Photos

Here are a few photos from this past year that I haven't posted yet. All of these that do not include Ember were taken just before he was born

When I was pregnant with Ember, Cameron would cuddle up to my belly and have somewhat long conversations (in toddler speak) with his coming baby brother. It was extremely precious and the following picture is of one of these times. I never would have realized how much a child could deeply love and want their younger sibling before his birth if I had not had the opportunity to witness this with Cameron. It gave me  treasured look into my little guys heart and glimpse of the wonderful man he is becoming. 

This was Ember the day we brought him home from the hospital. I made the little hat he was wear. It turned out larger than all the other newborn hats we already owned and I didn't think it would fit for a while. It's not in the images below because it was really a pinch too small and wouldn't stay on. 

A wonderful lady from our church made this blanket for Ember. I cherish it! She told me she hadn't made one for anybody in years, but really wanted me to have it.

I took this picture so I could text to my mom and share that fabulous red hair!

My poor little guy's face was really bruised from the delivery. 

Doesn't he look so sweet swaddled in the blanket made with so much love. 

The trip home

Um, yes that is Java Central, my favorite coffee house in the background there. He had been in so many times while still in the womb, John and thought he might want to see the place.

One of my favorite pictures!

She is such an amazing sister. My younger kids are so lucky to have her in their lives. As you can tell by the look and love on that face, she LOVES being the oldest and taking care of her younger siblings.

maybe there is a hint of lack of sleep here also...

Even though she 13, Nia still accumulates more cuddle time with me than the other kids. I love it!

This is Cameron wondering just how far he run before someone can get off our porch and catch up to him.

These two were laughing and giggling for several minutes when John snapped this one. That much fun just playing with a blanket. They will keep each other entertained for the rest of their lives.

Essential Oils: Cleaning and Sanitizing Spray

What prompted me to find an alternative to my regular cleaning and sanitizing spray and hand sanitizer.

Three reasons really:

1- For the last few years I have used vinegar and water in a spray bottle to clean with. It does the trick of killing germs and getting stuff clean, but the smell leaves a LOT to be desired.

2- A few weeks ago my oldest friend Melissa (not oldest, like she is sooo old, but oldest, as in I've literally known her since the day I was born) asked me if there was an oil that could be used as a multi-purpose cleaning spray.

3- Cameron has developed a pallet for hand sanitizer, and I'm sure you're not supposed to eat that chemical filled gel.

So the search began and here is the recipe for my 

Natural multi-purpose cleaning spray/hand sanitizer:

In a spray bottle with 2 cups of water add
8 drops clove oil
4 drops lemon oil
4 drops orange oil
4 drops eucalyptus oil
4 drops cinnamon oil
2 drops rosemary oil
note: the orange and lemon oils can be substituted for each other

This is non-toxic and is safe to spray on things like your baby's high chair and if you use it for hand sanitizer, it's not a big deal if your kid licks their hands immediately after. It's also not a big deal if your 3 year old decides to drink it. Although I wouldn't encourage them to do so, it isn't harmful like drinking other cleaners or sanitizers would be, but probably doesn't taste great. These are the same oils that would be found in a thieves oil blend (produced by both young living or mountain rose herbs also known as OnGuard by the doterra company). You can easy use one of the pre-mixed thieves oil blends instead of this mix. If you opt for a thieves blend, use one drop per ounce of water.

So far, I'm really liking it as a cleaner. It smells great and is really good at getting up sticky stuff that has sat a while. I'm still a little undecided as a hand sanitizer. It seems to dry out my skin a little, however I'm not as worried when I see Cameron trying to eat it.

Check out my post on Essential Oils: Lavender (Here)

One On One Time

Even though we make it a top priority, giving individual time to each of our 4 kids can be challenging for John and I at times. They all need it, they all want it. In fact, if any of our children go too long without enough cuddle time or time out of the house with just mom or dad then their behavior will definitely let you know it. So, when we are are stretched for time or funds we have a few go-to options that each of our kids enjoy and slip right into our daily schedules. 

