6 hours.

I purchased a few more oils when winter respiratory nastiness entered our home this year and being pregnant, there isn't much that is safe to treat those bugs with. I now generally purchase the NOW brand of essential oils from amazon. A 4 ounce bottle of lavender oil runs around the $20 mark. Some of the other essential oils our family has tried are eucalyptus, peppermint, rosemary, and tea tree. I've liked them all. I've ordered and am waiting for frankincense, clary sage, and geranium oils to come in.

***Important warning: After having Ember, I found I had postpartum pre-eclampsia (total nightmare).  Using lavender oil while pregnant can hide pre-eclampsia by reducing it's symptoms. This is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS! DO NOT USE LAVENDER OIL WHILE PREGNANT!
Check out the post on
Essential Oils: Cleaning and Sanitizing Spray (here)
Essential Oils: Eucalyptus (here)

28 Days left of Pregnancy

I can hardly believe how small that number is getting. Only 28 days left before the official due date. I have hit that point when pregnancy insomnia kicks in. You know the mark of being so uncomfortable it's hard to sleep AND when finally manage to sleep it only means that you will need to get up and pee soon. I'm the last one to bed and the first one up most days. My new early morning schedule has Anara thrilled or annoyed depending on the day. She is generally the first one up in our house and I think has come to really enjoy and need that pinch of alone time.

Aside from some back pain, I'm actually feeling leaps and bounds beter at this point in my pregnancy than I did in the earlier stages. I haven't blacked out in several weeks and my heart feels a lot better, so I have taken myself off the total rest that my cardiologist put me on. I'm still taking it really easy, but I have added cooking to my daily schedule and I'm leaving the house for more than just doctor visits and church. Previously just taking a shower was exasperating, but now I'm feeling normal. Well, as normal as one can feel 36 weeks pregnant. I have a doctor's appointment today, and I will finish this post afterwards.

Well, it's later in the day. The appointment went well, but there is a high probability it will be a little less than 28 days. Heading to the doctor this morning, John and I hit drizzly rush hour traffic. Which made getting to the doctor take well over an hour. I wasn't even sure they would see me when I got there I was so late. I got right in to the doctor. He measured my tummy and checked my cervix. 2 cm dilated!! Next to the sonogram. Our little guy is weighing in at about 7 pounds (which is about the 70th to 75th percentile). A measure of the amnionic fluid revealed that it is a little lower than what my doctor would like to see. After the sonogram, the technician wanted me to see the doctor again to talk about the low fluid level. Apparently, it could be slowly leaking out. If I don't hit an active phase of labor by Tuesday, I will go back for another ultra sound. If the fluid levels haven't increased then the next step is induction.

Ok, here is the weird part. Since Nia was born 13 years ago, the  last 2 deliveries were induced, and I went into false labor about a hundred times with Cameron (well, maybe not that many times, but it sure seemed that way), I've been praying my water would break so that I would definitely know I am in labor. It's possible my water broke when Cam jumped on me about 3 weeks ago, I've had really strong contractions since. I should really consider being more specific with my prayers, this really isn't what I had in mind.

I was really hoping not to be induced. I don't do epidurals. With induction the actual delivery feels about the same, but it's mind blowing how much more painful labor is. With Cam the labor was much worse than the delivery. I also don't want to deliver before Tuesday, that is actually the earliest day my mom-in-law can get here. Oh, and 1 more thing, 2 of my dear friends have a baby shower scheduled for me the following Sunday. Everything will all work out in the end, and it's not like I have any control over the mater. At any rate, this time next week my stress level will be lower. Either because I have new baby OR because I'm still waiting for him.

