Still waiting

It is easier to check my blog than to call or text me about this baby.

Besides, I may bite the head of the next person who conversationally says, "you're STILL pregnant?!".

Have mercy.

Once I learned my dear doctor would be out of town again (third baby out of three, no joke) for my due date, I decided I would do the smart thing and take a dose of castor oil to ensure sweet baby would be here by the time she left.

Have mercy.

It was horrible. I have taken it before because I am impetuous and impatient. But I don't remember it being this bad. Two while ounces of thick oil in a cup is just disgusting. I was a little desperate. Anyways, all that happened was a terribly upset stomach and what naturally physiologically happens after taking that much straight oil. At least my body had enough sense to wait to deal with my nincompoopedness until after we were home from gymnastics.

So that was Thursday. Saturday I got the stomach flu. Every time I remembered the castor oil, I threw up. I know. I know.

So now my doctor is gone, I've tried in vain to induce labor, I've cleaned the baby's room and closet, organized all of our DVDs, hammered a bunch of pegs into the garage to hang things from, and now I am sitting and eating oranges and blogging. I feel...peaceful. No longer in any rush to get to labor. I think I am content to meet him whenever he decides he is ready to leave the warmth and comfort of my round, round belly.

Ahhhh.

Timing

My favorite Scripture is Proverbs 16:9- "A man plans his day, but the Lord directs his steps".

Or, "a very pregnant mama can have a to-do list and an expectation of going into labor, but the Lord makes her wait because the stomach flu is not yet done ravaging her house."

And that makes me trust His timing all the more. While I have 11 days to go and I am feeling Very Ready to Have a Baby, I am thankful that I don't have to take care of a 2-year old with the stomach flu AND a newborn baby. Whew.

The stomach flu is not too terrible for an almost-6-year-old. He makes it to the bathroom without fail, he can articulate how he is feeling, and he is content to lay on the couch all day, sleeping and watching cartoons. An almost-5-year-old just made the same strides last Wednesday for the first time. I told her that she must throw up in the toilet, not in her bed, and she did!

But a brand-new-2-year-old doesn't understand. He doesn't want to let go of the contents of his tummy. He certainly doesn't make it to the toilet. He cries from pain and confusion. He needs to be held constantly (which is kind of my favorite). And that poor kid cannot understand why the pitiful entreaty, "mama, juice!" doesn't work.

So while I am large and uncomfortable and being kicked apart from the inside, I am very glad for God's gracious timing.

Paleo Pregnancy- Supplements

Here is a little nugget of inspiration from The Food Lovers' Primal Palate:

What eating sugar DOES NOT do:

1. Eating sugar does not make you wrong.
2. Eating sugar does not make you a bad person.
3. Eating sugar does not make you a failure.
4. Eating sugar does not make you worthless.
5. Eating sugar does not mean you don't care about your health.
6. Eating sugar does not mean that you are lazy.
7. Eating sugar does not mean that you are not Paleo!

What eating sugar DOES do:

1. Eating sugar makes you store body fat.
2. Eating sugar makes your skin break out.
3. Eating sugar makes you age faster.
4. Eating sugar makes you depressed.
5. Eating sugar causes more symptoms of pms.
6. Eating sugar compromises digestion.
7. Eating sugar compromises your immune system.

I liked it. It sums up why I like to follow the "80/20 rule"- follow good dietary rules most of the time, but allow for a little wiggle room. Like my husband always says, "I care about quality of life, Jennie"- meaning he will not eat broccoli every night for dinner on the off chance he may add three years to his life.

Balance. Balance.

On that note, I have decided to forgo the post on exercise. You all know you should exercise. Most of you like to exercise. It is very feasible and even recommended to exercise as much as possible when pregnant. Good for mama's brain, body, and baby.

But if you don't exercise, don't feel bad.

Since this series is supposed to be pregnancy-related, I did want to share the supplements I have been taking this time. I have told you how I have struggled with many (minor, really) health issues in pregnancies past and because I am a creature who attempts to make my life as pain-and-problem-free as possible, I wanted to experiment on myself to see what safely makes my body work a little better.

First, this:It is a magnesium citrate powder. Did you know that most Americans get far too much calcium and not enough magnesium? Calcium contracts muscles, excites nerves, and clots blood (in a good way, like in wound healing). Magnesium relaxes muscles, calms nerves, and keep blood flowing. Pregnant women are advised to ingest plenty of calcium, but if the calcium/magnesium balance in the body is off, the result can be a cranky insomniac with crampy legs. Anyone been there? I have, but not this time.

