Birthing

So I will be having a baby in about 10 weeks, the baby is currently breach, so I might end up with a c-section.  But I hope to have the baby vaginally like I did with my 3 previous pregnancies.  I was talking with a friend the other day and we were talking about who is in the birthing room when we give birth.  Many woman prefer just their husbands in the room and I think that is great if that is what you prefer.  Me on the other hand feels like birth is such a rare blessing that is not witnessed everyday, and is a miracle from God, and the spirit in the room is so strong that more the merrier!  With my first daughter I had my hubby, mom, dad, brother (most of it), grandmother (who has since passed), and grandfather (who has also passed, and it was the FIRST birth he had ever witnessed).  It was so amazing to have so much support and love in the room, it was so amazing to have everyone.  Now with baby number 4 we must decide if our 3 daughters should be in the room or not.  My oldest does not want to be in the room she does NOT like BLOOD!  My middle daughter who is 5 years old wants to catch the baby and cut the cord!  My 2 year old could careless!  I want them there to experience the birth if they want to be there, I just worry about complications and scaring them for life!  Birth-control at the best!  HA HA HA!  Who is in your room when you deliver?

Potty Training

My daughter will be 3 a few days before Halloween.  I am going to be having a baby in 10 weeks!  So, I have been thinking about potty training but I just never feel well enough to do it (I have hyperemesis......I am sick all the time).  Well I either need to do it now or when she turns 3 because I do not want extra stress in her life with the baby coming.  So I gave it a go this morning when she woke up with a dry diaper (she usually does).  I sat her on the potty and she went!  YA!  She has gone 6 times and no accidents, it is 2pm!  I called my hubby at work and told him there is NO turning back now!  We are all done with diapers!  I am not a pull up person either, I am 100% underwear!  When I potty train I use LOTS of treats, every time she pee's she gets a SUCKER!  Then if it has been a while since she has peed I get her to go by giving her ice cream dyed any color she wants it!  We watched  you tube: all the potty training movies (elmo, etc) and we do the potty dance on line!  My girls have all been potty trained in one day and I hope our son is as easy!  I know many moms feel stressed about potty training and keeping up with friends who have kids the same ages and potty training.  I luckily do not feel that pressure and I feel like when your child is ready you should potty train not because everyone else is doing it.  Have you ever felt that pressure?  Are your kids easy to potty train?  Are boys harder?  Whats your story on potty training?

Vitamin K Shot

I did not know much about the Vitamin K shot with my 3 other children and I did it with all of them when they were newborns.  I came across an article the other day saying that the shot was not necessary except for certain issues the baby or mother might have such as:

• Preterm delivery (I do not have this issue)
• Low birth weight (I do not have this issue)
• A forceps or vacuum extraction delivery (I DO have this issue)
• Mother’s use of antibiotics, anticoagulants, anticonvulsants, and some other medications during pregnancy (I DO use antibiotics while pregnant for different issues)
• Undetected liver disease
• Extremely fast, or extremely prolonged labor, particularly during the pushing phase (I have 24 hour labors with at least 3 hours of pushing)
• Delivery by C-section (I do not have this issue)

Since I have a few of these issues I am not sure if I need the shot or not.  The risk of the shot is:

Risks associated with the Vitamin K shot
As with any medical procedure, the vitamin K shot does carry risks. Infants who receive the vitamin K shot have an increased risk of developing newborn jaundice. Many babies who receive the shot develop severe jaundice and require light therapy and other treatment to protect their health. Some studies also suggest a possible link between the vitamin K shot and an increased incidence of developing leukemia and other childhood cancers. While some studies refute these findings, the risk of developing childhood leukemia may be increased by up to 80% with the administration of the vitamin K shot (http://www.babyreference.com/VitaminKinjectORnot.htm). Introducing levels of vitamin K in excess of normal newborn levels may also interfere with proper cell division and growth (http://www.babyreference.com/VitaminKinjectORnot.htm). The shot is also painful for the baby, and for many parents, this is enough to refuse the vitamin k shot. FROM: http://voices.yahoo.com/is-vitamin-k-shot-right-newborn-480153.html?cat=25

I have no idea what to do, I am going to ask my doctor about the Oral Vitamin K and about me taking vitamin K before the baby is born and then he can get it through my breast milk.

