Pine River

There is a nice little town up north that is dreaming of becomming something better. (did you know that towns dream? Towns dream because serveral or more people in it are dreaming the same dream) The town is dreaming of becomming an Eco- Community. A place where people can come and learn and gather the tools they need to live in harmony with the earth.

I believe the dream also needs to include; international headquarters of an organic soft goods (clothes, towels, bedding) company, an organic store that has everything immaginable that is Earth Friendly, A car dealership that sells mostly hybrids and electrics, and the Big O resuarant (O for Organsmic). So if you are interested in working in blazing the flield in any of these areas- talk with the movers and shakers of Pine River. Or even check out thier website. www.hugllc.com

Also Pine River could use a fitness studio that time share between items like: yoga, ballet, martial arts.

Do you think that all of Pine River could become a JOBZ zone?

Already a model

My baby just keeps getting cuter and sweeter. And today he did his first modeling shoot for my website. He is already starting to react to my facial expressions with a few attempts at mimicing. I am waiting for a real smile :)
He is 4 weeks old today.

And today I put 6 hours into my website, mostly fising broken links, navigation bars and adding new items like our Eco Sprout Signature line and organic cotton towels.

Then I took the kids to the local city festival and spent 2 hours walking around booths and rides and playing in the park. Now, I am enjoying a strawberry brownie sunday.

Cutie pies

and rubarb pies filled our day!

To Amber:

Glad you love my baby (Galen), and somedays I am ready for a little salt.

However, I blame a lot on parenting. Children often grow up to be like thier parents, thier parents are thier roll models, so I suspect Ethan will also have a grateful wife, adn I am working to make sure my children will too.

I'm dreaming of a white Christmas

With all my kids doing farm chores at 6am, adn a big breakfast at 7, followed by stockings and then picking the Christmas fruit from the ripened trees in our large greenhouse, adn bringing baskets of fresh organic fruit to some local friends and family.

We're thinking of the green house being able to support a few olive trees, banana trees, orange trees and the like with a summer garden veggies grown undernieth in the winter. Maby we'll even try for a nut tree or two. And we'll raise chickens, rabbits and of course take advabtage of nature's bounty and invest in a few extra berry bushes, maby a small apple orchard.

Why is this dream including Christmas? becasue I am so tired of 90-100 degree days!

Weekend Update!

Wow, I'm back on line at last. After finally comming out of the baby daze, thanks to a chiro visit Wensday Night, I worked to get my house and business stuff almost caught up again. and Mom came, and took my Galen to weekends of great fun and cousins.

And we had a peticure party Friday night and I now have bright pink toes! (toe nails, to be percise) and then today we went to Charlie and the Chocolate Factory. The children didn't do too great, but I enjoyed the movie, and we fed the missionaries and sicked them on our new neighbors.

We had a nice thunderstorm this morning, and Amber will be pregant soon. (it's the ambition level, you feel you are ready to take on something new, you are thinking school, jobs, ect . . . the universe is thinking baby)

And I signed up my kids for DAY CAMP! so they won't be board and cuase all sorts of trouble, maby I'll get some business planning done. So Now I am ready for a nice quiet Saturday night and Sunday.

I have no deep thoughts or ambitions today (or at least not any that are comming to the surface for air) and so I will just sit back, relax and emjoy my new momhood a little longer.

May you enjoy it too!

Baby Daze

Woke up this morning in a baby daze. - sometimes not sleeping hard hard due to having a little one in bed with you can caze a haze like stuppor. But when I gave the baby to Mike so I could go and sleep hard Ewan woke up and kept pestering me about breakfast, which was pretty pointless because we are out of just about everything except for a few casseroles nobody can eat (made with ingreadents that makes Galen hyper, and Clayton barf)

Luickily I finally found a jar of peanut butter hiding in the wrong cupboard and used the peices of bread we have left make a sandwhich.- which of course after nursing all night it is necissary to have some form of nurishment.

Mike managed to miss his school bus for the second day in a row- he'd going to have to start setting the alarm on his wrist watch to remind him when to leave. BUt I was glad when he returned, becasue the kids were not having a good day. we already had a tantrum from Galen and the others were all fussing too. (and when I'm in a baby daze holding baby is about all I can accomplish)

So then I had a decent afternoon nap- and some good news when I woke up. SO now it is time to menu make and grocery shop.

