Closing the blog...for now

I have been MIA for too long!! I have realized that I have been filling my time instead of redeeming my time. I fill it with worthy pursuits...sewing dresses for my 3 darling daughters; knitting for my baby and others' babies; reading; playing on the internet. Once I understood that these things were taking up my time so that "I don't have time to read my Bible today." became a common utterance, I knew I needed to do some pruning. So, until I am able to slow down things in my family, blogging is one thing I can quit feeling guilt over. I did it for fun. I shouldn't be feeling any guilt over it. Feel free to leave a comment if you happen to come across my little corner of the world wide web. I will still read it. If you have any questions, I will email you answers. Although with 5 littles underfoot, I am a crazy lady!

BTW, I had little Henry on December 5th at 8:20 in the morning. It was an amazing homebirth. He weighed 9lb 4oz. He was 23 inches long. Yes, you read that right, it's not a typo. Here's a couple of pics.

Serving Him,
The Joyful Housewife

My beloved wanted to take a picture of my belly. I was walking around the house in labor. This was about 8 hours before H was born. Ok, I know the pictures are out of order, but I can't figure out how to fix it. Sorry.



Here's Henry about 3 hours after birth. He had a ton of black hair. But, he's head has gotten bigger, but he hasn't gotten anymore hair. So, he looks mostly bald.



Here he is hanging out. This was about a month ago. I would put up a more recent picture, but I can't find the cord to the camera. So, I feel like that Walgreen's commercial about having to delete pictures. Anyway, I'm rambling.

38 1/2 weeks

I know this isn't all about my pregnancy, but at the end of pregnancies, it's all about the pregnancy. I am having trouble getting anything done, my ankles look really gross and my blood pressure is on the rise. But, I still love feeling him, I love my big belly and I'm excited about the delivery.

I am keeping the house REALLY clean, why? because he could come "at any minute." I hate that phrase. I wish I knew WHEN. The waiting is the hardest part.

I was up for a couple of hours last night with Braxton Hicks every 5 minutes. I thought it was "IT." When the contractions slowed and went away, I started praying. I really want to go into labor on God's timetable.

I prayed that God would line up my will with His will. I want what He wants. I know that God has chosen the birthday and that that day will be better than any day I could chose. Also, I am so grateful that the Lord has allowed me to have the chance to bear another child. I need to remember that at 3 am when I'm so tired and at 6 pm when my ankles disappear.

I have a midwife appt today. I'll let you know what she says.

36 weeks and SICK!!

I have struggled mightily with bladder infections with this pregnancy. I'm on my 4th! I've tried antibiotics (which I hate and only did because I was pregnant), natural remedies and even just letting it run it's course. I am drinking over a gallon of water a day. I am taking double my vitamins. I don't know why I am dealing with this. But, any time I have a crack in my immunity, I end up with a fever and really bad back ache. It knocks me out for about a week. Not a lot of time, except if you aren't done getting ready for baby!

I ran a fever with chills most of last night. My poor beloved! He got very little sleep. I am feeling better now...2 this afternoon! I now just feel weak and tired. Baby Henry is moving and doing well, Praise the Lord!

So, I have learned some great things during this pregnancy and trying to treat UTIs. One of the best things I learned was about D-Mannose.

Go to the healthfood store and get some D-Mannose. As with any infection it is always good to begin treatment as early as possible.

Keep drinking lots and lots of water and cranberry juice. I add my cranberry to my water. Echinacia is also good.

Keep it Simple

D-Mannose is a simple sugar. Chemically, it is closely related (a stereoisomer) to glucose. It is a naturally occurring sugar found in cranberry and pineapple juice. When D-Mannose is ingested into the body, most of it is rapidly absorbed through the stomach and upper GI tract before reaching the intestines, emptying into the urine through the kidneys.

Only a very small amount of D-Mannose is actually metabolized by the body. What benefit, you might ask, could possible derive from something that the body treats essentially as a waste product?

Enter E. Coli

Escherichia Coli (or E. Coli) is the normal bacterium found in every intestinal tract as part of the natural microflora residing therein. These bacteria are necessary for maintaining a properly functioning intestinal tract, and when out of balance, can have a disruptive effect on overall health, especially immune system function.

The Result - UTI's

These same E. Coli bacteria can wreak havoc when they find their way into the wrong place, namely the urinary tract. In Fact, 80-90% of all bladder infections (cystitis) can be attributed to E. Coli entering the urinary tract, a problem 50 times more common in women and girls than in men. E. Coli bacteria present in the vagina migrate into the urethra and onward to the bladder, which is why many women end up with a bladder infection every time they have intercourse. The reason E. Coli bacteria present such a persistent problem is that their physio-chemical makeup enables them to stick like glue to the inner walls of the urinary tract and bladder.

Symptoms of Bladder / Urinary Tract Infections

A variety of symptoms may indicate the presence of a bladder / urinary tract infection, and the intensity of those symptoms may range from mild to severe or even life threatening in some cases.

