I have a confession for you all. You might think badly of me for saying this, but I just H-A-T-E hate to brush my kids' teeth. (Anybody been reading the wonderful kids' books lately about Clementine? If you have, you know what I mean with the spelling.) I try to maintain patience, as my frustration does not help the situation any, but it's SO hard. They don't want to open their mouth wide enough for me to see anything. When I can't see what I'm doing, I poke them in places they shouldn't be poked. Oops....sorry! And their tongue continually stays where it shouldn't: in the way! They have to spit and swish and spit again, something like 50 times during the teeth-brushing session. This really annoys me. And the whole brushing production lasts much longer than it really needs to.
So there you have it. I am a horrible, impatient mom.
Showing posts with label motherhood. Show all posts
Showing posts with label motherhood. Show all posts
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
Monday, September 1, 2008
The OTHER Labor Day
I got this "meme" from Hillside Hollow. It looked like fun.
How long were your labors?
#1--About 20 hours. Pitocin sped things along artificially. Actually, this (early) labor was several days long, but I'm only counting from when my water broke to delivery.
#2--About 12 hours.
#3--About 16 hours.
What does it say about me, the mother, that I can't remember exactly how long my labors were?
How did you know you were in labor?
#1--My water broke with a slow leak. I waited several hours to call my doctor, to be sure it was really a broken water bag. I didn't want to look silly and be sent back home!
#2--Contractions getting stronger and closer. My water never did break with him until my first push for delivery.
#3--Water broke at home again, but more gushing this time.
Where did you deliver?
#1--Hospital. Pitocin, Epidural, Doctor, the whole 9 yards.
#2--Birthing center. Midwife, Doula, Water birth.
#3--Home birth. 2 Midwives, Water birth.
Drugs?
#1--Pain-causing pitocin. Yuck! Epidural. Scary. I don't want to do that again!!
#2--No drugs except for antibiotic for beta-strep.
#3--No drugs at all. (Still beta-strep positive.) I used natural methods to fight beta-strep.
Water birth works wonders for pain control.
C-Section?
#1--The doctor thought I would need a C-section. I would have had one if I had gone another hour.
#2--No.
#3--Very close to c-section again, but because she was in breech position. I prayed non-stop for 2 weeks straight, then God helped me turn her with my own hands in utero, at home one morning in the peace and quiet of a sleeping household on a Sabbath morning. I still claim this as a personal miracle.
Who delivered?
(Stated above.)
How big was your baby?
#1--7# 5 oz. Born 4 days after due date.
#2--9# 2 oz. Born nearly 2 weeks after due date. He was over-cooked!
#3--8# 6 oz. I used several natural methods to induce my labor. She came on her due date.
Now it's your turn. How about sharing your labor stories?
How long were your labors?
#1--About 20 hours. Pitocin sped things along artificially. Actually, this (early) labor was several days long, but I'm only counting from when my water broke to delivery.
#2--About 12 hours.
#3--About 16 hours.
What does it say about me, the mother, that I can't remember exactly how long my labors were?
How did you know you were in labor?
#1--My water broke with a slow leak. I waited several hours to call my doctor, to be sure it was really a broken water bag. I didn't want to look silly and be sent back home!
#2--Contractions getting stronger and closer. My water never did break with him until my first push for delivery.
#3--Water broke at home again, but more gushing this time.
Where did you deliver?
#1--Hospital. Pitocin, Epidural, Doctor, the whole 9 yards.
#2--Birthing center. Midwife, Doula, Water birth.
#3--Home birth. 2 Midwives, Water birth.
Drugs?
#1--Pain-causing pitocin. Yuck! Epidural. Scary. I don't want to do that again!!
#2--No drugs except for antibiotic for beta-strep.
#3--No drugs at all. (Still beta-strep positive.) I used natural methods to fight beta-strep.
Water birth works wonders for pain control.
C-Section?
#1--The doctor thought I would need a C-section. I would have had one if I had gone another hour.
#2--No.
#3--Very close to c-section again, but because she was in breech position. I prayed non-stop for 2 weeks straight, then God helped me turn her with my own hands in utero, at home one morning in the peace and quiet of a sleeping household on a Sabbath morning. I still claim this as a personal miracle.
