Baby Vacation

 

Today is the last day of our baby vacation; we start back to school tomorrow. I am a little nervous about how that will go with a new and breast feeding baby. I've done it before, but it always takes adjustments. 

But the past three weeks have been reasonably nice. The kids have enjoyed their time off and I have enjoyed newborn life. This stage goes so quickly and this will be my last time experiencing the beauty and spirituality of my own newborn child. 

Ruth and Kate have been running all of our errands for us. I needed to let go of control of our one vehicle and let them drive without me there. So I gave them my purse and bank card and keys and have set them free. I think Kate enjoys the freedom of driving and shopping and Ruth does not. 

Johnny told me that he needs to get some computer games finished because he needs to be prepared to marry and that made me happy. He'll be 20 next month.

Adam continued with his reading and trying to increase his ability to read quickly while knowing and comprehending what he has read throughout all of his vacation. He also jumped from a shelf to (thankfully) our old couch and broke the wood. I had him repair it, but when John sat on the spot, it broke again. So Adam hopefully has learned that a 200 pound 16 year old boy cannot jump on furniture like he did when he was 5. He is also required to go back and refix the couch. We need all of our furniture. 

Rachel loves vacation and sleeping in past noon and napping on the couch and watching movies. She will not be happy tomorrow when school starts back up. 

Anya and Rachel have been staying up through the night talking. On Thursday, they laid on the couch most of the day dozing on and off because they talk at night, then when darkness hit they came alive and began talking again. I am not sure how Anya will take to the end of vacation. She doesn't complain about school for the most part. My hope for Anya is that she will gain a love of reading and want to read in her spare time. 

Joseph was not like Adam over vacation. He mostly vacationed with a few days holding a book and wandering around not reading it. But Joseph did not break any furniture. 

Joshua has been terrible his whole life at being genuine and truthful when it comes to something he hasn't done right. He twists things to make them sound like he has done no wrong, so we were excited when after Sam came to us crying and we asked Josh if he hurt Sam and Josh simply said "yes" and told the story plainly. Josh got celebrated then. We could not punish him because that was a breakthrough that we have been hoping and praying for. We expected to hear something along the lines of it was an accident and really Sam was the cause of his own hurt. 

Arwen told me the other day that Eliza and Kate are her favorite sisters. I said that was nice, but that she plays with Susan a lot and everyday and they seem to get along well. Arwen then corrected herself and said that her favorites are chosen on looks. She thinks Kate is the prettiest and Eliza is the cutest. 

Susan is already giving me a list for her next birthday, next June. I think it is time for her to start writing it down. Also, Susan has been playing skipbo with me daily and that has been good time with her.

Sam asks for one or two things for his birthday daily. I mostly tell him no or that it's not likely I will remember. On the day after Kate's birthday, Sam asked if it was still her birthday and then expressed sorrow that it was not. Kate found that very endearing. 

Gideon is my warrior boy. He almost always has two toys in his hand involved in some sort of battle. He is my little Captain Moroni and whether I like it or not, there will be plenty of battles between good and evil that he will need to fight in this life. Also Gideon has been really good about Eliza. He does not resent her at all and often insists that she is his baby and holds her. 

Eliza will be 3 weeks tomorrow. She's mostly content; she likes to nurse a lot and to be held pretty constantly. She will go in her bed for a nap, but sleeps with me in the night. Generally, we find her very peaceful. She has come to us with a calming spirit. 

Happy 22nd Birthday

 

22 years of perfection. This girl is amazing and we all adore her and look to her for her wisdom and knowledge. Happy Birthday, Kate!

Welcome Eliza Mary and Birth Story

 

For nine months, I thought that I was having a boy, and I was wrong. Our beautiful Eliza Mary arrived Monday, August 9, 2021 at 6:15 pm. She weighed 8lbs 6 ozs and was 20.5 inches long and was born at home.

About two hours earlier, though I really didn't keep track of the time, Eliza kicked hard and my water burst. I laid back down to rest and contractions soon came. When the contractions were hard, I moved to the bathtub to allow the hot water to ease the pain. 

I didn't scream or complain, but I had a harder time with the painful contractions than I have had with past labors. I asked John for a blessing, which is a huge benefit of a homebirth. John sat beside me while I breathed through the contractions. When they got really bad, I laid on my back in the water and pushed through them. After about 15 minutes or so of that position and her head still rather high, I thought I would move upright to see if gravity could help. Almost as soon as I moved upright, I felt her head slide down. I mentioned that to John and Ruth and Kate, who were in the room, and said something about waiting for the next contraction. I don't know if the next contraction came right then, but she slipped out in one push or just slipped out and I picked her up and moved to rest on the side of the tub. 

