tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-10962229762912034622024-02-19T02:51:21.220-05:00The Savage's LairDo not meddle in the affairs of dragons, for you are crunchy and taste good with ketchup.The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.comBlogger289125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-69171820380796585722017-10-26T15:06:00.000-04:002018-09-25T02:26:10.014-04:00Walking versus Weight Watchers Well. Here I come to whine/vent/thought dump. I need to lose weight. Period. And now that I'm officially really truly done having babies (as of 2 years ago), I need to get my weight back under control. Right now I was as much as I did when I started WW in 2001.<br />
<br />
I'm done. Just done. Done with being exhausted from lugging extra weight around. Done with sore feet because weight. My body can't handle the extra weight & I need my energy back to keep up with these kids.<br />
<br />
So. I've been thinking a LOT about going back to WeightWatchers. I did it for 3 years (2001-2004) and lost a total of 83 lbs. My "goal weight" was 86 lb lost, but I discovered we were expecting our first baby around the time I made it to 83. I might have been able to hold out & lose those last 3 lbs, but there was no way I could maintain that low weight for the 12 weeks necessary to make it to "Lifetime" so I admitted I was pregnant & left.<br />
<br />
. . . . Train of thought has left the station . . .The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-7448203629250909062015-12-06T17:43:00.000-05:002015-12-06T17:43:55.240-05:00CobwebsWow. Most recent post is our family Christmas letter from 2 years ago. Wow. Ouch.<br />
<br />
Even most of my sidebars need serious updating. Looks like I've found *another* project with which to occupy myself while the kids are on Christmas break from school.<br />
<br />
I'll be back!! (Where's a Terminator .gif when you need one?)The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-68729507570349900302015-04-05T16:28:00.000-04:002018-09-25T03:01:58.006-04:00How 'm I Feeling?Third trimester. That's a feeling, right?? Baby is vertical so I'm sleeping better. Baby is vertical so I've got heartburn and am waddling. Third trimester in all it's glory. LOL Technically I've got about another month, but I'm rooting for an April birthday.<br />
<br />
Thanks for asking. ;-)The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-150285582984498822014-11-21T11:24:00.000-05:002018-09-25T02:46:33.808-04:00So *That's* Why I'm Tired!<br />
So.<br />
<br />
I've been exhausted for months. Like going to bed with BD#5 while DH is putting the older kids down at 9-9:30pm. And sleeping all night. But. But I have 5 kids (9 -> 1) and over the summer (while on a big road trip) I had to buy a cheap drug store knock off of my prenatal vitamins AND my iron supplement. So I figured this tiredness was just my iron getting low.<br />
<br />
Then there was the breast pain. But BD#5 is nearing 2yo and really only nursing at nap & bed-time. And traditionally when my littles nurse that infrequently my supply starts drying up. Plus I've been having a lot of dehydration headaches recently, so I figured I just wasn't drinking enough to keep my supply up.<br />
<br />
Than about a month ago I started having to get up to pee every couple of hours all night. THAT should have told me something was up but I wrote it off in conjunction with the nursing--just dehydration. I'd wake up wicked thirsty, drink 16 oz of water & then go right back to sleep. Get up to pee an hour and a half later (thirsty again so I'd drink another bunch of water all at once) & then go back to sleep.<br />
<br />
"The Denial is Strong with This One!!" LOLOL<br />
<br />
So I've been complaining about all of this to FGM & she's been taunting me about being pregnant. Especially since I haven't had my period since mid-July. But. I typically run 49 day cycles. I'm never freaked out about "being late"--my cycles are too irregular for that kind of uptight-ness. But I'd finally gotten tired of her bugging me and was going to buy & take a test just to get her off my back. <br />
<br />
Tuesday night the 14th October I was at Bible study and one of the gals had brought fresh salsa. Could NOT get enough of it. So I changed up the "buy a pg. test from CVS on the way home" plan a bit. Stop at the grocery store & buy all the stuff for salsa & . . . and buy a pg. test. So here I am at home like 11:30 pm in the kitchen chopping veggies for this salsa. And it hits me. I DO NOT LIKE FRESH TOMATOES!! <br />
<br />
And my brain goes like this: "Sh*t, sh*t, SH*T!! I. Am. Pregnant!" I didn't even have to take the test. I knew. <br />
<br />
<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 1.3em;">((Because back in '04 someone had given me a case of Clamato juice (which is pretty much tomato flavored), and I'd liked it. Drank whole 48oz bottles at a rate of one per day. A week later DH and I were flying up to Canada for a family reunion. And I had tomato juice on the plane for all 4 flights, and in the restaurant in O'Hare during layovers both coming and going. But I don't like plain tomato juice. At. all. ?!? </span><br />
<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 1.3em;"><br /></span>
<span class="bbc_size" style="font-size: 8pt; line-height: 1.3em;">After that trip, I was having coffee with one of my girlfriends and telling her about the tomato weirdness. And she tells me to go take a pg. test. Remember, DH and I had been married almost 7 years by that point. No b.c. and no babies. Why was taking a pg. test her first reaction to me suddenly liking tomato juice?? Because she remembered her mom in the grocery store saying she was craving tomatoes, wanting to eat tomato soup out of the can right there in the grocery store--while she was pregnant with my gf's little brother. So I bought a pg. test on the way home that day & sure enough "Big fat positive!" the next morning.))</span><br />
<br />
Anyway, when it hit me Tuesday night 2 weeks ago that I was *craving* fresh tomatoes, I knew the gig was up. No getting out of it, I was pregnant. Didn't even need to wait for FMU to take the test. So I took the test in the middle of making salsa. Thing turned up positive before the control window even showed up. Really, really positive. Makes sense considering LMP was July 20th, but still. Oh, and I ate about half of that 6 cup bowl of fresh salsa that night/morning, *and* now FGM is calling BD#6 "Tomato" LOL<br />
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<br />
Told DH while we were out for our (17th) anniversary dinner at The Melting Pot on the 17th. And he's all happy. Haven't told the kids yet, but probably will soon as I'm thinking about saying something at the church's ladies day retreat this coming Saturday the 7th. We don't tell the kids til the last possible second before we tell the rest of the world. Secret keepers they are not. Of course BD#2 (our only girl) told me all of 3 or 4 weeks ago that she doesn't want me to have any more babies. "I have enough brothers, and if I had a baby sister I'd have to share my toys!!" She'll forgive me. Eventually. She does like little kids so she'll come around.<br />
<br />
I'm doing better on the full blown shock & panic front. Doesn't usually take me more than a couple of weeks (and it hasn't this time either), I'm just not usually this far into a pregnancy before I find out!! Because LMP was way back mid-July and I just found out mid-October, I *really* wanted an ultrasound to try & pin down EDD. Of course, the earlier you have an ultrasound, the more accurate dating estimates are. Because of some early complications with BD#1's pregnancy (10 years ago), I've had all of my previous ultrasounds done at the local high-risk maternal-fetal place. And I REALLY wanted to go back there again--they have my records, and the Dr, because he deals with high-risk women for a living, is very non-alarmist and generally great to work with. But expensive. And my family Dr (who is also my OB for the things the midwives aren't allowed to do) has just retired from obstetrics. But I called him anyway to see if he could write a referral for me to go back to the m-f place. Never heard back from him.<br />
<br />
Thankfully one of the gals I go to Bible study with works at a local women's center (primarily crisis pregnancy/abortion recovery services). They do ultrasounds. So went Monday (this week, the 27th) and had one done. Free. By LMP my due date is April 26th. By ultrasound measurements EDD is May 9th, but BPM (fetal heart rate) puts EDD at May 2nd. So. Yeah. Most likely sometime early May. That means no MommyBlogger retreat for me for sure!! :-( Good excuse tho!! As much as I prefer home-birthing, I really *don't* want to give birth out of state!!<br />
