free at last, free at last, thank God almighty we are ALL free at last!!!

Uploaded - 3\15\10-12

Uploaded - 3\15\10-10

Uploaded - 3\15\10-8

9lb 6oz

Legend arrives

Can you feel the love

Out of the 4 child births I've been through with Joye, this is the first time she's let me get close to her, without being clawed!!! Gotta love the drugs. Now if I could only get her these same drugs on a regular basis, it might help her cope with living with me.

waiting bedside

It's not everyday a Legend is born!

epidural

no baby yet, just pain meds.

The dark side of labor

Shoes

Her slippers make her happy, but i'm sure this will change soon.....

water broke

TWas the night before Legend

...and all were blogging!

(Joel has now taken over this blog and will be posting all day tomorrow--so consider yourself warned)

sew happy

Somewhere along the way between that first date and the baby days, our idea of romance changes drastically.  Today my husband told me the most romantic and genuinely heart melting words a husband can tell his pregnant wife of three small kids.

"Honey, why don't I take the kids today and you can relax?"

Wonderful, wonderful man.  

I happily got to work on one project after another.  First I cleaned the rockin' retro booster seats I found on our walk to the used furniture store the other day (above photo).  Then I raided my fabric stash and sewed pillow after pillow after pillow, two sets of curtains, and even started a baby sling.  Meanwhile, my fabulous mother cleaned my house from top to bottom.

What a beautiful day.

birth plans...

photo:  Dance...of a new life

I got a phone call yesterday.

My CNW (certified nurse midwife) was on the other line.

"Umm, Joye, I know we scheduled your induction for Friday morning, but, well, we have some ladies that really need to be induced for serious medical reasons and we're going to have to re-schedule you for Monday."

Monday?  Monday!?  I wanted to scream that my fat, swollen feet, hot flashes, dislocated tail bone, and a suspected eight pounds and still growing baby were medical emergencies!  But instead I mumbled a "Yes, okay, I understand."
"That's all?", the voice on the other end was incredulous, "You're not going to curse me out?  Most mammas do, you know."

Oh, I certainly felt like venting.  The disappoint was keen and I could feel the water faucets turning on, the dreaded pregnancy dam about to burst.  Don't get me wrong-- I am thankful that I am not considered a medical emergency and  I am especially thankful that my baby is perfectly healthy.  But... (sigh).  I'm tired.  My mother just flew in on Monday expecting a baby to already be here.  Five days later--still no baby and she's flying out in nine days.  We're both exhausted from chasing my three little monkeys around and I'm getting a little desperate.

I actually surprised myself this time by even considering an induction.  Me, the all natural, let nature take it's course with as little intervention as possible, birth enthusiast.  I even drew up a "natural birth plan" (want one?  visit here) for all my pregnancies, had my doctor and nurses sign them and left them on file at the nurse's station.  Just in case.  But really, how can you plan something as beautiful and spontaneous as birth?  God is ultimately in control (preachin' to myself here).  And I really prefer Him to be in control, anyway.  I was blessed to experience two amazing natural births--the birth of my first born and the birth of my twins.  I do know that that is not always possible, though, and I am in no way trying to guilt trip anyone out there that didn't go that route.

For those of you, however, who may be contemplating a natural birth, know that you won't regret it.  It's truly an incredible experience  (not pain free, people, but incredible no less).  And for those of you who may have wished for a natural birth but were unable to do so, know that you are no less of a woman!  You labored with love and gave birth to another amazing little person fashioned by the hand of God.

I remember during my first pregnancy poring through the scriptures and taking in everything I could about childbirth.  One of my favorite scriptures was in Psalms and I memorized it and recalled it during my labor pains.

"From birth I have relied on you; you brought me forth from my mother's womb. I will ever praise you."  Psalm 71: 6

 I personalized this scripture and put my baby's name in it so that it read,  "From birth _____ has relied on you; you brought ______ forth from [his] mother's womb.  ______ will ever praise you."


It was such a beautiful reminder to me that it is God who brings my baby into this world.  His hand is on me.  He is my deliverer.
And I needed that reminder today.

our secret place

Our Secret Place

I hear your voice now whispering

secrets longing to be told

And the clamor that surrounds me

drowns out heaven's gentle toll

Lead me to our secret place, Lord

take me through that narrow gate

Where all weariness and struggle

is banished by the light of your face

My hand in yours we'll walk along

our hearts melting into one

And the silence will brim with words

You speak

here in our secret place

"I will give you the treasures of darkness, riches stored in secret places, so that you may know that I am the LORD, the God of Israel, who summons you by name." {Isaiah 45:3} 

color my day red

When you're pregnant colors just seem more vivid, the sense of smell is sharpened, and even taste is keener. Color is one thing that definitely perks this tired-of-being-pregnant lady up.  I love how creative God is.  He could have just made a black and white world.  But no, He's much more exciting than that.   I've decided that I will do a "color my day" post every now and then and fill it with the color I'm loving at the moment.  I'm adding one rule to my color post, though, the majority (if not all) of the pictures must be things I already have.  I want to be content with what I've got and I don't want the emphasis to be on "things" or even on the accumulation of things but rather on being thankful.  It's easy online (especially in blogland) to fall into the trap of drooling over other people's cool stuff.  I know I have.  This verse keeps me grounded:

"Don't be obsessed with getting more material things. Be relaxed with what you have."  Hebrews 13: 5 MSG

I want to simplify.  To give more and gain less.  To appreciate more and want less.  And that doesn't always come naturally, but I know my Lord stands ready to help.

Lately, I've been inspired by the color red.  It's full of vitality, of boldness, and cheer.  Here's some reds that pack a lot of happiness for me:

Nesting dolls that my mother-in-love brought over from a missions trip to Russia (above picture)--"one generation into another"

Red and white polka dot shoes I found at a thrift store

Tulips that I got for Valentine's Day from a sister-in-love

These boys... my loves

Tomatoes and skordalia

camellias on my windowsill

And my favorite red?

The heart of God that bled for me

In a crimson tide from calvary

swingin'

Everything about this picture  from the etsy shop Storing Up Treasures captivates me.  It floods me with memories of carefree childhood moments.

Eyes squinting into the bright sun, 

drawing circles around it with our toes.

Plunging our feet into a cotton candy sky.

We could fly then.

And we let the wind tangle our hair.

Up. Up. Up.
Higher. Higher. Higher.
Until our hearts were so light they made our throats tickle.
Butterflies dancing in our tummies,
throwing our heads back as our feet went up,
we laughed.


It's the kind of joy God gives us when we feel like all our strength is gone.  It's the treasure we find in the  simple blessings of home, babies, and love.  It's why God told us to come to him as a little child, full of faith, full of awe, full of trust.  And I need that.  I WANT that.  I've let myself lose a lot of joy lately.  I've gotten wrapped up in disappointments, in to-do lists, in bills, in endless and exhausting housework, in impatience with this season of my life.  But God is reminding me about the little girl who used to swing with abandon, with unrestrained joy.  He's inviting me to recapture a joy that He alone can give.  To swing with Him, the light of His Son on my face, the wind of His Spirit beneath me.

The mother who took this picture reminds me what a full house, full hearts, full obedience really looks like.  Her blog is called Storing up Treasures and that is exactly what she is doing.  God placed adoption on their hearts and they said yes.  Four times.  And now they have ten children.  She's decided to sell her beautiful photographs in an etsy shop as a way to raise money to keep their home.  And I am praying in confidence that God will bless them!  Four children have experienced the love of a family because they didn't ignore the heart of God.  They set their plans aside and adopted His.  But, you want to know the best part about her blog?  You won't leave feeling less of a mother because you have fewer kids.  She's real and it's so refreshing.

So, if you get a chance, give them some love : )
And then find a swing set and go swinging with your Daddy God.

the skinny skin mask

Winter, pregnancy hormones, and just plain ole mommy-hood has definitely played a number on my skin.  I remember in pre-kid days how careful I was to wash my face every night and to brush my teeth nearly three times a day.  Sadly, I now forget to wash my face most nights and I usually have to hunt down my toothbrush because little hands mistook it for their own.  And I am not one that has been blessed with a flawless complexion that can withstand this sort of abuse.  I was informed when I was a teenager that my skin would change for the better once I reached my twenties.  I've been waiting for such a transformation....seven years later...still waiting.

I've decided my skin could use a little much needed intervention.  Some natural, no money out of the pocket, find it in my kitchen-- kind of intervention.  And there's really no better remedy than the facial mask my mom used to make me.  It's a moisturizer, toner, and anti-bacterial all-in-one.

What you'll need to make this facial mask:

1 T. honey

1 egg

1 handful rolled oats

Mix ingredients together, smear it on your face and let it dry for almost ten minutes.  It will start to feel tight and uncomfortable, but once you rinse it off with warm water, your face will feel noticeably softer and smoother.  You can even add this concoction with a drop of lavender oil to your bath water for a moisturizing bath soak. 

What does what (because I'm curious and always want to know these things):

Honey contains antioxidants and antibacterial properties.  It also helps restore the natural moisture balance of your skin without leaving it oily.

Eggs are full of protein and rich in vitamins and minerals that exfoliate, cleanse and tone skin.

Oatmeal is a deep pore cleanser, excellent moisturizer and even heals skin irritations.