Nia is our tv/movie girl. Nothing makes her happier than a little screen time... as long as she gets to cuddle with you in the process. Nia have our own TV show each season (some seasons we have several) that we make sure we watch together when no other kids are in the room to distract my attention from her. John and Nia generally have movie dates together, either at home or out.

Anara feeds the need with food. She loves going for ice cream or other treats, but is also happy to join in with cooking up a sweet treat with you. As long as she gets the largest piece of whatever she is cooking.

Cameron LOVES to shop. Grocery shop, clothes shop, couch shop, even goodwill. Cameron seems to find joy in picking out things for his family. If we are in the grocery, he will insist on taking home a dozen of Anara's favorite yogurt and the certain kind of fruit snacks he knows Nia likes. Not sure if he will grow out of this or not. Both the girls really liked to shop at age 2 and lost interest in it as they got older. However, Cam seems to really take pride in what he picks out for people. Another option for Cameron involves a large stack of books and cuddling up under a nice squishy blanket.

Obviously, Ember isn't demanding his mother-son and father-son dates yet, but he still gets his equal share of one on one time with each us. Usually that time consist of cuddling on the couch or playing on the floor.

Just a few pics

I have a ton of pictures of catch up with and post on the blog. These are all from John's phone. 

Snapped this one of the boys looking at a book together just before we left Columbus. Now Ember is at the point that he really tries to do the things Cameron does. Sometimes he is fairly successful at it.

A Few days before leaving Columbus, Cameron got his very first hair cut. Thankfully, those sweet corkscrew curls were not lost in this cut. 

Cameron driving to KY in the moving truck with daddy.

At the hotel on the way to KY, Cam found the only book in the room to look at. This kid LOVES books.

Serious about getting his grub on at the Chinese buffet. 

Mommy, daddy, daughter date to get ice cream

Em, just chillin'

Cameron hanging out in Nursery with Gisela at Henderson Memorial 

Cam with a big bowl of yogurt 

My super happy boy

Ember getting his first solids. He is now 6 mo and has only had rice, rice cereal, and a pinch of grits. And a few things Cam has shoved into his mouth before I could stop him (potato chip, sweet tea, and ice cream to be exact) He still doesn't eat solids on a regular basis yet.

Worn out, holing the boys before bedtime.

He still sleeps a lot, especially in the car! Well, unless it's dark. Ember totally freaks out in the dark here if he is outside or in the car. In his defense, it is much, much darker in rural KY than in the city.

Plenty of space to have my sewing machine set up and left out in the new house. Doesn't this photo look strait out of the 1970's?

This was Em's favorite toy until we picked up a jumperoo at a yard sale. Boy oh boy does he love to bounce in the jumperoo.

Their first matching pajamas. Ok, I know it's a bit dorky to have your kids totally match, but I figure pajamas are ok.

At Cracker Barrel. He wanted this hat, but I really think he has 2 just like it already at home. 

a concert John and Nia went to.

It was outdoor, lawn seats only. They didn't realize that part 'til after they were inside.

Self portrait Nia did. She is an awesome artist!

Photo of a photo, not great I know. This is our sponsored child.

Poor Nia. Cameron bonked her in the face and it kinda looked as though she might have had broken her nose. This was her getting an x-ray. Thankfully it was just bruised and swollen.

At the concert, John and Nia saw this truck. Looks like a real life Mator.

Cam playing in our new living room before furniture was moved in.

LOVE, LOVE, LOVE this picture. There is just something about John feeding a baby a bottle that makes my heart skip a beat!

Sounds of Home

Growing up I never gave to much thought to the sound of the accent 'round these parts'. Anyway, I was at my mother-in-law's church on a Sunday a few weeks back when they had a bit of construction going on in their sanctuary. So what does a music minister do when their sanctuary is a mess, the jumbo-tron isn't available, and you still need to lead music. Sing amazing grace acapella.  Wow! Was it a beautiful sound. I can not remember ever thinking this little town's version of southern drawl was more spectacular than in the moments of that song.

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.

