Surprising My Hubby about Baby #7

 Almost a year after his arrival, I have the bandwidth to write down the birth story of our "third last child" - Malachi Jarrott.

Malachi was conceived on my birthday - days past my ovulation date, when all the symptoms said we were clear.  (We knowingly didn't use protection, but there are secondary reasons for that, which is another story and testimony.)  I should have started my period when I was at Women's Encounter with my sisters and niece.... But it didn't show up. (Glad they didn't notice!) After a week, I took a test.

For all of our 6 previous children, Paul has either known because we were planning, or has been suspicious, so I have never surprised him with pregnancy news.  I sat on this surprise for days, and finally my chance came.  Paul's work had done a big remodel and had added a new cafeteria.  He had been asking for me to come visit, so I took the two little girls and went up to eat lunch with him for his birthday.  (It was actually the day before his birthday.)  I told him I would text him from the parking lot to let him know we had arrived.  So I texted, "We're here." and then "PS. I'm pregnant."

He was already waiting at the door for us and saw me pull in, so he didn't check his messages.  We sat at the cafeteria and he ordered some food for the girls and we sat down to chat.  It was pretty obvious he hadn't read my text, so I said, "You need to check your messages."  He's like "okaaaay...." and picked up his phone.  He looked at the message, and then looked up at me and asked, "Is this a joke?" 

It wasn't, but at the same time, it was.  I knew he wouldn't react in front of the coworkers in the cafeteria (they already tease him about his big family), and we couldn't talk about it in front of the girls unless we wanted the whole world to know, which I definitely wasn't ready for.  I could tell he was surprised and confused and happy, but he just said, "I have so many questions."

There was definitely a lot of texting (and deleting texts from my phone because of snooping children!).  So Malachi was part of both of our birthdays in the summer of 2024.

We finally started telling people in September, when I couldn't hide it any longer.  We told the kids first.  Opal just said, "Nope!" and walked away.  Jacob declared he was moving out.  And guess who the two that are the most doting on this new little one?  Yep.  Those are the two!

How Did We Get Here?

 Remember this post?

Well, it still holds true.  And we still weren't wanting more than 5 kids.  

Last spring, Paul and I had the sit-down discussion of "are we done?"  Elsa had just turned 4.  We would be starting school (preschool) with her in the fall, so all of our kids would be in school at home.  I felt like we had settled into knowing what to expect each day, and going out in public or for a vacation wasn't as overwhelming since the kids were old enough to manage themselves in and out of the car, and control their emotions (usually).

We still were convicted that it is not our right to take away God's right to manage our fertility, but we were careful to do what was in our power to manage, and felt happy in the size of family God had given us.

So we decided we were done.  Not that having another baby was outside the realm of possibility, but we thought there's no reason to hang onto baby equipment and clothes when someone else could be using it.  IF we ended up having another baby, we'd find what we needed at that time. 

So we packed it up, had a garage sale, and took stuff to LifeCare (local pregnancy resource center).

And the following week, I found out I was pregnant.

I should have started my period the Monday after the garage sale.  By Wednesday I had grown suspicious.  On Friday I bought a pregnancy test.  I took it on Sunday, and then by some miracle of God's design - all the kids were away at other houses, and I had a chance to tell Paul in an empty house.  

For the first time, I was able to surprise him with pregnancy news.  And I cried.

Not because I was disappointed - there is nothing bad about a baby coming to a couple who loves each other deeply - but because I remembered what it had been like last time I had a baby.  Debilitating lack of energy during pregnancy, and how a new baby disrupts absolutely every aspect of life, especially home schooling - and the previous year of homeschooling had been tenuous at best.  (Honestly, I had looked up how to enroll kids in public school in December.)  I was 5 years older (almost to turn 38 at that point), and 30 pounds heavier, and completely out of shape.  All these reasons pregnancy was going to be completely inconvenient and uncomfortable!

But I remembered that verse, 2 Corinthians 12:9 - But he said to me, "My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness." Therefore I will boast all the more gladly about my weaknesses, so that Christ's power may rest on me.

Nothing happens outside of God's plan.  This was God's plan.  I would make it through.

And I did!

As it was, this pregnancy didn't seem to be as hard on me physically.  Partly because I'd had my veins fixed after Elsa, so I didn't have the throbbing heavy legs daily.  (I didn't wear the stockings this time, but I did wear knee high compression socks daily.)  We bought a Bowflex Max 6 (basically like an elliptical stairstepper) in June when it was massively on sale, and I did well about using it several times a week until late fall.  I only gained 20 lbs. total.  And homeschooling all 5 was less stress than 4 the previous year.  (Elsa's fantastic cheerful attitude about school every day made all the difference!)

We did have to get all new (new to us) baby stuff, but the awesome thing about that is we were able to evaluate every piece and ask if we really needed it.  Baby swing?  Hadn't done much for 5, so we could presume it wouldn't for a sixth.  Boppy pillow?  Absolutely essential!  

We debated finding out the gender, but decided to keep this surprise a surprise.  (Besides, it kept me from collecting those absolutely adorable outfits they had out at Christmas time!)

When January rolled around, I went to Carter's and bought one girl jammies, one boy jammies, and two neutral jammies.  I procrastinated, but finally packed a bag for the hospital the week I was due.  