So what do you think of the new Harry Potter?

And what is going to happen next?

Friday Night

And Clayton is sleeping and cooing with each breath. He is the best and happipiest baby until I leave the house with out him. Then he screams for Mike, and refuzes to take the pacifier. Mike finally found out that some gental music soothes the savage newborn, and quieted him down to a peaceful curious looking around. He has been nothing but content since I've been home, even sleeping for me at nap time (that's my nap time).

Ewan and Ian are helping make brownies (every mother needs her wholegrain chocolate fix) , and Mike is on his computer.

Galen had his last day of school today. I didn't get a clear enough picture of him to post. But he enjoyed a few minutes with the camera, taking pictures of his star war toys from every angle. (even angles I wouldn't have thought of)

That is mostly the news of the day. Nothing overly excited excpet for spending a lot of time and money at the post office for mailing 300 items.

I have also figured out why people complain about comitee work. Mostly trying to get things done via comitee, and why it so rare for something great to come out of commitee. I think the key is for the commiee to have a head, with a little more power then the rest. Mostly the power to make the final decisions.

Now it is bed time for the kids!!!!

Amazing

Everyone in this house was asleep between the hours of 12 and 5:45 this morning. Then Clayton woke up with an incredable hunger that has kept me busy all day. And it seems like I have to change his diaper every 1/2 hour too. That kid is just an eating machine. So of course it comes as no suprize that he is running out of room in the newborn sizes (length, of couse).

His billirubion on Monday was at 12, and we sent the machine back yesterday. Clayton has been looking better and better everyday. And I think he got off the machine just in time becasue now he wants to be where the action is. He cryed until he joined us for dinner and FHE the other night, just to sleep through it, but in the same room. He also spends a fair amount of time looking around.

Mike is back in school this week so we have had fun figuring out how to be everywhere we need to be with just one car. But tomarrow is Galen's last day of school, so that stops most of the hassel. And that also means that I could end up with 4 boys at Te Qwon Do tonight.

And I got nearly 80 meters of boiled wool ready to ship (and get out of my living room), and tomarrow I also start shipping catalogs.

Show Stoppers

Mike had the car when Galen had to be picked up so I walked my other three boys to the school and for 15 minutes stopped all the activity in thier office. Everybody was gaga over Clayton (of course the office was staffed with women). Then Galen's class came down to see the baby, and his other brothers.

Night out

My house cleaner is back in town, and she was anxious to earn a few bucks so she came right over. And not only did she clean she babysat too!

So Mike and I went out. We went to the bookstore to pick up some books for his schooling, we ate at Baja De Sol, and watched War of the Worlds. However if some race took millions of years in preparation to invade earth do you really think they'd overlook things as populous as germs? But obviously it would deffinetely be something small they'd overlook- and wouldn't it have been more fun to the the story of discovering how to beat (or discovering what beat) the aliens rather then just the story of attack?

12 days old

My baby is 12 days old today. He now weighs 9 lbs 8 oz. Which is a gain of 1 pound since Sunday the 3rd.

He likes to sleep on our bed and looks so peaceful doing so.
Because his blood draw happened after 4 yesterday, we do not yet have the results on his billirubian level- but he deffinetely looks better.

Ewan was doing his normal "I do not want to pose for the camera".

And Ian was getting into the playdough Galen made at school.

We have started a point award system at our house based on Harry Potter's House Cup.

Our house cup- every kid choose a house name:
we have Jedi House (Galen), Bobcat House (Ewan), Girraff House (Ian).
Then us parents award or take away points based on behavoirs and actions, in boomin voices like:
"5 points to Giraff house for throwing his diaper away."
"5 points to all houses in bed in 5 minutes."
"5 points from Jedi house for throwing a book."

The winner (the house with the most points) at the end of the week gets to choose a family activity and meal. (based on finacially abilities, and parental approval) So far the kids like family activites like going to the zoo, and buying ice cream at dairy queen.

Well, I've got to go checl on the baby :)

Mostly quiet Sunday

if you ignore the fact that there were 4 boys here all trying to innteract with eachother. We did make it to church and Mike said closing prayer in sacerment meeting. And Galen gave a talk in primary, and Mommy pushed the cannery date in Augest. And I didn't sit through any meeting: I had to feed the baby during sacerment, help Galen during Sunday school, and again feed the baby during Relief Society, and remove Galen from primary because a little vistor boy was picking on him, Galen went back in a few minutes later. However, during sacerment meeting all three of the other boys went with me, making it easy for Mike to get up and pray.

