It's All About Love

Picture is from ChristianCrafts.net

My husband and I don't celebrate many holidays. We just aren't holiday people and we try to have fun together all the time. But as my children are getting older, I think we'll try to incorporate some holiday type ideas more often and try to use them as opportunities to teach our children principles.

Sometimes I think my 3 1/2 year old is too young to understand things. However, children will usually surprise you with just how much they do understand. Even if they're just copying you right now, you're laying foundations for the rest of their lives. So here's how I have been using Valentine's Day (a Hallmark promoted holiday) to teach my children.

1. First we talked about how today is a day to think about love and how we love people
2. We talked about how God loves everyone. We then played a "game" with me asking "Does God love..." and inserting a name of someone we know. She would enthusiastically say "Yes!"
3. I sang the John 3:16 song that we have on cd. My daughter sang along by singing "The bible tells me so." Different song, but it works too. :)
4. We talked about how we're going to color pictures and do things for Daddy to show him that we love him.
5. My daughter is at the innocent age where she will blurt out "I don't like..." a person she doesn't feel so loving towards. I explain to her that even if we don't like someone, we still need to love them because God does and He wants us to love them too.
6. We talked about how even when we're bad, God still loves us and the same goes for other people as well. Even when they do bad things, we still love them.
7. Although she's too little to do a lot of crafts for Valentine's Day, I did pick up a little candy heart necklace kit we'll do after lunch today. She loves crafts. :) We'll probably make valentines for people we know as well for a craft today.
8. We talked about how God loved us so much that He sent Jesus (His Son) to the world to be with us. She doesn't understand the weight and meaning of it, but it lays a strong foundation now that we can build on as she grows older. It's important for both children and adults to store the Word in their hearts so we have the truth to keep us strong and to fall back on.

So, even though she's young, I'm trying now to instill truth and love in her now. Children are little sponges and soak it all up to use later. I hope you all have a wonderful day in God's love today! Are you doing anything for Valentine's Day?

Early to Bed, Early to Rise

Early to bed, early to rise, makesa man healthy, wealthy and wise. -An old proverb (no idea from where) that my mom said to me often in my adolesence :)

I am not a morning person. It has aways been very difficult for me to wake up. I used to feel really guilty about it, but I tend to be very groggy in the mornings. But I've found a groggy mommy= a grumpy mommy. My mornings usually didn't start out well.

I made it one of my New Year's goals to get up earlier. I hoped to be up by 7AM reguarly by the end of January and today I was up around 7AM! Woohoo!!

I do not by any means want to make anyone feel guilty for not getting up early, especially if you're a mom of little ones. There a season for everything and moms with little ones are in the season of snatching any bit of sleep they can!

My youngest daughter is 19 months now and she and her sister are reguarly up at about 8AM everyday. I would often sleep until they woke me up each day, but I often woke up grumpy and groggy and our days were starting off on the wrong foot. I decided to make it my goal to be up and awake and ready to go before my girls got up. I knew it was time to discipline myself in that area.

If you're trying to make a habit of getting up earlier, here are a few of the things I've found that helped me:

• Know yourself. I soon figured out that I love sleep so much that I needed something tangible to get myself up. Just getting up early "because" wasn't enough of an inducement. I needed a reason. My husband and I started reading the Bible together in the mornings. This accountability was enough to keep me heading in the right direction.
• Take it slow. I started by setting my alarm at 8:30. When I had that down, I'd make it 5 minutes earlier. Every day or two I would try to make the alarm time 5 minutes earlier. Now my alarm is at 6:50 which is a real accomplishment for me! :)
• Stanard, noisy, turn off alarms don't work for me. I have been known to turn them off in my sleep without even remembering it. I now set my cell phone alarm, put it on vibrate and put it under my pillow! LoL. Sounds weird, I know, but it's really working for me!
• Plan on snooze time. I set my alarm 10-15 minutes before my target wake up time. I know myself, I will hit snooze a few times, no matter how hard I try not too!
• Have a morning ritual. Because I'm groggy in the mornings, I need a routine to remember what to do in my morning haze. I've found it really helpful to go downstairs to the kitchen and fix warm drink (hot lemon water or tea). The action of making something helps to wake me up enough to pay attention when my husband is reading the Bible. Otherwise, I'm still in a fog!
• Early to bed..... It's true. Going to bed early enough makes it much easier to wake up on time. I am, by nature, a night owl. I can seriously stay up half the night. I learned in college that it's easier to stay awake all night, rather than getting just a few hours of sleep. :)

Ok, I think that's it. As hard as it was at first, I'm very happy that I've been getting up earlier. I get to spend time reading with my husband, I have a warm drink to get my stomach ready for the day, I'm a nicer mommy and it feels good to be on a schedule rather than just getting up "whenever." If you're able to wake up earlier in your season of life, I highly recommend it!!