<br />
For some reason, this pregnancy has really triggered me. Mostly to do with finances (we're broke), the ultrasound Monday (my last one was the day BD#3 was born), and some freakish parallels to a previous pregnancy. But. Have to say, my meeting with my midwife Thursday morning was a *big* BIG help. I had been texting with her on Wednesday (about setting up a pre-natal appt for Thursday) and asked her if she would be able to give us any kind of discount. I mean, this will be the 5th kid we've used her services for--it's worth asking, right?!! She replied and asked how steep a discount we needed. Well . . . I told her I didn't have the nerve to ask for "free" because I know she has expenses involved and partners to pay but . . .<br />
<br />
We're beyond broke. We've been living on a shoe-string for years--Thank you Republican state gov't that decides to balance the state budget by not giving state employees raises, and by raiding their health insurance premium kitties, and intentionally underestimating the cost-of-living increases (so they don't have to give raises commensurate to rising expenses), and, and, and. We bring home the same thing now that we did in '08. 6 years ago. I tell you, the cost of living has risen just a little bit in those same 6 years. And we have 3 more kids now than we did then. So yeah. I'm tired of living on a shoestring because of health insurance premiums and then insurance refusing to pay a penny for my midwives. Of course the midwives' counter is that by the time I pay deductibles and co-pays, I've payed as much as their fees are anyway . . . which is true. <em>But.</em> If I wind up needing to transfer care at the last minute (as happened with BD#3) then *everything* comes out of pocket--because none of the pre-natal care provided by the midwives applies toward our deductibles. *Anyway*<br />
<br />
Needless to say, I've been stewing about delivery costs. The point I'd arrived at by Wednesday when I was texting with her was . . . Well, it's kind of like cutting off our noses to spite our face, but I'd rather run the entire pregnancy through the insurance company (and make them pay for something for once) than owe money to our friends. Just. Not. Interested. in owing money to our midwives. If she couldn't offer us a price that we can afford (which would have to be a *significant* discount to her usual fees), then we'd just run the entire pregnancy through our insurance company. Which means finding a new OB for me. At 40. Overweight. Grand multi-para. All kinds of fun!!<br />
<br />
So I heard from my MW early Thursday morning that she did have an opening & to come on in. Had my initial prenatal visit with her & we finally got around to discussing finances at the very end. After my BP tested high. She said she'd be willing to do my pre-natal care/delivery for . . . . (And then she swore me to secrecy. I told her I wouldn't tell anyone in her potential client base.) ;-) I had a figure in mind to offer (which left a little room for counter-offer wiggling) and a firm price above which we just cannot go. And the price she quoted me was exactly that. Precisely all we can afford. But we can, and she is willing to take us on for that price. Seriously, I cried pretty much all the way back to the house.<br />
<br />
Annnnnd . . . Cute little bottles full of new-born baby head smells for anyone who made it through that^^^.The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-80957910896819505002014-11-06T08:40:00.000-05:002018-09-25T02:55:48.557-04:00Stupid Republicans!You guys.<br />
<br />
I'm beginning to kinda hate Republicans. State politics (and the ensuing lack of personal finances) are going to be the death of me, or send me into hypertension, or something. Balancing the state budget on the backs of the lowest paid employees of the state's most meagerly-funded department?? Yup. Republican ideals at work. Can't give those crazy Democrats a voice, they might actually propose paying people enough to live on. Oh the horrors!!!<br />
<br />
/sarcasmThe Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-91553692802496136572014-11-03T13:36:00.000-05:002018-09-25T02:24:22.376-04:00BD#3's Birth Story (part of it)We didn't have insurance at the time, were using the midwives because they were for sure cheaper than hospital even with "non-insured discounts" yadda yadda. Then (when BD#3 was at 44 weeks by LMP--remember those extra-long cycles), I had an ultrasound, just to make sure there wasn't anything going on physically to interfere with labor because I'd have regular contractions every afternoon & then they'd stop every evening. Nothing felt "wrong" per se, I just wanted to make sure, yk?<br />
<br />
Well, the tech and the Dr at the high-risk maternal-fetal place absolutely flipped when they saw my LMP dates and how quiet the baby was. And immediately assumed something MUST be wrong. Sure there was: baby ALWAYS took a nap mid-morning, my blood sugar was crashing, and they were incorrectly assuming I was WAY overdue. But by their measurements my amniotic fluid was low & there was a lack of "large motor movement" so BD#3 only scored a 4 out of 8 on the fetal well-being assessment. Which automatically made the birth a "high-risk" one and my MW turned me over to my regular Dr (who had delivered my first--I already had a good relationship with him). By the time we got out of the m-f place, baby's risk had been downgraded to a 6 of 8 but the damage had been done, so to speak. The high-risk Dr had downgraded his recommendation from c-section NOW to induce & get baby out this weekend/ASAP. (This was a Friday.) My dear Dr broke my water at 7:30 pm and BD#3 was born at 11:56 pm Friday evening (in the middle of our church's ladies retreat LOL).<br />
<br />
All that to say I wound up on the hook double. B/c when I transferred care from MW to Dr, she pro-rated her fees out to cover all the pre-natal visits, plus them being "on-call" for me from week 36 on (and all the way to 44 weeks). By the time the pro-rating was done, we only got $500 back from the MW. Plus had to pay the entire hospital bill OOP (tho they gave a non-insured discount and cash-within-a-month discount which helped), and had to pay my Dr his delivery fees (which I seem to remember he chopped in half because he felt so badly about my missing my preferred home-birth. But. Yeah. And I was royally provoked at my mid-wife for a LONG long time. (So, yanno, I don't feel any guilt about accepting her really low-ball offer this time around. This will be our 5th kid with her, she's made her profits.)<br />
<br />
Anyway. It's interesting how an unexpected hospital birth can sour the whole birth experience even tho "you have a healthy baby to show for it!!" as people like to chirp at you. It's still hard.The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-92198943796812701422013-12-25T14:27:00.000-05:002014-01-12T01:42:19.001-05:00Merry Christmas<div class="WordSection1">
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: David;">Dear Family & Friends,<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: David;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: David;"> Merry Christmas & Happy New Year! “Therefore the Lord
himself shall give you a sign; Behold, a virgin shall conceive, and bear a son,
and shall call his name Immanuel.” – Isaiah 7:14<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: David;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: David;">The context of this familiar Christmas verse is
fascinating & can be found in chapter 7 of Isaiah. It is a tale of a faithless king, a looming
threat of war, & a good news / bad news message from “the” prophet of his
day accompanied by his son Shearjashub, which means a remnant shall return. Ironically, it was because of King Ahaz’s
unbelief that God inspired Isaiah to publish the famous prophecy of the
Savior’s advent. May the grace & peace of Christ richly fill your heart this Christmas season & in the new
year.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: David;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: David;"> 2013 has certainly been a
good news / bad news year for us. It
began with our youngest child, Frederick, being admitted to the hospital in the
PICU with RSV. However, we were
comforted by support from many family members & long-time friends but
especially by many new friends at Covenant Presbyterian Church. At work I was excited &thankful to be
given the opportunity for promotion to supervisor but then disappointed by