Who delivered?
(Stated above.)
How big was your baby?
#1--7# 5 oz. Born 4 days after due date.
#2--9# 2 oz. Born nearly 2 weeks after due date. He was over-cooked!
#3--8# 6 oz. I used several natural methods to induce my labor. She came on her due date.
Now it's your turn. How about sharing your labor stories?
Monday, June 9, 2008
"Did You Miss Me?" My Daughter's Answer....
Well, it's been a while, I know. Busy? Yes. Planting blueberries? Yes. Quilting? Yes. Bit of the blues? Yes, again. (Stuff I can talk about? No. I guess that's why I haven't been blogging.)
I've been searching high and low for some quilting buddies. I went to a quilting club meeting for the first time, in a neighboring town. I had no idea what to expect. It was somewhat disorganized, and definitely intimidating to be around such experts, but totally fun. It is probably good for me to step out of my comfort zone now and then. I showed them all my completed Spring Quilt and they loved it. (We were going to reveal our Spring Quilts to the homeschool lady's quilting group on June 1st, but I think it's been postponed for a while. I guess there won't be any pictures posted until then. :)
Anyway, I got back home, and there I found my 3 kids, all gathered around me, asking me lots of questions about what I did, what I saw, and where I went. They have never been so interested in me! I guess I should go off on my own more often. It felt real nice to come back to such a nice welcome home. I tried to dole out the hugs, each of them wanting more than I could humanly give in just a few minutes. I'm not an octopus.
I asked my 4 yr. old if she missed me. "Yep. I missed you SO much I thought about missing you the WHOLE time! My brain was just filled up with missing you real bad." (emphasis was hers.) I had to write it down really fast, so I wouldn't forget what she said. It brought tears to my eyes.
I've been searching high and low for some quilting buddies. I went to a quilting club meeting for the first time, in a neighboring town. I had no idea what to expect. It was somewhat disorganized, and definitely intimidating to be around such experts, but totally fun. It is probably good for me to step out of my comfort zone now and then. I showed them all my completed Spring Quilt and they loved it. (We were going to reveal our Spring Quilts to the homeschool lady's quilting group on June 1st, but I think it's been postponed for a while. I guess there won't be any pictures posted until then. :)
Anyway, I got back home, and there I found my 3 kids, all gathered around me, asking me lots of questions about what I did, what I saw, and where I went. They have never been so interested in me! I guess I should go off on my own more often. It felt real nice to come back to such a nice welcome home. I tried to dole out the hugs, each of them wanting more than I could humanly give in just a few minutes. I'm not an octopus.
I asked my 4 yr. old if she missed me. "Yep. I missed you SO much I thought about missing you the WHOLE time! My brain was just filled up with missing you real bad." (emphasis was hers.) I had to write it down really fast, so I wouldn't forget what she said. It brought tears to my eyes.
Friday, April 11, 2008
Not Much Blogging Lately, I Know
I'm trying to figure out exactly why I haven't been writing much lately. I really think I've been in some kind of a slump. There are a lot of reasons, I guess. I tried to say it was because I've been quilting so much, but that's not it. A couple of ladies and I were talking at the park today (homeschoolers meet every Friday, and we go when we can.) I have come to the realization that I have been trying to blog only positive things. Maybe I am taking that philosophy a little too far. Although I don't want to drag anybody down by reading my not-quite glowing blog posts, I shouldn't avoid posts that aren't exactly perfect life. I don't mind if one of my friends share their trials or something that's bothering them in life, so why should I be afraid to do so? Life is not always "roses", and mine is surely no exception.
So, here goes. There is something that has been bothering me for quite some time. It is quite perplexing at times, and it affects our family greatly. I have mentioned tidbits before about the kids and I being gluten-free, as well as dairy-free and using very minimal soy products in our diet. This is because all 3 kids and I each exhibit different symptoms when we eat these things. (We are also all vegetarian by choice, so this complicates matters. I am quite used to being vegetarian as I was raised that way, but the GFCFSF is quite difficult because of the vege. issue.)