What works for you? What tips do you have for non-morning people (like me) trying to wake up earlier? Share with us! You can check out Works for Me Wednesday for other great tips!

Mom Monday: What Kind of Mom Do I Want To Be?

I've been reading through Life as Mom's e-book "Organizing Life as Mom" recently and she posed this question: What kind of mom do I want to be?

That's an interesting question, isn't it? My first thought was "a good mom." That's kind of vague. As I thought about it, I realized that everyone's definition of a "good mom" is probably different. I think the concept of being a good mom is obscure and out of reach and creates an unachievable extreme that can cause frustration and failure.

So, maybe I don't want to be a good mom after all. Then what kind of mom do I want to be?

I think I want to be a mom that "loves her children." I want to be a mom whose children "rise up and call her blessed" because of her wisdom and steadfast service. I want my children to remember me as a mom who made mistakes, but was quick to ask forgiveness. I want my children to remember me as a mom who pointed them towards God, instead of trying to cling on to them. I want to be a mom that guides her children, instead of forcing them around.

At the end of my time on this earth as a mom, I want to be able to say that I choose to settle for being "just mom" instead of striving in my own strength to be "super mom." I don't want to try to be perfect, I want to allow God's strength to be made perfect in my weakness. I want to be "just mom" allowing the strength of God to work through me so that one day my children may rise up and call me blessed.

How about you? What kind of mom do you want to be?

Mom Monday: Why I Don't Tell My Daughter Santa is Coming

Photo by jdanvers

My husband and I don't really follow many of the "traditional" American Christmas celebrations. Some of our reasons are "religious" and some are not. We don't do a lot of decorating simply because we don't feel like it. We don't do a lot of gift buying and giving (we mostly make them) because we don't have a lot of money.

One of the most controversial (apparently) is that we don't tell our kids that on Christmas Eve Santa is coming down an imaginary chimney and leaving a bunch of loot for them that the elves at his workshop in the North Pole made for them.

Believe me, I'm not condemning anyone who feels at peace before God to tell their kids about Santa. I feel that I cannot because of personal convictions. I've always tried to be as truthful with my children as possible. I want them to understand for an early age that honesty is very important and that they can expect honesty from me as well. I want them to trust me and see an example of honesty in my life. I don't always succeed perfectly in this, but it is my goal.

I've felt for a long time that having my children believe in Santa would be dishonest. Whenever we come across Santa, I try to make it clear to my 3 year old that he is just "pretend." I'm not going to try sheltering my children from Santa altogether or act like Santa is evil, because I don't think it is. I feel that it is a harmless societal tradition that actually started out because of a great man with a giving spirit. I do plan to teach my daughter about Saint Nicolas as a part of history when she's old enough to understand.

I don't want my children to be crushed and heart broken when they finally realize that Santa is not real. I think children are so crushed because their parents (who they trust completely) told them Santa was real. I just don't feel comfortable leading my children into that kind of falsehood.

Don't think that if you tell your children about Santa that I think you're a horrible parent. I just want to encourage those of you who are in the same boat as me. I also want to encourage those of you who do tell your kids about Santa to have a little understanding towards those parents who don't. My husband and I are constantly dealing with questions and accusations that we are depriving our children of an important part of childhood.

When it comes to traditions and things like this where there is no clear scripture on what to do, please, give each other some grace and accept the personal convictions of others without attacking them. Fighting amongst ourselves is definitely not the way to love each other with brotherly love.

I hope you have a wonderfully blessed Christmas season whether you tell your children about Santa or not! Just out of curiosity, do/did you tell your kids about Santa? Why or why not and have you had to defend yourself in your decision?

Mom Monday

So, when they sleep, they really do SLEEP, don't they? I love the hilarious ways children manage to fall asleep. One time, my oldest daughter fell asleep at my mom's house while reading a book in her playpen. My mom found her sleeping with the book open across her face. I really wish I had a picture of that one to share with you! :)

I hope you enjoy precious the little moments of being a mom today!

Mom Momday: Selfishness

I used to think I was a very mature person. Everyone thought I was older than really was and I was usually ahead of my peers when it came to practical things like finances and school. So, I thought I was mature and I was "ok."

Then I got married and had kids. And I still thought I was okay. I was even a little proud of how I gave up my plans for a career and plans I had for my life. I thought of myself as truly selfless.

I stood in front of the mirror the other day, pining over the loss of my pre-baby body when I had a revelation that hit me like a ton of bricks. Almost the entire 4 years of my marriage I have been selfish, self centered and immature. For someone who believed the exact opposite for so long, it took a minute for all this to set in.

I've finally realized that all these years I've been spiritually immature, complaining, focused on how much I gave up, constantly thinking "if only..." etc. and I am heartily ashamed. I am so very thankful that God's given me this understanding that I can learn and grow and work at becoming a mature, selfless person in the image of Christ.