being passed over for 3 positions that were filled by seemingly less qualified
candidates. As the year closes I am
deeply saddened to learn that my mother was diagnosed with 3 kinds of
cancer. However, I am thankful for many
family & friends who have rallied together to support her as well as the
conversations she & I have shared as a result. In the words of my friend Jack (who recently
lost his father to cancer), “Cancer sucks, but God is good.” Amen to that.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: David;"><br /></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: David;"> Whether your year has
been one of trials or one of peace, please know that the Lord Jesus Christ is
gracious & faithful. From the time
of Isaiah to the time of Christ some 800 years passed (What were your ancestors
doing in 1213?), but the Son was born just as God promised – Immanuel, which
means God with us. And, indeed, He is.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br />
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<span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: David;"> Love
in Christ,<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<span style="font-family: "Lucida Handwriting"; mso-bidi-font-family: David;"><br /></span>
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Sheep Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769896097710118559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-27547944659852348342012-12-26T21:18:00.000-05:002012-12-27T00:40:01.485-05:00Fertility Wars Hurt<div style="color: black; font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 10pt;">
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Look out. I'm processing. Or venting. Or getting a cheap therapy session at the expense of your eyes. Feel free to quit reading now. LOL</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">So there is a little "secret girls club" that I'm in on FaceBook. I left. Tonight. If I could have made a fool of myself by slamming the door on the way out, I probably would have. :-D Massively pissed and desperately trying not to cry, but that's mostly just hormones talking, LOL.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">There's a mommies board that I've been part of for a number of years, great bunch of gals that I've enjoyed cyber-hanging out with. Their overall emphasis on graceful (non-punitive) parenting is one that I sorely need. :shifty Anyway, there's a kind-of spin off group on FB with a number of members in common, so a lot of parenting stuff gets discussed on the mommies board and a lot of "other" stuff gets discussed on FB. And a lot of venting goes on in both places, especially since not all the people/personalities overlap. I'm in both groups (and a bunch of other gals I like hanging out with on-line are as well).</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">That's ^^^ the background, LOL. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">One of the FB gals posted yesterday something to the effect of "I get totally annoyed with and jealous of those gals who say they've 'never felt better' than when they're pregnant, have an easy time of the 9 months, look all adorable pregnant, and then the baby practically walks itself out at home when it's over." And of course about a third of the group "liked" it, and the first comment (left by another gal in the group who's currently pregnant) says "They're lying"--in reference to those who say pregnancy isn't absolutely awful for them. Annnnd . . . . That's all. LOL. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">Clearly that's worth leaving a very cozy "safe space" group on FB over, right?? (Not!) I *know* this is just a perfect storm of mostly unrelated things. Really. I know that. And I'm fine. Really.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">1. My post-partum hormones (think PMS on high-alert) have been really bad the last 2 or 3 days. Just feeling overly sensitive about everything, weepy, whiny, ect. The whole messy 9 yards that makes men thankful we don't have constant PMS, LOL. (Definitely the largest factor here.) </span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">2. One of the gals in our FB group just miscarried. She was "only" at 8 weeks, but far enough along to have delivered a tiny whole baby. Heart-breaking.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">3. Then there's the gal who made the original comment: a young mom who *can't* have a second child because her first delivery did almost kill her. Literally. Absolutely HORRIFIC childbirth story. The stuff PTSD is made of. :-(</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">4. The gal who made the "they're all lying" comment is also pregnant. And has bad morning sickness, and a couple of other young kids under foot. And that sucks. It really does.</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">5. Probably about half of the FB group *does* have awful pregnancies/L&Ds. Morning sickness through the 6th month (it usually stops after the 3rd), hyperemesis gravidarum (the morning sickness from hell that leaves you so dehydrated that hospitalization is required), awful birth stories, pregnancy and birth traumas of just about every kind imaginable. So yes, for a lot of the group "happy happy pregnant people" are anomalous to their experience. Seriously divergent actually. (And I'll be the first to agree that "happy happy" people are annoying--no matter *what* they're happy about, LOL.)</span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">6. The post in question was NOT aimed at me specifically. Obviously I'm not "adorable" while pregnant. ROFL. I do happen to fit ALL the other criteria, but the post was "I hate this TYPE of person" if you know what I mean. It wasn't personal. I know that.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">But comments like that are still (even acknowledging all that^^^) painful right now. Painful isn't the right word. But my reaction is such a mix of pissed & wanting to take it personally, curl up and sob that I think it'll just settle for hurtful and vent on Blogger. :-)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I HATE being called a liar. Hate it. Just because YOU have hard pregnancies doesn't mean I (or anyone else) am lying when I say I have an easy time of it. Grrr... :hissyfit</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">And I try *really* hard not to talk much when I'm pregnant. Because for some stupid reason, women hate other women who don't hate pregnancy. *shrugs* And I don't like feeling like I'm rubbing in the fact that I don't struggle with being pregnant (even though I don't). So in a group with an unusually high concentration of members who *have* had hard pregnancies, I said nothing about me being pregnant. The entire 9 months. (Of course, we found out in April & didn't announce til August, so yeah. There's that, lol.) I'm not interested in rubbing salt in anybodies' wounds & I hate sympathy anyway!! If I'm whining, (*make note of this please*) I'd much prefer to be told to suck it up & shut up than to get the "oh you poor dear . . . you have it so hard . . . blah, blah, reflect feelings, blah blah." (Which the FB group is REALLY good at doing--which is another reason I don't say much about me, LOL. I get the validity of reflecting feelings. I do. But some days it feels like a patronizing pat on the head.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">I tend to be an intensely private person (or think of myself as such anyway-ha!). I don't like having people all up in my business ever, but especially not when I'm pregnant. Yet the "we hate you because your experience doesn't validate ours, so go away" message hurts. Which is totally unreasonable because it was NOT aimed at me. And it didn't even say go away. It only said "We hate you." LOL And even if I knew what to say in response (while I walked out the door) I wouldn't say anything out of respect for those in the group for whom childbearing is an *incredibly* painful topic.</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">And there's also my own personal 7 years of wanting a kid & not getting pregnant baggage in play here. :-S I might look like the proverbial "Fertile Myrtle" now, but it hasn't always been that way. And those hurts don't leave quickly (tho they sure pop up quickly when there are PP hormones around)! Even "all these kids" later, I still can't stand "those women" who whine and complain about every . little . thing . the . entire . time . they're . pregnant. Especially when the pregnancy is preceded by whining every month they "TTC" and aren't "successful." CanNOT stand it. Try just being thankful that you CAN get pregnant when you do! So there's that playing into this as well, LOL. "They" hate "women like me" who have easy pregnancies and I can't stand "women like them" who bitch and moan about being pregnant. Cuts both ways, these mommy wars!!! >.< </span><br />
