Baby Bath

After all the information about yeast, one of the suggestions was a daily baking soda bath for the baby's bottom. So the kids and I gave Ds#5 a bath together.

Ds#3 gathered supplies while Dd#2 was our photographer.
Dd#1 and I did most of the getting him clean parts. Ds#4 just asked tons of questions.

It must've been a soothing experience for baby, because he went right to sleep.

Rainbow Baby

So, you've seen the blue..that tured to purple, while the rest of Ds#5's body was beafsteak red.

Now..presenting...our jaundiced baby (due to the higher hemoglobin levels in home birth babies, they look more jaunticed than their blood levels reveal).

Who can tell me what you get when you mix deep red with yellow????

Dave calls him our Oooma-Loompa Baby.

Quote of the Day

Dd#2 running up and down the stairs immediately after Ds#5's birth, not being able to contain herself in wanting to express to someone her heart bursting with love...

He's so SWEET! He's so WONDERFUL! He's so BEAUTIFUL!

Dd#1, less than impressed...

He's so BLUE!!

Birth Story 2007

Last Wednesday I was 12 days post date waiting for baby and tired of waiting. I tried 5 different things to put me into labor...the baby stayed awake for about 10 hours inutero from the herbs, but no contractions.


Thursday at 10am, the Certified Nurse Midwife came to my house and broke my water. No going back. If I wasn't in labor by the next morning it was off to the hospital with pitocin. **BLECH**!


We tried about 5 different things to put me into labor all day...no dice. Finally, at 3pm I consented to 3 doses (an hour apart) of caster oil. I have significant digestive pains regularly -- and they're worse when I'm pregnant. Putting myself in that pain with the idea of contractions on top of them...sounded absolutely gruesome -- but not as gruesome as a hospital pit-drip birth (I had one of those with Dd#1...it was a very bad experience).


I took my 3rd dose at 5:45 and the midwife went to dinner (with my permission and promise to call if things got rolling fast). My first contraction started at 6:10. The midwife called at 6:15 to ask how I was doing and see if she should cancel her food order. No, stay, we've got a while. I spent the next hour on the potty in serious pain. (It wasn't worse pain than I had imagined, but definately just as bad as I'd feared.) My contractions were coming fast, but were short and I really thought we had lots of hours of this when she called at 7:30 to say she was on her way and check on me. As soon as I hung up the phone I got into some seriously painful contractions. At this time I was laying on my bed begging her to hurry (in my head). Dd#1 layed next to me and held my hand and Dd#2 quietly came in and out. Dave and Julie helped me where they could and I just tried to get through each one. I was waiting to get into the birthing tub until things got pretty bad because the best relief comes in the 1st hour you're in the tub and I didn't want to waste that relief on easier contractions.


The midwife got there possibly 15 minutes later and everyone worked like mad to get the temperature right in the tub we rented for pain relief (and I was sure ready for some relief). I had my eyes closed and could just hear what was going on. They got me in the tub and although the contractions were pretty horrible, I could relax between them in the water. I eventually had a hard time holding myself up in the water between contractions, so Dave got in with me to help me. The midwife wasn't checking me, only the baby's heartbeat (I yelled at her each time she touched my stomach -- she said she was used to it). I remember Dave asking her how she would know when it was time to push. She said "Jenn will know." At 8:45 I felt my body pushing HARD and thought to myself "it isn't time, yet," but I couldn't help it. 2 more contractions and hard pushes later our wonderful (he was quite less than beautiful) baby was born.


The labor was 2 1/2 hours. I don't recover as well from fast labors and a week later am still waiting to feel up to walking across the house, let alone wanting to leave the house. I'm usually raring to go out by day 3 after labor...but not this time (or with Dd#2 whose labor was 2 hrs 9 min.)


This was the most painful (non-pit-drip) labor I've ever had -- and the most wonderful birth experience I've ever had. He was SERIOUSLY blechy looking when he was born -- vernix everywhere, bruised so much he was blue from coming out too fast (I probably wasn't completely dialiated with that first push and pushed him past, anyway.) Then he tured beat red as the umbilical cord has to stop pulsating before they clamp it so he starts with lots more blood volume. The red and blue together -- made him purple. That was my rainbow baby's home birth. They took pictures (I couldn't BELIEVE they did that!) and they are SERIOUSLY disgusting. So I'll just show you one.