I really haven't pampered myself like this in a long time.  And, yes, this is definitely what I consider "pampering"!  I can't quite reach my toes, so giving myself a pedicure is out of the question, but I can relax, sip a cup of hot raspberry tea, and even take another capsule of black cohosh, evening primrose oil, and castor oil.  Ok, so maybe I don't have that last one on hand, but you get the picture : )

just havin' some fun

{this picture was just taken with my honey's phone and sent to my blog}

We really want to post through my labor and delivery so we just downloaded an app called Shozu for honey's iPhone.  Ok, so I say "we" but in truth, I know "I" will definitely NOT be wanting to type any kind of nice calm message while I'm in labor!  That will all be up to my man.  I do think it will be a wonderful birthing journal and I'm excited to have it as a keepsake.

I soo appreciated all the wonderful suggestions to help "get things movin'"!  You guys are great!  I did take many of your suggestions, too!

Some of my faves to add to "the induction list" were:

• Eat eggplant parmigian-- suggested by Mommara and Debi  (I laughed so hard when I visited the page with the recipe that Debi suggested!  This restaurant claims that their recipe will put women in labor within 48 hours or they get another meal for free.  Their walls are covered with photos of babies delivered after eating their dish!  You better believe I ate some for lunch!!)
• Reflexology--suggested by Jill  (now to find a reflexologist...)
• Evening primrose oil--suggested by Simply Dawn  (I won't get too technical about how this one is administered)
• Acupuncture--suggested by Lisa  (takes a brave soul)

I just had a doctor's appointment and nothing has changed so I'll probably be eating eggplant parmigian for breakfast, lunch, and supper till this baby comes!

come on, baby

I've decided I've got to do something to help this process  (I know, I know, it'll all happen in God's timing!)  but this impatient momma thinks maybe God could use some assistance...(smile).

So, I've compiled a list of advice I've received from people on how to "get things movin'". 

Some Sane, Some Totally Wacky Ways to Induce Labor

• Go for a LONG walk
• Eat a pineapple
• Take Black Cohosh (consult doctor first before taking this herb)
• Steal food from your neighbor  (yes!  someone did actually tell me this would bring on my labor!!)
• Eat a raw egg every morning  (pretty gross-- am I that desperate?  maybe.)
• Drink a gallon of fresh red raspberry tea made from tea leaves
• Get a pedicure or a foot massage
• Eat a spicy enchilada

There are a few others I have tried, but won't add here because this is a family blog after all and may be too much information : )


Got one to share?  Let me know!

still here...

You would think after having three pregnancies and giving birth to four babies, I would know how to recognize when I'm in labor.  Yeah, I thought so too!  But after having contractions that were lasting longer than 30 seconds and anywhere from 4 to 8 minutes apart for three hours, it stopped.  Nothing happened.  That was it.  The end.  False alarm.  Braxton Hicks fooled me this time.

With every other pregnancy, I've rarely had braxton hicks (what's braxton hicks?  my definition: practical jokes your body plays on you with contractions that don't actually put you in labor).  I've always just started contracting and had a baby within the next 8 hours.

But every pregnancy is different.

So here I am.  And here baby still is.

And something better happen soon!

our weekend in pictures

This weekend was beautiful.

Just waitin' for a baby.  

We had lots of fun with daddy.

We let mommy take pictures of our shoes.

Because she's weird like that.

We even let mommy finish her LAST projects before baby comes:

a nursing cover and a car seat cover.

And mommy was going to start another project, BUT

contractions are getting closer together....

So daddy promised to bring the laptop

and told mommy she could blog all the way 

through labor and delivery.

So sweet of him.

P.S.  I'm hoping this is the real thing and we get to see our baby boy tonight!

the hipstamatic and eureka!

I'm really not a high tech kinda gal.  

For the longest time I was completely happy with my cheap little Wal-mart go phone.  When it broke I bought a similar one.  Nothing fancy schmancy.  Just plain, simple, and toddler proof.  And really, that's all I needed.  But, I have to say, my husband's iPhone ROCKS!  He must have close to a hundred apps and they are all awesome.  My new fave is the camera app he just downloaded called the hipstamatic.  I love the variety of vintage films and lenses you can choose from and the pics it takes look so fabulously retro.

The quality isn't that great, but the effects are SO much fun to play around with!  Totally addicting.  We just had to pull out the vintage 1960's (70's?) eureka vacuum cleaner we found for a dollar.  It works better than my old one!  And I'm lovin' the groovy orange color.   We got a little carried away with our new addiction and Joel shot some retro housewife pics of me.  Seriously, who takes pics with their vacuum cleaner?  Ummm...apparently we do.

Here's hoping you all have a groovy, totally copasetic week.


P.S. Baby's still hanging in there and this momma is actually looking forward to staying in the hospital as long as they'll let me!  : )  What I'll be singing:  "Vacation" by the Go-Go's!