Baby Bottles

Baby bottles, when did they become so expensive... and complicated. For all of my kids we have used the AVENT brand of bottle. We started using the brand when feeding complications for Nia (loooong story, I might tell you about later) left us searching for a bottle that would work for her. Avent was our 5th bottle... and it worked, so we stuck with it. When Anara came along we stayed with the same brand. At the time we lived in the boonies. The closest store to our house was 45 minutes away and I couldn't imagine throwing in multiple excursions through the country side to the previous hellish experience of finding a bottle. So, the bottle wasn't cheep, but it was easy. Bottle, collar, nipple and done. By the time Cameron came along, the design had changed to bottle, ring, collar, nipple. If I hadn't bought a dozen of darn things on before I realized this, I would have searched out a new bottle. You see for me each little piece that is added seems to equate to dozens of extra headaches. Headaches when they drop into the garbage disposal... especially when no one realizes and then you have to re-buy the already over priced piece or be down an entire bottle because of it. Headaches when your digging through a drawer at 2 a.m. and hope you can get a bottle together before your newborn wakes up the whole house. Headaches when your holding your hungry baby while making a bottle only to realize everything has been washed and sterilized EXCEPT all of the rings. Headaches when your husband's very large hands find it challenging to put together little bottle pieces while listening to a baby crying and two other children telling him about the baby crying. Headaches when you forget about the little extra piece or it doesn't get in just right and dump milk all over your baby. I'm really not sure how people who use the bottles with 5 or a zillion pieces have any sanity left.

Umm, maybe you can tell that my love for the AVENT brand left when they added that little ring. They do have a new bottle (back down to the 3 normal pieces), and I'm sure it's great, I'm just not sure I want to use it. I was given a sample when I signed up for a registry at Buy Buy Baby. I found the nipple hard to get into the collar AND it's even more expensive than the 4 piece design. The first set of bottles I purchased for Nia were $3 a 12 pack (not AVENT). I am totally aware that was nearly 14 years ago and the economy has changed a great deal, but my eyes bug out a bit when I look through today's choices and see bottles like the mimijumi with a price tag of $14.99. Ouch. I think my kid would have to use that bottle til they were 5 if I paid that much for it. However, I'm sure there are good, cheeper options out there. I just haven't found them, not that I've looked around a ton.

Recently we picked up replacement nipples for the new born stage of our AVENT bottles for our coming little bundle. They run about $2.50 a nipple. I haven't opened them yet, so if I could find bottles for less than $2.50 a pop, I would be completely happy to return those and just pick up new bottles. Also, I managed to accidentally melt several of our larger bottles, so  even if I don't find a bottle for  less than the $2.50 price mark, the plan is to switch to a new bottle when the coming baby moves past the 4 oz stage.

Any bottle recommendations out there?

Update:
So, at some point after Ember began taking around 6 ounces at a feeding we tried him on a few different bottles. What we found was...
1. Em is a very picky little baby. He made it really clear he really wasn't happy about having any other bottle than the AVENT is was accustomed to.
2. Simplier bottles = more spit up. Em has sensitive tummy and the bottles we tried with less pieces really enhanced this issue. I'm sure I don't need to explain more here.
3. If I had a do over with bottles this go around (and with Cameron) I think I would start out with playtex nursers that use the plastic bags. Anytime I have been able to pump milk, I have put into milk storage bags which are easily used in this type of bottle. This was also the only bottle we tried that didn't cause more tummy issues.

Health Update

I have great news to update you about my health. I mentioned a couple of post ago about being on doctor ordered rest and feeling like the walking dead. To make a long story short  I was having a few issues with my heart that was being exaggerated by not being able to get enough of certain nutrients into my body. It was causing me to black out several times a day and generally fell absolutely horrid. I was talking to my chiropractor about the whole thing and he suggested taking pro-biotics. He said people with celiacs (which I have not been diagnosed with, but do have wheat issues) should take them for about a month so their stomachs will be able to absorb all the nutrients it can. For kids and women that pregnant or nursing he recommended Activa yogurt twice a day. Others he recommends taking a supplement that runs about $13, we picked up some of this for Nia. After a few days of the yogurt, I stopped blacking out. After about a week and a half, I was feeling almost normal.