I heard a message about loving the truth and the speaker talked about how we have to not only love the truth about God and others, but we have to love the truth about ourselves, even if it's painful. Loving the truth about ourselves will keep us walking towards God, becoming more like Christ everyday.

God desires to change the un-Christlike things in our lives, but we must first acknowledge them, repent of them and ask God to help us change. It is a process, day by day and it's usually not a fun process either. But it is most definitely a profitable one.

Thanks for letting me share my heart with you and I hope to encourage you to be open and honest with God and love the truth He reveals to you, even if it's not pleasant. May God bless you this week as you move closer to becoming transformed into the image of Christ!

Mom Momday: Raising Polite Kids Part 2

Last week I started writing about raising polite kids and some of the things that have worked for me. Here are a few other things I have found to be helpful.

4. Don't respond to demands. I hear "I want" and "I need" and "Give me" all day long from my 3 year old. It's to be expected. I don't expect her to be a perfectly polite, mature citizen of our society. It's my job to help train her to become that.

Sometimes, rather than correcting her impolite demands, I simply don't respond to her. Usually she will realize her mistake and ask me politely. At this point, I've taught her the correct way so many times, she just needs a little reminder. We're getting there.... slowly. :)

5. Let it go sometimes. Especially in public. Children go through shy spells and don't want to speak to people they don't know well. Rather than spending an embarrassing amount of time trying to force my daughter to say hello or thank you, I will try a few times, demonstrate the right response and then move on.

It's really a "pick your battles" type of thing. If she's just being shy, I let it slide. If I can tell she's just being obstinant, that's when discipline is dealt.

6. Did I mention consistency? :) This will be a long process. As an adult, I'm still learning correct ways to deal with social situations and confrontations. It takes me time to learn things and I make many mistakes. I can't expect my daughter to behave perfectly, but we're always striving to move forward.

How do you teach your children to be polite? Share with us!

Mom Monday: Nourishing

Children. The sure take a lot out of you, don't they? Day in and day out the role of a mother is to give, give, give and when she has nothing left to give, she somehow manages to scrape up a little more to dish out. It amazes me constantly how mothers are like the basket of bread and fish that Jesus used to feed the thousands. In Jesus' hands, a mother can be used to "feed" a multitude. But what about the mother? She needs to receive sometimes too!

That's how I've felt for the last several months, like I had nothing more I could possibly give. I was running on empty and I knew it. But what I didn't know was what to do about it. I was searching everything within my power, but I just couldn't find it. I was looking too hard.

My husband shared an article with me that had the answer and what a simple answer it was, indeed!

The point is this: I saw more clearly than ever that the first great and primary business to which I ought to attend every day was to have my soul happy in the Lord. The first thing I ought to be concerned about was not how much I might serve the Lord, or how I might glorify the Lord; but how I might get my soul into a happy state, and how my inner man might be nourished. For I might seek to set the truth before the unconverted, I might seek to benefit believers, I might seek to relieve the distressed, I might in other ways seek to behave myself as it becomes a child of God in this world; and yet, not being happy in the Lord, and not being nourished and strengthened in my inner man day by day, all this might not be attended to in a right spirit. -George Muller"

He goes on to tell how he used to start everyday in prayer, but he found that his mind would wander or he'd spend a lot of time praying before he felt it had effect. Sound familiar? This was how I felt all the time! All this time, my "inner man" has needed nourishment!

George Muller went on the say that he changed his practice to first begin each day by meditating on the word of God. He read not for ministry, not for prayer, etc but for the sole purpose of profiting his own spirit. But the amazing thing is that God would bless him in this attitude and the meditation would very soon turn into confession, thanksgiving, intercession, supplication or so on.

George Muller simply switched from praying first to nourishing first (which led to prayer) and noticed a huge difference in his spiritual life. In nourishing himself first, he had more to give. His meditation often produced spiritual food not just for himself, but for others too!

Take note: he does make the distinction between "just reading" and the true meditation upon the Word. Don't just read for the sake of reading the words. Rather, read a verse, stop and contemplate it. What is happening. Why? Why are the characters struggling or overcoming? How is this similar to your own life?

Think you're too weak to meditate like this? Think you need to be some Bible scholar? On the contrary! George Muller addressed that too:

We may therefore profitably meditate, with God's blessing, though we are ever so weak spiritually; nay, the weaker we are, the more we need meditation for the strengthening of our inner man.

So give it a try! I'm NOT a morning person and have a very difficult time getting up early. But I've made the effort the last two mornings and have been so incredibly blessed but what God has revealed to me in His Word. It's amazing to me that I can find so much in my life that is similar to the story of Ruth. It has been a wonderful encouragement to me, so I just want to pass along the encouragement to you. Don't let your inner man weaken for lack of nourishment!