The baby gave us a bit of a ..... not really scare, but concern?  confusion?.... three weeks before my due date.  I went in to my normal appointment, and the baby's heart beat was in the 190s.  (Normal is 120-150.)  After several minutes, the heart rate was still up, so my doctor sent me over to the hospital to do a fetal non-stress test (put monitors on my belly and record the baby's heartbeat, usually for 20 minutes).  This crazy baby!  It was rolling and flipping the entire time and its heartbeat never went below 160 for 4 hours!  The monitors showed I was having contractions (even though I couldn't feel them), so they gave me fluids and I ended up being in the hospital all day.  (Which was not a bad thing, since Paul was home.  Although two children started throwing up with a stomach bug that plagued us all week!)

All the monitoring was for nothing, because all returned to normal after the baby finally took a nap.  My doctor wanted me to be monitored twice weekly and have weekly sonograms until my due date, but we had no other problems after that one crazy day.  We just had to wait.......

How to Potty Train an 18-Month-Old

So do you want to know the quickest, fastest way to potty train a one-year-old from diapers to underpants in just one weekend?

Yeah, so do I.
But apparently, it's happened!

Yeah, sometimes she wears clothes.  (But not often!)

We stumbled into potty training completely by accident one evening back in October.  Elsa stood watching the tub fill for a bath, and something about the look on her face made me think she had to pee.  I swooped her onto the potty (we have one with a child's seat attatched to the lid - it's amazing!).  And she went!

Several hours later at bedtime, she was still dry, so I set her on the toilet again.  And she went again!
And that was really all it took for her.  I don't know how or why it was so easy, but it was.  After a month of disbelief with only maybe one accident a week, we started putting her in underpants for church and short trips to town.  Now two months in, I feel fairly confident that she will stay dry, even when we're gone all day.  The only accidents we've had are when I've forgotten the fold up potty seat (she won't go on a regular seat, even if I hold her) or when a certain aunt takes her to Sonic and loads her up on Sprite.
All the kids have started potty training young, but she definitely gets the award for 0 to 100 in the shortest amount of time.  I don't think it has anything to do with my parenting skills (you'd think I'd have learned something by #5!), but more so just that I happened to catch them when they were curious and when I had the time to work with them.
Potty training one so young has it's disadvantages - she doesn't talk much yet, but she's figured out "GO!" will get an immediate response.  I'll be sitting on the couch and she comes and gets me with a "GO!"..........and then leads me to the snack cupboard.  A couple times I've just taken her to to the bathroom, and she will start yelling at me from another room.  I ignore her, because I know she's just went - only to find out that pee wasn't all she had to do....  Also, since she's so little, there's no way she can take herself to the bathroom.  She can't climb up onto and turn around without falling in, so it's 100% parent-assisted.
But still - a small trade for not having to change poopy diapers any more!!!

A First Time for Everything

Well, there's a first time for everything.
We are under a "mandatory boil order" in our area until further notice.  A water main burst in town on Saturday night.  I don't know if it was just the fact that it broke, or that it broke during a giant rainburst (2 inches in an hour), or that it broke just outside of the water sanitation plant - overflowing poop ponds? - which spurred the boil order, but we got the notice on our cell phones' "emergency" alert text.  We aren't on city water, but our rural water district purchases their water from the city, and the next day we got a call that we are on a boil notice, too.
So we are boiling water for a household of 7.  Do you know how much water my kids waste each day??
In July, I splurged, and bought two of these for our annual 4th-ish of July Party (it's rarely on the 4th; depending on Paul's work schedule):

They're 2.5 gallons each, and they've been quite handy in our current situation.  I have one on the kitchen counter for drinking, and one on the bathroom counter for washing.  Luckily, what I read is that during a boil order, it's still safe to shower, as long as you don't drink the water.  My kids decided tonight was a good night to go play in the garden, so we needed showers all around.

And thank goodness the water can still be used for laundry!  I guess I can be glad it's an issue of water safety, not supply.  I'm not ready to go all pioneer woman and haul water.
We had 2.5 inches in an hour on Saturday, on top of at least 3 in the week prior to that.  The garden is a giant sink hole, and I'm pretty sure we're going to lose our entire crop of fall beans (which have loads of beans on them, but there is NO WAY I can get to them), and our tomatoes, too.  This is the second time they have drowned this summer; the last week of June just about killed them, but they put on new foliage and came back.  With September just around the corner, there won't be time for them to put on another crop.
During all this, I'm dealing with an infected incision from a surgery I had a month ago.  I knew the main incision wasn't healing right, but I thought it was just a matter of bad closing.  (It looked like they had closed fat into the incision line.)  It has been scabbed over, while the laparoscopic scars healed beautifully, within a week, into thin pink lines.  The incision is only about an inch, and the infection is less than half of it, so I put it off. But over the weekend, it started oozing pus (disgusting I know).   I finally went to see the doctor today, and he said that the infection is because my body is rejecting the dissolving stitches.  The stitches aren't on the surface, but my body is pushing them to the top, like when you get a splinter.  So I have to take antibiotics 3x a day for a week until this stops, along with warm packs (increases circulation) and peroxide every other day.  Lovely!
So this is our exciting beginning of the week!