Well, I am not going to complain about having to eat this way. We've been dealing with it for 1 1/2 yrs. already, so that it's almost second nature by now. What is frustrating me now is our middle son's symptoms. Even following this diet very strictly, he continues to react. (I hinted at his difficulties on his birthday.) It's quite difficult, because I cannot tell if he's now reacting to nuts, or corn, or eggs. Or is it something else? Yes, I could do a rotation diet, but that seems very difficult to accomplish given the fact that he can eat very little variety as it is. Given his super-skinny physic, it's scary to think about him starving to death just because he can't eat beans on day #3 because beans are only allowed on day #6, for example.
Okay, so back to his symptoms, which is the reason for this post in the first place. When C is reacting, he is super hyper, has no impulse control, and torments the rest of us to no end. He really gets quite annoying, and even that is an understatement. This is not his normal personality, yet it's beginning to seem normal since it's going on all of the time lately. When he has a good day, he is so sweet and seems like a different person. This is why I don't like to talk about it. I am afraid that nobody will believe me, and just chalk it up to behavioral problems with little or NO discipline in the home. I know it's not true (lack of discipline), but when he is reacting very badly, I am literally afraid to take him outside of our own home. I don't want people thinking badly of him, or of us as his parents for that matter. I also realize it's hard not to judge his behavior. Truly, when he's reacting, I can hardly stand to be around him myself. Talk about guilt! How can I, his own mother, wish it were his bedtime, when it's only 9 o'clock in the morning?? And how can I help the other 2 kids tolerate and forgive, even understand his behavior when I cannot understand it myself?
There's the background of what we've been dealing with for the last 3 or more years. It has been especially bad the last few months, and does seem to be worse the older he gets. I can finally report that we might have found a supplement that just might help. I started him on 5-HTP 3 days ago, and he's been better. Even H and B have noticed it's better. I am crossing my fingers, knocking on wood, and yes, praying a LOT. Of course, I pray about it all the time, but I really don't want to get my hopes up if it's not going to last.
And you know what? It's sure a lot easier to be a nice, fun-loving mother to kids that aren't fighting all the time because one of them is continually pestering the other two!
So, here goes. There is something that has been bothering me for quite some time. It is quite perplexing at times, and it affects our family greatly. I have mentioned tidbits before about the kids and I being gluten-free, as well as dairy-free and using very minimal soy products in our diet. This is because all 3 kids and I each exhibit different symptoms when we eat these things. (We are also all vegetarian by choice, so this complicates matters. I am quite used to being vegetarian as I was raised that way, but the GFCFSF is quite difficult because of the vege. issue.)
Well, I am not going to complain about having to eat this way. We've been dealing with it for 1 1/2 yrs. already, so that it's almost second nature by now. What is frustrating me now is our middle son's symptoms. Even following this diet very strictly, he continues to react. (I hinted at his difficulties on his birthday.) It's quite difficult, because I cannot tell if he's now reacting to nuts, or corn, or eggs. Or is it something else? Yes, I could do a rotation diet, but that seems very difficult to accomplish given the fact that he can eat very little variety as it is. Given his super-skinny physic, it's scary to think about him starving to death just because he can't eat beans on day #3 because beans are only allowed on day #6, for example.
Okay, so back to his symptoms, which is the reason for this post in the first place. When C is reacting, he is super hyper, has no impulse control, and torments the rest of us to no end. He really gets quite annoying, and even that is an understatement. This is not his normal personality, yet it's beginning to seem normal since it's going on all of the time lately. When he has a good day, he is so sweet and seems like a different person. This is why I don't like to talk about it. I am afraid that nobody will believe me, and just chalk it up to behavioral problems with little or NO discipline in the home. I know it's not true (lack of discipline), but when he is reacting very badly, I am literally afraid to take him outside of our own home. I don't want people thinking badly of him, or of us as his parents for that matter. I also realize it's hard not to judge his behavior. Truly, when he's reacting, I can hardly stand to be around him myself. Talk about guilt! How can I, his own mother, wish it were his bedtime, when it's only 9 o'clock in the morning?? And how can I help the other 2 kids tolerate and forgive, even understand his behavior when I cannot understand it myself?
