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.

Life Is A Whirlwind

There has been so much going on in our lives this summer it really does feel like life is an out of control whirlwind lately. Here are some of our recent and upcoming highlights:

Ember!
He is truly amazing.
-He is just starting to say a few words. His first word was, "Dad." Which was done the first time while he was lying in his cradle. His cradle is between my bed and the bathroom door. John had just walked out of the bathroom and he happily said, "Dad!" He also says mama and Nia.
-Em sleeps really well. He started sleeping through the night at about 2 1/2 weeks and there have only been a few nights since when he has woken up. If I put him down before he gets to tired, then he will put himself to sleep in his own bed. He usually sleeps in his cradle, which is the same cradle his brother and 2 sisters also slept in. It and my own baby blanket are actually the only baby things I've had for all 4 kids.
-We recently found out he is lactose intolerant, not a fun process. Just take my word for it. My milk also dried out so he currently eats 26 to 32 ounces of Soy formula a day. No solids yet.
-Now that we have cut the cow's milk and he is getting enough food, he is an extremely happy baby that only cries when he is hungry or overly tired. He is also a huge flirt.
-His feelings are really hurt when you walk into a room he is in and don't speak to him, then the only way to make him happy is to pick him up.
-He loves watching Cameron play. Cam gives him toys, even though Ember can't play with them yet, I think it makes him feel big and included.

John will soon be working from home.
Because of my recent health issues, John asked his work if he could begin working from home on a permanent basis. This is so he can 1) be close by if I'm really sick, 2) not need the car when I have doctors appointments, and 3) he just likes being around the rest of us so much. The biggest change that this makes in our lives is that it allows us the freedom to move back home to Kentucky. Which brings me to our next point...

We Are Moving! 
Our house is currently a box city. We have it about 85% of it ready to be loaded onto the truck. The move is set for middle of the month. We however, do not currently have a confirmed spot to hang our hats.

Spending time in KY this summer.
The girls went down earlier this summer to spend time with the grandparents and when we went to pick them up, Anara decided to stay there until we move so that she can sign up for and begin soccer (and I'm thinking to also get out of packing and loading the moving truck).  Part of both trips down were spent looking for a place to rent... no luck on that part, so it looks like we will be staying with grandma for a week or few weeks until something becomes available. It's a small town so there really aren't a lot of rentals that will hold a family of 6 just sitting around empty. When we go to KY, my blood pressure goes down which helps me in recovering from...

Postpartum pre-eclampsia 
has been a complete hell. No really, completely horrible. In the first 8 weeks it boast a 1 in 5 death rate (glad to be past that point, I actually demanded a celebration). There was one evening I had fallen asleep on the couch while watching TV with John and Nia. When I woke up I said something and nobody responded. I said something else and again no response. Next I found myself asking out loud if I had actually died and if I was a ghost. John and Nia thought I was kidding, but I was seriously wondering if I was dead and if they could not hear me because of it. Not all better yet, but I'm getting there. Going through this without having family members close by has made it all even harder.

Tips For Buying Used Books

As a homeschool family, one easy way to save a good bit of money is buying used books or materials.

There are a couple of downfalls to buying used. The best way I've found to purchase used items is online, so the first downfall is that I don't get to see what kind of shape my purchase is in until it arrives at my door. Usually there are just a few marks and we ignore them. However, the photo above shows a particular book I spent probably 2 hours going through erasing then scribbling over where I had erased. Apparently  the student had done all of their work in the book and the parent felt it was still acceptable to sell the book in that condition.  There was really no way for Nia (or my other children if we reuse this book) not to cheat without me going through and getting ride of the answers. So, below is a picture of what I found to be an acceptable solution. I erased, scribbled in one direction and then the other.

The other downfall I have found also stems from purchasing online. Sometimes you may not catch exactly what is included in what you are buying. For example, we purchased Wilson reading material for dyslexia. It included instructional videos... that were on VHS. We have purchased other curriculum that called for a zillion pieces to implement (workbooks, flash cards, magnet boards, you name it) to find after spending more than our budget would allow that we really still needed more pieces for the curriculum to work. Or, that we purchased part of level 1 blue edition and part of level 1 aqua edition and they are not compatible.

Here are a few tips we have picked up over the years in purchasing used:

1) Avoid curriculum designed for 'regular' school. There are usually several pieces you need, and might now be able to find. I taught in public school for a few years before homeschooling and my first inclination was to grab my favorite  curriculums from my old life and use them at home. Major foul! One they are designed for a classroom not a single student. Two, see the paragraph above. Keeping all this in mind, I still manage to decide to do this for at least one subject a year for the last few years. Maybe one day I'll decide to take my own advice...