This morning Mike took Galen to school on his way to school and Ewan crawled into bed with me and Clayton. Right now our pumpkin is in his billi-light and has the hickups. Ian and Ewan are eating waffles with strawberries and I am blogging instead of doing useful work.

I need to make a menu, and do shipping ang haul Clayton back to the Doc for another billirubion level test. Hopefully it will be good enough to send the machine back.

Family together

and home at last. All 4 boys are home and generally enjoying eachother. And beilve it or not, I cooked dinner, did the laundry and cleaned the whole kitchen (even scrubbing the floor on my hands and knees).- Our minivan looks full when I look back from the front. However it still feels like we are missing another few. . .

I got a call on behalf of my house cleaner today. Her car broke down in Wisconsion- and nobody seems to know when she'll be home. But after 2 weeks, I guess my need for clean took over- I'm not worried, even if she comes tomarrow there will still be no lack of things for her to do.

Ewan asked me today "Can we keep the baby?"
I told him yes.
"Can we keep him for a long time?"
"How about forever, is that long enough?"
Then he nodded his agreement.

Pictures are worth . . ?

Today we have Ian in the tub, and Clayton in his billi-light.
These are today's immages and maby tomarrow we will have some more immages.

Other news: I have 174 names and adresses ready to print out and stick on the new catalogs. If you want a copy just email me your adress.

We went as a family this afternoon to watch Herbie fully loaded. Galen was so excited during the racing parts that he couldn't remain seated for anything. Ian kept playing musical laps and Clayton slept through it all.

So long organic bras

you have served me well for most of a year, and all of a pregnancy. However, you just are not up to the task of supportting size double z's filled with liquid lead. Of course if breast milk is liquid lead that explains why my babies are also so heavy.

Ian must have gained 5" in height and about 40 lbs in weight since the baby was born. He just looks and feels so big. There is deffinetely not much baby left in him. However, he seems to be the only kid we have that will actually pose for the camera.

Ri ght now the kids are upstairs watching Annie, and Clayton is snuggling (with out the light blanket) in Mike's arms. I'll have to hook him up again soon, but he deserves breaks occassionally for some good close snuggling and feeding time (also diapers, baths and the like too)

Meanwhile our house feels half empty with out our Ewan. But he seems to enjoying his time at Grandma's adn time shadowing Grandpa. It is probably good for the middle child to occassionally be the only kid.

Picture: Ian, Clayton and Momma

Carrot or Pumpkin?

Anyways, This much we know:
His billirubin increased to 17 today, so we now have in wrapped in a billi light blanket. The kid gets to be wrapped at least 16 hours/day.

He seems not to mind much, as he is warm and has constant background noise. I kind of enjoy not having to hold him all the time to make him happy (but I also miss it) However, it will give me a chance to shower.

Because you want to see him

Clayton Day 4

Happiness is . . .

a warm newborn snuggling to your breasts

cooing sound with every suck

and just happy to be with you

and in return

you can't think or possibly immagine anywhere else you'd rather be

even though the dishes and bathroom could use your attention

as long as the two year old is happy prancing around

you are content to stay with baby, lying in a sunbeam, cooing and breathing together.

update

Ok, So I' have been tired and busy. But here is an update on us for those who read it.

Clayton is a little pumpkin- orange down to his thighs. So the doctors are monitering his billirubin level with daily blood draws. Today I spent an additional hour trasfering him to our local clinic so I wouldn't have to go downtown on a weekday for the work. His billirubion level is high enough that he needs to go back tomarrow for another check. The billirubion usually peaks at day 4, and today is day four.

Clayton, however, is happy when fed and just loves to be cuddiled. He knows when momma walks in the house and crys loudest then. He is eating and pooping very well and very often.

Our church friends have done an excellent job bringing in wonderful meals. It has helped a lot, as I have hardly had energy to do the baby and Galen things.

Ewan is having a fun time at Grandma's and Galen is enjoying a little more Mom Time, and has been a little clingy today. Ian is happy just hanging around.