It's a GIRL! Elsa Anne Rhodes

Our 5th baby arrived at 8:00 AM, on March 15.  (Yes, I realize that was over a month ago.  Do you realize how hard it is to find time to blog when you nurse 8 hours a day and have four other kids?? :) )

This baby took her time in getting here.  My charts said I was due March 7.  I thought it should have been March 14.  (I was right, obviously.)  But starting about the first of March, the baby started shoving and making things very uncomfortable.  But at each appointment, after examination, the doctor said I wasn't even close.  She even did an x-ray to make sure the baby was head-down. 
Wednesday, March 9, I was sure was going to be "the day."  I woke up about 3, having light contractions.  They were uncomfortable, but not intense, but very regular, about 10 minutes apart.  I laid in bed, timing them for two hours, and then when Paul's alarm went off at 5 (for him to go to work), I got up and ate breakfast with him, wanting some nourishment before going in to the hospital.  Paul called in to his supervisor and told him he wouldn't be coming in.
And then the contractions stopped.  Completely.  Not a single one the rest of the day, although the baby was still giving me the "pushing down" feeling.  But even that lessened as the day went on, and at my regular appoinment that afternoon, the doctor examined me and said I was barely even dialated and the head wasn't any further down.
What???
So move forward to the weekend.  I hadn't had any more contractions, but the baby continued to make me very uncomfortable.  But I was okay with no contractions!  My doctor had left Thursday night to go on vacation, and she wouldn't be back until Monday afternoon.  Although I was sure I could give birth with a stranger delivering, I would be very uncomfortable.  My doctor is the only female that delivers babies in our town, and any of the other doctors I don't know AT ALL.
Monday came and still nothing, but I laid down that afternoon, and then had a few contractions.  They again were about 10 minutes apart for about two hours.  Paul again called into work (he was going to nights this time).  My sister came and got the other kids to stay the night with her.  The contractions continued, steady but not intense, but then stopped at 7 PM.  Then about 9 they started up again, this time irregular but stronger, 10 minutes, then 6, then 20, then 3, then 10.....  I'd never had this happen before - all 4 other babies, once contractions started, they were steady and grew stronger and we had a baby within a few hours.  I called the hospital and asked their opinion.  They could look at my charts and know my history.  But the nurse said it was up to me.  If I was worried about delivering at home, to come on in, but otherwise, I'd be more comfortable having my early labor at home.  (I later found out that I called just as they were delivering another baby.)
Then at midnight, my contractions stopped.  Again.  At 1, I gave up and went to bed, figuring I needed whatever sleep I could get.  I finally fell asleep about 2.  Paul came to bed at 3 (he was well-rested from sleeping all day to go to work nights), and then I woke up at 4 with a "real" contraction.  When the second one was 6 minutes later, I got out of bed.  Another came 5 minutes later, and so I woke up Paul.  "I think this is the real thing."
Everything was ready to go to the hospital, and the kids were already gone, so we just left.  Once we got to the hospital, the contractions kept growing in intensity, but still weren't really regular.  They'd come steady, then would be a longer break, then two or three close together.  Any way, I could tell this was "the real deal" and knew we'd be having a baby that morning.  My guess was by 6 AM.
Six o'clock came and went.  The nurses called the doctor before shift change at 7, and she came immeditately and did paperwork while waiting.  Seven o'clock passed.  Then finally, IT WAS TIME.
Gideon had been such an easy delivery, two half-hearted pushes, that I assumed this labor would be easy.  Everyone got in position and I pushed, and.... Nothing.  The nurses encouraged me, "Push as hard as you can," so I gathered my strength for the next contraction and gave it my all and..... Nothing.  What the deuce?  How much of a wimp am I?  Several pushes later, I finally felt the head starting to crown, and then another push and the head was out.  I heard both nurses and the doctor exclaim, "Sunny side up!"  My contraction and strength ran out, but then the next push, she was out. 
Paul kissed me and said, "You've got another girl!"
What??  I was so sure this was going to be a boy.  Not that I was disappointed, but so much for mother's intuition!
So.  A "sunny side up" baby is born differently than a "normal" delivery.  I researched this, because I've never watched my babies come out. I didn't know what was normal or not, and why the doctor would be surprised.  Normally, babies are born face down, and then turn to the side as their shoulders come out.  A "sunny side up" baby is born face-up.  Instead of the crown of the head (the back top part) being the first part out, the whole top of the head presents, so it's a bigger part you're trying to push out.  (Which accounts for my inadequate pushing.)  Also, since the round crown isn't pressing against your round cervix, it applies pressure unevenly, which can cause irregular contractions.  Often there are other complications, which thankfully we didn't have to deal with, but my lower back was a wreck afterwards, and I've had bowel issues ever since.  I think the back of her head pressing into my spine all the way out caused some of the issues.
But she's here!  And she's perfect.  And that's all that matters.

Brand new!

I love this man!

Family of SEVEN!

 

Bright eyes.

 



Back asleep.



She was our heaviest baby, weithing in at 8 lb 5 oz, but our shortest at only 18 inches.  In features, we noticed immediately that she has the same hair that Nathan did in infancy.  She also has a very strong neck like he did, lifting her head off my chest and looking around.  Her cheeks and chin look just like Zadie's did in her baby pictures.  And her nose looks like Gideon's.  It's going to be a while before we can tell whose eyes she's got - the Rhodes eyes with the killer lashes, or the Eichenberger puppy eyes.

The first few weeks were rough on sleeping - or NOT sleeping, to be more accurate.  Miss Elsa wanted to be held all the time.  The only time she would cry is if you put her down in her crib.  So I spent a lot of time on the couch.  A LOT.  Which made my back hurt even more.  Finally, after about 5 days, I couldn't do it anymore, and she moved to our bed.  Bad sleep with a baby next to you is better than zero sleep on the couch.

The sleep issue has worked out since we re-tried swaddling.  We did it the first week, but she'd kick out of the blanket, even the swaddler wrap with velcro, so we stopped doing it.  Last week, I decided to try swaddling using some larger cotton muslin blankets a friend sent over.  BINGO!  Elsa thinks she's still being held when she's wrapped up, and I can usually guarantee a minimum of 3 hours, but last night got six amazing hours alone. (But of course we wasted the first two watching Downton Abbey on DVD......)