<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">(Yet another reason to be careful when mouthing off about potentially sensitive topics.)</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: arial, helvetica, sans-serif;">::steps off soapbox</span><br />
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The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-40225283815143018762012-12-25T09:00:00.000-05:002012-12-27T00:46:20.120-05:00Merry Christmas 2012!<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;">Dear Family & Friends,</span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> “<i>For unto you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, which is Christ the Lord.</i>” (Luke 2:11) These good tidings of great joy still resound today more than 20 centuries after the very first Christmas. And although this is an exceptionally long time to remember a birthday, it was also a long expected day. Matthew 1:17 records, “<i>So all the generations from Abraham to David are fourteen generations; and from David until the carrying away into Babylon are fourteen generations; and from the carrying away into Babylon unto Christ are fourteen generations.</i>” Considering the long years anticipating Christ’s advent and God’s silence during the four hundred directly preceding the day, Christ’s question in Luke 18:8b seems appropriate, “…<i>Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth?</i>”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> But thanks be to God that He is faithful and that “…<i>when the fullness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons</i>.” (Galatians 4:4 & 5) We rejoice in the Savior, who redeemed and adopted us. He has blessed our family with growth in many ways during this year. First of all, Frederick Leo was born on December 11<sup>th</sup>! Also, Hannah began school as a kindergartener and is doing well. Kenneth advanced to the second grade and is enjoying his exploration of a widening world. Peter turned two and is doing his best to keep up with his older siblings. Last but not least, Daniel is adjusting to being the “older” brother when Kenneth & Hannah are at school.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Melinda is recovering from delivering Frederick, but she spent much of autumn helping make a quilt for my Dad’s milestone birthday. During the summer we enjoyed traveling north for a couple of weeks, visiting some of our family & friends, and attending Melinda’s high school reunion. In October Melinda & I celebrated our 15<sup>th</sup> wedding anniversary. I continue my employment as an intensive supervision officer with the Dept. of Juvenile Justice. Although I did interview for two management positions, I was not the candidate selected for either one. Also, I am continuing a second job co-leading Family Solutions groups from time to time.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> On the church front, at about this time last year we first visited <a href="http://www.mycovenantpc.com/">Covenant Presbyterian Church</a>. They were without a senior pastor at that time, but we were favorably impressed nonetheless. However, we continued to visit several different churches until July. Since then we have been regularly “visiting” Covenant and trying to get to know the people there. Melinda participated in a weekly ladies bible study, Kenneth joined the Boys Brigade, Hannah joined the Pioneer Girls, and I participated in weekly officer preparation classes in order to learn more about the church & its leadership. That’s about all the highlights for now.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> Merry Christmas & Happy New Year,</span><br />
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Sheep Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769896097710118559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-8789203823507713952012-12-22T21:40:00.003-05:002012-12-22T21:41:42.765-05:00Eggnog Pancakes<br />
One of our favorite Saturday morning traditions, made ready for Christmas.<br />
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Stir together thoroughly:<br />
3 cups flour<br />
3 Tbsp. baking powder<br />
4 Tbsp. sugar<br />
1 tsp. salt<br />
1/4 tsp. cinnamon<br />
1/2->1 tsp. nutmeg<br />
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In separate mixing bowl combine<br />
1 c. powdered milk, dissolved in a bit of water<br />
1 1/2 cups eggnog<br />
3 egg yolks<br />
plus enough milk to equal 3 cups liquid total, then add<br />
1/4 cup oil<br />
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Mix with dry ingredients until just combined, scrape bowl & beat for 30-45 seconds. Cook on hot griddle. Eat!<br />
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Chef's notes: Batter will be a bit thick so they cook slow, but they brown faster than regular pancakes. Also, adding the powdered milk to the wet ingredients (allowing it to dissolve before mixing into the flour) will do wonders for the texture of the pancakes--soft and fluffy.<br />
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Adjusting batch size: Just remember, for every 1 cup of flour add 1 T baking powder, and mix with 1 egg yolk & 1 cup of milk, plus 1/2 c egg nog. (Plus a bit of salt, extra sugar & spices) It's a pretty straight-forward 1 to 1 ratio. :-)<br />
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(This recipe is a tweak on the one I put out <a href="http://lairofsavage.blogspot.com/2009/12/getting-ready-for-christmas.html" target="_blank">here</a> in '09.)The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-82158281251909066652012-12-21T12:33:00.001-05:002012-12-22T03:55:55.074-05:00Three Little BrothersThis picture reminds me of another one from a couple of years ago (<a href="http://lairofsavage.blogspot.com/2011/01/brother-love.html" target="_blank">Brother Love</a>). But now there are 3 little boys. :-)<br />
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The little guy in the middle was the baby 2 years ago. How time flies!! :-)The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-88383305095135328892012-12-11T04:14:00.000-05:002012-12-24T19:56:23.986-05:00Welcome Baby FLV!Paul and I are pleased to announce the safe arrival of Frederick Leo.<br />
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Born at 12:16 am this morning, December 11, 2012 he weighed 7 lbs, 13 oz and was 20 inches long. We do thank the Lord for answering all your prayers on our behalf, as we did have quite the speedy delivery. ;-)<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">(Photo taken 2:48 am)</span></div>
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Frederick and I are resting comfortably at home.The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-27571430271554875052012-06-23T07:45:00.001-04:002012-06-23T07:53:55.742-04:00Parenting Children in the CovenantThis is a fantastic post by an on-line acquaintance. Well worth the time to read and ponder. <br />
<a href="http://emethhesed.com/2012/06/19/to-spank-or-not-to-spank-is-not-the-question/" target="_blank">To Spank Or Not To Spank … Is Not The Question</a><br />
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And this is a great follow-up article.<br />
<a href="http://emethhesed.com/2012/06/21/eternal-brothers-confessing-forgiving/" target="_blank">Eternal brothers, Confessing & Forgiving</a><br />
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This, these two posts by Emeth Hesed, sum up what I've been trying to get through my head for the past 4 years. This is the Gospel applied to our children.The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-77596009388858867762012-01-01T13:20:00.003-05:002012-12-24T22:29:20.821-05:00Happy New Year!!2012. Wow.<br />
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Realized last night that I haven't uploaded any pictures to Snapfish in a year. O.O<br />
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Honestly 2011 didn't seem that busy. 4 kids, one husband, one house. No pets, no major projects. Where did all that time go?<br />
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Probably will be updating the blog over the next few hours, post-dating to when events actually occurred, or posts were germinated. So if your feed blows up, that's why. I'm finishing posts while the other computer grinds away uploading pictures.<br />