I was holding her, when her leg moved and I realized that I was holding a girl. Ruth, Kate, and John didn't believe me at first. They had to look. We all thought it would be a boy. This was definitely a surprise gender reveal.

We told the kids who were playing games and watching movies in the other room about Eliza's birth. They all came in to see Eliza, fresh and newly born. 

41 Weeks Pregnant

 

I am a full week over due, and I am not going to lie, I am very uncomfortable and without much hope that things will really start to pick up. But I am 6 cm dilated and the baby's head is down and in the right place now, so that is comforting.

This pregnancy, I have had a few things that have been different/funny. I have craved the smell of lavender. I put the essential oil in my hair, so I can smell it all of the time and often, I just lie in bed smelling my hair. I have also craved whole boiled grains. I eat either boiled oats or boiled cracked wheat every morning and sometimes at night before bed. I'll pot some milk on the oats, but I love the wheat completely plain, but very hot. 

Many of the kids are excited to have a new baby to snuggle. Sam and Gideon will be a little shocked and their world will be a little rocked. Sam was surprised to see an infant's car seat and while he knows that there's a "baby in mom's belly" that was the first time it occurred to him that the baby would come out and be a part of the family. Gideon says that there's a monster in his belly-- which definitely comes out most days-- and a baby in mom's belly. So hopefully, the next thing on this blog will be an introduction to baby #13!

July Ends and August begins and School Reports

 July ended with the two birthdays, a trip to the beach, cleaning, mowing, and organizing for the new baby. The baby is now a week late, so we have continued with school, but the kids are anxious for a new baby to snuggle and vacation time again. 

Adam is still working on reading quickly but understanding what he reads. That has been a difficulty for him for a long time, but now it is something that he is conscientiously working on. Adam's still one of my right hand men. He's often available to do the dirty work, like clean up trash that an animal got into or sweep goose poop off from the back deck. Adam's in 11th grade and doing alright. He's advanced in most areas and tests well, but really needs to work on learning for good. 

Rachel is in the 10th grade. She reads well and knows what she reads. she has started algebra 2 for math and is spending a lot of her day on art and learning to sew. Rachel would rather not do school and has no real academic goals, yet she's quite smart and knows what she reads and learns her math fairly accurately. Rachel's also pretty funny to have around. 

Anya is swift and smart and does well with most things that she puts a hand to. Anya is learning to sew and spends a lot of her school day on art. She is really good at drawing and she has made us a new pot holder and a pillowy bed for the baby. Anya is excited to get a newborn baby to snuggle and take care of. 

Joseph is struggling to read and know what he reads and to pay attention. But he is really smart and about 3 years ahead for his age, so I am not too worried yet. He just needs to learn to stop wasting his time. 

Joshua is reading much better now than he was at the end of the last school year. He would be officially in the 5th grade now. His math is probably at the 6th grade level and his reading at the beginning of 4th grade. Josh is interested in all things bugs and lizards. He is also a very good artist and draws new pokemon that he makes up all the time. 

Arwen is officially in the 4th grade and her reading is more likely at a 7th or 8th grade level. She is right on par for 4th grade and maybe a little accelerated. She doesn't complain too much about school and generally works pretty quickly to get her assignments done. 

Suzy is officially in the 2nd grade, but her reading is still at a kindergarten level and her math is probably the end of the 1st grade. For reading, I just restarted her Good and the Beautiful from last year and we are moving slowly through it. But one of the nice things about homeschool is that you can work where your child is at and not move them beyond where they are ready or keep them back when they are ready to move ahead. Suzy is moving along a lot more quickly this year. Hopefully, she'll continue to improve. 

Sam is pre-k and learning his alphabet and numbers quickly. He really likes to be read to. I had a funny conversation with Sam the other day. He asked me if I liked dogs and then asked me if I had ever thought about getting a dog. Right then I thought the conversation was funny to be having with a 4 year old, but I told him I had thought about it some to breed dogs for money. Sam then said, "Mom, do not get I dog. I HATE DOGS!!" That was not where I thought the conversation was going.  I thought that he would be asking for a dog, not making  sure that I would not get a dog. 

Gideon likes me to read to him. He's usually pretty decent during the school day and has begun getting his own paper and pencil when school begins, to draw circles and things. Gideon is always playing make believe and always making bomb and gun noises. The other night, he was lying between John and I in bed. He had his fingers bumping into each other and making exploding noises and then suddenly dropped off to sleep.