Really, she's a pretty happy baby, only crying when she wants to be held.  She's only had one night of inconsolable mystery crying.  (All 3 boys regularly had several-hours-long screaming bouts, most nights.  I don't remember it as much with Zadie.  I know she slept through the night early on.)

Elsa had the hardest time of any of our kids at gaining back the weight she lost after birth.  It took a full four weeks.  Part of the problem was she was tongue-tied and couldn't get a good latch.  (Which she could have done had she not been too sleepy/lazy to open her mouth wide.)  The doctor clipped her frenulum at her one-week checkup, and that immediately fixed the latch issue.  The other part was I am  having milk production issues, despite previously nursing four babies with zero problems.  One side is barely producing, so since I was only nursing on one side at a time, she was essentially only getting fed half of what I thought she was.  But once I discovered this, I started nursing both sides every time and she has steadily gained about an ounce a day.  (Everyone asked how I figured out the production issue.  It was after she went four hours without nursing for the first time since birth.  One side got very full, and the other didn't.  At all.  Too much information??)

As to the name....  She is NOT named after Disney's Frozen character.  However.... Zadie did suggest the name.  Because she loves Frozen.  At first, I said ABSOLUTELY NOT.  But after spending hours and hours on name web sites, and nothing really grabbing me, I came back to Elsa.  (I had liked the name Ilsa, but Paul wasn't on board.)  I looked up it's meaning - "dedicated to God."  Fitting.  I looked up it's popularity (my main reason for rejecting it - I figured it would be wildly popular because of the movie) - it was ranked in the 200s.  Looking better.  "Elsa" sounded good with the middle name we'd picked out long ago - "Anne," a middle name also shared by Paul's mom and sister.  I ran it by Paul, and it was settled.  Elsa Anne.  (And because the boys were sure that Zadie had gotten to pick the girl's name, they decided that if it was a boy, his name would be Luke Skywalker.)

So that's the birth story of our 5th precious baby.  We're settling into the new normal, and trying to get back to doing the necessary things like housecleaning and outdoor work.  And physical activity in general.  We'll get it figured out soon.

Those CHEEKS!

Education about babies and belly buttons.

We Still Like Each Other

I know now why they say that building/renovating your house is a huge stress on your marriage.  It has all the stresses, bundled up into one huge project:  money, major (permanent!) decisions, communication, lack of time together.....
But I'm happy to say that we still like each other.
We've always done well working on projects together (except maybe trying to organize his shop), and I guess this one is just another one to chalk up.
A going-on-ten-weeks-long project.... :)