It's been about 3 weeks and I feeling much better! I'm back to doing normal things like cooking, cleaning, shopping, and baby nesting. I haven't been brave enough to drive yet. I think it may take a bit of time before I am comfortable getting behind the wheel after blacking out so many times.

Early Baby Scare

Yesterday we had an early baby scare. I was sitting at one end of our couch and Caneron had repeatedly been running across the couch to kiss my ever enlarging baby belly. Cute huh? Well, he suddenly switched from super cute mode to mischievous mode and instead of an adorable belly kiss he took a flying leap and landed knees first right on top of my tummy. This sent me into about a 12 hour stint of Braxton Hicks contractions. The first ones were very close and very intense. Thankfully, yesterday was a day John got to work from home and he I was able to get to my doctor's office very quickly. As we drove there, the contractions got less intense and less frequent. After a through check of baby and myself, we were able to return home. For the rest of the day the contractions would get stronger and weaker. At one point we considered heading to the hospital, but finally around 1:30 or 2 a.m. they had eased up enough for me to fall asleep.

This morning I woke up a little extra tired, but contraction free!

This is a fairly recent picture of me. Not the best, but since I'm the one that generally takes the pictures around here, a shot of myself in the mirror is about as good as it gets.

Bed Rest Changes Things

Surprisingly, I am actually finding stuff to keep me busy while on bed rest. However, I have deep routed desires to get out of the house. I'm not on total bed rest. I am allowed to sit up with my feet up, and probably do so more than I should. I do get out every once in while, mostly to church and occasionally a dinner. I have made 2 very short trips to the craft store, hence the reason I have a few things to keep me busy. There have been many changes in our house hold to accommodate the rest of the family and myself while I spend so much time laying down. We are normally a very green, cloth diapering, healthy food eating type of family. Since a lot of the cooking, cleaning and laundry have fallen onto John and Nia, we have more throw away items and more fast food. We have paper towels for the first time in years and Cameron is in disposables. I have to continuously remind myself that I can't expect my family to do things the way I would do them, Especially with items such as cleaning and cooking.

School in this season of our lives looks a bit different also. I'm focusing on language arts and math (that really hasn't changed). Our multiple times a week field trips are totally gone for a while though, along with play dates, my coffee Mondays with other moms, extra curricular activities and the two homeschool groups we joined this year. I have decided to put science on hold until our new little bundle arrives. History is done mostly through videos right now and we haven't been doing to many projects to go along with them, just worksheets. Instead of using the table to work with manipulatives, Anara uses  a tray on my bed. She actually seems to think this last one is kind of cool. The kids are in charge of what they do for art and P.E. Previously we have always tried to be done with school work by around 4 or 4:30. Now we do it at any time I feel up for it, even if that means we are making fraction pizzas on my bed at 10 p.m.

We have also had to move things around a bit. It was to challenging keeping Cameron out of all the homeschool stuff while it was in our one large main room. It is now all in the master bedroom so little fingers will leave it alone. We also invested in a few more organizational items so I can tell the kids exactly where to get things. Our furniture in the main room has been moved around so I can keep a better eye on Mr. Mischievous when I'm in the living room.

Lately we have started hosting a few more things than usual at our house. The thought is that if I can't get out, then we will just have to have people in. It's been fun. We have one set of friends that is at our house at least once a week and often more. This has been a huge blessing to me. They haven't told me, but I know this is a conscious choice on their part. Since meeting them a couple of years ago, they have always been very busy people.

My children are learning things through this that I would have never even thought threw exactly how to teach them.

They are learning compassion and how to truly be helpful. I need so much help right now and they are the ones providing most of that help. Sania is the main cook for the house right now. Through the week she makes sure everyone has breakfast, lunch, dinner and even snacks. Anara is usually my go get'er. She fetches nearly everything I could possibly need from books to bottles of water. This is on top of keeping up with school work and chasing after Cameron all day.