Symptoms may include:

Incontinence
Burning sensation upon urination
Sensation of urgency to urinate without the ability to void completely
Reddish or cloudy urine
Foul smelling urine
Lower abdominal pain
Frequent urination
Symptoms of Kidney Infections (acute pyelonephritis)

Kidney infection is a potentially dangerous form of urinary tract infection that results when a bladder infection is left untreated and bacteria continue to migrate up the ureters to the kidney.

Symptoms of kidney infections include:

Burning sensation during urination
Frequent urination
Increased urgency to urinate
Lower back pain
Chills
Nausea
Vomiting
Diarrhea

D-Mannose to the Rescue

The remarkable thing about D-Mannose is that its chemical structure causes it to adhere to E. Coli bacteria even more tenaciously than E.coli adhere to human cells. Normal urination, therefore, with a sufficient level of D-Mannose present, becomes a simple and effective treatment for the condition. E. Coli cells coated by D-Mannose in the urine become unglued and get flushed right out of the body.

Antibiotics?

Although they are often used, antibiotics are almost always an inferior treatment. Bladder or kidney infections can become a recurring problem or they can stop responding to the antibiotics. Long-term or often repeated antibiotic use can lead to major disturbance in normal body microflora, and sometimes to major disruption in health. Antibiotics successfully kill the unwanted micro-organisms, but they also kill many wanted micro-organisms as well. Use of antibiotics have caused many women to end up with yeast infections, as the friendly bacteria are killed off along with the bad bacteria, the antibiotic insensitive yeast can then grow out of control.

Cranberry Juice?

D-Mannose is naturally occurring and is found in cranberry juice. However, the amount in the juice is substantially less than in the 1 tsp. adult dose of D-Mannose, and is substantially less effective. D-Mannose is 10 times more active than the fructose in cranberries when it comes to dislodging the sticking of the E.coli bacteria from the urinary tract.

How is D-Mannose different?

D-Mannose does not kill bacteria, friendly or unfriendly. D-Mannose simply helps to remove misplaced E.coli from inside of the urinary tract by the natural process of urination. Use of D-Mannose is ecologically sound. The small amount of D-Mannose metabolized by the body and not excreted into the urine is harmless. It also tastes good!

D-Mannose.

has no side effects
is naturally occurring
does not kill friendly bacteria
does not disrupt normal body function
does not interfere with blood sugar regulation
is safe for pregnant women and small children
is hypo-allergenic
is dye free
is preservative free
is yeast free

Interstitial Cystitis And The Case For D-Mannose

Interstitial Cystitis (IC) is a chronic bladder disorder that mimics the symptoms of an ordinary urinary tract infection (UTI). Unlike ordinary UTIs resulting from E. coli bacteria, the cause(s) of IC continue to baffle medical researchers. Some researchers believe it is the result of an acid-alkali imbalance brought about by environmental factors and diet.
Some theorize that IC results from an infection caused by a more elusive strain of bacteria, undetected by routine IC screening methods. Still others suspect causes such as nerve function disorders, defective cells in the bladder lining, and allergic reactions.

Treatments for IC are numerous and diverse and include long term antibiotic use, herbal therapies, water dilation of the bladder, drug therapy (antidepressants) to effect a change in the bladder lining, and even surgery up to and including bladder removal. These treatments and others are normally employed in a trial and error fashion with varying degrees of success.

Can d-mannose be utilized as one more weapon in the arsenal of treatments for IC? Although there is no clinical evidence that it can be effective in every or even most cases, we have received anecdotal evidence in the form of customer testimonials from people who suffer from IC, and who have experienced relief from their symptoms as a result of using d-mannose. It is impossible to say by what mechanism this is being achieved since the causes of the disorder are so poorly understood.

Recent clinical trials suggest that d-mannose may be effective against strains of bacteria other than E.coli. Perhaps IC is an infection caused by "other" bacteria, as some believe, that are similarly dispatched by d-mannose. Interestingly, it is known that over two-thirds of all IC sufferers have a history of urinary tract infections. I s it possible that prevention and early treatment of ordinary UTIs with regular use of d-mannose may delay or even prevent the onset of IC? We can only speculate, but in any event, d-mannose is harmless and inexpensive, and certainly worth trying as part of any trial and error course of treatment.

How do you take D-Mannose?

Normal therapeutic dosage is 1/2 tsp. daily for chronic suffers of UTIs or weekly for preventative measures. It can be mixed with juice, milk or water. However, it is easiest to just take the powder plain.

According to Dr. Jonathan V. Wright, editor of Nutrition and Healing, during an infection it is recommended to take 1/2 tsp. every 3-4 hours. If the infection is not considerably better within 24 hours, it is probably not being caused by E.coli.

For women who experience bladder infections related to intercourse, it is recommended taking 1/2 tsp. 1 hour prior to and just after intercourse.

Long time no post

Ok, so I'll brutally honest. I haven't been posting for 2 reasons.

1--Why would anyone want to read what I had to say? I mean, there are many, many smarter...more whatever that I'm not. I have nothing together. I have children still struggling to read and absolutely can't spell (much like me). I yell at my kids. I get my feelings hurt by my beloved. I let laundry pile up. I have bad days. Why would anyone want to read about that? When they can read about the women on the web that have it all together and can help someone like me?