Gideon's Birth Story

Well..... Maybe I can get the whole story written out.
So.... Let me go to a week before Gideon was born.
At my 39-week check up (on a Wednesday), my doctor did the invasive check, and pronounced me 2-3 cm dilated.  She knew how quickly my labor went the last two times, and told me she would probably see me in the hospital by Friday.
Of course this brought on a frenzy of oh-crap-I'm-not-ready cleaning and organizing. Friday came and went.  I felt like things were ready.  Saturday came and went.  And Sunday.....
Saturday night we were supposed to get a snow storm.  Originally they were predicting 1-2 inches.  We went ahead and sent the kids to Paul's parents' house for the night.  We didn't want to have to deal with them trying to come in on slick roads in the middle of the night when we were needing to get to the hospital in a hurry.  It turns out we barely even got dusted, but at least we had thought about it.
Then Sunday night we got ice.  We didn't even know it was supposed to do anything, until Paul went out to start his truck to go to Bible study, and nearly busted his backside on the deck.  So we figured we'd definitely have to go to the hospital that night.
I had been having contractions all weekend, but nothing hard, and nothing consistent.  In fact, the only what I would call "real" getting-down-to-business contraction was one in the middle of the night on Sunday night.  Still, we had Paul's parents keep the kids, just in case.
But Monday came, and still nothing.  We had a checkup that morning, and when my doctor checked me, she said I was almost 5 cm.  (That's halfway to fully dilated, for those of you unfamiliar with the birthing technicalities.)  She had been so sure she'd see me over the weekend, that she'd called the hospital on Friday to have my file ready. She offered to have me come in that night and break my waters to get things started.  I could tell she was very uneasy sending me home.  She asked me how far away from the hospital we live, and she even gave Paul tips if he had to deliver a baby!  She said, "I don't want to push you into anything, but I just don't want you to not make it in!"
So this was decision time for Paul and I.  I did not want to be induced again.  Granted, Nathan was my first, but I felt like his labor was my hardest and most uncomfortable.  Simply breaking the waters should be all it took, but if it didn't, they would have to use drugs, and that's what I was wanting to avoid.  We told her we'd talk about it and call her that afternoon.  (I didn't want to have the discussion in front of her in her office.)
Since we didn't have kids for two days, we had actively engaged in the fun ways you can naturally induce labor, several times.  (Google it if you can't figure it out.)  And when Dr. Sinclair sent us out, that's exactly what she suggested we go home and do.  (Again.)  In fact, she even (jokingly) offered to send everyone to lunch so Paul could "administer prostaglandins" there in the exam room.  We didn't follow her advice, but instead went to WalMart to walk around.  It was 20 degrees and windy, and I felt like if I could go for a brisk walk (which I wasn't going to do outside), it might stimulate something.
So we walked around WalMart and Orscheln and picked up a few Christmas gifts.  I definitely had several contractions, so we went home about 3 o'clock and I sat on the couch to monitor things while Paul went outside to hang Christmas lights.
Within the first half hour, I'd had 4 contractions.  I went outisde to tell Paul that as soon as he was done, we'd probably be heading to the hospital.  The contractions were definitely regular, but not take-my-breath-away strong, but I figured things were starting, so we might well head in.  We had nothing better to do.
We got to the hospital about 4, and the nurses pronounced me at a 6, and that Dr. Sinclair would be coming in as soon as she finished with her patients.  She got there about 5:15 and did go ahead and break my waters.  (With the other 3, they did't do that until the final stages, just as I was about to push.)  Once she did that, the contractions definitely got super hard and close together.  My doctor knew it wouldn't take long.  She said all she did was go put on her boots and then she sat at the nurses station doing paperwork until they told her I was ready.
I kept feeling like I had to pee, so the nurse helped me go to the bathroom.  After I got back to the bed, it was only like 3 more contractions.  During a really hard one, I told the nurse, "I can feel the head coming down!"  You should have seen them scurry!
My contractions by this time were so close and hard that I couldn't get into position on the bed.  (I had to scoot down and put my feet up.)  Paul and the nurse finally got me into place, I had the doctor remind me of how to push (you'd think by the fourth time around, I'd kind of know the routine...)  So the next contraction, I kind of half-heartedly, I'm-not-sure-I-can-do-this pushed.....  And - WHAT WAS THAT????
"Is that the baby??"  I asked Paul.
He looked down with surprise.  "That's the baby!"
I heard Dr. Sinclair suctioning out the nose, and then she told me to push again.  I gave another wimpy push and Paul said, "It's another boy!"
A nurse had come in to ask the doctor a question, and I heard her from the doorway, "No way!"  She couldn't believe how quickly it had gone, and neither could I!  I guess when your body is ready, whether you are mentally ready or not, your body will do it anyways.  This was the only baby I hadn't broken blood vessels in my face from the strain of pushing.  I told people, "He pretty much just fell out."  And it's practically true!  I really feel like I didn't do anything to bring him into the world.
So the name.....
We had a time with choosing a name for this one.  I'd suggest something, and Paul would be like, "Meh."  Or he'd suggest something, and I'd say, "Meh."  We kind of had settled on a girl's name, but then I realized we had an acquaintance with a daughter of the same name (not a huge deal, but I like unique girl's names).  Then I remembered another one, that had been my second choice to Zadie.  But Paul wasn't hot on it.  Boys names were all over the place.  We knew we wanted to use the middle name Robert, after my dad, and found a name we both liked.  But when paired with Robert, was the first and last name of someone neither of us cared to name a kid after.  (Someone we grew up with.)
Then.... The boys started studying Gideon in Sunday school.  It wasn't a name I had really considered before.  I kind of liked it.  It sounded good with Robert.  Paul and I finally had a sit down to talk about names.  He started out, "What about Gideon?"  Ding!  Gideon it was.
Until the day before he was born, and Paul throws out, "What about Joel?"  I really liked Joel, too.  GAH!  But I already interchange Nathan and Jacob, because of the long a sound, I was worried about Jacob and Joel.  We had the laptop out in the delivery room while I was laboring, looking up name meanings and trying to decide.  Finally, I told Paul, "Let's wait to see if it's a boy or girl, and that will narrow our choices by 50%."
Then comes the moment of truth.  The nurses asked, "What's his name?"
Paul looked at me.  I paused, and then pronounced:  "It's Gideon."

And as it turns out, I interchange Zadie and Gideon.  They share a d.  Multiple times I have already have used the name "Zideon."
Gideon has given us the hardest time of the four when it comes to night times.  The first several nights Paul and I had to take shifts.  Gideon would sleep - only if he was in someone's arms.  And he also would not nurse at night.  I can not figure that one out.  He would take a pacifier, but even though I could hear his little tummy growling, he would refuse to latch on.  So he got a bottle during the night for the first week.  (Formula the first two nights til my milk came in and I could pump.)
The nursing is going better the last week. Night time seems to be better.  He's been sleeping a stretch in his bassinet, long enough for me to get some sleep in bed, and where I don't need Paul to get up and take over.  I'm looking forward to establishing an actual schedule.
The kids are totally in love with their brother - even Zadie!  We were definitely worried about her princess complex.  But she wants to hold him all the time and is constantly petting on him.  In fact, all the kids want to hold him at least once a day.  Nathan is already planning all the things he is going to teach him to do.
Paul has been awesome.  Not that he hasn't been for the other 3, but I really have noticed and appreciated all his help.  I didn't clean the kitchen once in the two weeks he was off.  He went back to work last weekend, and things went pretty well.  I think we're settling in to our new normal.
There are probably details that I have left out, but considering I started this post 10 days ago, I really should get it put up.  It's not like there won't be other chances to write.......

Here We Go Again!

