Maintaining Sanity With a Sick Baby

January 7, 2015 by Leave a Comment

So, we rang in the New Year with the Icky Yucky Croupy Crud and I ended up with a sick baby. I really dislike having sick kiddos… Respiratory gunk really stresses me in my RSV, pneumonia prone kiddos, and in babies… Sick babies scare me… It used to be no big deal, then… a baby died that I knew, I had held, and then another, and another… Now a sick baby scares me… I struggle to keep my sanity.

The Moment I Went Into Panic with a Sick Baby

The three sickest kiddos I have had this week are, 1 who had RSV 2 times and pneumonia 3 times (7 yrs old), our NICU girl who has had pneumonia 6 times, RSV once and was born WITH pneumonia (not quite 6 years old), and Simon, our 7 month old… he just pretty much went from holding his own pretty good, to extremely bad, had me racing around the house to pack bags for the hospital while talking to an on call nurse on the phone, staying on with her while I gave a breathing treatment… All during a snow storm causing conditions that would make it nearly impossible to get to the hospital. During Simon’s worst, I couldn’t see the horse pen, that I can throw rocks to from the house!! My hubby was out feeding cows as we had a nasty storm moving in and it could become a big challenge to even get to them in the snow. See, during all that, Simon was showing many of the signs that alerted NICU Girl’s nurse that she was in trouble and led to her NICU stay six years ago…

Yes, I was panicky…

However, as we all know, things still must be done… Laundry, dishes, meals, animals fed and more…

So, I Regain My Sanity?

  • First, I lower my expectations of what will get done. I don’t go into survival mode, but I do cut out extras and many dailies. Dishes, laundry, meals, and general straightening tops!!
  • Then, I assign chores out to those well enough to accomplish the minimal tasks.
  • Our meals become easier… crock pot starting the night before, freezer meals, and so forth.
  • Laundry is kept a little better under control by just wearing jammies all day and changing in the evening before bed.
  • We Pray, Pray and Pray some more.
  • Get to know your medical providers before you get sick.
  • Keep in touch with those providers.
  • I have a few 911 friends… those friends you can call to unload on in those horribly stressful times that can help talk me down and will pray with me. During this time, I texted two and they were able to send me some verses of scripture to focus on.

We make time for rest… now, when I have sick babies, I rarely rest, but I will try to make time after they are well. When you have livestock, and lots of kiddos and all kiddos get sick at the same time… chores all seem to fall on you. So, rest for the kiddos, you can catch up a bit later. If the cows don’t get out…

 

 

Filed Under: babywearing, Christian Family, Christian Home, Christian Mothering, Christian Wife, Health, Large Families

From Cloth Diapers to Herbal Medicine, Help for the Natural Mother

June 10, 2013 by Leave a Comment

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Filed Under: babywearing, Breastfeeding, cloth diapers, garden, Health, homemade cleaning products recipes, homemaking, special needs homeschooling Tagged With: , ,

Weekly Wrap-Up~The one where the weather has been nice again

February 18, 2011 by 1 Comment

This week we have covered lots of school, not because we didn’t enjoy the weather, but because we had the weather as motivation. Winking smile  Get your work done and we can go outside.

This week my husband has been working for another area farmer, so we have had to adjust our un-normal schedule a bit more then I like.  However, overall we adjusted fairly well.  It is getting warm enough here lately, and we are now starting to harrow the hay to get rid of ruts from last year and to rid the fields of the gophers.

I continued starting our day with our group and family studies.  This is really working out better for us.  It gives those that move a bit slower in the morning more time to wake up.

Monday we made a big pan of brownies after our nap and rest time.  We saved these to eat after supper with strawberries, ice cream and homemade whipped topping.   There was enough snow left from our blizzard last week, so we made a snowman. 

Notice our snowman is a babywearing snowman?  No, that was not my idea. Winking smile 

Tuesday, we worked on our President’s Day study more and learned more about George Washington.  I started brainstorming my plan for our homeschool convention.  I always feel a bit unprepared once I get there, even though I plan before.  This year I started contemplating how to put together a binder to keep me better organized.  I will share more about that in another post.