Next, this: This is a blend of high vitamin butter oil and fermented cod liver oil. The cod liver oil provides highly absorbable vitamins A, D, and K. Modern diets are deficient in most of these fat-soluble vitamins, because most people are scared of "fat". These vitamins bolster and protect the function of the brain and nerves of mama and baby. The butter oil acts as a catalyst to help your body absorb these fat-soluble vitamins as well as any other vitamins you ingest. Beware: these pills smell and taste like fish. Not so great for a pregnant nose...I would take them with plenty of orange juice!

Then, this:

While I don't think one necessarily needs a "raw" prenatal (in freeze-dried capsule form, really?), I liked this prenatal because it has plenty of folic acid and an easy-on-the-tummy iron formula. It also has a blend of 25 fruits, vegetables, greens, and sea plants. I will continue to take it while I am nursing. While I honestly believe that my diet gives me most of the nutrition my body needs to build a baby, I would never take the chance that I may be missing something of crucial importance. It is a wise decision to begin building up stores of nutrients for months before conception, but please make sure you take a prenatal as well.

Apparently my blogging is interfering with one Call of Duty, so I will post more on this later. :)

Crawling Out From Under the Rock

There are a few reasons I have not really felt like blogging lately, but I think I am ready to post. I am sure my posts won't be very regular, but I really do miss writing about things. And having a reason to upload my pictures to the darn computer.

Here is what is going on over in our little family...

- Less than a month to go until baby gets here

- Lots of sickness coming and going in the house

- School going well for Jackson

- I took a leave of absence from BSF leadership until after the baby. We still attend class, though.

- Reading and researching a lot of paleo/primal nutrition and creating a family framework

- Figuring out how to wisely deal with transitioning from disciplining/ teaching an older child for attitude instead of disobedience

Whew. While the blog has been quiet, we have been busy.

Of course, the two things that take a lot of my attention are preparing for baby and researching nutrition for my family.

This pregnancy, I have incorporated a whole new nutritional platform and I have seen the benefits so clearly during the last nine months. Are you familiar with the paleo/primal way of eating? I was not, really, so I got as much information as I could via books and my favorite, Google. How I love reading blogs :)

While in pregnancies past, I have struggled with nausea, excessive weight gain, a foggy head, carpal tunnel syndrome, achy legs, and insomnia, with this pregnancy, all of these problems have been lessened or removed. This is not to say I am scooting through an entire pregnancy as a smiling earth mama. There are hard days. But truly, it has been the easiest pregnancy so far.

God is gracious, and knew I could not handle another difficult pregnancy. But additionally, I was led toward this school of nutritional thought.

I hope to post a few specifics of what I have incorporated, just to share with you. Not everyone loves this kind of stuff like I do, but I hope that a few ideas can help mamas that are pregnant or trying to get pregnant.

I plan to write a short, probably boring, series on Paleo Pregnancy.

Since pregnancy is such a large chunk of many of our lives, after all. ;)

Until then. Whenever that may be!

Two Boys

One of these boys is not even born yet.  But here is his first picture.  Well, his first picture in which you can tell he is a human.

To God's glory, he looks healthy.  It is always nerve-wracking to go into the 20-week ultrasound.  I am aware of the fact that God holds all of the control and I have none, and still I get anxious to see if that new baby is going to be healthy or not.


He is not named.  If things are similar to the way they usually are, he will not be named until after we hold him for the first time.  19 weeks away!

Here is the other boy.  This is his first school picture.  Kindergarten, August 2011 at Stockdale Christian School.  My goodness.  The photographer got him to smile.  He looks so big.  And handsome.  He is progressing in reading faster than I have been able to do and he is slowly making new little friends.  It is a strange and familiar and big and small new world, but we are all hesitantly enjoying it.  Today was Inflatable Day, and the little ones and I got to go meet him at school to watch him play in his hard-earned bounce house.  He saw me and lit up, then ran away to join his classmates.  Ah, heartbreak.  Is this what growing up is like? At the end of the hour, he did hug me with tear-filled eyes, not wanting us to leave.  Definitely growing up.  Do I want to be independent? Do I want the familiarity of family? Luckily, these choices are small right now, but they are choices I know that I eventually need him to reconcile all by himself. 


My heart swells to be a mother.  I am assured all the more as the years pass by that this is the highest calling for a woman.  I can't imagine anything better, more fulfilling, more stretching.  I am grateful for the gift of one more little one to pass the slow days with.  God is so good.

Welcome, Baby Roman!