Welcome Home! Our New House

Ahh, the feeling of having all of your stuff under one roof again. After moving back to my husband's and my hometown, it took a few weeks for the perfect rental to open up (it's a small town so there really aren't a ton of options out there). As frustrating as it may have been to move all of our stuff then move it all again, God had a plan. We stayed with my mother-in-law as we waited.
For the past 10 years when driving by this certain house on the street my husband grew up on, I have told my husband, "That would be the perfect house for us." His response was usually either, "I know, you've told me." or, "How do you know, you've never even been inside of that house." It's not the biggest, or the fanciest, or the most unique, nor does it have the best or biggest yard. There has just always been something about the house that has seemed to say to me, "I'm perfect for you guys." When we decided to move back to town I started praying that God would provide, "the perfect house for our family." So, when my husband walked in one night and said, "You know that house you think is perfect, there's a sign in the window that is is for sale or rent." I was ecstatic! We are renting it now with the option to purchase.

It seems to have just the right amount of space for our family right now. If we do purchase (which is the plan) we will likely add on 1 more room. I've already got the plan drawn in head. And, even with the cost of an addition, it has a great asking price for the neighborhood. We have 3 bedrooms, 2 baths, a kitchen with a really nice size eating space, large living room, and a very large bonus room that is being used as a playroom and homeschool room. Can't wait to get some pictures up when stuff gets just a little more settled around here.

Baby Wearing

When Nia was a baby, I purchased a used front baby carrier at a consignment store and HATED it. I was uncomfortable the one time I wore it and I was in constant fear of her falling out of it. This was long before I had heard the term attachment parenting or realized there was even more than one type of baby carrier. As much as I hated that 1st attempt at baby wearing, Ember hates being in a stroller. This has led me to searching out a few options.
By the time Anara came around it seemed the ring sling was all the rage. It was very simple to make and purchasing rings were just a click away. I really liked putting her in her sling and she seemed to like it also. However, I never considered it completely hands free. Anara has always  been wiggly so the fear of her wiggling right out of it was still present. Also, it seemed to bunch at that neck and though it did get the baby's weight off my arm I was then holding her with my nck. Carrying like this for a long time would be really hard. I generally used it when I was going somewhere I would be up and down a lot or I was just going to sit. I continued using it with Cameron. Ember has always seemed to long to comfortably be in it. Nia probably would have sit (similar to the baby below) in a ring sling for hours, but Anara and Cameron bent themselves backwards within seconds when I tried to do this with them.
I also now have this sling

It's a Seven Slings Baby Carrier. Works like the ring sling, but without the rings there is a bit more space for baby. Although it to would have been plenty easy to make, I got it free and just had to pay shipping. I keep it in the diaper bag although it's been used more as a nursing cover and blanket than as a sling, I have put Em in it a few times. He isn't big enough to sit in it like in this picture and now, even with the extra room not being taken up by rings, he is again to long to use the sling the other way. I do love that it is small enough to just stay in the diaper bag. I don't love that it isn't adjustable. It seemed huge the first few weeks. Em fit beautifully the next couple of months, but now it's just a to tight squeeze.

So, this week I bought fabric for a moby style wrap. I've always thought the moby was expensive (at between $50 to $70) for just a strip of fabric, but it is about 5 or 6 yards long. So, really the actual brand name one isn't that bad of price. After my first experience with a front carrier, I've never been able to justify buying the actual wrap or for that much fabric. So, when I went browsing though fabric and saw one that I thought would make a good wrap I was thrilled when I found out it was on clearance for $1.50 a yard. I could justify $9. 

I like it, it kind of pins the arms down a bit though. The baby weight is more spread out so I think I could easily walk around the mall with it on. I wore it while doing the dishes the other day. Em fell asleep and I wound up wearing him for his nap while I was sitting on the couch. I think I'd need a lot more practice to get it on all by myself and I'm not sure I would ever be able to get Ember into without an extra hand. 

This challenge (not that I'm ever alone) has led me to want this carrier

The Gaorui Baby Carrier, similar to the Ergo from what I have read. I've got the thumbs up for the purchase from the hubby, but I have to admit I'm waiting a few weeks in hopes Em will develop a new found love for one of the strollers we already own.