BIG NEWS

Hello Everyone, I'm back and I have big news -I'm pregnant! Exciting :)

Lately I've been wondering how I will handle breastfeeding both of my children if Haven doesn't wean before the baby is born. I think tandem nursing is great, but I'm a little worried about night-time tandem nursing. That doesn't sound like something I want to try... This is my plan in the works:

Breastfeed Haven on demand until she is 1 year old.

At 1 year, start night-weaning Haven.
Here is my night-weaning plan (We'll see if this works):
STEP ONE: Nurse Haven to sleep, but when she wakes up to nurse during the night, only nurse her for a few minutes and them have her go to sleep without being nursed to sleep. This will probably be hard, since she likes to nurse to sleep.
STEP TWO: Nurse Haven to sleep, but when she wakes up to nurse during the night, do not nurse her, just comfort her back to sleep. She's probably not going to like this very much....
STEP THREE: When Haven stops waking up during the night to nurse (I'm guessing this will happen when she realizes that she is not going to get to nurse) we can move her crib into the other room.

This is my plan, we shall see what actually happens.

Another thing I'm planning on doing before the baby is born is teaching Haven to sit or stand next to me without running off. Well, so far she can't even walk, but I guess she could definitely crawl away, lol. The reason for this is, when I have the new baby, I don't want to be chasing her around when we are in public and in church while carrying around a newborn. Just trying to plan ahead a little. You mom's out there with more than 1 child probably think I'm insane, lol. Again, we shall see what ACTUALLY happens, lol.

We are super excited about the baby!

Any name suggestions?

Yobaby!

I bought the Yobaby yogurt for Haven (Heath wasn't with me when I went shopping, lol). I got the 6 pack with vanilla and banana flavors. I mixed the banana with rice cereal and she liked it pretty well. It took three meals to use the whole 4 oz. Tonight, I decided to just feed her the vanilla without mixing it with the cereal. She LOVED it! I decided to taste it to see what the big deal was -it tasted like icing! LOL! She ate almost the whole 4 oz. I finished off the rest. It was delicious. The nutrition facts says it has 13 g of sugar including natural milk sugar. Seems like a lot for a baby. I will probably mix it with cereal from now on.

THINGS I LEARNED FROM BEING RAISED IN ARKANSAS

Someone forwarded this to my mailbox. I usually don't read forwards but the title got me curious. Some of this stuff is SO TRUE!

THINGS I LEARNED FROM BEING RAISED IN ARKANSAS

Armadillos sleep in the middle of the road with their feet in the air.

There are 5,000 types of snakes on earth and 4,998 live in Arkansas

There are 10,000 types of spiders. All 10,000 live in Arkansas , plus a couple no one's seen before.

If it grows, it sticks; if it crawls, it bites. (and if it's flying and biting you -it's a mosquito!)

'Twiced' is a word.

People actually grow and eat okra (I LOVE FRIED OKRA!)

'Fixinto' is one word. (I say this at least once a day)

There is no such thing as 'lunch.' There is only dinner and then supper. (It can be confusing if someone invites you over for "dinner"... so should I come at noon or at 7:00 pm?)

Iced tea is appropriate for all meals and you start drinking it when you're two. We do like a little tea with our sugar! (I wish I had some sweet tea right now!)

'Backwards and forwards' means I know everything about you!

Djeet is actually a phrase meaning 'Did you eat?'

You don't PUSH buttons, you MASH them. (Older people say this, lol)

You measure distance in hours. Like its 3 hours from Little Rock to Fort Smith . (I never know how many "miles" it is to somewhere)

You'll probably have to switch from 'heat' to 'A/C' in the same day.

You install security lights on your house and garage and leave both unlocked. (We never locked our doors growing up -house or cars. My parents still don't.)

Yes, a Friday night high school football games is serious football!

You carry jumper cables in your car . . . for your OWN car. (Doesn't everybody?)

There are only four spices: salt, pepper, Tabasco and ketchup. (Minus the Tabasco, add Louisiana hot sauce)

The local papers cover national and international news on one page, but require 6 pages for local gossip and sports.