So, my boys both potty trained early.  Nathan just before he turned 2, and Jacob just before he turned 18 months.  (Jacob's motivation was getting to pee outside like his big brother.)  (And these are their starting ages, not when they were accident free, obviously.)
So, naturally, I figured Zadie would be 5 before we got her potty trained.  Because the other two were too easy.  I wasn't even going to start trying until after the new baby is born.
However.....
On Tuesday, we had a rare Mommy/Daughter afternoon while Paul and the boys went and "helped" cut silage at my parents'.  I took Zadie's naptime diaper off and was letting her "air out" before I put another one on her.  I went to do something in the kitchen, and in a few minutes she came to me, jabbering at me like whatever she was saying made complete sense, and then turned around and walked back to the living room like she expected me to follow.  She led me over to the bookcase, where there was a puddle on the floor.  She pointed to it, and then to her crotch, jabbering like she was explaining herself.
Okay.  Apparently she gets the whole potty thing.
I let her go naked for another hour, because we were the only ones home.  I decided it was time to get out the potty chair, just to get her used to seeing it, and we'd start messing around with it.
Later, about 10 minutes after I put her diaper on, she came to get me, again jabbering and pointing at her crotch.  I felt her, and yes, she was wet.
Okay.  She definitely gets it.
So I guess we're starting potty training!
(To spare you the math, Zadie is 18 months old as of this week.)
She was just a little bit wet when we got home from practice, so I took off her diaper and put her in training pants until bedtime.  I sat her on the potty and read a book to her, and..... SHE WENT IN THE POTTY!!!!  (I get a little bit excited about these things.)
I do the naked method.  Some think it's gross, but it's what I've found works.  I put her in a dress and just leave her naked underneath.  We've only had moderate success in the three days hence - none in the potty the first day, and once each yesterday and today.  (I'm a little distracted most days, so I don't always see her when she stops and gets that contemplative look on her face.)  And about half the time, she comes to get me to show me the puddle.  But she's holding it, because she's only peeing 3 times a day (not counting naptime diaper).  And being able and aware of holding it is the first step.
So we'll continue.  It may be 6 months before she gets there, but I figure it's fewer diapers I have to buy or wash in the meantime.  Especially being just 8 weeks from having another one in diapers!
Go, Zadie, go!

Remember These Things?

Before Facebook took over the universe, these were all over MySpace.  I used to see them on Facebook, but either people don't do them any more, or it's just hard to see it when they do.
So I don't know what they're called - surveys, quizzes, or whatever - I call them, "Paul's at work, and I'm bored."
And here's another one.  So by all means, please fill this out for yourself!  I love reading people's answers on these things!

1. What is your favorite weather?
Mid-70s with bright sunshine and a slight breeze.  (Which we had for a solid week this month - in August!  How awesome is that??)
2. Do you put Ranch dressing on pizza?
YES.
3. Do you know where the high-beam indicator is on your dashboard?
Not really.  I think it's between the speedometer and the gas gauge.
4. Which of your friends lives furthest away and how did you meet?
Friend is Esther - we were roommates in college.  She was older than my parents and from Germany, and I was totally nervous about living with her, but she was one of the most awesome people I have ever met.  

But my sister lives even further away, in Zambia, Africa. :(  But only for 2 more months!!!

5. Is your second toe longer than your big toe?

Yes.  It's a sign of perfection. :)

6. What is your favorite meal to eat?

Tuscan-marinated ribeye, with potatoes and green beans.  Oh.  My.  Gosh.

7. What is your favorite meal to cook?

Whatever is fast!  

Actually, I love making "farm hand" meals with all the trimmings, when I know people are going to love it - whether my husband and kids, or friends and family.  Any meal made for someone else that you know they'll enjoy is a pleasure to prepare.

8. What is your favorite outfit to wear?

Ha!  I seriously wore my pajama dress all day today.  And this isn't a fair question since I'm preggo.

9. What is the cutest thing you’ve seen lately?

My daughter asleep, using her pillow as a body pillow.  I don't care what kind of day I have, if I go look at my children after they're asleep, I will come down with a smile on my face.

10. How do you wear your fingernails?

Short.  And usually un-painted, although they were so stained from cutting up plums that I did paint them last week.

11. As an adult, what is your favorite children’s movie or show?

Tangled!!!

12. What was your favorite movie or show as a child?

I had so many.  But I have to say Homeward Bound was pretty close to the top.  (Still a favorite as an adult.)

13. Do you care which way the toilet paper comes off the roll?

No.  The holder is usually empty anyways at our house.  Besides, ours hangs vertically, so that takes care of that little dilemma.

14. Do you have an irrational fear of an everyday thing?

Actually, I do.  I am terrified of falling down the stairs.  Mainly because at least twice a day, I am carrying a child down the stairs.  (We have a flight of 15 very steep wooden stairs.)

15. What is one thing that will always make you gag?

Vomit from anyone besides my kids.  (Being a mom has apparently made me slightly tougher, and I can clean up after the kids without gagging.  Still working on serving my husband that way.....)

And hair when it's not attached to something.  Cleaning out my hair brush or - even worse, gagging just thinking about it - the roller bar on the vacuum.  And seriously gagging now - cleaning out a drain plug.

16. What’s the best vacation you’ve ever been on?

Our honeymoon.  We went to the deep south in the springtime.  We spent 3 nights at a plantation mansion bed and breakfast, and then 3 nights at a bed and breakfast on Mobile Bay.  (Now I want to go back......)

17. What’s your favorite dessert?

Warm apple pie and ice cream.  (Now I'm craving that....)

18. What’s an unusual food that you don’t like?

Raw carrots.

19. Do you have a popular musician or band that you don’t care for?

David Crowder.  Just don't care for his voice or the lyrics.  Most of the time the choruses are great, but the verses are really obscure.

20. Do you eat the pie crust?  What about pizza crust?

Definitely, to both!  Pizza crust is made for dipping in Ranch!

21. What’s your favorite convenience food?

For myself or my kids?  Hot dogs are the most oft consumed convenience food in this house.