There's the background of what we've been dealing with for the last 3 or more years. It has been especially bad the last few months, and does seem to be worse the older he gets. I can finally report that we might have found a supplement that just might help. I started him on 5-HTP 3 days ago, and he's been better. Even H and B have noticed it's better. I am crossing my fingers, knocking on wood, and yes, praying a LOT. Of course, I pray about it all the time, but I really don't want to get my hopes up if it's not going to last.
And you know what? It's sure a lot easier to be a nice, fun-loving mother to kids that aren't fighting all the time because one of them is continually pestering the other two!
Monday, March 10, 2008
One of "Those" Days
I had one of "those" days today. I've had them before, but it's been a little while since the last one. You thought I was going to say it was horrible, didn't you?!? I've had those kind of days too, but today was of the wonderful "those" days variety. We got a late start because of the stupid time-change our government thinks we need to operate at peak condition. I don't understand that, and they should just leave nature alone, but that's a subject for a different day.
Today was just wonderful. I'm sure that today being a good day was somehow magnified in intensity because of our recent bout with the flu. Those days were NOT good. But, nothing wonderfully exciting or special happened today. We did school work, and the boys did very well and I maintained extra patience. We seem to be getting into a better groove, with less complaining and more listening and stamina on all of our parts. Even B kept herself reasonably busy with her books and projects. She's just a little sponge anyway, soaking it all in! Our neighbor came by the other day and we started discussing our way of "schooling". I explained to him how B, for the most part, does participate in our learning efforts even though she is so young and not even "school age" yet. He commented that B will end up being a genius in the end because she'll learn stuff so well with her frequent exposure. That was kind of funny.
Here I go again; I'm caught up in a rabbit-trail. I was trying to describe to you how well school went. And then how well the kids helped with various things we needed to do around the house. There was even some volunteer activity where that was concerned. The kids did relatively little bickering and got along well together with minimal fuss. That's my kind of day. I made sure to compliment the kids several times on their behaviour. I am hoping that positive praise will bring back more days like this, more often. I can tell you one thing though. Days like these make me feel SO good inside. And it reminds me how much I love being a mom! I'll be sure to come back to this blog post and reread it on those days that aren't so great.
Today was just wonderful. I'm sure that today being a good day was somehow magnified in intensity because of our recent bout with the flu. Those days were NOT good. But, nothing wonderfully exciting or special happened today. We did school work, and the boys did very well and I maintained extra patience. We seem to be getting into a better groove, with less complaining and more listening and stamina on all of our parts. Even B kept herself reasonably busy with her books and projects. She's just a little sponge anyway, soaking it all in! Our neighbor came by the other day and we started discussing our way of "schooling". I explained to him how B, for the most part, does participate in our learning efforts even though she is so young and not even "school age" yet. He commented that B will end up being a genius in the end because she'll learn stuff so well with her frequent exposure. That was kind of funny.
Here I go again; I'm caught up in a rabbit-trail. I was trying to describe to you how well school went. And then how well the kids helped with various things we needed to do around the house. There was even some volunteer activity where that was concerned. The kids did relatively little bickering and got along well together with minimal fuss. That's my kind of day. I made sure to compliment the kids several times on their behaviour. I am hoping that positive praise will bring back more days like this, more often. I can tell you one thing though. Days like these make me feel SO good inside. And it reminds me how much I love being a mom! I'll be sure to come back to this blog post and reread it on those days that aren't so great.
Sunday, February 24, 2008
A Little Reminder: They Need Me
My boys both have the flu now. I certainly did not wish this on them, but since they got it, it's serving a purpose. I'm looking for the silver lining to the clouds, and I am reminded that my boys need me after all. It's nice to feel needed once in a while. They're getting so big that they're more self-sufficient lately. I miss their little boy hugs and snuggles. C, especially, was always my snuggle-bug, and he's feeling too big to hug his mother more than once every few days! Now I've got 2 boys taking turns with their head on my lap. I'm soaking up all the hugs and snuggles I can, while it lasts! And I'm very thankful that if only one person can help soothe their misery, even in a small way, that it's me. It's great to be a mom.
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