100 degrees Fahrenheit is 'a little warm.' (actually, complaining about the weather is a favorite pastime. "It's not the heat, it's the humidity!")

We have four seasons: Almost Summer, Summer, still Summer and Christmas. (Where I grew up, we were lucky to get one snow a year!)

Going to Wal-Mart is a favorite past time known as 'goin' to Wally-World.' (We went at least 3 times a week.)

A cool snap (below 70 degrees) is good pinto-bean weather. (I have no idea what this means...)

A carbonated soft drink isn't a soda, cola or pop, it's a Coke, regardless of brand or flavor. Example: 'What kind a coke you want?' (This is 100% true)

Fried catfish is the other white meat.

We don't need no stinking driver's Ed. If our mama says we can drive, we can drive. (I got my permit when I was 14, lol)

If you understand these jokes please forward them to your friends from Arkansas (and those who just wish they were).

EVERYONE can't be from Arkansas . You might say it's a gift from God!

And the most important thing we learn growing up in ARKANSAS is... IN GOD WE TRUST

I Love Arkansas and would never want to move anywhere else. But if I had to choose, I would pick... Texas :)

Things I need to get done before 3:00

1. Wash the dishes *
2. Fold and put up laundry *
3. Clean both bathrooms *
4. Give Haven a bath *
5. Take a shower
6. Change the sheets in the guest bed
7. Make Heath some lunch
8. Make the beds *
9. Get the fan ready to put up in the guest bedroom
10. Mow the yard .5*

And do I actually have enough time to do all this stuff?

1. Wash the dishes 1 hour (there are a lot!)
2. Fold and put up laundry 30 mins (a lot of this too!)
3. Clean both bathrooms 40 mins
4. Give Haven a bath 15 mins
5. Take a shower 15 mins
6. Change the sheets in the guest bed 10 mins
7. Make Heath some lunch 20 mins
8. Make the beds 5 mins
9. Get the fan ready to put up in the guest bedroom30 mins
10. Mow the yard 45 mins
TOTAL 4 hours and 30 mins!

That is exactly how long I have. I guess I will start with the dishes. Boo.

Embryo Adoption

Wow, I never thought I'd really be thinking seriously about something like this! I remember hearing about Snowflakes on Christian radio 5 or 6 years ago. Of course, I probably hadn't even met my husband yet so I really didn't think about it at all. In fact, yesterday was the first time it came back into my mind. I was talking to my oldest sister on the phone and she suggested that I might adopt an embryo with a negative blood type.

For those of you that don't know, I have Rh disease, which means that if I carry a baby with a positive blood type, antibodies in my blood may attack the baby's blood. My body created the antibodies during the 3rd trimester of my first (and only) baby. I had refused the Rhogam shot at 28 weeks and had planed to get it after the baby was born. If you have negative blood, get the shot at 28 weeks, the alternative is very difficult if you get antibodies like I did.

Right now we do not know if my husband has positive/positive blood or positive/negative blood. If the former is the case, we will never have a child with negative blood. If the latter is the case, we have 50% chance that each of our children will have negative blood.

As for now we have decided to try to have another child -praying for a good outcome! I still fear the worst, although I know I should give it to God. He is the one who opens and closes the womb. He is the one who knew I would have antibodies. He is the one who kept Haven safe from them while she was inside me.

I keep going back the the option of adoption. I've always wanted to adopt, since I was a teenager. I never imagined I might HAVE to adopt to have more children. I wanted to choose adoption just because I wanted to adopt.