RC History

Here's an overview of our history using RC & SOTW. I mostly use SOTW as a supplement as it fits into RC History (Roman Catholic History). (The parts in italics are parts included in the program - book pages are given in the program, you have to buy the books, mapping software, audio tapes separate - this program could get expensive if you try to buy everything...be choosey & utilize your local library when possible or go in with another family and just buy some of the books and trade)

Overview & Understanding RC History :

• The history program covers history in a chronological 4-year cycle, so if you started in 1st grade, you'd get through all of recorded history (at ever deepening levels) 3 times by grade 12.
• The program is divided into 4 levels (K-12) called stages so all children in a family can learn together.
• It is designed to be flexible, so the parent makes all the decisions (which can seem overwhelming when you're first looking at the program.) You can go through the program as fast or slow including as many or few resources, activities, assignments as fits your family situation and allowing your child to work at the level that is best for them.
• A method of teaching called "CONNECTing with history" that includes all learning styles and integrates other disciplines (writing, art, geography, literature, religion...) in with history.
• An underlying structure with Christ at the center of all history (think of a cross with the horizontal beam being time and BC time on the left, AD time on the right & Christ at the center) and Christ at the center of everything God wills in heaven & earth (think of the vertical beam of the cross with the top being happenings in heaven and the bottom being happenings on earth and Christ at the center where it meets the horizontal beam)

Nuts & Bolts - RC History includes :

• book suggestions for each level - these are further broken down by priority

1. core readings
2. basic assignments that are optional, but helpful
3. additional literature for further study if you're so inclined

• mapping suggestions
• timeline suggestions
• poetry selections
• questions to ponder and discuss
• writing assignments to reasearch
• some units include the WONDERFUL Novel Inquiries literature study guides
• hands-on activities (and book suggestions with craft/art projects in them)

In Action - how we use RC History :

For us the "CONNECT" aspect works on a monthly basis (about 1 unit per month). The hardest part of the program (for me) is to wrap my mind around how much & what to assign when throughout the month. I plan the kids' school 1 month at a time to accomodate RC History & the pace we want to go through the program.

C - Consider : ask the introductory questions given in program (jr. high & high school level), Mama reads the background reading as prep. (1-3 days)

O - Overview : read the overview of cultures from program (jr. high & high) to be studied in that unit & assign other overview reading from Kingfisher World Hisotory (jr. high), Usborne World History (elem), Oxford (jr. high), Bible - for example, they are all reading the same stories in the Bible, but you'll decide which bible they read from or that you'll read to them based on their level, etc. (all) (2 days)

N - Notebook : assign literature readings- what you have on-hand & suggestions from RC History, narrations, writing assignments, art & projects... (all) (2-3 weeks)

E - Explore : this really goes along with Notebook time & specific activities are given in the program - mapping, bible readings, get movies that tie in from library, religion tie-ins (I don't want to give you the impression that religion is separate in the program, it's all tied in)

C - Concentrate : prepare for end project, finish up writing assignments, do timeline, etc -- goes with Notebook in my mind.

T - Tell : This is my kids favorite part. They've done writing assignments or narrations (depending on their age) throughout the month and then they select a project that summarizes or focuses on what they've learned that month. (2-3 days)

It really took me quite a while to wrap my mind around the program. For our family is works GREAT and combining all the componants just took practice on my part. I love the way the program focuses on Catholic history while not neglecting secular history. I also like that it includes so many things (poetry for memorization or enjoyment, the academically challenging Novel Inquiries, art projects, deeper reading suggestions if we want/have time for them...) and that all the kids can learn the same topics at the same time encouraging family discussions, impromptu play-acting, etc. It is a very teacher-intensive program in my mind, but definately worth the effort.

No news is good news

I won't be induced on Saturday (today), afterall. The baby is growing more than we suspected last week and seems very healthy & reactive. I was dialated, but now am not, so induction at this point would mean such extreeme measures (Pitocin in the hospital) that it seems obvious to wait. This last week (41 1/2) is when I usually go into labor on my own, anyway. So, I'll just wait on God's timing some more. I'm not nearly as miserable as I was last week, I finally started sleeping, again. It's AMAZING how much better I feel with 4 or 5 hours sleep compared to 2. Thank you for your continued prayers and support. It makes a world of difference!

My next book adventure

I saw an interview of Clarence Thomas on 20/20 about his new book. I don't have any knowledge of him since the Anita Hill scandals. The interview was really impressive. THEN, I got my new issue of Imprimis (a free publication from Hillsdale College that I get TON out of reading - click on "free subscription" on the left side of the link) and it was another interview of him. I am going to HAVE to read this book!! I'm amazed how much the interviews and world view of this guy speaks to me. I would think that sitting here with a bunch of kids and homeschooling, that I would have so little in common with a black Supreme Court Justice. I'm really excited to get a hold of this book!