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Meanwhile, the rest of the family are playing Axis and Allies. It's a bit advanced for the younger kids, but they're good at rolling dice & deciding which direction they want their troops to move.<br />
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Happy New Year!!!<br />
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<br />The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-84221008645915619172011-12-25T10:08:00.004-05:002012-01-01T12:38:57.419-05:00Merry Christmas 2011Dear Family & Friends,<br /><br />Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! “<em>Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men: And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross</em>.” – Philippians 2:5 – 8<br /><br />It was because of this truth that at His birth angels rang their voices through the heavens, shepherds left their flocks to see Him, and wise men brought Him gifts from afar. As we remember Him this Christmas, let us come before His throne with renewed senses of wonder and adoration. May we love Him and love one another even more as we ponder on the first and best Christmas miracle – The Savior!<br /><br />As our family looks back over the past year, we recognize the continued blessings from the Lord. Peter continued to grow during his first year and remains as good natured as ever. Daniel crossed his talking milestone and now adds to our household chatter. Hannah learned to help Melinda cook and me wash dishes as well as be a wonderful big sister. Kenneth learned to read entire children’s books, work addition and subtraction problems including those involving words or negative numbers, and profess his faith in Christ.<br /><br />Melinda and I celebrated our 14th wedding anniversary, resumed target shooting after a long hiatus, and began to lead our family on a kind of pilgrimage to find a new local church. It is difficult to have left the congregation we have been a part of for about 16 years, but it has been a blessing to visit the wider body of Christ. We would appreciate your prayers as we continue the search for our new “home” church.<br /><br />Melinda continues her roles as my wife, mother to our four children, and a wonderful homemaker. In all these things she is a beautiful reflection of God’s love and grace. I continue to enjoy my roles as Melinda’s husband and father to our children. Also, I am enjoying my continued employment with the Dept. of Juvenile Justice. It has been a challenging year of growth while learning my new position, but it has also been rewarding. Also, I have started a side job co-leading family group meetings for troubled youth.<br /><br />A friend recently asked, “What is freedom?” On the surface it seemed like a question with an easy answer, but the more I thought about it the more I realized just how elusive a definitive answer is. At last John 8:32 came to mind which says, “<em>And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free</em>.” Knowing the truth is freedom! May you be blessed this Christmas with knowing the truth of its celebration and receiving the sure gift of freedom. “<em>Thanks be unto God for his unspeakable gift</em>.” – II Corinthians 9:15<br /><br /><br />Love,<br /><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-im8ohBDxLuCKrd3WsCxs96XOPSjEOmnUwrSGq3m3ZmJ_70TP3jGgwM94lcUcvqQziGp4hB1nMu4BeRxFp6tQ2rDSjydjZA13kLr9Xh0Px7SPIDQxi6i2C8l0lu1DxSObvqN5RgUmJlKz/s1600/Christmas+2011org.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-im8ohBDxLuCKrd3WsCxs96XOPSjEOmnUwrSGq3m3ZmJ_70TP3jGgwM94lcUcvqQziGp4hB1nMu4BeRxFp6tQ2rDSjydjZA13kLr9Xh0Px7SPIDQxi6i2C8l0lu1DxSObvqN5RgUmJlKz/s320/Christmas+2011org.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5692717730387142818" /></a>Sheep Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769896097710118559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-79632141809132205092011-12-02T08:38:00.003-05:002011-12-02T08:42:21.374-05:00For MommasThis is worth reading. And remember, Sally's point was <em>not</em> particular books or personalities. The point was people. Our little people. Those little ones entrusted to us by a God who loves them (and us) and expects us to raise them in His love.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.itakejoy.com/do-unto-your-children-as-you-would-have-them-do-unto-you/">Do Unto Your Children as You Would Have Them Do Unto You</a>The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-29745823643801542572011-02-20T05:27:00.000-05:002012-12-21T13:09:24.043-05:00On sleep training . . .<div>
To a friend with twins . . .<br />
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Wow... you have twins. I've only had singletons. If you have resources at your disposal that offer ideas for twins--run with them!! (How's that for a cop-out?!)<br />
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My little ones have been better able to "sleep-train" once they've crossed the 9lb threshold. Don't know what it is about that weight; but lighter than that and my babies just didn't have enough fat to hold them for over-night sleeping.<br />
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Somewhere around 2-3 months, things just start falling into place. Daytime naps go longer (2-3 hours instead of 1-2), and sleeping "all-night" starts happening spontaneously (all night being defined as 5-7 hour stretches). In our house "all night" usually means starting between 10pm-midnight and lasting til 3-7am depending on how recently they ate before falling asleep for the night, whether they're in a a growth spurt or not, etc.<br />
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For me now, going through this for the 4th time, it's been a convergence of those two factors (weight and age) that have been pretty sure-fire indicators that "sleep-training" was a possibility. (It just never worked well for me any earlier/younger/lighter than that.) And yep, this is where we are with BD#4 right now.<br />
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Growth spurts are the bane of sleep-training!! :-) 3 wks, 6 wks, 9 wks, 3 mons, 6 mons, 9 mons... watch those time frames (maybe by adjusted dates for you b/c of prematurity???), but you'll notice a couple days of NON-STOP eating (or it sure feels like non-stop anyway!) followed immediately by a couple days of extra sleep---always fun on the breast-feeding/engorgement side of life! Why can't they sleep extra *before* ramping up Mommy's milk production??? ;-)<br />
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Don't worry though, those patterns of sleep and eat (habits?!?) that seemed to be emerging before the nursing binge?? They DO come back, and even seem more stable/apparent after each growth spurt. It's pretty cool.<br />
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<em>"And when we do actually start sleep-training and they wake up in the middle of the night, how do I know if they're hungry or if they just want comfort?"</em> </div>
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That my dear is the $10,000 question. :-) In short, I'd say you know by whether/how long they nurse, because *typically* once they're asleep for the night they won't wake up *unless* they're hungry. If their comfort level is such that they were able to fall asleep, they'll likely stay asleep.<br />
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This is where parenting philosophies can start throwing monkey-wrenches into life. <grins></grins></div>
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When I was "doing" BabyWise, sleep-training meant getting baby to sleep by his/her self. Alone. With no going-to-sleep props/aids, i.e. no cuddling/rocking/nursing to sleep. Lay baby down while sleepy but still awake. Make sure baby goes to sleep by his/her self. Period. No exceptions. Cry-it-out is acceptable if you have to (until the baby gets the idea); but baby MUST fall asleep alone. You CANNOT be "slave" to the whims of your baby. It sounded so good (at least the mom gets sleep part!!!) . . .<br />
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And this is where, in the interests of friendship and full disclosure, I tell you I do things very differently now than I did then; and I really have NO idea if what I do now will work with twins. </div>
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In my mind (because of the experiences we had with BabyWise) I tend to hear "sleep training" and think "cry-it-out." I know they're not synonymous, and I do think it's possible to sleep train without forcing the baby into "self-soothing" . . . but/also I try to be circumspect in what I say to sleep-deprived new moms (especially when I can only imagine how little uninterrupted sleep you've had lately).<br />
