Bryant Update almost 37 weeks

Bryant continues to grow great.  I had an ultrasound done this week and he is around 6 lbs 12 oz.  Gaining about a 1/2 pound a week puts him right at 8 1/2 pounds which is average for me (and just fine…any smaller and I’d be afraid I’d drop him).  We’re now at a waiting stage.  Dr. J gave me the approval to use a couple of herbal supplements to prep my body for before, during, and after labor. 

I also have noticed a little bit of itchiness on my belly and a few red spots that won’t go away.  It’s not at a point where I’m scratching all the time but it’s enough that I want to try and head it off before it gets worse, so after doing some research I asked Dr. J about trying a couple of herbal supplements to help with that.  He trusted my judgment and research and said I could try them.  However, if this is hormonal related, then the supplements probably won’t work (as they are work with liver issues…which is another possible PUPPS cause). 

I’m actually just now starting to get uncomfortable but mostly when I have a contraction.  Dr. J couldn’t believe I didn’t have anything to complain about.  I just laughed.  It is what it is and the only way to change that is to deliver the baby and the baby needs to “cook” for a little longer.  No reason to complain about something that can’t be changed right now.  So, we wait and pray.  I’ve got enough to do to keep me busy and get ready for Mr. Bryant’s arrival!

So, we’re in the ultrasound and Liam hops up on the chair beside me.  He looked concerned and said, “I just want you to be alright mommy.”  I reassured him that nothing that was taking place to hurt me and that we were just going to check on Bryant.  He seemed reassured and started laughing at the u/s goo.  He then spent the whole time leaning over my head so he could get a better view of Bryant.  He was so sweet hugging my head and staring at the screen. 

As we took Josiah to his “party” for his birthday, Liam asked me if I had more jelly for my belly. 

I told him no and asked if he wanted a jelly belly.

“No,”  he said “Not until I’m grown up big and have a baby in my belly.”

I believe that escalated into stating that aliens don’t have babies but I’m not sure where that came from.

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My First Lapbook

A long time ago, I came across a website called Lapbook Lessons.  It was so long ago, I can’t remember where I found the link.  Anyway, they had a cute free lapbook for big brothers and I decided to try out our first lapbook on Liam (and Josiah…but that meant I did most of his book).  It was a success.

For those that don’t know, lapbooks or folder books or whatever you have to call them because someone copyrighted lapbooks, are books put together using file folders.  We made a double one which meant we used two folders.  We included all sorts of pockets, wheels, and other different forms of information regarding what it means to have a new baby in the house.  Liam loved it.  He also enjoys showing everyone the information.

So, for now, I do believe we’ll be continuing with lapbooks…although they are a bit time consuming, so they won’t be a constant part of our homeschool days!

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Labor Day Essentials #2

Every nursing mom knows this is a “must have!”  Maybe not for labor day directly but definitely for after labor.

It’s a nursing pillow.  My brand of choice is the Boppy but there are a ton out there (none of which I’ve tried…and trust me I’ve paid for my own pillows…so this isn’t a “review”). 

I’ve never had a baby without having one of these handy.  It’s great support for the baby and makes it easy for a weary, labor worn mama to nurse her baby.  Not only that…it’s great support for the baby while you just stare at how precious they are!

Case in point…Ceili Rain on her pillow! 

Last year, I lucked out and found a “naked” pillow at consignment and it was in great shape.  There are slip covers that can be purchased at various stores.  And I found this cute little slipcover for the little princess’s birth.  Now, seeing that reminds me I need to look for a little bit of a boyish one for Bry!

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Starting Early!

We now have desks for each of the kids.  Well, we have one for each of the four kids who can climb in a chair.  Ceili Rain, lately, has been confiscating crayons and attempting to “write” on everything.  She found a pencil this week and I finally let her have it and set her in the chair to “write” on paper instead of the carpet.  She sat there for at least 30 minutes drawing and then playing with her toddler crayons (they’re bulky and supposed to be easy to grip).  My mom informed me that she shouldn’t be sitting still staying involved in an activity that long.  Not because it’s bad for her but because developmentally she shouldn’t be able to.  I know this…but I also know she’s a weird kid.  Like her sister and brothers.

And just for all of you freaking out that I am one of “those” parents who start teaching them complex math problems as soon as their out of the womb…don’t freak.  We watch our kids for preschool readiness skills and start them off when they’re ready (like Liam now knows most of his letters and is fast approaching real phonics time…but I’m waiting until August so that he can really know all of his letters).  I don’t believe in pushing them at such young ages but if they show signs of readiness, we jump in and work with them (at their level).  For now, it’s fun watching Ceili Rain focus on what she’s working on.  Last night, she wanted to draw so I sat her down to do it.  Mark was home and I asked her if she wanted to show daddy.  A few minutes later he came down the steps and she held her paper out to show him.   She had the biggest grin on her face!