I think I had these great visions for getting a large blog following. Does everyone do that? And when I ran out of "good" things to say, I got discouraged.

2--I tried to make it bigger and better. I am not the most computer literate person in the world. I was spending a great deal of time reading how to make my blog better and in the mean time not getting anything else done.

So, since I'm sure it's been so long since my last post I've lost the readers I had I can take a step back, give myself some grace and not try so hard. I'm going to be myself. Which I always was but this means that sometimes the post will be about how nothing got done today or about how I blew it and yelled at my blessings.

How to get your kids to read the Bible

I am by no means a brain. In fact, things take me a LONG time to learn. But, I have stumbled upon a really great way to get my kids to read their Bible every day without nagging.

"No Bible, No Breakfast" Sound simple enough, right? Well, here's how it goes. If they don't read their Bible, they don't get to eat breakfast. If by lunch they still haven't read, they don't get lunch. If by supper they still haven't read, then we consider it a day of fasting. Now, my kids are smart and they haven't missed a meal yet. It's wonderful. My amazing hubby also made us up a family reading schedule so they know what and how far to read.

I wanted to share this delightful little plan.

Weekly Menu

I make my menus on Thursdays. That's our errand day so that's when I get groceries. Since we've started school, trying to get everything done made today very hectic. I'm going do some praying and talking with hubby to see if I can re-work Thursdays so they aren't so crazy.

Anyway, all that to say, here's my menu. If you'd like a recipe, just let me know.

	Breakfast	Lunch	Dinner	Desserts
Thursday	Granola and yogurt	From the Store	Fussy Day Chicken Buttered Noodles Steamed Broccoli
Friday	Pancakes	Leftovers	Pizza and salad (I am taking a meal to a friend, so I will triple this)
Saturday	Biscuits and gravy		BBQ Glazed Meatballs, Sweet and Sour Green Beans, Rice (I am feeding company so I am tripling this meal, too)	Chocolate Cake
Sunday	Coffee Cake	PB & J Sandwiches	Tomato Soup and Grilled Cheese
Monday	Yogurt and granola	Leftovers	Cuban Black Bean soup and Cornbread	Brownies
Tuesday	Toast	Black Bean Burritos	Taco Salad
Wednesday	Banana Bread		Orange Honeyed Chicken, Noodles, Salad

 

I spent more than I usually do on groceries this week, but stayed under budget. Our grocery budget includes all eating out and all household items (books, clothes and basically everything not bills.) So, dipping into the dining out part is better for us anyway, right? But, since we are feeding 2 extra families it makes since that I would spend more. I'll be honest with you, I hate spending money. But, I love to practice hospitality.

Send me your menu…that would be fun!

Seasons

In Ecclesiastes, God tells us that to everything there is a season. Boy, I know that's true. As a homeschool mom our seasons sometimes seem never-ending and at other times over all to quick.

I forgot how the first trimester can kick a girl in the pants! I haven't been pregnant in 4 years. Not that I haven't begged God for the very nausea, tiredness, etc that took me out of circulation for a while. I didn't realize how crummy I felt until I felt better. It was just a season.

Now, that I'm feeling better, I'm currently in the season of "Quick, get stuff done before I feel yucky again." Although, I feel like I fall further and further behind. My to-do list is LONG and rarely gets things marked off. Oh, well. It's a season.

We have started back to school already. I wasn't ready. We only had a month off and I could have used more time. I'm trying to space out the buying. And that's a season in of it's self! So, we are using curriculum we didn't get to last year. So, it isn't as much fun for me. You know that fun season of heading to the conference with your list. You head into the vendor hall with your new SETHSA bag ready to be filled with brand new books. The hours spent on eBay trying to find the best deal on used curriculum. I love that season. My husband hates that season.

So, we are back into the schedule season. I'll post that next week. We are back into the "Either do school or housework season." But, I'll be honest with you. I love this season. I love watching them sitting reading books all over the house. I love having the computer time being regulated. I love "Happy Rest Time". Let me tell you about that. I have had a scheduled rest time in my house since I only had one little. Now that the majority no longer need naps, they have to finish school or read in their rooms for an hour and a half. It's called "Happy Rest Time" because the kids rest and mommy is happy!

I know that this season of school is at the same time short and never ending. I only have my oldest in school for 6 more years. And yet, I haven't started on the newest blessing I am carrying. So, I'll be at it for a while. But, I know from asking those that are out of it what a wonderful time of life homeschooling was. I try to remember that fact when I'm working on phonics with the 1st grader, telling the 4th grader how to address an envelope, helping the 7th grader make banana bread and telling the boy (I mean pre-schooler) that "No" he may NOT try to climb the walls...all at the exact same moment.

Right now, I'm also in the season of needing more clothes. And nothing fitting. I love this season. But, I know it may be my last visit into this season and I'm not complaining! I am loving every minute of it! Except on Sunday mornings when I realize, I have nothing to wear. But, that for another time.

I am going to enjoy this season - all of them - and not wish it away. It'll be gone soon enough.