Mom Monday: Heart Attitude

I thought I'd send you over to Heavenly Homemaker's post over here to read some lovely thoughts about heart attitude. It's funny how a seemingly bad situation may not even change, but once our hearts are changed, the situation and circumstances seem so much different.

God can change our heart attitude and thoughts if we want Him to. God can bring us peace and joy in all circumstances. Here's a hint though. It won't change with a "God, change this situation..." prayer or even a "God, change their hearts..." prayer tossed up at Him either. It'll take a humbling of ourselves and a "Place in me a new heart, O God..." prayer that we actually mean. :)

How about you? Do you sometimes need a heart attitude adjustment?

Renewal of Our Minds: Part One

Orginally posted 12/09

Today was one of those days that, by 4PM, I just want to crawl back into bed and hit restart. Or maybe just sleep the rest of the day away and restart tomorrow. My kids have been whiny. My husband isn't getting price quotes that are reasonable on something he's trying to sell. My bread I made to take to a dinner tonight looks terrible (at least it tastes good.... so good I ate half of it!) My daughter won't nap OR have quiet time and ripped one of her pop up books to pieces while in "quiet time." My web browser keeps crashing, freezing and won't download anything and I've spent way too much time trying to fix it. And to top it all off, my feet are cold.

Sound silly to you? What may seem like little things to one person can seem like big things to another, but what encourages me most of all isn't that other people sympathize with me. It's that I worship a God who knows and cares. It may seem silly that I don't like the way my bread looks or my feet are cold, but I believe God cares. Sometimes I feel that He sits beside me, patting me on the back, telling me to keep going when I just want to go back to bed.

So often I have an image of God, sitting on His throne, just waiting for me to mess up or get off track or not follow His "perfect" will and when I do I imagine He'll kick me when I'm down or frown in disappointment. Or judge me, like I do to so many others. No, our God is a God who saw us in our mess and came down to walk among us and say He cares. Who lifts us, instead of judging us. Who watches curiously us as we make choices, not wait for us to choose the wrong thing so He can scold us.

I'm not talking about willful, unrepentant sin. If you are willfully walking away from God and His word, beware. But if you are a Christian who tries to love God with all your heart, mind, soul and strength and love your neighbor as yourself, then take courage my friend. You have a Savior who knows. A Father who loves. A Friend who comforts.

This post shows my beginning in understanding that the renewal of my life into the image of Christ by the Holy Spirit is a process and that God is patient with us during this process. Come back next Monday for Part Two!

Here's part three of the Home Birth posts written by Holly. You can read part one or part two first if you missed them!

here is a great recipe for laboraid. This is a drink used to keep myself energized, hydrated, and my electrolytes up. And it is sooo delicious. I usually double it to make enough to last a day or so after birth to keep my body in balance.1/2 cup apricot nectar
1 cup apple juice
2 cups orange juice
1 cup pineapple juice
a splash of liquid chlorophyll to help with iron levels and postpartum bleeding (optional...but adds a great minty taste!)

And that's about it! Ready, set, here comes baby!
In the end, some of you might be asking the question.
"Why a homebirth?"

My answer is simple.
It is a beautiful thing.
So peaceful, so energizing, so euphoric it can't be matched, so perfect.
It is YOUR birth.
It gives control of your baby's birth back to you - as it naturally should be.
Homebirth allows your baby to come into the world surrounded by those you want there - in peace, in reverence, in joy, in laughter, with tears of elation - however you want.
You make the choices, not some doctor, hospital, or nurse.
No arguing about what you want or don't want.

Study after study has proven that homebirth is just as safe...technically safer...than a hospital birth for women.
At home, a women does not have to deal with routine interventions that might compromise her and her baby.

If you are in labor at home, you have no restrictions on eating or drinking, so of course you don't need an IV. You can get up and walk around as you please and be in any position, anywhere you want...not stuck lying on your back in a bed which compromises the oxygen to your baby and the ability to push your baby out. Your midwife and team are focused solely on you. There are no nurses rushing back and forth trying to monitor a whole floor. Your midwife will be there for you as much as you need her - and she will be as hands off as you want her to be. There is no clock to go by at home. You can let your labor and your baby take the time that they need. At home, you don't have the option of an epidural or other pain killers... though many say that these drugs have no effect on the baby, the evidence certainly shows that they do (and at home you won't need them...there are so many ways to deal with the pain, and in fact, the pain is much less when you are comfortable in your own environment). At home you will push your baby out when your body tells you to...not when some nurse yells PUSH! Once your baby is born he will be put right on your chest. Your midwife will wait for your baby's cord to stop pulsing before cutting so it can get all of it's blood. You and your baby will have your first magical moments together uninterrupted. Nursing can start right away or soon after. Your midwife won't yank the cord as might happen in the hospital, which can cause postpartum hemorrhage. You can rest assured that there are no strange hospital germs wandering around your home. Your body and your baby are used to your environment.

A home birth is safe.

