31 Reasons I LOVE being me...

On my 31st Birthday I decided to compile a list of the things I like about me...

• I am super strong!  Mainly physically, but emotionally too.

• I’m a great cook.  I enjoy cooking and baking too! And I always have the BEST little helpers!
• I will do anything for family and friends. Need someone to paint your house? House-sitting? Baby-sitting ?  Dog-walking? Moving? 
• I love to read and learn new things. 
• I have MAD skills in the multi-tasking department. 
• I’m caring and dedicated. To both my family, 'obligations' and activities commitments. 
• I’m creative and I LOVE sharing my creative ideas with others. 

• I’m hard-working and determined.  
• I can have a conversation about anything, some might find this to be a flaw..lol 
• I’m honest and sincere. I have truly embarrassed the "If you don't have anything nice to say, don't say anything at all" philosophy. 
• I’m good with kids, my own and others. 
• I’m intelligent. 
• I want to make the world a better place. 
• I try to improve myself. It's a challenge, but I recognize that I am human, I have flaws and there are ways I can improve myself. 
• I believe in God. 
• I’m thoughtful and old-fashioned. Even if it makes me "weird", I don't mind. 
• I can write great stories, and I love trying to. 
• I’m open- minded and do my best NOT to judge people JUST BECAUSE they are different than me or make choices that differ from my own choices. 
• I love my resilience and keep fighting attitude. 
• I love for family 

• I am a dreamer and I always will be. I am not giving up on my dreams,and still working on them. 
• Not being into drugs and smoking,and not be dependent on alcohol. 
• The sense of humor I even manage to find when I’m depressed (even if it is dry and sarcastic!) 
• The desire to teach myself new things, like American Sign Language or guitar. 
• My very high pain threshold! (Comes in very handy birthing babies). 
• My perfectionism (sometimes!), although I am not afraid to ask for help when I need it. 
• I can laugh at my own expense. 
• My schedule oriented nature. 
• My natural inclination to research everything like crazy (even when it freaks me out or gets me into trouble). 

• The fact that I have found a soul mate in my best friend and I love him with all of my heart! 
• The (almost) three delightfully wonderful little people I have brought into this world.

Where is this Baby?

EVERY single one of my EDD's given to me has been surpassed.
It sounds funny to say, "every one of them", but with an irregular cycle and inconsistent measurements, it seemed every doctor or midwife I have seen during the past 41 weeks has had a difference in professional opinion as to when this little guy is coming.

• January 4, Nope.
• January 7, Not it.
• January 9, Nada.
• January 13, Goodbye.
• January 15, See ya.

When you first see your midwife or doctor they give you a date that your baby is due. Sometimes this date is changed during the course of your pregnancy, but mostly it stays the same and is looked forward to with great anticipation.

The reality is however that only 5% of babies arrive on the day they are expected. Ideally you should allow two weeks either side of your due date. Giving birth anywhere between 37 to 42 weeks is considered normal.

So where does that leave me?
In a tizzy!
I am anywhere between 1 and 12 days late.
Not quite two weeks, but pretty dang close.

Around 10% of pregnancies do go beyond 42 weeks.

In the majority of cases the outcome is good for prolonged pregnancies. It’s only a minority of cases where problems occur.
Commonly induction of labour is offered once the pregnancy exceeds 41 weeks.

There is very little a woman can do to avoid going overdue or have any control over the actual length of pregnancy, when waiting for labour to start naturally.