We had a bit of a surprise on Friday!

Roman Bradley Woodward

was given to us on January 29, 2010 at 8:11 p.m., weighing 6 pounds, 3 ounces. He is 19.7 inches long.

I had been having mild contractions throughout the night on Thursday, but nothing regular or exciting. Friday I woke up and had lost my mucous plug. With Rebecca, 7 hours after I lost my plug, she was here- so I was pretty sure the baby was coming soon.


However, the contractions stopped around 10 a.m. My girlfriend Krista brought me her birthing ball just in case, and I begged my husband to let me run some errands. He was apprehensive, knowing how fast Rebecca had come, but I assured him that the contractions had stopped and for heaven's sake, my due date was 8 days away, and surely the baby would not be so bold as to come before my baby shower, which was supposed to be Saturday at 11:30 a.m.(Here are the flowers and cookies from the cancelled shower that my dear sister-in-law brought to me in the hospital. Babies don't listen to rules).

So I ran some errands and came back home. While the children rode bikes around our street, I walked some laps. My contractions started back up again, and providentially, my husband's truck rolled down our street as the contractions increased in intensity and frequency. I was still in denial that this could possibly be real labor. Thankfully, Beau kept our walk confined to our street, because pretty soon, we decided we should call the hospital.

I went inside to shower and pack my bag and Beau called Jessie and my dad to come be with the kids. While packing and preparing, my water broke! That had never happened before, and I was quite thankful to be at home. Now we knew we had to go to the hospital. The reinforcements appeared, and Beau and I left for the hospital.

It was strange this time to be driving in broad daylight, chatting peacefully away. Jackson's birth brought us to the hospital at midnight. We raced to the hospital in a panic with Rebecca while I was in transition labor. This time, my contractions had stopped again and I was feeling a little silly that we were actually going to the hospital. But rules are- water breaks, go to the hospital. Plus, I tested positive for Group B Strep, so I was going to need two doses of antibiotics spaced four hours apart. So we went to Mercy Southwest.

We checked in around 2: 00 and the nurses took my history, making me sit the whole time.

The nurse asked me about pain medication.

"What is your acceptable level of pain?"

I shook my head stubbornly. "I don't want any medication, unless there is a big problem. No epidural, please. So I guess...level 10"?

The nurse looked at me. "Well, a '10' means you have passed out from pain, Jennifer."

"Let's say '9', then", I replied sheepishly.

I wanted to walk and move and restart my contractions, but I was not allowed to move until about 4 pm.

I got my antibiotics and then was given permission to pace the maternity ward. We probably made about 40 laps around the floor before I went into harder labor.

A sweet friend brought us magazines and coffee for Beau during our walking time, so I was able to read a sewing magazine while I got my second dose of antibiotics.

And if you've had a baby, you know the rest. The pain, as God promises, is intense- nearly overwhelming! My nurse let me stand up to labor, so I was able to lean over onto a raised bed. Beau is an amazing birth attendant, quite intuitive and a calming influence. He coached me through the rough contractions and let me squeeze the ever-lovin' heck out of his fingers as I passed through transition.

As we neared the end, I said I needed to push, and Beau told me that I had to wait one more contraction before they called the doctor. So we waited one more contraction, and I told the nurse I was going to push no matter what.

So I did. Twice.

And out came the baby.

And in came the doctor.

That makes two out of three times that the doctor has missed delivering my baby. When they are ready to arrive, they arrive quickly! But the nurses did a wonderful job and we had a healthy baby.

Then I got a reward. I had not been able to commit to a name for our son, so my husband took charge. He had me give him a list of names I liked. Then he wrote two names on a piece of paper and brought it with us to the hospital. He told me he would look at the baby and christen him with a name after he was born. After the delivery process was complete, I asked for his name and Beau looked at his list. Then he looked at the baby and gave him his name.

Roman Bradley Woodward.

I love it.


We got to go home the next day at three. We are very happy to be here. : )

32 Weeks

Was anyone else disappointed last night when you went to sit down and watch House and instead found yourself looking at a Carrie Underwood special?

Nothing against Carrie Underwood. She is lovely and talented. I just prefer House, that's all.

I think you will be relieved to know that at 32 weeks pregnant, we are finally starting to feel quite connected to this new little baby. Many mommies have told me that the more pregnancies you have, the more quickly they fly by. I agree and disagree. I agree as I mull over the fabric swatches I have purchased to make fun baby things. I disagree as I step off the scale, weeping, realizing that I still have 8 more weeks to gain- I mean, go.