From what I've learned about embryo adoption, I think it's amazing. You get to carry the child, give birth to the child, breastfeed the child... I was just curious if they would even let me into the program since I do have Rh disease and the embryo MUST have negative blood. So I sent them this question:

Hi, I have a D antibody that could cause harm to any child I carry that has a positive blood type. However, if I carry a child with a negative blood type, it will be a normal pregnancy. I was wondering if you work with women like me who would like to adopt an embryo with a negative blood type. (If both the parents have a negative blood type, the child will certainly have a negative blood type.) My husband and I are going to try to have another child on our own (we have one child already), but if the outcome is bad, we are thinking about adoption. A friend of mine just pointed out that I could possibly adopt an embryo with a negative blood type and I would be able to carry it myself and breastfeed it and have all those wonderful new baby experiences. Please let me know if you think this is even possible. Thank You, Summer

This is the response I received:

Hi Summer,
Thank you for contacting us. From the information that you have provided us, I see no reason why you would not be an eligible candidate for our Snowflakes Program. Our only requirement would be that your doctor provides a letter stating that you have no contraindications to pregnancy. I have attached our information packet for you to review if you would like. Please let me know if you have any additional questions.
We wish you the best on your next pregnancy and hope that everything goes smoothly. In the future, if you do decide you are ready to adopt, we would be pleased to work with you.
Warmly,
Sierra

I am really excited to have this option and I plan on learning as much about it as I can. These embryos are frozen in time, waiting for life. Their parents have decided not to have more children. I think it's an amazing program. What do you think?

EASY & AFFORDABLE MEAL PLAN

MEAL 1

GROUND BEEF STROGANOFF

¾ pound ground beef, lean
1 small onion, chopped
1/2 teaspoon garlic salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
10 3/4 ounces cream of mushroom soup, condensed
3/4 cup sour cream, or yogurt

In medium skillet, brown ground beef and onion; drain excess fat. Stir in garlic salt, pepper, soup and mushrooms. Simmer covered, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir in sour cream; heat through, but do not boil. Serve over rice, noodles or chow mein noodles.

Serving Size: 4

CREAMY - CHEESY CORN

3 oz. cream cheese, softened
1/4 c. milk
1 tbsp. butter
1/2 tsp. salt
1 (16 oz.) can whole kernel shoepeg corn, drained

Mix all ingredients, except corn; cook over low heat until cheese melts, stirring often. Add corn and heat thoroughly.

(This meal was a big hit last night. DH LOVED the corn. Haven ate a lot of the stroganoff)

MEAL 2

EASY CHICKEN FAJITAS

boneless chicken breast
1 1/2 c. water or chicken broth
1 pkg. taco seasoning
2 chopped bell peppers (red, green, or yellow)

Cut chicken breast into strips. Simmer strips in water or broth until just about done.Place in skillet along with 1 cup cooking water or broth, taco seasoning, and chopped bell peppers.Simmer until chicken is done and sauce becomes thick. Add remaining water or broth (1/2 c.) and simmer 10 minutes. Ready to eat! Recommended Toppings: Lettuce, Tomato, Refried Beans, Sour Cream, Taco

MEAL 3

SHEPHERDS PIE (POOR MANS PIE)

¾ lb. ground beef
1 can peas
1 can sweet corn
1 medium onion, diced
1/3 c. sugar
8 medium potatoes
2 c. shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Boil potatoes, mash and season to taste with milk and butter. Brown ground beef and onion with salt and pepper. When cooked, add peas, corn, sugar. Let simmer until heated through. In 13x9 pan place meat and vegetable mixture in bottom of pan. Cover with mashed potatoes and sprinkle cheese on top. Place in oven on BROIL until cheese is bubbly or light brown.

MEAL 4

SAUCY MEATBALL SUPPER

¾ lbs. ground beef
1/2 c. onion, chopped
2 eggs
1/4 c. milk
1 tsp. salt
Dash of pepper
1 c. (2 slices) soft bread crumbs
2 tbsp. snipped parsley
1/2 tsp. dried oregano, crushed

Mix all ingredients well. Shape into 1 inch balls. In large skillet, brown meatballs in a little shortening on all sides. Drain off excess fat. Combine one (11 ounce) can condensed cheddar cheese soup, 1/2 cup water, and 1/4 cup dry white wine. Add to meat in skillet. Cook, covered, over low heat 15 to 20 minutes. Serve over cooked spaghetti, noodles or rice. Serves 6.