2) Grade level bundle sets. I don't recommend them, but several people like the a lot find them good to use. I've yet to find anyone that really loves the 'bundle sets' as I've labeled them. I'm talking about lifepac, Sonlight, and other programs that include everything needed for one year in a box. Most of the people I've known that have used them do so for the first year and then move on to something else. Let's face it, there is no perfect curriculum and getting everything for the year in one purchase would make life a lot easier. However, none of these companies specialize in any certain subject nor will they be tailored for a certain learning style. Many homeschool kids work on different levels in different subjects and buying everything at the same level could prove to be a big pain in the neck for you and your kid.

3) Figure out your budget FIRST. It will do you no good to fall in love with a curriculum that runs 2 grand if your budget is $200 or even tighter like $20 (as mine was one year). If your budget won't allow for buying all you need at once, stager your purchases. Our girls generally like to focus heavily on one subject at a time, so it's been fine for us to purchase a few subjects later in the year at times. If the budget is really, really tight you can check if your state offers online school for free. Most states offer some if not all course work online for grade school age students for free. Ohio, the state I live in, has online charter schools where they provide a computer, school books, and some school supplies all for free. This greatly conflicts with why some people want to homeschool, but for many it's a great option. Googling K12 (one of the big names in online kindergarten through 12th grade schooling) will give you a ton of information on the this option.

3) If you need help figuring out which materials to use there are several homeschoolin' mommas out there that love to write reviews and opinions of what they have used on their blogs.   If you are new to homeschooling a 1st grader, find several blogs that have written reviews of what they used for 1st grade. Look at what they did. Consider your child's/children's learning style and your teaching style. Think of how you want your school year to go and narrow down from there.

4) When you think you have decided, read reviews, read more reviews, and then ask questions. Find the bloggers that have used what you are considering and ask them anything you can think of about the material. Sites like Amazon also have a ton of reviews. Then weigh them out. If you read 5 people that say a book was perfect and 1 that says it was too challenging for the grade level, odds are there is something going on for that one family that makes it too challenging for their child, not most children at the grade level.

5) Once you have figured out what you want, I have found the best place to start when looking for used homeschool books or other materials is Amazon. Our next stop is generally ebay. I always do a google search of whatever it is I'm looking to purchase also. I've seen materials for sale on craigslist and through homeschool groups. Some groups even have curriculum swap/sale days.

6) The best times to purchase are the end of the school year and just before the beginning of the school year. Other families will be trying to unload their used stuff as the finish up with it, but some will wait until the beginning of the next school year in hopes more people will be trying to find it. There are always people randomly putting things up for sale, so don't get too discouraged if you miss that window.

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.

6 Reasons We Spent More On Curriculum This Year

Having expensive curriculum isn't required to homeschool, but it can make teaching easier. At least when it comes to planning what to do. Earlier this year I posted here about the curriculum we planned to use for the year. The truth is, I've changed it up a lot over the course of the year. This year we felt it necessary to purchase some of the most expensive materials that we have ever bought for teaching. This decision is mainly surrounded by a few facts:

1) Nia started this year as a 7th grader that was working with 1 high school subject. She was so successful with this, we decided to challenge her with another and then another. Now she is working in all high school subjects, and, well good curriculum for this level doesn't come cheep. I want really good curriculum for high school for a few reasons. The next step is college, and we have to put her high school work into a portfolio to help her get into college. I've never taught high school, and I've been a little intimidated about it.

2) Up until now, we really haven't bought much curriculum. With the lower grade levels for Nia, we have focused on manipulates and I felt confident enough with my teaching experience and research skills to cover everything that needed to be covered.

3) Anara's school experience last year (she went to public kindergarten and missed a lot of year because of mono) left her behind her peers and really doubting her abilities. We started the year with Anara convinced she would never learn to read. We tried 4 different reading programs before finding one that she could really shine with.

4) In the past we have mainly focused on paper, hands on, and book work. Anara, however really excels at computer programs, so we have purchased or subscribed to some educational sites for her.

5) After finding their way threw Nia, Anara, and random other children that have been to visit. Much of our preschool material has been lost or used beyond acceptable condition, so we have replaced most of it with new stuff for Cam and our little bun in the oven. Not that preschool materials are generally that expensive  but this has upped the price tag on homeschool this year a little.

6) Purchased curriculum is organized & generally ready to go when you open it up. With our family growing, I've got to make up some time somewhere. Not planning out assignments & search the web for activities is a huge time saver

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)

1st Dance

This is a post I wrote about 2 weeks ago. I've been waiting to post it in hopes of one of Nia's friends having a few good photos to put with it. Our's didn't turn out well. Here is one shot of her getting ready.