22. Do you have an odd overused word or phrase?

"Inappropriate."  

Although I've noticed that I use "so" as a filler when I'm talking to someone and the conversation isn't flowing smoothly (like with an older person).  I didn't notice that I did this, until I noticed my brother did it and I thought it was weird.  Then I listened to myself do the exact same thing.

23. Do you have any recurring dreams?

I used to have one when I was younger that I can't describe.....  (I can't describe it because I seriously don't know what it is - it's just "something.")  Then my niece described a dream that she has sometimes, and it's the same one - and my sister (her mom) had the same one, and I think our other sister said she did too.  How weird is that???

But I have dreams about all my teeth or hair falling out.  (Obviously two things I'm vain about.)  Also that I am trying to lead worship either in the dark (so I can't see my music), or that my music is lost, or that I have music, but I am expected to lead a song that I've never heard before.

24. What’s an odd kitchen utensil that you use a lot?

Pastry knife?  Is that odd?

25. What’s your favorite ice cream flavor?

Depends on the day.  Although I had a Fried Ice Cream flavor once that was amazing!  (I think it was a Breyer's limited edition thing.) Why don't they pair ice cream and cinnamon more often?

26. What’s a favorite food you could eat every day?

Bruschetta on Italian toast.  Mmm......

27. What’s your most embarrassing moment?

Ha.  Okay.  So when my sister-in-law graduated from high school, her family took a trip to Silver Dollar City and they invited me.  (She and I were friends of our own accord.  I liked Paul, and he knew that before we went.)  So he spent the whole weekend pestering me (totally mixed signals).  We went to the night show at their Amphitheater, and he left for the Intermission and purposely pushed me as he left, and so I figured I'd get him back (we were so juvenile).  When he came back down, I stuck my foot out to trip him.  He was carrying nachos and a pop.  He dropped the nachos on the older lady's head in front of us.  She had cheese all over her hair and sweatshirt.  I was so embarrassed I spent the rest of the show trying not to cry.  (Incidentally, the lady was awesome about it.  She was like, "Oh a bird pooped on me earlier, so this is no big deal!")

28. What is a food you avoid buying, because you can’t avoid eating it if it’s in the house?

Um.  Anything snacky.  Salt is my weakness.

29. Do you prefer to stay home or go out?

Home, definitely.  And I really do enjoy staying and being at home.  But I think that's why I enjoy it when we do go out, because it's definitely a treat.

30. Any other random things you want to share?

It took me 40 minutes to fill this thing out.  Short, to-the-point answers obviously aren't my thing.  :)

Then I spent another 20 minutes editing it for uniformity, because I'm OCD like that.

Allow Me to Excuse Myself.....

I typed this last week.  It took 5 days to remember to get it posted.  Such is my life right now.

So, someone I know in the Eastern Hemisphere kindly reminded me I haven't updated my blog in.... a long time.
Allow me to offer my excuses:
First off, I've been sick.  I got sick a month ago, thought I was well, and then after a weekend at Women's Encounter (and only about 10 hours of sleep total all weekend), the cold came back with a vengeance.  Over the last week, I have been coughing so hard I pee myself and have to wear a pad all the time.  (Not a pantyliner, an overnight pad.  So attractive.)  I'm pretty sure I've popped myself a hemorrhoid, and my hernia has doubled in size.  I'm coughing that hard.
In the midst of this, I am trying to find the house for the mess.  We've had rain every day for the last week and a half - not complaining about that! - but that means the boys and their mess have moved inside.  There is a constant supply of mud to play in, which means multiple wardrobe changes and baths a day.  I don't discourage the mud-playing for the most part, because they're boys.  But after the third set of clothes, I may say something.
Then there's the things that I really need to get to.  Like weeding the garden or flowerbeds.  Or cleaning our bedroom - which I'm questioning whether I've cleaned since Zadie has been born.  Or practicing wedding music for a wedding we'll be playing at in a month.  Or sorting and putting away Zadie's out-grown, and soon-to-grow-into clothes.  Or - this is a big one - going through my curriculum and deciding what we're going to use for Nathan's school this fall.  (Yeah.  School starts in less than a month, on Labor Day.)
So can you tell where blogging ranks on my list?

Lesson Learned?

So I am an advocate for having children help with disgusting or difficult tasks, either as discipline/punishment, or just to learn that there are unpleasant things that sometimes have to be done in life.
So this morning, I announced to Jacob that he would be helping me clean the bathroom today.  Apparently he's been using the hands-free, pee-by-faith-not-by-sight method when he gets up at night to go potty.  I suspected it was him, but never had proof until last night.  Both boys woke up at the same time (allegedly one for a drink, and one for anti-itch medicine on his chiggers), and when I made them use the toilet before they went back up, there was the unmistakable sound of pee not hitting the toilet.
So when I explained this to Jacob, I was expecting whining, arguing, feet-dragging.  Instead, I got a, "Oh.  Okay!"
If they're excited to do it, are they still going to learn the lesson?
However, to help ensure the bathroom cleaning doesn't become Jacob's permanent job, I have now become the potty-patrol Nazi.  (Since Jacob potty-trained so young, and was so excited to go on his own, I wasn't as diligent on teaching the proper method.)  I feel a little weird, standing over him as he pees.  "Both hands!  Shake it off!"  But the smell of pee when you walk in our only bathroom is just disgusting.  I'd rather take care of the origin of the problem, rather than have him happily cleaning the bathroom.  (His wife will thank me later.)

A What? Award?