They are learning the importance of seizing the moment. More and more often lately, I feel like the walking dead. However, sometimes I feel almost normal. At those times we try to do something a little more fun. Within the confines of my bed rest rules that is. Today, John took me out for breakfast then this afternoon he drove us all to the park and I watched the kids play as I sat in car. This may not seem like much, but when doctors orders keep you confined to the only the ground floor of a small townhouse, any excursion, even ones where you don't leave the car, are exciting.

They are learning how to work together. It takes real team work for the girls to keep an eye on Cameron and get a gluten free lunch or dinner ready. It also takes a tremendous amount of effort and teamwork to keep little Cameron entertained while school work gets done.

Maternity/Due Date Count Down

You may have noticed the little maternity counter on the side of the blog that counts down how many days remain until my due date. On day 101, I decided to take a little break from the norm and make a counter of our own for the house. We also watched 101 Dalmatians. If this had not been so impromptu, I may have planned a few more activities for the day.

This is the latest image we have of the newest member of family!

I find it really exciting and very sweet how the kids interact with their pre-born sibling. Every time Cameron is on my lap he lifts up my shirt and talks to my stomach. This is really cute unless we have company. He also pushes gently trying to get his little brother to push back, which actually happens more often than not. Both of the girls also talk to my belly. Nia generally says something short like, "Hi, baby," "I love you little guy," or "I can't wait to hold you and get out of doing school work while I take naps with you." Anara has a different approach.  She is determined to make herself this baby's most favorite person. She thinks the key to this is to be the person that spends the most time talking to him. I can usually expect 2 to 5 conversations or stories from Anara to the baby each day that last anywhere from 3 to 15 minutes.

Episencial Bubble Bath Review

Product: Episencial Sweet Dreams Bubble Bath

What I paid: Nothing, but it retails for $9

Where I got it: I recieved this for free when agreeing to host a Healthy Child Party at www.healthychild.org You can purchase it on the Episencial.com

What I like: It is made with organic products and the even the bottle is earth friendly. My kids have ubber sensitive skin so I'm really reluctant to try anything out on them. This is free from additives and other icky stuff that could bother their skin though and it really doesn't have a sent. So I thought it was worth a try. The bubbles lasted a really long time also. Cameron and Anara tried it out together and since this was the first bubble bath either of them have ever had, they stayed in for long while. We re-warmed the water twice and there were still bubbles to be played with.

Could it be better: Love it how it is.

Do I recommend: Yep, in fact I 'm about to buy some more. I realize it's a bit more pricey than other bubble baths out there, but I really haven't seen another brand I would consider trying on my kids.

Walk Through Baby Gate Review

Regelo Easy Step Metal Walk Through Baby Gate

Product: Regelo Easy Step Metal Walk Through Baby Gate

What I paid: $31.50

Where I got it: Amazon.com

What I like: -The latch is easy to manipulate, my 6 year old daughter could easily do it.

Could it be better: Oh yes, way better. This is my 3rd child and I spent a good deal of time working in childcare so I've used a far share of baby gates. This and one other run a tie in being my least favorite. The other however at least will keep your toddler out of where you don't want them to be. This one comes with little cup things that are to be screwed into the wall then tension is used to hold the gate into the cups. That being done, my son could knock it over easy at 12 months old, which is when this was purchased. -The gate relies on tension to hold it in place, however the same tension is used to adjust the spot where the gate closes. Too much tension and the gate won't close, to little and it won't close or stay up. - The gate door opening is not wide enough.  Even very slim people would go through gate and have to turn sideways. This generally ended up in them bumping the gate, knocking it over, and me having to put it up again.

Do I recommend: No

Little update:
We have now moved to an older home where the doorways are a wee bit smaller. I have found that the gate works rather well in the smaller doorways. The doors I have used it in have all been between 29'' and 33''. So, if that fits the spot you need a gate in AND you never plan on wanting/needing it elsewhere, then it is a decent little gate. I don't think it would work well on a door past 33 inches.