• Sweeping membranes – during a vaginal examination the midwife or doctor gently separate the membranes from the opening of the uterus.
• Sexual activity – A woman’s orgasm causes oxytocin to be released, as does nipple stimulation. Oxytocin is the hormone that causes the uterus to contract. Semen also contains prostaglandins, which can help soften the cervix.
• Acupuncture or acupressure – consult a qualified practitioner
• Homeopathic remedies – consult a qualified practitioner
• Herbal preparations – consult a qualified practitioner
• Walking
• Good hot bowl of curry
• Castor oil. Castor oil can cause cramps, nausea, vomiting and spasmodic contractions of the uterus. Basically it is down right unpleasant.
• Breaking the waters: The waters are broken with an instrument shaped like a large crochet hook. The cervix needs to be open a couple of centimetres before the bag of waters can be broken. Breaking the waters can be an uncomfortable procedure, particularly if the cervix isn’t open very far. Breaking the waters may be enough to start labour on its own, but usually a Syntocinon intravenous infusion is required.
• Prostaglandin gel: Prostaglandin gel is placed in the back of the vagina and helps soften and ripen the cervix. In some women, labour may start without further intervention. Prostaglandin administration increases the risk of developing a temperature, diarrhoea, fetal distress and haemorrhage after birth.
• Syntocinon through an intravenous infusion: Once the waters have been broken, an intravenous drip containing the drug Syntocinon can be used. Syntocinon is a synthetic hormone that makes the uterus contract and is a fairly reliable method for starting labour. Problems associated with induction with Syntocinon include failure to progress (resulting in a caesarean birth), increased need for pain relieving drugs, need for continuous monitoring of the baby through labour, increased risk of baby becoming distressed and increased risk of haemorrhage after the birth.

Reasons of an Overdue Pregnancy:

• The exact date of the start of your last menstrual period isn't known
• This is true for me, although the date of conception IS known...
• This is your first pregnancy
• NOPE
• You've had prior overdue pregnancies
• Not as far as I originally thought, however after switching doctors it was brought to my attention that my little Bean was 10 days late!
• Overdue pregnancy runs in your family
• NOPE
• Your baby is a boy
• Ok, true, but I also had a premature boy...
• You're obese
• NOPE

Welcome Home...

Matt Ran a HUGE race weekend AND met with some 'interesting' and 'influential' people all the way.

...and Minnie Mouse too.

Shortening Labor

Since my little man is not here yet, I have these last few (I hope) late nights in which I am able to devote to research and writing... One of the topics I have resarched is

How to Shorten Labor

which seems to be a lost cause for me!

• Evening Primrose Oil
• Evening primrose oil can be used from from 35 weeks.
• The oil contains prostaglandin, a natural form of the gel that is often inserted during a medical induction of labor.
• Its main function is to soften the cervix, meaning that your body will have to do less work to dilate you to the full 10cm required for birth.
• You can take the pills orally and also insert one internally – this is best done at night with a pad in place.
• Raspberry Leaf Tea or Pills
• Raspberry leaf has long been used to treat a variety of women’s problems including menstrual problems; it also has the added benefit of strengthening the uterus and decreasing the risk of bleeding and haemorrage during and after birth.
• Stronger uterus muscles achieve more with each contraction, which generally shortens labor times.
• The best option is to take raspberry leaf in the tablet form, as it is far stronger than the tea and therefore more likely to have the desired effect.
• You can start taking the tea or pills as early as 32 weeks – starting too late will decrease the chance they will help when labor begins.
• Good Posture
• Try your best to sit up straight and with your legs as wide as possible – slouching can be bad for two reasons:
• Baby is more likely to move into a posterior position if you slouch, causing painful back labor.
• Correct posture helps your body open up, push baby into the correct position and align your pelvis correctly.
• Avoid warm showers/baths
• Although hot baths or showers are a common recommendation to help speed up labor, they can actually have the opposite effect in early labor.
• It’s important to not have a bath or shower till you are in full established labor – otherwise labor can slow down or in some cases, stop altogether.
• Don’t avoid showers altogether though – you may get a bit smelly! But if you are having intermittent contractions or think you are in early labour, hold off for awhile.
• Pain Relieve
• Although the idea of labor without pain relief can be quite scary to many women, if you’re able to manage it, it can help shorten your labor.
• Drugs can interfere with the body’s natural ability to contract properly and therefore increase your labor time. But if you can’t go without pain relief – don’t stress. Sometimes you need it to help you get through the most painful parts of the labor
 

Baby Introduction

All parents have gain experience through parenting itself. None of us are experts in any area of parenting....Most of what I know about raising kids comes from my years of teaching, counselling children and adolescence, educational experience (child development and early elementary education) and my own grandparents example, who successfully raised five children and two grandchildren spanning two decades – who all get along. 