I was given the Liebster Award (???) by a reader over at love life with kids.  Apparently, she follows my blog and thought I worthy of receiving this award.  Why anyone who's not related to me would want to read my nonsense is beyond me, but I am grateful and humbled.

Apparently there are some rules.....

- Bloggers award other bloggers whom they consider as “up and coming” and have less than 200 followers, or are a newer blog.
- If you receive a Liebster, you must tell 11 things about yourself, answer 11 questions asked by the nominating blogger, and nominate 11 new bloggers.
- You then ask 11 questions to the bloggers you nominated.  Oh, and don’t forget to inform the bloggers you chose.

11 little known facts about me:

1. qqaqaqaqaqaqaaaaqaqq   I have a 9-month-old daughter who is obsessed with stretching up and beating on keyboards - the computer's and the piano's.
2. I consider our house our forever home.  We're not planning on leaving.
3.  I fall asleep almost any time Paul and I watch tv.  Yet, when Paul's working nights and I watch tv, I will regularly stay up til 1 AM and still not fall asleep.
4.  I've been leading worship at our church for 12 years now.  I started just before I turned 18, on a once-a-month basis, and took over as the main worship leader in 2006.  (It is a volunteer position in our church.)
5.  I hate jeans with stretch material in them.  But do you know how hard it is to find women's jeans that don't have spandex?
6.  I only had one boyfriend before Paul, and he had no other girlfriends before me.  Perhaps this is part of the reason we have such a great marriage?
7.   I have a mental block against learning a foreign language.  I tried Spanish, German, Greek, and Latin in high school....  Sign Language is the only one that stuck - because you can think in English!
8.  I've known Paul for a quarter century. 
9. 000102
3
+60000000000000000000000000000000000036+
3.0
0.0.0.0 
(Again with the daughter and the keyboards......) 
I am kind of a water snob.  I grew up on well water, and cannot handle chlorinated water.  We have a reverse osmosis filter in the kitchen, and I only will buy certain brands of bottled water.
10. On a related note, I'm also kind of a meat snob.  I grew up on a farm, and the beef was from our own cows.  Whenever I've had to buy meat, I've been disappointed.
11.  I only buy whole milk.  
  

11 questions from lovelifewithkids:

1. What was the best thing that happened in your life in 2012?  The birth of our daughter, the beautiful Zadie Marie.

2. Favourite food?  Steak.  Without a doubt.

3. What is your favourite hobby?  Playing piano.  But, like most hobbies, I don't get to do it for pleasure that often.  (When I play, it's to learn or practice a song for church.)

4. What is one place you’d love to travel to someday?  Europe, with husband.  With a stop at the island of Rhodes, of course. :)

5. Would you rather write things by hand or type them out?  By hand.  But due to time constraints, and children that destroy things, some things have been relegated to computer.  (Like journaling - hence this blog.)

6. What is one skill you have completely mastered?  My husband.  (Yes, I just went there.)

7. One skill you’d love to learn?  To really play guitar.  I know 5 or 6 chords, so can do simple songs and simple rhythms, but not enough to play in front of anyone.

8. Summer or winter?  Bleh.  Neither.  (But if I have to choose, it would be Summer.... My birthday is the first day of summer.)

9. One thing you really want to accomplish in 2013?  Sorting the boxes of photos that have been piled on the card table in the corner of our bedroom for a year now.

10. What was your favourite toy as a child?  Barbies, as much as I hate to admit it.

11. What is your most-cherished item in your home? Why?  My great-grandmother's violin.  Not only is it probably the most expensive thing I own, it also has wonderful family history, and truly is irreplaceable.  (Another is my wedding ring, because it is a gift from my husband and it symbolizes my love and commitment to him..... but since it's on my body, I'm not sure if this counts.)


I don't follow many blogs.  The blogs I consistently follow are over there on the right, and all of them are people I know in real life, several of them relatives.  Occasionally, I'll "check in" on people who have commented or subscribed to my blog, but in general, I don't stalk strangers. :)  I don't keep up well enough with the people I know in real life, so I don't think I should be better educated about someone I never met, than I am with someone I see every week at church.  Nothing personal, I just don't have a great desire to get lots of people to read my blog, so I'm not putting myself out there trying to promote it.  I do this mainly for my own entertainment.

So.  If you read this, consider yourself nominated.  And leave a comment, so I know to come visit your blog.  Or if you don't have a blog (or don't want to post this on yours), but still want to answer the below questions, answer them in the comments - I would love to read your answers!

Questions for my "nominees":  (Going deeper than the usual getting-to-know-you questions.)
1.  Where/how did you grow up, and where/how do you live now in comparison?
2.  In light of recent headlines, what is your stance on gun control? 
3.  When you hear "home-schooled," what is the first impression that pops into your head?
4.  If you walked by a homeless person asking for help, what would you do?
5.  What is your favorite family (immediate or extended) tradition?
6.  What do you think about the term "obey" as part of the wife's wedding vows?
7.  If someone is doing/saying something that goes against what you believe is right, do you speak out about it?
8.  Do you think entertainment (music, tv, video games, computer) affects morality and worldview?
9.  If you could have any job, without thought to practicality, what would it be?
10.  Do you think "going green" is just a fad, or do people really care about the environment?
11.  And along those lines, what do you think of the whole "global warming" phenomenon?  

Bonus Question:  Where will you spend eternity?  How do you know this?  (How many will actually answer this one?)

Those are my questions.  I want to read your answers!  Leave them in the comments.   I'll answer all of them myself in a future post.