It can be one of the most rewarding experiences of your life. It gives you and your baby a wonderful, wonderful start.

Do you have an encouraging thought or post on Momhood this week? Leave your link or comment below to be entered in this week's sponsor giveaway, Red Gold Tomatoes! See the review post or below for details!



Last week's Vita Tops Winner is: Carolina Girl Mommy. I have sent you an email. Please respond within 48 hours.

**This Week's Sponsor/Giveaway**

This week, we're giving away a fun little kit from Red Gold Tomatoes. To find out more about this wonderful product, check out my review over here. To enter this giveaway you can do one or all of the following and leave me a comment for each:

1. What do you have to say about motherhood that could benefit and encourage other moms? Write a post about it and link up here! (This is worth 2 entries so leave 2 comments)
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Come back next Monday and I'll have the new Mom Monday post up and announce the winner. I'll also send the winner an email and you'll have 48 hours to respond. :) Good luck and thanks for joining us in this journey of motherhood!

Mom Monday: Homebirth (Part Two: Details)

Here's part two of the Home Birth posts. You can read part one first if you missed it. Be sure to come back next week for the third and final part!

The next step in preparing my nest for birth, is picking a birth team. (These are the people you want with you for support and help during labor and delivery.) Of course I have my husband and midwife, and I have actually had a few different people at each birth. This time around I have a spectacular team made up, one of them which is a VBAC mama there to support me in mine! These people set the mood. I pick people I am totally comfortable with, and know who will not interfere with the labor process, yet be there for me in prayer and both physical and mental guidance. Plus run errands and keep my spirits up!

As I get closer to my due date, and things start to fall in order and get completed around the house, I start to focus on myself. I try and spend more time with the children, and getting them excited about their new sibling to be. I start loading up on my Mama's Red Raspberry Brew tea to gear up my body for birth. I also start listening to my Hynobabies every night. This really helps me relax on cue and focus.

Next I figure out a birth "plan". This isn't a layout of what I do and don't want done, as I am in my own house...my territory. I call the shots, and everyone around me is there to help me fullfill them. (Try and get that at a hospital birth!) My birth plan consists mainly of where I am thinking of birthing (bed, tub, living room, etc. Allbeit subject to change on a second's notice!), what I want cooking for after the birth, who I want notified, where I want the children if I birth during the day, and the petty things I might not remember in labor.

About 6 weeks ahead, I order my birth supplies. Every midwife wants you to have different items on hand, but most are pretty basic like towels, disposable underpads, spare sheets, etc. Here is my list of what I buy.
Like I say, a baby will come no matter if you get it all or not!

After they arrive, I place those supplies, along with the items I have gathered around the house for the birth, in a designated area. My special spot is the nursery. That way when labor strikes, I can tell everyone where to find everything and they will easily be able to make it all ready.

Around this time, I make a playlist of certain music I may want during labor, gather certain candles I might want lit, or anything else to make the environment peaceful.

I also make a little survival kit that I keep at the bottom of the baby's bassinet. This has things for me for the days after the birth when my hubby won't let me out of bed, and so I don't have to call for him everytime I want a pen. In it, I have lotion, a few books, a few special treats like my favorite chocolate, a list of movies I might want my husband to get from the library for me, etc.

At the point I am at now, with about a month to go, I am pulling out baby supplies, diapers, and clothes, getting it all cleaned and prepared. I make a meal list which you can find here, and then a few weeks ahead of my due date, I will spend 5 days cooking off and freezing around 2 weeks worth of breakfasts, lunches, dinners, desserts, and side dishes for after the baby comes. Freezing meals ahead of time makes it a life-saver for whoever is helping me after the birth, and for the days later when I have no energy or motivation to cook!

When the big day does arrive, I will hopefully have everything accomplished and set for a relaxing labor. No working hard when the pressure waves start! A quick straighten and clean around the house, make sure I and the children are clean and fed, take a nap and listen to my hypnobabies, make my laboraid, and get out the birth supplies.

Do you have an encouraging thought or post on Momhood this week? Leave your link or comment below to be entered in this week's sponsor giveaway, 2 packages of Boogie Wipes! See the review post or below for details!



Last week's Vita Tops Winner is: Team JC. I have sent you an email. Please respond within 48 hours.

**This Week's Sponsor/Giveaway**

This week, we're giving away 2 (30 count) packages of Boogie Wipes. To find out more about these awesome little creations, check out my review over here. To enter this giveaway you can do one or all of the following and leave me a comment for each:

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Come back next Monday and I'll have the new Mom Monday post up and announce the winner. I'll also send the winner an email and you'll have 48 hours to respond. :) Good luck and thanks for joining us in this journey of motherhood!

Mom Monday: Homebirth (Part One: Lists!)

The following is a guest post by my friend Holly from A Mommy's Blessings. Holly recently successfully gave birth to a sweet baby boy at home after having two c-sections.