Wednesday, we didn’t get our school done, so we didn’t get to go outside.  However my firmness paid off and we were able to spend several hours outside on…

Thursday.  We covered all our school in record time.   Then we went out for about four hours.  We had a Noun Scavenger Hunt, and learned more about people, places, things and ideas.

Friday, we again got our bookwork done in record time and have been outside playing soccer.  I went to a Women’s Fellowship Luncheon for lunch and enjoyed seeing some of my friends in town, many for the first time since last fall.

So, how was your week?  Have you enjoyed better weather? 

Filed Under: babywearing, Christian Family, Christian Mothering, homeschool, Large Families, large family homeschool, Lifestyle of learning, Nature study, Stay at home mom Tagged With: , , ,

I am Reading the Bible in 90 Days with Mom’s Toolbox

January 3, 2011 by 1 Comment

I have joined the group over at Mom’s Toolbox to read the bible in 90 days.

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I just completed today’s reading. Honestly, it didn’t take away from anything today. I was able to do in small spurts when I had a few minutes to sit down at different times. I always try to read something Christian during naptime and before I fall asleep. I am reading a lot of this from my phone using the free application You Version. I can read in the middle of the night while nursing my little one with out bothering anyone. Winking smile

I am not sure how much I will blog about this, but will be using Twitter and Facebook quite a bit. If you notice my posts are still kind of slim, it is because I am busy reading God’s word. Also, note, that there will be LOTS of review posts this month.

Are any of my readers reading the Bible in 90 days with us? Did you see the neat devotionals over at Dana Pitman’s site?

I am really going to enjoy them.

Happy Bible reading!

Filed Under: Bible in 90 Days, Bible Study, Christian Mothering, encouragement, On my heart Tagged With: , ,

Christian Fellowship—Friends or Foes

April 3, 2010 by 2 Comments

Have you heard this song?

They\’ll Know We are Christians by Our Love

Do others know you are a Christian by your love?

Are you encouraging?

Tearing them down?

Making them wonder why they call theselves Christians because of the way they sees other Christian treat each other or themselves?

Do you fall into one of those?

Have you ever wondered why there are so many that are not Christians?

Does our behavior toward each other drive them away?

Are we showing God’s love?

Ouch!

I know I have failed at this. However, for every failure, I attempt to learn from it. As a mom who is home with her children all day, every day, verbal contact with other Christian women is essential to me. However, the constant judgment for following the path that God has led our family down, tends to drive me away from the relationship of other Christians. People in general tend to ask questions about our lifestyle, that is not considered normal:

  • Large Family, against most forms of birth control
  • Homeschooling family
  • Conservative both as a Christian family and in political views
  • Extended Breastfeeding past year and many times 2 years
  • Co-sleeping family—babies sleep with us in our bed.
  • Babywearing family—Mom wears the baby in a carrier more often then placing baby in a stroller.
  • We make our own laundry soap, bath soap, hand soap, dishwasher soap.
  • Cloth diaper
  • Cook from scratch
  • Do not use government assistance for our farm, health care, wic, food stamps or other such forms—we would qualify for most.
  • Have our own garden and preserve the produce
  • Turn to natural remedies for health before Over the counter or prescriptions
  • Wife stays home with children

See, we don’t need to be questioned and tormented about our lifestyle choices by other Christians, we get enough from others.

So, the next time you call, email, text, or converse with your Christian friend, don’t start in on the why they are the way they are. They may like things simple. Don’t ask them a question, only to judge them because they do things differently then you would. Is anything on the above list going against anything in the Bible?

Encourage the Christians in your life by praying with them for God to work in their life by His will. Pray that they are able to find the encouragement and strength to be the best that God desires of them. Pray that they are able to meet the needs of their family, children, and above all husbands/spouses. Pray that they can get the rest they need, to ward off the depression that so many Christians fight.

Have a great book that you have read that you believe may encourage them? Pass it onto them.

Have you ever advised a Christian woman not to submit to her husband? Do you realize that the consequences of that is detrimental to her family? Yes, if there is true serious abuse, neglect or such going on, there is a reason to advise, but seriously be careful here.

In a public setting, do you treat your friends the same in a public setting as you do in a private setting? Or do you ignore them? Do you know how many supposedly Christian friends call me, talk to me in private, but at church don’t even acknowledge that I am there? Nice huh? Is that showing God’s love? Do you know how that makes a person feel?