Carseat Issues!

Any moms out there have any thoughts on this issue.....My 2 year old needs a new car-seat (hers expired), I bought a nice one at Babies R Us this weekend....it is a convertible car seat, it says it goes up to a child who is 47"....my daughter is 36" (not overly tall).....but the straps are below her shoulders and they are suppose to be above her shoulders. What do I do? What options do I have?

Did you know car seats expire?  It is printed on the back of them.  Do you follow the expiration date? Suppose the plastic gets flexible the older it gets and less safe for the child to be in.

What has your child taught you?

President Boyd K. Packer said, “One of the great discoveries of parenthood is that we learn far more about what really matters from our children than we ever did from our parents”

• I thought about the question it asked and the four things that came to me right away that my children have taught me are:

1. Patience......I have never been more patient with anyone else besides my kids
2. Forgiveness.....My kids always forgive me no matter how cranky I am, tired, sick, or not myself.  They never stay mad at me.
3. Love....I have never felt unconditional love until I had my kids.
4. Sacrifice....I would literally do anything for my kids and sacrifice anything for them

What have your children taught you?

Summer Time!

I like to keep the kids busy during the summer so no one fights and makes life stressful.  Since I am trying to make plans for a wide range of children 2years-8 years old it can difficult.  I like to teach the kids about Service and do a service project once a week with the kids.  I can never figure out what to do especially with a 2 year old, it hit me today!  I decided there has to be something we can do at the Humane Society, so I gave our local humane society a call, a sure enough!  Once a week we can go play, walk, feed, and wash the animals!  How perfect!  Teach my children about service, loving animals, and being kind.  Just pray we do not end up with any animals by the end of the summer!  Here is our other ideas for summer activities:

Work on School in morning….letters and numbers (for my 5 year old getting ready for Kindergarten)

Military letters (men and women serving over seas)

Animal shelter

Elderly home (craft project with them)

Movies (rent movies or dollar theater has kids movies once a week for 1.00)

Library

Play dough day

Paint (outside in the side walk, or on a twister game board)

Chalk (outside and in our HAIR)

Tye Dye (socks, shirts, and underwear)

Clean house day (once a week, teach the children the values of a clean house and helping out in our home)

Water (slip and slide, water balloons, lake, pool.....)

Service (taking homemade treats to Elderly from church and in our neighborhood)

Cooking (cupcakes, cookies, etc)

Park (visit a different park once a week, feed the ducks)

Butterfly house (love this place)

Do you have any ideas?

Connecting with Your School Age Child at School!

This topic is going to be broken up into a couple of posts.  It could range from working in the classroom, being part of the PTA, field trips, etc.  But today I wanted to focus on how you remind your child durring the day while they are at school that you love them, miss them, and to remain true to their values and morals.
How do you do this?  What do you do?

Here are a few things I do:

1. When my daughter gets out of the car every day I tell her 4 things:

• Choose The Right
• Be a Good Friend
• Be a Missionary
• We love you and Christ Loves You 

What do you tell your children when they get out of the car?  What are the last things you want them to remember as they leave you for the rest of that day?

2. At the beginning of the year when we buy all the back to school supplies, i.e. folders, notebooks, pencils, crayons, markers, etc......I write on all of them like crazy!  Her pencils say things like: We miss you, We love you, Have a great day, Smile, You are beautiful, You are Smart!  Then on her folders and notebooks I make picture collages of family pictures and activites we have done together so she will have a moment to look at them at school and feel our love.  His sisters, dad, and I write little pesonal notes to her about things we love about her.

3. Her lunch box always has a napkin in it with either a funny joke (She loves jokes), quotes from church like: Families Are Forever, funny pictures I draw, or notes from a family member.  So she has a moment at lunch time to know we are thinking about her. (pinterest has lots of lunch box jokes you can print and put in their lunch box)

I am not sure these 3 simple things I do make a difference or not but she loves feeling our love for her and it helps her feel closer to us when she is at school ALL DAY LONG!

How do you help your school age child feel loved at school?