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With our kids...<br />
BD#1-slept in his crib. Always. If he needed to eat, I went and sat in a chair in the living room. Even in the middle of the night. Fortunately or unfortunately, he preferred sleep to food so he was *really* hard to keep awake to nurse at night. I wound up having weight-gain issues with him between 2 and 3 months of age. He was never diagnosed with failure to thrive or anything that severe, but I did start setting my alarm & waking him up at 2 am to get an extra feeding in. It was torture... but his weight gain picked back up after a month or so, and I dropped that dreadful 2am feeding like a hot potato.<br />
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BD#2-REFUSED to fall asleep by herself. REFUSED. Loudly!! ;-) I finally got tired of nursing her to sleep in the chair only to have her wake up the instant I laid her down and tip-toed away from her crib (which is why Ezzo/BabyWise says to lay them down while they're still awake--you don't have to tip-toe away!) I just couldn't handle hearing her cry-especially when I *knew* she'd sleep if I held her. So I started bringing her to bed with me. Not nursing, just laying in the crook of my elbow beside me; she'd drift off, I'd drift off, only to wake in a panic about 45 minutes later (the "co-sleeping is dangerous!" & "the AAP says back-to-sleep ALONE!" & "what will my friends think?" all rolled into one). But by then she'd be sleeping soundly enough that I could move her to the crib & she'd stay asleep. Kept that up til she got attached enough to a pacifier that she was willing to go to sleep by herself---I think it was between 6 & 8 months?? Maybe not that long though. 'Cause she was sleeping through the night by 3-4 months. But she did *stay* asleep through the night (like 7-9 hours) before she'd *go* to sleep by herself.<br />
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BD#3--loved to eat. loved to sleep. Mommy loves to sleep too. So I just brought him to bed with me, nursed him to sleep, slept myself. Yeah . . . um . . . co-sleeping! Never thought I'd do it. Wouldn't/couldn't have done it without the husband being OK with it. (Not going to tear down our marriage over baby's sleep arrangements!!) Slept great. BD#3 nursed when he wanted to throughout the night & I didn't have to get up out of bed to feed him &we both slept great, partially because neither of us had to wake up all the way to make the feeding happen!<br />
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It's amazing how much less disturbing to mom's sleep middle-of-the-night feedings are when the baby is sleeping closer to mom. Even having the bassinet near mom's bed is a HUGE help. Not having to stumble down the hall in the dark/cold--which completely wakes you up.<br />
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But, you know, even "down the hall" can work. 'Cause I remember with BD#1... Even though he was down the hall in his own crib from day 1, I was forever waking up in the night just about a minute before I'd hear him start fussing [just enough time to get up and go pee--'cause you know how you HAVE to pee like 2.5 seconds after you start nursing!! ;-) It's uncanny--the whole wake-up-just-before-the-baby thing. I suspect it's because our bio-rhythms have been rather closely synced for the previous 9 months.... ;-)].<br />
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Keeping the babies up/awake more during the day so they'll sleep more at night--not usually a good idea. Tends to back-fire. Over-tired little ones do NOT go to sleep easily. (And they tend to wake up at "regular" time in the morning too, so you don't get to sleep in if they've stayed up late either.) Now if I've had a busier-than-usual day and/or BD#4 hasn't gotten his usual lineup of naps in; he's more likely to sleep all night--so long as I've still eaten properly!!! If I've been busy enough that I've skipped a meal, it seems that he's *more* likely to wake up to drink in the night.<br />
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Other stuff for middle of the night?? Dim light, little eye-contact, low/quiet voice...boring as possible!! (Same stuff they tell you for helping babies differentiate between night and day--it all helps with sleep training too!!)<br />
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And now........... I'm going to go tuck in bed! :-)<br />
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It's a horrible thing to say to someone who is over tired & hasn't had a decent night's sleep in months (especially since good sleep is elusive even before the babies are born) but try to treasure these moments. Baby A and Baby B will never be this dependent on you and your DH again. And now that they're smiling?? :-) Sweet returns on all your hard work!! Hang in there!!! It does get easier. Maybe just a little bit at a time, but it gets more manageable, less daunting. Sleep helps--which is why sleep training is so... helpful!!! :-)<br />
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My new slogan: Sleep--it's not just for babies!!! ;-)<br />
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Much love & best wishes!!!<br />
The Savage, the long-winded </div>
The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-2898288460180359562011-01-06T19:23:00.004-05:002011-08-10T02:51:29.280-04:00Brother Love<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_C5gJBIf9L9_MTakg_XNCoeXidJjT_ZEcGV9EAZrDFhyphenhyphen-vQtNwUl5dO_RvUGApQuw6-N_zGXKLouVpKnUPe-Gn03pJtrdYhEKzhQhZ0RCVV5GcqbV7s-SUxG5IecI7_QCqFs7OrYxRA/s1600/BD%25233%25264-722428.JPG"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhd_C5gJBIf9L9_MTakg_XNCoeXidJjT_ZEcGV9EAZrDFhyphenhyphen-vQtNwUl5dO_RvUGApQuw6-N_zGXKLouVpKnUPe-Gn03pJtrdYhEKzhQhZ0RCVV5GcqbV7s-SUxG5IecI7_QCqFs7OrYxRA/s320/BD%25233%25264-722428.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5559233111181231394" /></a>
<br />My favorite pic of BD#3 with his new little brother. :-)The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-1404857101168048262011-01-02T20:36:00.009-05:002011-01-03T04:04:18.823-05:00Gentle (Grace-full) Parenting<a href="http://dulcefamily.blogspot.com/2010/04/our-toolbox.html">Our Toolbox</a> is a great post from Dulce de leche full of "how to" parent gently ideas. Parent gently as in non-combative parenting. *coughs* <br /><br />Found Dulce's post through a comment she left on another gal's post on the <a href="http://hippiehousewife.blogspot.com/2010/11/hows-of-discipline.html">How's of Discipline</a>--another great post with a lot of practical suggestions for mothers of young(er) children who are trying to find alternatives to the more confrontational parenting methods typically espoused in Fundamentalism (and a lot of other -isms too). Great hands-on ideas in the comments on that post too!<br /><br />If you suspect that I found HH's post through a convoluted series of links, you're right. ;-) That romp of blog-hopping started with a comment on Thatmom's site, who incidentally also has a great post up about <a href="http://www.thatmom.com/?p=5508">nurturing children for the glory of God</a>, also well worth reading. <br /><br />Karen (Thatmom) gave me a little Greek lesson tonight (I pulled out my interlinear GNT just to check). Hebrews 12:6 (<i>For whom the Lord loveth he chasteneth, and scourgeth every son whom he receiveth</i>) is frequently trotted out by proponents of "spare the rod, spoil the child" in answer to the objection that perhaps Proverbs regarding spanking are proverbial--not necessarily instructions on how to spank. "See, here's New Testament proof that God condones spanking AND if you don't spank your children you're sinning." (The "you <b>must</b> spank or be in sin" idea comes more from Heb 12:7-8 <i>If ye endure chastening, God dealeth with you as with sons; for what son is he whom the father chasteneth not? But if ye be without chastisement, whereof all are partakers, then are ye bastards, and not sons.</i> "See? God spanks His kids!")<br /> <br />What Karen pointed out (completely apart from any discussion on spanking), is that the word "chastens" in the Heb. 12 passage is from the same Greek roots (paideuo/paideia) as "nurture" in Ephesians 6:4 (<i>And, ye fathers, provoke not your children to wrath: but bring them up in the nurture and admonition of the Lord.</i>). Kinda puts a different light on some things... especially since paideuo is also translated as teaching/taught/learned/instructing!