9.21.16 bone soup

With all my sitting I have lots of time to pursue the internet. And with all this sitting I was in hopes my baby was gaining and growing fat. Not so much. So back to sitting more trying to sleep more and no pacifier just nursing and pumping and then repeat. Its working slowly but surely.

As the old adage goes you can't run the cow around the pasture and expect lots of milk. (i live in cattle country this resonates with folks round these parts). While I strive to sit and let laundry, dishes and dirt accumulate till capable culprits come home from school the mere business of getting to and from activities and keeping a slight eye on the littles (who suddenly wake up early and refuse to nap) this wears me out.

Thus looking for help in getting more milk into my baby. One suggestion was bone soup. The old method of restoring health. It's often the first offering after sickness, surgery, or injury. Being that I have one home sick going on day 5 and trying to be more abundant in lactation myself I ordered some bones, read several recipes and am simmering bone soup!

I was shocked to find I live in a veritable garden of Eden. Free range organic grass fed happy animals are abundant outside my door. I'm breatnhing in all their goodness! Not to mention I'm saving or sitting on a good mine of health. It's amazing how much people pay for those animals or byproducts online.
A friend sent half a gallon of fresh goat milk for dinner. Hallelujah as that is a great supplement for my baby. He likes it too! Again wholesome goodness!!
Off to strain my liquid gold bone soup... And eat more fat which was the other suggestion for helping him gain.

Sidenote: my chickens were spared the pot this time. Chicken feet are the secret ingredient. I asked Greg and Sue to help me kill a chicken, both said no. Reed and Millie were up for it I just ran out of gusto and time. Maybe next week... If this soup cures some of the coughing going on here my chicken flock might be cut in number soon starting with the fighting roosters- hack hack!

9.13.16 around here

Life has not stopped around here. Although I sincerely wish it would slow down. I'm finding I did a lot more than i realized as I'm sitting nursing and holding Bruce for many hours these days. He continues to be a fabulous baby, I just forget how much time it takes to grow a baby on the outside! But I keep telling myself " I can do this I CAN do this, I hope!"

 The kids are doing ok just missing  individual parent attention. You can tell they are really morose about the whole situation.

Although that has some trade offs as they do enjoy the various gifts of nourishment that have been brought. This might was hot fudge Sundays courtesy of my parents.

The olders are doing well filling in some gaps. Harold works with Greg now after school. We miss him but it's been good for him to learn and help his swamped dad.  This when he gets home he is ready to talk and play. The little girls love the attention and the older girls are more than happy to chatter away with him. A major bonus of the boy girl dynamic here is how they draw each other out in conversation.
Trying to ease some of the monotony of mom just sitting and nursing I bought some more arrows for bow practice. Aliza showi g her skills getting her arrow directly through the water bottle target!

Reed as the big brother. School is a trial for him as it is so much sitting. Thank goodness for science, p.e., and recess or it would be unbearable. We sure miss him but are glad he is learning and try to reassure him it will get better. In the meantime he wrestles, chases, and plays as much as he can with the little girls to help him unwind from the long days away.

After church on Sunday Afton was impressed with this ladies chair. These two are close to the oldest and youngest I'm our ward. This lady is so happy and kind she literally loved and traveled all over the world with her family. Its pretty see inspiring to learn bits of her life story.

9.11.16 introducing

One of my biggest worries prebirth was how to fit in another person. And one who requires a lot of time. I'm happy and cautious to report he us a fabulous baby. He sleeps a big chunk of the night. He loves to held, nurses great and is just a peaceful blessing. Because he is so good I'm feeling pretty good. I count this as a tender mercy and divine intervention! 

We named him Bruce Seburn. Those are family names.
My dad is bruce and seburn is a ways back on my line but there are very few of them left, at least to my knowledge. We are thankful for the many blessings he has brought. While im not trusting myself with making lots of decisions or being the most tactful person, all in all the transition  is going well. Kids are surviving well so now on to a busy week two with our new little chief. A sign fortold by this funny tomato we got this year.

And just for sake of recording with aliza and john home this week we made and canned a batch of spaghetti  sauce and salsa on Tuesday  then 30 qts of  peaches on Thursday and picked over 100 lbs of pears from the neighbors  on Saturday.  So not too much sitting around but enough to just adore this sweet baby. Anticipating  a much less productive  week with kids all back in school. That may be a good thing too! Best to you.

9.6.16-To due... To done!

After a long night of laboring every hour I woke up ate an avocado, read some stories, and proceeded into real labor, a hurried drive, and a quick delivery of this little big guy! Labor got real about 10:30 we left at 11 and he was born at 12:12. All good we were there and all was safe and fine. 

My prayers had been that his birth would be comfortable. I couldn't bring myself to pray for painless although I've been told that is possible too. I was more worried how he would fit in. How he would complicate all the schedules that run in our home. How we would ever fit in resting, nursing, and nurturing everyone else. So needless to say seeing a long weekend, no big activities, and hearing from Greg things were slow it looked like a really opportune day to have a baby!

I haven't had a natural birth during the day ever. This was new! We were rested, although the "We've got to go now!!" phone call interrupted an oil change- Harold was able to go to town and finish the oil change and it was all good. Some of my older kids are home this week and able to help out. The others were able to hold down the fort for the weekend while I recuperated at a very peaceful grandma's house. It's been comfortable!

The kids are in love. The boys especially are so happy! The girls of course think he's great but I'm touched at how tender Harold and Mark and John are with him. It makes me sad to think they will not be buddy play companions to him but hero's and role models. Different stages and phases our family is and will go through.

I was struck how much Anna looks like me in this picture. She is busy with high school activities and the backbone of our meal planning efforts. She does well and we are thankful.

And of course the biggest perk to new baby sitting and holding him and since we are all about productivity making the most of the time reading. The best part of new babies besides their sweet smell, calm, and peace is all the great reading that can occur! Yay!!!

So I had a fat and full to do list before I was due. I can happily say it all got checked off before he came. From sacrament bread for Sunday, to haircut for dad, to reorganizing visiting teaching, to canning, we got through it. Now on this side I am happy to report he is a very chill baby. Loves to be cuddled, nurses well, is gaining weight, sleeps long stretches and only cries when we sit him alone to keep him awake so he will sleep long stretches at night. I feel good not too sore and am amazed how quick it really went.

 I wish I could skip the anxiety of worrying about delivery but I guess that's all part of the hormones changing. I learned more about herbal possibilities and helps this time and the power of prayer and positive thinking. This time every time a nervous or scared thought would come into my mind I would think "I'm so excited to meet this new person in our family!" It helped a lot. I listened to a talk that said if we are prepared we should not fear so I tried to apply that I was prepared so I didn't need to fear. We are blessed. God is good and he is real. I also told myself all through the night of laboring 1x per hour- I turn this over to Christ he has already paid the price ... it was enough to go back to sleep. Some suffering makes it real and gives us the sense of accomplishment but it's nice to have it be quick and to have some relief.