When Janeen asked me guest post a 'Mom Monday' on getting ready for a homebirth, I gladly agreed. Then after awhile when I started thinking about what to say, I was worried about getting in over my head!

I honestly don't know a cut and dry explanation to that! But I will do my best to show you how I gear up for the greatest miracle God can give us.
Birth.

A homebirth to be exact.

My 6th baby that was due in March was born at home, just like two of his other siblings were.

When I find out I am expecting, what's the first thing I do?

Lists, lists, lists!

I make a giant list of everything I want done before the baby and after. I then write out every month from then to the due date, and even beyond. Under each month's heading, I map out and divide all my list into a small amount of tasks each month. This helps make that monsterous amount of to-do's accomplishable.

For example...want to clean the windows, scrub the baseboard, and wipe off the tops of the fans? Divide them out into 3 separate months. I list everything I can think of that needs done, and am constantly adding to it. All the way from change the furnace filter and get a haircut, to change the toothbrushes in the last month.

As things get done each month, I cross them off, then eventually delete that month when all is finished. I don't fret if something gets bumped to the next month, or if I have extra energy, can do one of next months tasks! This master plan is just to ensure I don't forget anything I want done...That way I'm not in the middle of birthing the baby when I remember I forgot to pull out the baby's carseat or put batteries in the bouncy!

I also go a month beyond the birth, listing out things like applying for his birth certificate and social security number, adding his name to our family frame, mailing out birth announcements, etc. With lack of sleep to come, I need everything spelled out for me.

At the bottom of the master to-do list, I jot down everything last minute that needs done also, for when I go into labor. Things like making sure the bills are all paid, quick clean the house, shower and shave, make sure the children's nails are cut, make laboraid, etc. Everything that is little and mundane that won't be thought of or completed while in the throes of contractions or done for awhile with a newborn in the house!

Trust me, this makes life so much easier.

You can come back next week for part two of the homebirth story! Do any of you mamas (or grandmamas) have an encouraging thought or post to share with us about Motherhood? It doesn't have to be about homebirth. I decided that may be a little hard for everyone to stay on a theme. But we'd love to hear your thoughts and if you have had homebirths, we'd love to hear about it!

Leave a comment below or link up your encouraging Mom Monday post in the linky below to be entered for this week's great giveaway! By the way, if you're new, we do a giveaway with every Mom Monday post, so come back each Monday for a new post to join in on and a new giveaway to win!



Last week's Children's Book Winner is: Faith. I have sent you an email. Please respond within 48 hours.

**This Week's Sponsor/Giveaway**

This week, we're giving away a box of 12 Deep Chocolate Vita Tops. To find out more about these awesome little snacks of goodness, check out the post here. To enter this giveaway you can do one or all of the following and leave me a comment for each:

1. What do you have to say about motherhood that could benefit and encourage other moms? Write a post about it and link up here! It will also be included in the newsletter that will go out on Tuesday so others will see your post! (This is worth 2 entries so leave 2 comments)
   
2. If you don't want to link up, leave a comment with an encouraging thought or lesson on motherhood!
3. Follow this blog
4. Fan this blog on Facebook
5. Leave me a comment saying you'd like the Mom Monday newsletter, along with your email
   
6. Put the Mom Monday button on your blog
7. Twitter about the new Mom Monday, linking back here
8. Blog about Mom Mondays, linking back here
   
9. Do you have a company or store and want to sponsor a review/giveaway? Leave me a comment!
10. If you're interested in doing a guest post for Mom Mondays, leave me a comment with the topic you want to post about!
    

Come back next Monday and I'll have the new Mom Monday post up and announce the winner. I'll also send the winner an email and you'll have 48 hours to respond. :) Good luck and thanks for joining us in this journey of motherhood!

Mom Monday: Pregnancy (and Giveaway!)

<a href="http://christianfrugalmama.blogspot.com/" target="blank"><img src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEho2BESXrQfzJsAxWIpzLCmPXA2sRxmKzZFV8euMUs_waz8NSzE2t0zRQ5pqy-WbNj4r4iaoi-y3zpS4SNaWJlDJqaesTvTbIjCbKSGvjpEJQWVJe3c0k-4b2TRPCpZCAIxrCtClizfz6fU/s200/Lily+Button.jpg" /></a>

Hello and welcome to my new Mom Monday format. I hope that you'll find Mom Monday to be an encouraging place to find information on many Motherhood topics! Each week you will find a new topic for everyone to chime in on, a newsletter if you choose to sign up, a sponsor's product review and giveaway (located at the bottom of the post) and hopefully lots of encouragement for your walk as a mother! So, on to this week's topic:

Pregnancy

There are few things that can create as much joy, frustration, impatience, panic and then joy again as being pregnant! I can remember the joy of a new experience, the impatience (especially by 9 months!), the panic that I couldn't do it and the joy again as my journey to becoming a new mom came to an end. What a roller coaster that first pregnancy was!