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REVIEW: Balance Benders

The Critical Thinking Co
I am a big fan of using your brain to figure out things and not just blindly following the what everyone else is doing.  So, as a homeschooling family, we strive to teach our kids valuable critical thinking skills.  I’m a big fan of The Critical Thinking Co. and their amazing products.  I love surfing through their catalog each time I get one in the mail!  I always find neat products to use with the kids. 

Balance Benders

And here’s a product I would have never thought to purchase but was so excited to try out.  It’s called Balance Benders.  This is a series of workbooks going from second grade all the way through twelfth.  Each workbook is full of grade appropriate logic and algebraic puzzles for children to work through either with an adult (if they can figure them out) or on their own.

I was a bit nervous when I received the workbook and realized we were talking Algebra here.  Algebra is a subject I loved…in the higher grades!  So, introducing this type of reasoning to my seven year old made me a little apprehensive that I would be able to give this a good review.  True, Zoe is only “technically” finishing 1st grade, but in some areas, her brain works on a higher grade level.

So, the book came in, and when Mark was home (since he’s the math whiz), we sat down and started working on the puzzles.  They start out very easy to follow and have great cheat sheets and lessons to review the algebra facts.  So, explaining it was a breeze.  I must admit that got stuck a couple of times and had to have Mark  and Zoe explain why the problem was such and such.  Yeah, that was great.  Zoe had trouble wrapping her brain around a couple of concepts but Mark and I were able to work together to explain them in a different term than what the book gave and that helped her work through it.  Believe it or not, when she got stuck, none of us freaked out (a very rare thing in our house).  We are working very slowly through the book as she grasps concepts that are pretty advanced, even for a second grader.  Not to say that a second grader could not work through the books.  I firmly believe they can (I’m of the opinion that we try to dumb down too much for children and therefore they don’t expect to be able to understand concepts, when in fact they do and they can if just given the opportunity.  Sorry.  I’m stepping off my soapbox now to get back to the review).  I also believe that they would benefit more to having an adult sit down with them to work through the problems.

If you have a child who absolutely loves to write in workbooks…or enjoys puzzles (Zoe does love a good Sodoku or word find puzzle), then Balance Benders is the perfect fit.  For those children who are more kinesthetic or visual, you may have to adapt the puzzles for them to understand and see them better.

Each balance bender puzzle book sells for $9.99.  There are currently four books in the series.  A definite good buy for children who need or want to be challenged.

The Critical Thinking Co

Know someone who deserves to be recognized as a critical thinking hero?  Check out this contest that the Critical Thinking Co. has going on right now and nominate your hero today.

The Critical Thinking Co. is also holding a video contest.  Click here to get all the details and for your chance to win a year’s supply of educational products!

**Disclaimer:  This is a Mama Buzz review. The product was provided by The Critical Thinking Co. for this review.

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Labor Day Essentials

So, we’re nearing four to five weeks until labor/birth day for our newest member of the bunch.  I figured I would delight everyone in knowing what goes into my suitcase for such an occasion.  Some of the things are things we always carry…but others are new to us.  I’ll just share a few at a time.

And we’ll start with Mark’s toy.

Yep, it’s a smartphone.  Last year, the Droid debuted and Mark was hooked.  He didn’t care much with the iPhone came out.  But, this Droid and the operating system that accompanies it really intrigued him.  He was hooked and began daydreaming about it.  Not constantly but as an “that would be nice to have.”  However, the phones and subsequent plans did not fit into our budget.  We couldn’t justify purchasing one of these phones nor paying for the plans.  He kept checking back every few months and tried to justify the purchase/plans. And he never could get it figured out…until a month ago.  When we found a deal online that would allow us to get a Droid Eries (which he preferred over the Droid but still has the same operating system) and not go bankrupt with the plan.  It’s taking some tweaking and a downgrade in our internet service (from cable modem to DSL), but the smile on his face is soooo worth it.  And…get this…it’s got an app (what smartphone doesn’t) where he can time my contractions for my “non induced labor.” 

But that’s not all…it also has unlimited internet which means our labor day updates will be much more detailed as I dictate to him between contractions.  Aren’t you all excited to have another live labor day blogging!?!  He’ll probably be able to get video and pictures while we’re there…although I’m not sure that that would be the best time to capture me on camera.

But wait, there’s more…

I got a new phone too.  It’s a Samsung Reality and it’s not a smartphone.  But it is a multimedia phone.  We opted out (because we didn’t want to sell our firstborn in order to pay for the monthly plan) of having unlimited web but I do have email access…that along with the other fun features keeps me happy.  Besides, I need a qwerty keyboard…trying to type on Mark’s phone is a bear and tests my patience.  I can put music on this phone and have, but I think I’ll stick with my iPod Nano that straps to my arm to worship while in labor (no, I’m not kidding).

So, while in labor, you can check our blog for regular updates and then email me to see if I can respond (in between deep breathing, ivs, monitors, and bouncing on “the ball.”). 

Stay tuned…more Labor Day Essentials to come every Friday until the big day (I think).