Business is still going, and I am offically on maternity leave to all people who want my monies for any reason I did not request. (that means mostly sales calls). It is my understanding the catalogs are in the garage, I'll have to get them out and start mailing them this week. Of course that will take a trip to office depot to get the mailing labels that I can just print out.

Otherwise life is still mostly happening. So have a good one.

There was room in the stable

And Baby was born at 6:09pm on July 1st. Weighting 9 pounds, 1 oz, 22 inches long blue eyes and lots of hair.

Friday Morning I was ready to induce and called the midwife at 6:30. She told me "There is no room in the Inn." the hospital maternity ward was overflowed, adn told me to call tomarrow to see if there was room. So after feeling mostly depressed and helpless (and then got lost in my novel). Mom called me and told me to check the other hospital. At 9:45 I got a call saying they had room for us if we could get there by 11am. The second hospital is in the heart of the city, and seemed like quite a drive.

So after making a 1/2 dozen frantic phone calls we found someone willing to take the other kids on a minuet's notice ans headed out. (knowing they were taking my kids for an induced labor, they were quite brave, as I've heard of several very long ones).

When we got to the hospital, they fed me lunch! Yippie (as labor lasted right through dinner time) Then they inserted the certagel and left me hooked up to the fetal and contraction monitors. They keft me alone, as usually it takes several hours for the certigel to start the labor. But it didn't seem to take long. Pretty soon the contractions were strong, close and unrelenting. I called down for the nurse and asked for an epidurail, as I couldn't immagine 12 hours of this type of labor. That sent my midwife scrambling back, because she knows my normal tollerance for pain. And the certigel was removed and I was allowed in the tub, with instantly relaxed the contractions enough that they were very tollerable. That was about 3ish. I was 2cm dilated, mostly effaced and they could then brake the water. My midwife though I would like the birthing chair (that they had brought to the other hospital for me,) and she scrammbled back to get it. We agreed she'd brake me water upon return.

My parents arrived in here somewhere.

So by 5:30 I was three cm and she broke my water. I tried to take a walk, and stopped every 2 feet for another strong contraction. I asked if I could get back in the tub. But the contractions were relentless. Mom sent Mike and Dad down to the cafiteria to grab a quick meal. I couldn't believe how much it felt like I was going through transition, and just breathed my way through, trying to take it one contaction at a time. Then i started moaning and making noise. My midwife was asking me questions, trying to fiqure out where I was, but I couldn't get the breath to answer or find the words I needed. Then I pooped in the tub.

Quickly the midwife decided to check me. "The baby's right here," she said "quick call the nurse. Raya, don't push, let's get you to the bed." I got to the bed and he was crowning, but the cord was caught around his neck. I was supprised by how much control I had about when and how to push, and able to follow the midwife's instructions for getting the baby out safely. Mom was frantically trying to contact Mike and Dad via cell phone. And they walked in just as the arms were comming out.

The cameras didn't even have time to come out until after he was born. And he was a blue baby at fist, but they were able to get him to cry and get him pink. And he came out so fast his head is round, and i had no trauma to my perinium to deal with. The whole speed of labor and delivery is still blowing me away. I had about 45 min from 3cm to birth. I broke my old record of 4 hours.

But then, just as we were all thrilled over the baby, the placenta did not want to come out. The placental delivery took another hour and a half, a ansteilogist, and an OB, and 4 different meds on an IV.

The retained placenta started active blood loss, and the OB had 2 basic option 1: to reach in and try to lossen the placenta by hand or to do a full D &C. First they decided to try just coaching it out, but I needed a spinal so I wouldn't kill them by attempting it. The spinal also had the effect of relaxing all the musscles which was actaully all the was needed to get the placenta out. Of course the spinal also then had the effect of completely numbing everything south of the belly button for several hours, so even after the placenta was out, it still took 3 hours before I could stand up and go the the potty. (By wich time everyone else was home in bed). Kind of crazy when the placental delivery takes longer then all of the rest of the labor, but baby was fine, and I was fine (although, I am back on blood building diet and pills to build back up my loss, but only get midily dizzy if I am active for over 10 minutes at a time).

So besides recovering quickly and generally feeling better then I have in a month, i have a beautfil little snuggle bum. And the weeken's festivities are just beganing. Happy 4th of JULY!

There is no room in the inn?

Is stable full too? or do I just wait for the inn?