The most important thing to do is decide what you want from your birth experience and be up front with your doctor or midwife about it. Tell them what you want. What you're worried about. Ask questions. Don't feel like you're silly. That's what YOU are paying THEM for!! They are there to help you have the best birth experience possible.

First time moms tend to worry more about every little thing during pregnancy. I remember having a burning plastic smell in the apartment and I called my husband, worried that the fumes would give our baby brain damage. She's fine, by the way, and I felt silly afterward. Most things are completely normal in pregnancy, including things like light spotting in the first month or two, irregular contractions (Braxton Hicks contractions) and lots and lots of discomfort. :) If you have concerns, talk to your provider.

However, here are 9 serious signs in pregnancy you need to talk to your care provider about ASAP:

1. Vaginal Bleeding
2. Sudden excessive weight gain-especially with swelling or puffiness of face or eyelids, hands and feet
3. Severe or continuous headache
4. Visual disturbances-blurred vision, double vision or "seeing spots"
5. Sharp or continuous abdominal pain
6. Decreased fetal movement-over 24 hours
7. Sudden gush of fluid-especially if it is before due date
8. Severe or continuous nausea and/or vomiting
9. Fever and chills

Discomfort is common in pregnancy, but some things can be relieved non medically. Here are some tips I used in my pregnancies. **Always check with your care provider and let them know ANY remedy you are taking. These are recommended treatments I've received, but I'm not a doctor.

• Take alfalfa pills (available at Walmart cheaply) to keep things moving well and healthy (i.e. to avoid constipation and hemorrhoids)-start out slow with 1-2 pills were day, increasing to up to 6-8 per day
  
• Raspberry Leaf Tea is commonly recommended for overall feminine reproduction health because it strengthens and tones the uterus. However, it is recommended you wait until the 6th week if you are prone to miscarriage. You can start out with 1-2 cups per day and work up to a quart per day. This tea is beneficial even when you aren't pregnant.
• Ginger can help with nausea in early pregnancy. NOT "ginger ales" because most don't even have real ginger. Ginger pills can be taken 250mg 4 times per day or you can drink ginger tea.
• Other nausea helps: Vitamin B6, eating crackers or cereal before getting out of bed, and eating small, regular meals throughout the day to keep blood sugar levels steady.
• Protein is VERY highly recommended for many, many things in pregnancy. My birth instructor recommended 80-100 milligrams a day. It seems like a lot, but one chicken breat can pack up to 50 grams, so it's not so bad. Think outside the box. Ice cream, peanut butter, beans, and other non-meats can be good sources of protein.
• Prenatal massage or chiropractic service can be helpful for back pain in pregnancy. Just make sure your provider ok's it and the specialist you go to is trained for prenatal treatment.
• Papaya enzyme is excellent for heartburn and tummy troubles(also available cheaply at Walmart near the pharmacy with the vitamins/supplements). I often take papaya instead of tums during pregnancy and when I'm not pregnant either! It tastes very sweet and I love that it's more natural and doesn't contain aluminum!
  

Here are some websites that can be helpful for pregnancy related questions:

• Gerber site
• I-village
• Baby Center
• About Pregnancy

Pregnancy doesn't have to be scary or confusing, you just need the right tools to get informed. Read, talk to other moms and ask lots of questions. Don't be afraid to find out what this journey will be like and your experience will be much smoother.

What do you have to share with us about pregnancy this week? Link up or leave us a comment to enter this week's giveaway!



Last week's $5 Amazon Gift Card Winner is: Coupon Clippin' Mommy. I have sent you an email. Please respond within 48 hours.

**This Week's Sponsor/Giveaway**

This week, we're giving away the kid's book This Little Prayer of Mine written by Anthony DeStefano and illustrated by Mark Elliot (you can see my review and the book info here). To enter this giveaway you can do one or all of the following and leave me a comment for each:

1. What do you have to say about pregnancy that could benefit and encourage other moms? Write a post about it and link up here! It will also be included in the newsletter that will go out on Tuesday so others will see your post! (This is worth 2 entries so leave 2 comments)
   
2. If you don't want to link up, leave a comment with an encouraging thought or lesson on pregnancy!
3. Follow this blog
4. Fan this blog on Facebook
5. Leave me a comment saying you'd like the Mom Monday newsletter, along with your email
   
6. Put the Mom Monday button on your blog
7. Twitter about the new Mom Monday, linking back here
8. Do you have a company or store and want to sponsor a review/giveaway? Leave me a comment!
9. If you're interested in doing a guest post for Mom Mondays, leave me a comment with the topic you want to post about!
   

Come back next Monday and I'll have the new Mom Monday post up (about Baby Wearing and Carriers) and announce the winner. I'll also send the winner an email and you'll have 48 hours to respond. :) Good luck and thanks for joining us in this journey of motherhood!