It is about this time in my pregnancies where I resolve that I shall be fitter than before I got pregnant. This of course, is not reality, for who has time to exercise for two hours a day with three smallish children, but it certainly makes me feel better. I did waste an entire half hour last night, waiting for Beau to get home, watching an infomercial about the Insanity Workout. I believe I will order it, with the best intentions.

Thanks a lot, Carrie Underwood.

We have, we believe, settled on a name for this sweet child. It starts with a "B" and I will not tell you what it is, but my husband will. We are still searching for a middle name. I like Samuel, but this will not work in the initial department for obvious reasons. So we will search on. I know the Lord has already named him, as He formed him in my womb, fearfully and wonderfully, so I am not too worried about it.

We set up his crib and put in his bedding. I will be working on his blanket in the coming weeks, thinking and praying for this new life. With each new child, I am almost overwhelmed with the task that lies ahead. Training up a child for the Lord is humbling. I can nurse him and bathe him and play with him and cuddle him, but I am also responsible for his soul. Of course, only the Lord can save his soul, but I must diligently, patiently, lovingly train him daily. I must teach Scripture, I must work on character, I must instill a fear and love of his Lord. Beau and I always pray that our children would see Christ in their parents, even through the obvious sin and fault. I desire to always be open and honest, but discerning, about my own sin and shortcomings. I want them to know that Mommy and Daddy need Jesus just as much as they do.

Regarding the crib, it is a new source of intrigue and entertainment in our home. The children spent an entire morning being "helpful and useful" ( a favorite phrase from Piglet's Big Movie), assisting me in cleaning and building the crib. Rebecca sterilized it and Jackson wiped it down and helped tighten the screws. Now they are attached to their creation, and yesterday morning, I took a break from housecleaning to walk into B's room and find his older siblings lying side by side in the crib. Jackson was reading Snug House, Bug House to Rebecca, and they were as happy as could be. I took a 3-minute video of this sweet moment and quietly left them to themselves. The baby is almost 4 pounds and could be between 15 and 19 inches long. I had always assumed that since I am nearly 6 feet tall, my babies would be in the 9-10 pound range, but neither Jackson nor Rebecca weighed more than 7.5 pounds. That is kind of nice as one is laboring with a child. Let us hope that the trend continues.

A Week In Review

Look! It is the autumn bounty from my garden!....Well, almost. It is about 30 smallish, misshapen, but delicious carrots. And four yummy onions. The kids and Jessie and I pulled up our harvest, washed all the dirt off outside, and then used the Cuisinart to finely slice our veggies. We sauteed them with butter, garlic, white wine, and salt. Oh, yummy. It looks like there are enough carrots in the garden for about four more dinners. The onions, leeks, and chives are ready. My tomatoes are dead and gone. I pulled them out to make room for the
cucumbers.
This are the firstfruits of my adventure into bowmaking. As previously mentioned, I was led to a great tutorial, so I stocked up on some cheap Wal-Mart ribbon and started practicing. It is a little more difficult than I had originally thought, but the results are quick and satisfying! These brown bows are for our little friend Jules.
Rebecca Sky's namesake, my counselor, mentor, and eventual friend, has three daughters. So these bows will be sent this week to Sky's girls- Macy, Jessy, and Clancy Claire .

Football season has officially begun...yippee...and I got ribbon enough for two sets of USC Trojan bows. These bows are for Rebecca and her cousin, Reese.
Here are the two cousins on our wonderful, whirlwind trip to the beach last week. Fog, clam chowder, the jacuzzi, and homemade Avila Barn ice cream...what a lovely way to spend a day!

Here is the dress that Jackson and I made for Rebecca's cherished, loved-on, completely dirty baby. That poor doll gets dragged everywhere and her built-in outfit is permanently gray. So we gave her a shower and sewed her a dress. She looks a little less homeless for the time being.
This is my version of the diaper/wipes case. I have been making these for about three years, but I forget to do them as I pursue other projects. But there is a new mommy I know that I thought could use a small gift, so I used my fabric scraps to make this diaper/wipes holder. It holds three diapers and a travel pack of wipes. I originally liked its practicality with Jackson because once unrolled, the case acted as a changing pad with a pillow (the extra diapers).

Guess who is almost to the half-way mark for baby brother! I can't say I love the camera, especially while pregnant and expanding, but I so want to chronicle this pregnancy in pictures as I did the other two. Especially because this time, I have a blog! After Beau took this picture, I was shocked to see that my belly was nowhere near as huge as it feels and looks to me. That just means that there is a looong way to go!