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.

8.28.16 Filling Up

No pictures because my hands have been full and my legs have been tired. We have been filling up jars as fast as we can!! Ha-ha.
I love this time of year. I especially love the unity and skill my children are exhibiting. I have been mostly sitting and watching them can and am awed and frustrated with the experience. They do so well and they disappear so fast. But the kiddos have taken this project from start to finish and I am thankful for their skill in providing for our way of life for the coming year.
Baby is filling me up. I'm just waiting and working to be positive, realistic, patient, and restful.
I'm slowly checking things off the list that have to be done. Canning looked done. We did peaches, fruit cocktail, jam, and spaghetti sauce last week. Then we went and picked or purchased more peaches. Oh drat! So we may be doing some late night canning this week.
All in all though we are just preparing to meet this new member of our family! "I am so excited!" is my new phrase I repeat every time some scared or apprehensive thought creeps in. It's been so comforting to have the big kids home- they are so capable and helpful. I'm so thankful they are trained to cook, clean, launder, care for, converse with, think and play. Life is good and we are blessed and someday soon we will start the journey again with this new patient little one. God is good to give us chances to learn and learn again. Best to you.

8.18.16 Just waiting...

With kids back in school life is sure different. A friend asked if I just sit and wait all day for them to come home. Well sort of. I found the little girls at the end of the driveway and insisted they come back. They found the mud puddle and since it was in the shade and I didn't want to wash dishes I sat and observed while snapping some pictures to show Greg later. 

Afton is hollering here. I am woman hear me roar! All good outside away from my ears.

Then Millie found some nice silty mud.  My friend had also stated science has found mud to have many anti-depression, anti-anxiety qualities and that it is really good for us to be in the dirt and mud. Therapeutic play I guess.

Then I got a mud rub on my legs. Never let my kids do that before. It wasn't bad they were thrilled to include mom.

I have very soft legs now Afton was intent on bringing handful after handful to my legs to rub them down. It occupied her and I thought why not, isn't this bonding or accepting them where they are at?

After getting muddy clothes I told them to clean off in the hose. Which became a water spree. All good. Two hoses two girls up the hill no problem.

Until Afton was parked on my legs on the hill and Livy brought the sprinkler in chase of Millie and couldn't resist mom the sitting duck talking to dad on the phone trying to send out a group text to people to let them know about an after school activity. And so big mom got wetted down too.

When everyone is home Addie, Mark, Reed, or John would have been the players and recipients. Today it was mom. I have pictures of Anna, Harold and maybe Aliza playing in the water when they were little. I haven't been in the action much since then. Although I am wet- not bad on a hot day- my legs are exfoliated, we are all clean and really it's good to be more centered on these little busy people. Thank goodness for deadlocks on my doors. I hope they contain them for a while.

Yesterday we were more reserved and just read a lot of books, after cleaning and washing and doing laundry for hours. It's a lot of work to run this show alone!

The girls are enjoying Aliza's forgotten lunch. They had a picnic at home. So far my plan to establish myself as the boss with them is still on shaky ground, but maybe the tactic is more if you can't beat them join them... or just try to keep them safe, or just love them for where they are at?

8.17.16 Running through the last days

We have had packed days trying to get the most work accomplished before the lazy days of school. From  cramming with Reed to canning peaches to sorting clothes and cleaning we have been pushing hard. We took a day off to go to the church orchard to pick peaches. I love those opportunities. The kids were going to be gone on their annual rodeo outing and they are such good workers I just couldn't let them miss out. So after a quick midwife appointment- I lost 2 lbs!!- we went and picked for an hour. This experience was a real testament to the Lord's orchard vs. others and things that are prayed over. 

Look at that peach!

Hopefully our baby's head won't be much bigger than that peach. It was the largest peach we found that day but most were at least softball size. Gorgeous fruit on short trees where all the picking was within arms reach, no ladders required!! Beautiful and fun time to be with my crew.

Super picker showing his muscles. John is a fastidious worker. He mostly stays till his job requirement is done. I love this about him.

Later that night Greg and I returned with the little girls. One of his new responsibilities is getting our ward to the orchard and there are few things more annoying than being asked to come to a project and the asker not showing up to work too. It was a nice evening and nice to visit with adults and kids from our ward. I think we have helped people see kids are total assets on service projects. While they may not work as efficiently it's so good to be together as a family working, visiting, and sharing an experience. The orchard is a fairly secluded safe spot so even little people are just fine.

As we drove we pointed out the red sunset to Livy. She demanded we take a picture like Aunt Brenda. I don't take pictures of nature much because I have so many family pictures. But she is probably correct in insisting we be more grateful for such beautiful sights. Love that my kids are taught by great aunts and uncles.

I concur with Afton. It's been a mad dash trying to get everything done. We got it done enough. Today is strangely quiet and peaceful and ok. It is always hard to send the kids off, but I know they will come hiome proud and full of stories tonight. They have a need to grow and stretch too. So nap time and run time again keeping them up till bed time, listening and coralling the energy and tiredness. Life is good I am hugely blessed to have so many to experience this life of learning with. Best to you today.