<br /><br />The point of parenting is to <b>teach</b> your children. What are your parenting methods teaching your children??The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-69322295153518851202010-12-25T21:44:00.001-05:002012-01-01T15:59:35.636-05:00Draft: Merry Christmas 2010So this never got polished to the point of sending, but as it was shaping up. . .<br /><br /><br /><p style="MARGIN: 0in 0in 0pt" class="MsoNormal"><span style="FONT-FAMILY: 'Trebuchet MS'; FONT-SIZE: 11pt">He is not merely the Reason for the season, He is the Reason for everything. As Colossians 1:16 succinctly puts it, "<em>For by him were all things created, that are in heaven, and that are in earth, visible and invisible, whether they be thrones, or dominions, or principalities, or powers: all things were created by him, and for him</em>."<br /><br />It is my hope that you will come to realize that you are included. The Lord Jesus Christ created you for Him. But He did not stop there. He became one of us more than two millenia ago at the very first "Christmas". About 33 years later, though sinless and holy, He sacrificed His life's blood to pay in full the sin-debt of those who had, did, and would believe on Him. Then He victoriously rose again from the dead, spent many days with His disciples, and ascended back to Heaven promising to return one day not as the Lamb but as the Lion. My friend, are you ready to face Him who gave His all to save your soul from sin, death, and Hell? He created you to live and fellowship with Him, who loves you more than words can convey. He bridged the gap between our fallen state and Heavenly bliss with the unspeakable gift of His own substitutionary death on the cross.<br /><br />Of course, "...<em>the gift of God [being] eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord</em>" (Romans 6:23b) is, beyond a shadow of a doubt, God's greatest gift to believers. However, one does not have to wait until the afterlife to begin fellowshipping with Christ and enjoy His blessings. As Romans 8:32 states, "<em>He that spared not his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, how shall he not with him also freely give us all things</em>?" The Lord's blessings in this life are manifold although sometimes different than what one would expect.<br /><br />For instance, as I reflect on this year I thank the Lord for the birth of one of my children, a promotion in my career, and a "new" car. However, I also thank the Lord for directing me by not allowing me to purchase additional real estate or send another of my children to private school. How are these latter items blessings? The first may have kept my family and I out of a messy dispute with our neighbors, whom I am glad to say are still our good friends. The second has facilitated my family and I being more involved in our child's education than we would otherwise have been and helped us to avoid a financial burden that may have overly strained our family. I could cite many other examples, but I am sure that you get the point.<br /><br />I am not saying that I or my life are perfect. What I am saying is that there is a certain assurance in knowing the One who guides it, relying on Him, and developing a deeper relationship with Him. Even "little" things in life take on new meaning when you know the Savior. For example, when my newborn focused on me and cooed to me for the first time I understood a little better why God delights in our praying to Him. When my child asked about Santa Claus, I was challenged by God's honesty and realized how important the truth is. Christ put it best in John 8:31b-32, "...<em>If ye continue in my word, then are ye my disciples indeed; And ye shall know the truth, and the truth shall make you free</em>."</span><span style="FONT-SIZE: 11pt"><?xml:namespace prefix = o ns = "urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office" /><o:p></o:p></span></p>Sheep Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769896097710118559noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-31515766691869393442010-11-09T16:55:00.006-05:002012-01-02T01:33:20.923-05:00[Baby] Hits Like an Atom BombMost folks who know me IRL and have spent any length of time at my house know I love listening to <a href="http://www.chanticleer.org/">Chanticleer</a>. And until this past weekend, if you had asked me my favorite Chanticleer song, I would have said <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fdMg6MJUFAI">Shenandoah</a> . . . but . . . our new baby changed that.<br /><br />As my husband and I are long time Chanticleer fans, we had tickets for the November 8th concert at the Brooks Center in Clemson. Row B seats, mind you--front-n-center. Alas, I started having contractions Sunday afternoon. Realizing they weren't going to stop (and) I would have to give up Monday's concert; I consigned myself to listening to Chanticleer on iTunes while labor got kicking into high gear.<br /><br />Irony? The first Chanticleer song in my iTunes was their "[Jesus] Hits Like an Atom Bomb." The . very . <em>first</em> . song. Less than an hour later, BD#4 was here. So yeah, I have a new favorite Chanticleer song. LOL <span style="font-size:78%;">(But I would rather have been at the concert. Believe me, I'm MUCH more upset at missing Chanticleer than that "her" name is Peter, LOL.)</span>The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-19321973361123055452010-10-10T21:27:00.000-04:002012-12-19T21:35:33.847-05:00On "Normal" Newborns<div>
"<a href="http://www.drjen4kids.com/soap%20box/normal_%20newborn.htm">The Normal Newborn and Why Breastmilk is Not Just Food</a>"<br />
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Go & read. Good stuff.</div>
The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-89301878240464415512010-08-18T15:59:00.000-04:002010-08-18T16:00:31.609-04:00Happy Birthday!Happy Birthday to you, Savage!Sheep Doghttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01769896097710118559noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-31905243073100843412010-08-06T08:51:00.003-04:002011-01-03T04:13:05.066-05:00Parenting toddlersTantrums are as normal in toddlers as crying is in babies.<br /><br /><a href="http://www.whattoexpect.com/blogs/theycallmemommy/toddler-discipline-mamas-bad-behavior">http://www.whattoexpect.com/blogs/theycallmemommy/toddler-discipline-mamas-bad-behavior</a><br /><br />;-)The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1096222976291203462.post-44689165648173797482010-07-17T18:57:00.001-04:002010-07-17T20:30:43.600-04:00The Irony of Ezzo and AP, Part 3Back when this was originally to have posted, in April of '09 when BD#3 really was just 3 months old, there was a great post/conversation going on at <a href="http://sortacrunchy.typepad.com/sortacrunchy/2009/05/as-he-leads-us-offering-alternative-viewpoints.html">SortaCrunchy</a>. Still worth going to read!! And now, a whole year and 3 months after beginning this series, I'm prompted to finish up by <a href="http://www.tulipgirl.com/">TulipGirl</a>'s <a href="http://www.tulipgirl.com/index.php/2010/07/welcome-to-the-7th-annual-ezzo-week-2010/">7th Annual Ezzo Week 2010</a>. Go, read, learn, share.<br /><br /><br /><div>To recap my own mini-series, we sorta <a href="http://lairofsavage.blogspot.com/2009/03/irony-of-ezzo-and-ap-part-1.html">did BW with BD#1</a>. Mostly <a href="http://lairofsavage.blogspot.com/2009/04/irony-of-ezzo-and-ap-part-2.html">ignored BW with BD#2</a>. Now we're 3 months into life with BD#3. BW hasn't been off the shelf in 2 years (other than to fact check for a couple of blog posts). And life with BD#3 is going just fine without BW thankyouverymuch.<br /><br /><strong>~~~~~~~~~~ 15 months later ~~~~~~~~~~</strong><br /><br />You know what? I've realized some things over the last 5 years (and 3 kids).<br /><br /><strong>Co-Sleeping</strong><br /><br />Babies LIKE sleeping with their mommas. They've just come from 9 months of CONSTANT contact. D'oh!! Would <em>you</em> want to go from sleeping snuggled up in a hot-tub to sleeping alone in the dark on an only-warm-if-you're-swaddled slab?? Really? You would??? .... /end sarcasm. *sigh* I need to be nice, don't I??<br /><br />Seriously, it occurred to me (after we had such success part-time co-sleeping with BD#2) that it really is <b>natural</b> for babies to want to sleep with their mommas. If for no other reason than that it's what they've been doing for the last 9+ months. Why would I want to immediately take that away from my newborn?? He's just been through the "trauma" of <i>complete</i> environment change... wet to dry, warm to cold, dark to light, soft to scratchy, quiet -or at least muffled- to noisy.... Why not give him the gift of co-sleeping?? He's not going to be little for long. Soon enough he'll prefer to sleep on his own where he can flail and squirm to his hearts content, why <em>not</em> let him snuggle for now?