Nia headed off to her first dance Saturday night. It was held at a local YMCA and hosted/payed for by Kaleidoscope Youth Center. My kids have hit several milestones this last month, and I'm not sure how well this momma or the papa that accompanies me is doing with all the transitions. Sania's milestones seem to be thrusting her into a more adult word, finishing challenging high school courses and going to dances. Anara has been on a mission to find a spark she had before contracting mono just over a year ago, which I feel is a very mature decision to make about yourself. Cameron, well he seems to find a new talent almost daily. His biggest achievement lately has been learning to screw and unscrew lids along with turning door handles.

Otherwise Saturday was a lazy, uneventful day. We mostly lounged on the couch watching TV, listening to an audio book, or playing games. Oh, and keeping this little monkey out of mischief!

Geocaching

A couple of weekends ago our family had the opportunity to go on a Geocaching scavenger hunt... Well, the rest of the family went trekking through the woods as I sat in the nature center of at Blacklick Park. I just didn't think taking off for a 4 mile hike through the woods would have been the best decision for someone almost 8 months pregnant. Let me tell you about the wait. I was forced to sit either inside or out and take in the horrible view while park rangers forced drinks and chocolate into my hands. It was nearly unbearable.

So, what is geocaching? According to Wikipedia, "is an outdoor recreational activity... in which the participants use a GlobalPositioningSystem (GPS) receiver or mobile device and other navigational techniques to hide and seek containers, called "geocaches" or "caches", anywhere in the world."

The metro parks system has a set of hand held GPS systems that it shares amongst it's 18 parks. These little ditties are used about once each season per park to conduct scavenger hunts which are open to the public. The geocaches in this week's scavenger hunt were plastic zipper bags with stickers and/or little trinkets like a plastic ring. You can find a list of each parks' schedule here.

If you don't live close to a Columbus metro park there are several organizations out there that also have these little hunts and also ones that just randomly have little treasures for anyone to pick up at any time. You can grab one of these hand held systems for anywhere between $60 and $6,000 off amazon or just pick up an app for your smart phone. One of the fellow participants downloaded a free app while everyone was waiting to get started. He siad it was accurate enough to find the little treasures.

Here are a few pictures I snapped at the nature center before everyone headed out.

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.

Fractions

My kids love fractions! Honestly, I think it has a lot to do with how fractions have been presented to them. As with most math concepts, I like to introduce the fun part first, then move on to how we use the concept in everyday life, and finally get to the little less fun part of worksheets or curriculum. With fractions this works really well. The practical every day use of fractions generally means we get to go out for pizza as a family or make a cake. If you have gone over money already, it's easy to explain how money breaks down into fractions. The two sets of fraction manipulatives in the picture above were purchased from amazon and are both from the learning resources brand.

One thing I didn't realize when I ordered these is that the colors of the same size fractions on each set match up. For example the 1/3 size in both the circles and the bricks are red. This really helped Anara connect relevance between different shapes and ways to draw/write fractions. The bars also have the fractions written on one side along with decimals on another.

The fraction tower activity set can be purchased here. I paid $13.29 at the time I ordered it.

The rainbow fraction deluxe circles can be purchased here. I paid $9.35 when I ordered this one.

Fraction manipulates are not something that have to be purchased, they can easily be made. When Nia was this age she had circles, bars, and squares that came as part of workbook. They were card stock weight punch-outs. She had just as much fun, still loves fractions (in fact she played with these new 'toys' a few times herself, even without her little sister), and they worked just as well. I decided this was a worthy purchase for our homeschool for one main reason. Sania has always had a fairly delicate, gentle touch. My other kids, not so much. With the spacing of my other children's ages I would most likely be making fraction manipulates every year for the next 13 years. As long as I can keep up with these little gems, this purchase should save me a at least a few hours of measuring and cutting.

I did decide to make some fraction pizzas out of card stock, they seem durable enough where we may even get more than 1 years use out of them. I made 2. One broken into 1/3 size slices and the other into 1/4 size. The toppings are construction paper. Our whole house was delivered pretend pizza with toppings like blue legos and barbie shoes for about a week. I decided to keep the pizzas where the slices stay intact, but I've made this before where they come apart then used sticky sided hook and loop dots to adhere to a larger piece of cardboard for the whole pizza affect. I've never found a great way to keep toppings on when the pizza is pulled apart that way though. I knew a teacher once that made a simular set up using fabric. The pizzas were flannel and the toppings were felt.