Now my family and I are facing a great parenting challenge...bringing home a sibling:

• When a new baby arrives, the older siblings’ role as an older sibling is as important as the new baby. 
• Explain special treatment the baby receives in terms of the baby not being able to do things the older sibling can do. (baby needs to nurse because they don’t have teeth, baby is carried because they can’t walk)
• If an older sibling expresses disgust or disdain for the baby having dirty diapers, build empathy instead of distance by commenting on how nice it is that the older sibling doesn’t have to wear diapers any more.
  
• Emphasize the older siblings’ ability to teach the baby new things. 
• When older siblings interact with the baby inappropriately, teach them an appropriate way to interact rather than getting angry or frustrated with them. 
• Talk about how much the baby likes their older siblings.
• Give lots of positive reinforcement for appropriate behavior.
• Allow room for the older siblings to regress a bit in the early months after a baby is born. There are a lot of changes happening in the home, and everyone is feeling more tired and strained than usual. Make sure the older siblings are still getting plenty of attention.

The transition should be eased...

• Have the baby bring siblings gifts, and let siblings bring baby gifts to the hospital, but ONLY IF they want to.
• Wear the baby when you want to give the baby a break from siblings.
• Encourage siblings to look after a baby doll or stuffed animal while you look after the baby.
  
• If siblings get rough with the baby and won’t redirect, sadly say that you have to remove the baby, because they aren’t being kind to the baby. I usually put the baby in a baby carrier at this point. Remind siblings that babies are people, not toys.

January 1. New Year’s 2. Motivation & Inspiration 3. Straw 4. Tom Thumb 5. Bean / Bird 6. Three Kings 7. Harlem Globetrotter’s 8. Bubble Bath / Argyle 9. Static Electricity 10. League of Nations 11. Morse Code 12. Fruitcake / Miss America Pageant 13. Rubber Ducky Day 14. Organize 15. Humanitarian 16. Appreciate a Dragon 17. Judgment 18. Winnie the Pooh 19. Popcorn / Tin Can 20. Inauguration 21. Hugging 22. Celebrate Life 23. Pie 24. Belly Laugh / Peanut Butter 25. Pre-school Fitness 26. Seed Swap 27. Peace 28. Bubble Wrap Appreciation 29. Freethinkers / Puzzle / Seeing Eye Dog 30. Silly message 31. Inspire with Art

January Crafting with the kiddos Month...

January

1. Salt Painted Winter 

• First, we cut wavy lines for our landscape and glued them to the bottom of the blue paper.
• Then, I helped the kids paint their hands brown and make a print on the blue paper for the tree. Make sure that you hold on to a young child's wrist through this whole process to reduce the risk of getting paint everywhere :) You'll also want to have a towel or baby wipes nearby to wipe off their hands until you can get to a sink.
• Next we used the paintbrushes to paint the trunks of the trees.
• Once the trees dried, the kids used their paintbrushes to paint glue dots all over their pages to look like snowflakes.
• We then sprinkled salt onto the glue and let it dry. Once the glue dries, gently tap your page to remove the excess salt and it will leave you with a beautiful winter scene.
• Print the poem: See the pretty snowflakes, Falling from the sky, On the trees and housetops, Soft and thick they lie.

 2. Handprint Snowflake

• I painted the kids hands with blue paint using the sponge brush and helped them place their hands in different directions to create a unique snowflake design. We ended up putting more paint on their fingers a few times.
• Then, they picked glitter pens to decorate with or sprinkled their snowflakes with glitter.
• After they dried, we cut circles around them and mounted them on blue paper. Next, we hole-punched them and tied them with ribbon so they could hang in the windows. 
• On the back of each circle, I printed this poem: My handprint's like a snowflake, Unique in every way, Keep it close to your heart, I'm growing every day.