<br /><br />This really hit home to me when I realized how BD#3 clearly (<strong>strongly</strong>) preferred sleeping <i>with me</i>, on his left side, facing me. (Quite conveniently in the middle of our bed where I didn't have to worry about him rolling out of bed.) Hmmm... like a good Bradley mom, I spend most of my pregnant sleeping hours on my left side. So if he were head down in vitro, why... he'd have been sleeping on his left side too--just like he preferred doing after he was born!! Go figure. ;-)<br /><br />Little revelations like this just floored me. Things I'd never thought to notice before b/c I was concerned with "getting the baby to sleep by his/herself." Made me wonder what else I'd been missing--'cause there's nothing quite like waking up with a baby blissfully sleeping in your arms after you got plenty of restful sleep too!!<br /><br /><strong>Eat-Wake-Sleep??</strong><br /><br />Then there was BD#3's feeding and napping "schedule." For background, my babies don't really "take off" gaining weight til they hit 9-10 lbs. BD#1 came in at 7# 3oz and BD#2 at 8# even, so they both had a bit of gaining to do before they really started packing on the baby fat rolls... err... pounds. (BD#2 had a *bad* reaction to the RotaTeq vaccine which stalled her weight gain drastically, but that's another post for another day.) But BD#3?? He came in at 9# even, and has gained weight to match his linebacker build ever since.<br /><br />With BD#'s 1&2 I pretty much did the Ezzo recommended eat-wake-sleep cycle, and the BDs took appropriately lengthy naps... 1 1/2 hours or so each time they went down. Not so Mr. BD#3!! Oh no, he was not having any part of a long nap, or any nap at all. He ate well when he woke up, played heartily and cheerfully, and would consent to being laid down in his crib but... no nap ensued.<br /><br />Since I was already co-sleeping with him at night and my mid-wives recommend resting when the baby rests, I decided to try laying down with him for his naps. Remember, I wasn't just dealing with a newborn. I had a not-quite 4 yob and a just-turned 2 yog to chase also, so I was needing rest!! ;-) Napping with BD#3 worked for about the first month, at least til I got caught up from my pregnancy insomnia & the older two settled into the routines of life with a newborn.<br /><br />So I tried putting BD#3 down for naps in his own crib again. He'd go down willingly enough (jolly happy baby that he is), but just would NOT go to sleep. So I thought... hmmm... my kids don't gain well until they hit the weight he came in at. And he's past that weight. Bet he just needs to eat more and more often because he's BIGGER. Logical, right? *grins* So I tried nursing him before his naps (thus eat-wake-eat-sleep), and it worked, sort-of. After nursing he'd fall asleep easily enough, but would wake up peevish around the 45 minute mark <em>every</em> time.<br /><br />Hmmm... :-/ ... One thing I tend to agree with Ezzo on is that babies need sleep. And I don't call a 45-minute cat-nap "sleep." So... what to do? If I tried nursing BD#3 at the 45-minute minute mark, he'd go right back to sleep without bothering to eat so hunger wasn't an issue. But, when I went to lay him down, he'd wake right back up again apparently peeved that I was so obviously planning to leave him alone for his nap. (Smart kid!) So he wouldn't nap alone, but he needed to nap. Clearly we needed an alternative. And, being the big person in the relationship, I figured it was my job to find the alternative. :-)<br /><br />He needed day-time sleep. I needed to get my work done. Neither were happening because I abjectly refused to let him "cry it out." Not at bedtime especially, but not for nap-times either. Went there and did that with BD#1. NOT interested in going there again. <em>Why</em> go there at all?? (Barbara Curtis has a *great* <a href="http://mommylife.net/archives/2005/08/on_growing_kids.html">post</a> that's applicable here.) BD#3 obviously felt he still needed mommy-time while he slept, why not try to <i>accommodate</i> him? *gasp* So.... enter the sling!!!<br /><br /><strong>Me? A "marsupial mom"??</strong><br /><br />Hubby and I took the <a href="http://www.bradleybirth.com/">Bradley</a> child-birth classes in preparation for the birth of BD#1. Our class instructor for those 12 weeks was a die-hard AP mom. (And I do mean die-hard!) One of the things she encouraged us to consider purchasing was a sling or wrap of some kind; because we all know while babies like to be cuddled, mommas need their hands free!! Being the impressionable good student that I was, I ordered myself a cool <a href="http://mayawrap.com/">MayaWrap</a>. Yeah, we took the Bradley classes before I read Ezzo's BW. :-D<br /><br />I don't like my personal space intruded upon, and I'm hot-natured. I <i>struggled</i> with the sling with BD#1. Wound up only using it 2 or 3 times total. Ezzo would have approved. *chuckles* Tried again with BD#2. Managed to use the wrap for about a month, but still not consistently. While I did get a bit more comfortable with the <i>idea</i> of a sling, BD#2 was born in late October and all those layers of clothes got bulky and interfered with utilizing my ring sling properly. So by the time BD#3 came along I was more or less determined to conquer the beast (the sling, not my baby) and get my money's worth out of the sling. After all, I was already planning to junk most of the rest of Ezzo's ideas, and the sling cost more than BW, BW2, and ToddlerWise put together. ;-)<br /><br />But back to my non-napping BD#3. I figured slinging him was worth a shot. So when nap-time came the next day, I popped him in the sling. He let out this *HUGE* sigh, relaxed, laid his head on my shoulder, and went soundly to sleep. Like "Finally Mommy--<i>this</i> is where I belong, right where I used to be." And he looked like it. Or rather I did--look pregnant all over again with BD#3 all snuggled up in my MayaWrap. And the most incredible thing? He slept for 3 hours. Straight. Day after day. And woke up fully rested, contented. Happy and hungry. :-)<br /><br /><b>Bottom line?</b><br /><br />The real "irony of Ezzo and AP" that I've experienced with BD#3? When I did exactly what Ezzo's BW said <strong>not</strong> to do (i.e.: all that nasty AP stuff: co-sleep, sling, demand feed), BD#3 did the "BW schedule" to a "T." In other words, I got <strong>exactly</strong> the "results" that BW claims to produce (easy 3 hour day time schedule & early through-the-night sleeping) by doing precisely the <strong>opposite</strong> of what Ezzo recommends. Ironic, huh??<br /><br />And all without charts, scheduling hassles (like having to be *home* for BD#1's bedtime), cry-it-out (a.k.a. heart-break for momma), or early loss of milk supply. Woot!!<br /><br /><br />Thus ends my mini-series (only 15 months late, LOL).<br /><br />Once again, here are a few informative links from others that I've compiled over the years, assuming you're interested in more information on Ezzo...<br /><br />From the horses mouth:<br /><a href="http://www.growingkids.org/meet-the-ezzos/">Growing Kids God's Way</a><br /><a href="http://www.ezzotruth.com/ezzo.html">EzzoTruth</a><br /><br />From those who jumped off the wagon:<br />Jenn's <a href="http://www.thecrashpad.com/blogs/index.php/2005/04/27/on_becoming_babywise_our_ezzo_story?blog=8">story</a><br />TulipGirl's <a href="http://www.tulipgirl.com/index.php/category/gfi-ezzo-babywise/">files</a> and <a href="http://www.drmomma.org/2010/01/confessions-of-failed-babywiser.html">story</a>.<br />ChewyMom's <a href="http://www.chewymom.com/category/gfiezzobabywise/">files </a><br />KatieKind's <a href="http://katiekind.wordpress.com/category/ezzobabywise/">files</a><br />Camille's adventures becoming an <a href="http://www.drslewis.org/camille/2008/02/ebenezer-20/trackback/">attachment</a> mom and her <a href="http://www.drslewis.org/camille/2008/02/the-ezz-and-i-ebenezer-21/trackback/">research on Ezzo</a>.<br />Laurie Moody's <a href="http://www.angelfire.com/md2/moodyfamily/casestudies.html">Case Studies</a> as a GFI lactation contact<br /><br />Deconstructing the wagon:<br /><a href="http://awareparent.net/">AwareParent</a><br /><a href="http://ezzo.info/">EzzoInfo</a><br /><a href="http://mommylife.net/archives/2005/08/on_growing_kids.html">MommyLife</a> </div>The Savagehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15906014150752232747noreply@blogger.com1