MEAL 5

CHICKEN MEXICALI

1 chicken, boil 7 deboned
1 can cream of chicken soup
1 can cream of mushroom soup
1 sm. onion, chopped
1 bell pepper, chopped
1 tsp. chili powder
1 can Rotel tomatoes with chilies

Doritos

Grated cheese

Mix all the above ingredients in 9"x12" pan and pour over corn Doritos and top with grated cheese. Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.

MEAL 6

PORCUPINE MEATBALLS

3/4 lb. ground beef
1/2 c. uncooked rice
1/4 onion, chopped fine
1/2 slice white bread
1 can tomato soup
Salt & seasoning salt, to taste

Take 1/2 slice white bread, add 1/2 cup cold water and mix. Add to meat, seasoning, onion and rice. Form into meatballs and place into ungreased, covered electric fry pan or heavy fry pan. Cover with 1 can tomato soup and 1 can of water which have been mixed together. Place cover on skillet or fry pan. Cook on medium heat (just so tomato juice lightly boils) until rice pops out like a porcupine. Can also be placed in heavy pan in 350 degree oven (covered) until rice pops out.

MEAL 7

SUMMER’S POTATO SOUP

5 - 8 potatoes

Half a stick of butter

¼ cup of milk

¼ stick of Velveeta

Skin and boil the potatoes. Drain. Add butter, milk, and Velveeta. Allow Velveeta to melt.

SHOPPING LIST

MEAT

1 bag chicken breasts

3 lbs ground beef

CANS

1 Cream of chicken soup

2 cream of mushroom soup

1 cheddar cheese soup

1 rotel

1 peas

1 sweet corn

1 refried beans

1 tomato soup

1 shoepeg corn

VEGETABLES

Bag of onions

3 bell peppers

1 bag potatoes

SEASONING

Chili powder

Parsley

Oregano

Taco seasoning

DAIRY

Milk

Grated cheese

2 cups sharp cheddar cheese

Sour cream

3 oz cream cheese

Butter

OTHER

Rice

Eggs

Bread

Doritos

Sugar

Velveeta

COST ABOUT $48.00

(My total cost was $48.82. However, I also bought 2 muffin mixes, 1 can of salsa, and 1 can of chili. I did not buy tomato soup, Velveeta, butter, parsley or oregano.)

I Made My Own EC Diaper Out of an Old T-Shirt!

I love ECing, but I didn't know this is what I was going to be doing before I had my little one. That's why I bought 15 BumGenius One Size Pocket diapers (which are amazing). However, they aren't perfect for ECing. Taking the diaper on and off can be a hassle. I've been doing a lot of diaper-free, but my husband isn't a big fan of nakey-bum. I just wish I had one of those EcaWare flip-down, drop-front little learning pants!


But alas, they cost $18. You know my husband wouldn't hear of buying more diapers when I already have 15 perfectly fine ones.

I also needed a diaper that wasn't so water-proof, so I could tell when Haven had wet and change her quickly.
So... I MADE MY OWN EC DIAPER OUT OF AN OLD T-SHIRT!

First I laid one of my diapers on the T-shirt

Next, I pulled the elastic tight.
After that, I marked around the diaper, an inch or two away from the edge.
If your little one is on the floor, she will want to help.

Then I cut it out. This was the hardest part because my scissors STINK!
Next, I laid my little one on the diaper and tied the back flap around her middle. Since I cut it so that the back flap was still a loop, I just pulled one side of the loop through the other side and tied it like that.
Then, I just tucked in the front flap. Now I can simply pull out the front flap whenever she needs to potty and stuff it back in when she is done! Misses will be easily seen or felt. The diaper is also easy to take completely off because the t-shirt stretches enough to pull it off without untying it.

Here she is on the go. She wasn't happy about being my model...

Here she is wearing the other pair I made before. They were a bit too small because I didn't stretch out the elastic before I traced the diaper. When I make another, I will probably make it even longer, just too make tucking it in easier.

Now, if you have a sewing machine and you are a great seamstress, you probably will not care for this diaper. I, however, have no sewing machine or any sewing abilities. In fact, my sister is hesitant to allow me to even use her machine for fear I might break it! If you have a fear of breaking sewing machines -this could be the do-it-yourself EC diaper for you. Happy ECing!