Mom has challenged me to document these things before I forget them. I suppose this will do for now.
( Read more... )

I think Maren also has the sickness the boys have, though nothing but sleepiness has shown.( Napping )
I've been working, scattered-ly, on organizing my rooms and closets more efficiently. ( Moving it all around to make it fit. )
Back to work while I have free time!

Maren has been warm since Saturday night. She had to sleep in our room that night because we had guests in her room and she kept waking up looking for her pacifier, but not able to find it.
She's holding her breath for a moment before letting it out which is causing her to make a noise while she breathes. She relaxes when she sleeps though.
Yesterday, Rachel and I went to Everett to deliver a baby blanket to my friend to give to her friend. I wanted Josiah to keep Maren home during this time, but he was doing a work weekend for Novo and couldn't. She didn't have a good long nap, but slept several times for about 30 minutes each. She's taking fluids, but isn't interested in food.
I feel bad for the kid. Today might be tough as I have Max. Thankfully, he's been sleeping since he got here 2.5 hours ago. I don't think he gets naps at the day care center and I hear he's pretty exhausted at the end of the day! Busy kid.

I just finished watching Rikki Lake's documentary "The Business of Being Born." I have been wanting to see it since I started researching home birth. The midwife suggested this documentary and the book Pushed: The Painful Truth About Childbirth and Modern Maternity Care. I've learned many new things about Obstetrics and Midwifery through these titles. Things to share with Josiah.
Last night the book gave me a fairly recent study that showed maternal death, fetal death and and complications are the same percentages for low risk mothers both in and out of the hospital. I shared this with Josiah who said as long as I remain in a state of "low risk" he would be fine with me birthing at home. It's just if things get a little complicated, he's not comfortable. I said the midwife is limited on what she can and cannot do when risks rise and it's ok if things get hairy to go to the hospital.
So, YAY! I finally got a pretty good "Go" from him.

Josiah and I did some errand running yesterday and Maren fell asleep on the way home. However, her nap wasn't nearly enough to get her through the day so I laid her in the crib to finish up. Nope! She wasn't going to have that. I decided to let her be on the floor in her room, making sure there wasn't anything within her reach that was unsafe. I gave her some milk and toys, shut the door and left her alone. Not a peep out of her for half an hour so I looked under the door to see what she was doing. I saw her two little feet motionless next to the door. She had curled up on the pile of dirty sheets I had thrown there and was fast asleep. I heard her up a little while later and opened the door to a happy, well-rested toddler.
The idea struck me to put her crib mattress on the floor for sleeping that night. It was a success! I wasn't woken up by her shrieking "Mah-mee! Mah-mee!" I didn't have to retrieve her paci and pillow and favorite blanket and shush her so I could sleep another hour before Max arrived. Nope! I heard her playing when I had gotten up to answer the door! Nap time was also successful.
She loves to run into the room and flop on her bed. Then she stands on it as though claiming, "This is MY spot!"
I'll give it a few more days before dismanteling the huge crib. It has drawers on the side that make it impossible to fit along another wall in her room and allow the guest bed to be put on the floor.
Negatives: Making sure I grab the paci off the floor before she leaves the room so she doesn't have it outside of sleeping. Rigging a way for the queen mattress to stay upright on the wall, currently the crib is holding it up. Outlets, mainly keeping her from pulling the baby monitor plug out. She's pretty good about not putting her fingers in there. Being constantly aware that she could learn how to open the dresser drawers.
I'm pretty happy about the thought of removing that crib for a while.

On Sunday I talked to Rachel about not wanting to watch Max anymore. I have been watching him four days a week since May. I had intended to home school him and work with his behavior, but I've slacked and he's rowdy and it's not working out anymore. I spend most of his time here grumpy because he's cramped in our small place, dying to go run out his energy. He wants to control Maren because she's smaller than him. I lecture him about once an hour about his inappropriate behavior. Then resort to spanking when he does exactly what I've asked him not to do just moments ago. He lies, manipulates, is rowdy, has no consistency at home to back up what I try to teach him here. And I'm done. I have offered that if it makes a big difference to Rachel financially, that I'm willing to watch him once a week and times when the day care is closed. Chris was given the ultimatum to watch Max on his days off during the week or help monetarily. He, thankfully, chose to be with his son. However, I am skeptical Chris will keep up with this and give ample notice if he needs one of his days free. But it won't come on me!

( Then another issue )

Feeling the need to post, mostly in reply to my dear sister. But also the rest of my readers who must check in on me once in a while.
I'm just so content with my simple life that I feel there isn't much of interest to the rest of you, but little things one at a time can add up to a complete change in a year.

( More on that... )