 3. Snowman Sock

• If you end up with larger socks, trim them down so the stretchy part is separate (this will be used for the snowman's hat).
•  Pour 1/2 cup of rice into the bottom of the sock. 
• Fill the sock about 3/4 full of polyester fiberfill (or until you have the desired size snowman). Securely tie off the top of the sock with a rubber band. Use a second rubber band to create the head of the snowman.
• Tie the red strip of felt around the middle rubber band to form a scarf for your snowman.
• Glue buttons down the side for the snowman.
• Cut a triangle out of orange felt for the nose and use the googly eyes to make the snowman's face.
• If you used a smaller sock, you can just fold the top of the sock over the rubber band to form the hat and glue a pom ball to the top. If you used a larger sock. you need to secure one end of the cut portion with a rubber band and then fold over the remaining side to form a separate hat. Glue a pom ball to the top of the hat
• Put the hat on the top of your snowman and use the puffy paint to create a smile.

4. Shape Snowmen

• After reading the story,  "Snowman at Night" give the kids materials to make their own snowman out of shapes:  3 white circles (2 large, 1 medium), 1 square, 1 orange triangle nose,
  2 googly eyes, 4 buttons, brown marker
• Using their materials, the kids assembled their own snowmen on blue construction paper based on what they thought a snowman would look like from the story. 

5. Marshmallow Igloo

• With a few numbered cups and bag of miniature marshmallows, we were able to do a lot of differentiated math lessons. :
• Identifying numbers - the kids told me what numbers were on each cup
• Ordering - we put the cups in order from smallest to largest
• Counting and One-to-one Correspondence - They counted the correct number of marshmallows and put them in the cup
• Adding and Subtracting - We worked with adding piles of marshmallows together and counting to 20
• Even work in some fine motor skills by using tweezers to put the marshmallows in the cups.
• Construct an igloo using the foam cups, white frosting, & miniature marshmallows
• To prep the cups, cut a small hole for the 'door' of the igloo. 
• Put each child's cup on a paper plate to help contain the mess and gave them a few spoonfuls of frosting with spreaders. 
• Spread the frosting on their cups (some of the younger ones needed covering the whole cup) and then stuck the marshmallows on.

6. Paper towel roll penguin

• To prep for this craft, cut out 2 black oval wings, 2 orange webbed feet, one orange diamond & a white 'dome' shape for each.
• Wrap the toilet paper in black construction paper and cut out penguin pieces.
• Glue the pieces on as shown in the picture. 
• Add googly eyes and a Popsicle stick (if desired) to make a puppet.
• Can read a Penguin story while the children are working.

7. Snowman Marshmallow Painting

• First, model how to use their marshmallows to make large circles for the snowman and small circles for the snow and dragging the marshmallows across the bottom to make a snowy landscape.
• Once they dry, use the other materials to decorate snowmen, making eyes, nose, and hats.

8. Cotton Ball Snowball FIIIIIIGGGGHT!

9. Painting with Icicles (on construction paper)

10. Snowman Treat

• Place 3 snowman on a toothpick
• Use a fruit roll-up for a scarf, and edible markers to decorate

11. Create a winter sensory bin (cotton balls or packing peanuts or popcorn or icicle paper)

12. Waterless Snowman Globe

• Small paper plates, cut out the natural center of them, use one half of a resealable bag glued to the edge of the hole on the inside and cut off the extra plastic, then cut one extra plate like that and cut it in half to make the toques.
• Paint the toque, & add glitter.
• Allow to dry.
• Glue onto the snowman head and take the full plate for the backing of the snowmen, fill it with fake snow and, match toque, use glitter and glue the front of the snowman head onto the backing with tacky glue.
• Chose pompoms to go on top of the toque .
• Next glue googly eyes, and trace glue shapes on the face for the nose and the mouth.