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REVIEW: Whish Body Products

Whish Logo

If you are looking for a sweet, luxurious indulgence for a tired, hard working mama…then Whish Body Products are the place to go! 

Whish Body Products were created by two brothers after one of their wives “whished” to have a better shaving product.    These products are unique because the ingredients are Paraben Free, Sulfate Free, TEA & DEA Free, and Petrochemical Free.  The product I reviewed contained organic beeswax, organic aloe, organic shea butter, and organic raspberry butter.  Each specifically added to give the user healthy, beautiful skin and not the oily, greasy residue left behind by other products.

I got to try out the Three Whishes Pomegranete Sugar Scrub.  It smelled wonderfully!  Worked beautifully!  And was a nice treat.  Now to see if the scrub really worked, I decided to try it on half of my body.  Yes, I said half.  I used it on my right arm and leg and left the other without.  I could immediately tell a difference in the smoothness and throughout the day there was a little bit of a noticeable difference. 

Now, being that I am not one to use multitudes of beauty products, I had a little bit of a difficulty trying to figure out exactly what you do with a body scrub.  I made up my own rules and just slathered it on.  It was a little hard to get on but using a loofah didn’t work to well.  So, I slathered it with my hands.  I may have used too much but it didn’t seem that using a little worked well…therefore, each time I used it I had to get a lot out to cover just one arm and leg. 

At $38 for 12 ounces of scrub, I would say this product is definitely a splurge product.  These products, for a mom of many and a single income family, would not be practical for everyday use, but as a chance to indulge and as a gift…would be very welcome in my home!  But, if you have the money to splurge regularly, you can check out the other yummy and fun products Whish sells, click on over to their website to see pamper yourself away!  You can also find their products at Nordstrom, Kitson, Studio at Fred Segal, Apothecary at the Wynn, and Zitomer.

This is a Mama Buzz review. The product was provided by Whish Body Products for this review.

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And a trip to Ge & Granddaddy’s…

We planned and attended a trip at the end of May to Ge & Granddaddy’s house.  This was supposed to be out last big trip out of town…but Ge had other plans for a visit.  During our visit we went to a craft show where Granddaddy sells pens that he makes using a lathe (I call it a ladle because it drives him insane when I do that).
Zoe helped…
Ceili Rain showed off her walking skills.
It was a nice open area so the kids were able to run (and sit) freely with out us worrying if they were in someone’s way or about to be run over by a car.
We also celebrated Granddaddy and Aunt D’s (his sister) retirement.  
Liam enjoyed the cakes…I made it using cake mix because my “from scratch” batch fell to pieces (which I’ve promptly salvaged and shaped into a dinosaur for Ace’s birthday…first time ever making a 3D cake).
He also rocked out with the shades.
Zoe and cousin J made a sheet of paper and walked around having everyone sign it.  It was really sweet.  Zoe took the time to present it to him.  I was excited to see her walking up to complete strangers and asking them to sign it.  She’ll do anything for her grands!
I was excited that we were able to finally give him this book.  It’s full of letters from various football players, coaches, and friends.  We started working on this about three years ago when he announced he was retiring.  And then didn’t.  It’s been an on again off again project…but now it’s done.
These are two coaches dad has coached with the longest.  They aren’t just coaches, they’re very good friends and have been through a lot together.
And they all love to talk…especially Coach H!
Laughing is always necessary!!!
I’ve grown up with these men and women around me and I love seeing their smiling faces.
We also attended another craft show (on Memorial day)…
They had a kids’ area and tow of the kids chose to ride ponies…Josiah…and
Liam.
Ceili Rain chose to watch.
Zoe and Ace chose to do this wheel thingy where they were strapped in facing each other and the lady spun them around (she could have spun them 360 degrees…but they freaked out).  I wish I could have gotten pictures of their faces…it was hilarious…but our battery died.
And there, soon after, was the Great Van Incident (click here and here if you missed out on that little gem)….nothing like almost losing a wheel to end a fun filled adventurous weekend.

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Roasting…

Actually, right now, it does feel quite like we’re roasting as we are hitting a scorching heat wave…and I’m pregnant.  Suddenly, having this baby the sooner the better sounds nice (really and truly though I’m content to wait it out…I’ll sweat off whatever weight I gain I guess!).

However, back in May we did some real roasting.  Whenever we gather at Papa’s house it’s become a tradition to set up a fire and roast marshmallows…no matter how hot or how cold it is outside.  Our trip up in May was no exception.  And here’s our proof that it was enjoyed by all.

Papa whittling sticks to use to roast.
Liam was ready (so sorry but all of these side shots are not swapped around.  You know the drill).
Doing the deed…now, to me a proper roasted marshmallow means it’s on fire when you pull it out and 3/4 of the way burned…however, Papa has a technique that he’s passing down to his grands…and it requires patience and time and you get a perfectly roasted marshmallow.  I still prefer a little charcoal on mine though.
Finger lickin’ good.  Note the train in hand…always gotta have your train.
Observing the festivities.

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