Did you congratulate your friends when they told you they were pregnant with baby number 5, 6, 7, 8 or more? Or did you laugh and act like they were crazy. Do you see ALL children as a gift from God?

I remember this type of behavior from Christians as a child too. I didn’t grow up in a going to church every Sunday family, I still noticed this. I believe fellowship with other Christians is necessary, however, if that fellowship is not building Christian character, then it is time to find Christian fellowship that is following Christ’ example.

Normally, I don’t blog on weekends. However, when I woke this morning this was all tumbling around in my head and all over my heart. I pray as many head to church tomorrow, that maybe this will help them see how their actions will make that visitor feel welcome, or the mother that has been struggling know that someone cares, what about the widow, or the family who is quiet? Reach out to others and demonstrate the love of Christ. Don’t stop once all seems to be well, don’t you always have something you are struggling with? Think it is any different for anyone else?

Filed Under: babywearing, Breastfeeding, Christian Family, Christian Mothering, cloth diapers, encouragement, Large Families, On my heart, Stay at home mom Tagged With: , ,

Cleaning House, with a Teething Baby-Babywearing Saves the Chaos

March 15, 2010 by 4 Comments

This past Saturday, like any other Saturday was our weekly homeblessing. We get down and get to the more then the daily basics done. Things like vacuuming under the tables, chairs, dusting under the few knick knacks, changing furnace filters, changing beds, really deep scrubbing the bathroom and clearing the kitchen counters and scrubbing them. However, last night very early this morning, sweet Hannah became quite distressed. As night turned to dawn-it literally dawned on me that she was getting more teeth. A couple of teething tablets and a cool teether toy got us through breakfast. However, 9:30 rolled around and that was the end of the easy fixes.

Between holding her, and trying to vacuum with the two year old standing on the cord, I was becoming a bit overwhelmed when the three year old spilled a gallon of water on the kitchen floor, dropping a bag of flour that busted as it landed. So, I grabbed my handy dandy mei tie, and strapped her to me. It was Hannah’s naptime, but napping was not on her list of ways to deal with her teeth. With in five minutes she was asleep, and I had both hands free to be able to tend to my little mess makers blessings. In just 45 minutes with the help of my four year old, seven year old, and ten year old we were nearly done with our homeblessing. I needed two arms, and both my eyes on our two and three year old toddler tag team. They are just at that age, they are wonderful little boys who will soon be great helps with our Saturday Morning Homeblessing, but they aren’t there yet.

I have used my mei tie nearly everywhere. Helping at Vacation Bible School, nature walks, homeschool field trips, gardening, working on equipment with my hubby, cleaning house, clean house at a friend’s, State Fair, County Fair, homeschool convention, grocery shopping, car shopping, while pregnant, backpacking a toddler while nursing a baby, hanging laundry-toddler on back, new born on front, feeding livestock, watching my older children play in a stream. You get the idea. Babywearing can be your extra set of hands. I still put my two year old in the mei tie.

I love using a mei tie to nurse in. Not everyone has figured out how to nurse in them, but I have been doing it for many years now. I use my mei tie with newborns too, I don’t separate their legs, I lay them in it in a cradle and position the straps around them and me for good support.

The new alerts and warnings on babywearing and so forth out, are very misguided. When you are babywearing, you need to educate yourself of the best and safest way to wear your baby in the carrier. Before needing to run after a little one, get yourself comfortable with the carrier. You should be able to bend your head down and kiss the top of your baby’s head. Of course there is much more then that, but that is a biggie in my opinion. If you know of some really good sites on the how tos and safety, please post them in the comments.

I have made three ring slings, and four mei ties, one of which I have given away to our babysitter to use when she needs it. My favorite carriers are the mei tie I made with minkee for newborn and winter use, and my hooded mei tie. I use my hooded mei tie all the time. If baby falls asleep, I can tie up the hood to support their head. The hood is foldable, and therefore can be rolled or folded to where it best is suited for your baby and you. I like my mei ties with extra long straps. One, I find they support better this way, and two I can use it while pregnant, even at term. My hooded mei tie is derived from many patterns I found through internet searches.

Happy Babywearing.

Filed Under: babywearing, Breastfeeding, household organization Tagged With: , , , ,