Mom Monday

I'm so embarrassed! I had really hoped to get things going with the new format this week, but because of our sudden move, I'm going to have to set it back a week. It's likely that I won't have internet for a while, so until I do, my sincere apologies!

Until next week, you can check out some of the past Mom Mondays, which include lots of links to encouraging mom articles. Have a fabulous Monday and I hope to see you again next week when (Lord willing and barring any sudden family events) we will begin our new adventures on Mom Monday!

Do you have any encouragement for other moms today? Share with us in a link to your post or comment!

Mom Monday: A New Plan (and a Giveaway!)

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My goodness, is it Tuesday already? Where did Monday go?! My apologies for not posting this yesterday, but I really wanted to write it because it's pretty important to me. As of next week, March 8th, I will begin the new format for Mom Mondays. I can't even express how excited I am!

My goal with the new Mom Mondays is to post a topic every week written by myself or a guest with more knowledge on the subject. In addition, every post will also contain a product review and/or giveaway. Let me repeat, every week will contain A GIVEAWAY! I've been contacting some awesome companies that I think moms would appreciate and I'm excited at the results.

The idea is to create a place for moms to find good, reliable information from the best source there is: other moms! The topics we'll be covering are about pregnancy, birth, feeding baby solids, bathing baby, nap times, etc. We'll even talk about some hard topics like allergies, disabilities and infertility. My heart is to encourage and support moms.

I will also be putting together a newsletter each week that will be sent out on Tuesday, filled with the topic information, comments, links to anyone who links in the linky, tips left by participants and our sponsor of the week.

Here is the topic line-up for the rest of March:

• April 5th- Pregnancy related fun
  
• April 12th- Having a Frugal Baby
  
• April 19nd- Home Birth
• April 26th-Hospital or Center Birth w/ Midwife

Here's how it will work. Every week, Mom Monday will go live at 7 AM EST. It will include a linky and comments. To enter the giveaway, you will have many chances to win and participate.

1. Leave a link to your own Mom Monday post on the same topic (please link back here in your post)- this is worth 2 entries. When you link up, I will include the link in the newsletter so you get more exposure
   
2. Leave a comment with a tip/comment on the topic that will help and encourage other moms
3. Sign up for the newsletter (until I get a Google doc going, just leave me a comment and your email saying you want in)
4. Put the Mom Monday button on your blog (isn't it fun? I made it all by myself! :)
5. Become a follower of this blog
6. Fan this blog on Facebook
7. Sometimes there will be addition entries the company requests
   

In celebration of this new adventure we're about to embark on, I'm going to giveaway a $5 Amazon.com giftcard that I got from Swagbucks. To enter this giveaway just do one or all of the following and leave me a comment for each:

1. (Mandatory) What topics would you like to read on Mom Monday?
2. Is there something you'd like to guest post on? Tell me and I'll contact you about it!
3. Follow is blog
4. Fan this blog on Facebook
5. Leave me a comment saying you'd like the Mom Monday newsletter
6. Put the Mom Monday button on your blog
7. Blog about the new Mom Mondays and leave me the link
8. Twitter about the new Mom Monday, linking back here
9. Do you have a company or store and want to sponsor a review/giveaway? Leave me a comment!
   

Come back next Monday and I'll have the new Mom Monday post up and announce the $5 Amazon giftcard winner. I'll also send the winner an email and you'll have 48 hours to respond. I'm soooooo excited!! Can you tell? :) Good luck!

Mom Monday Button

Mom Monday: My Mama Story

I LOVE encouraging Mamas. That was (and still is!) one of my main purposes with this blog. I also truly want to help them and give them a place to seek advice and answers to those frequent questions that pop up (like how to get your baby to eat solids and not spit it out at you).

Don't get me wrong, I'm not going to give the impression that I have all the answers. I am reminded constantly that I don't. That's why I want to create a place for Mamas to gather and share with each other and Mom Mondays is my attempt at that.

So, starting next week, I'm going to begin listing How To's, answering questions, putting up guest posts from other great Mamas and doing my best to create a place for Mamas to learn, share and be encouraged. I'm super excited about it.

Here's my request to you: let me know what you, as a Mama, would love to read about. What questions do you have for me and other Mamas? What do you know that you'd like to guest post about? What would you like to read about? Those of you that are older Mamas (and grandmamas!) let me know some things you've learned and would like to share.

To start this off, this week I'm going to introduce myself as a Mama to you and encourage you to do the same! Leave a comment telling us about your kiddos (and/or grandkiddos). Introduce yourself to us! Feel free to blog about it and leave your link!

Now for me. I have two adorable girlies. My oldest, Elizabeth, is about 2 1/2 and wonderful! She was one of those sweet little babies that slept all night (granted, it was in the swing) and was very content. She ate like a champion (both nursing and solids) and still eats very well. She still sleeps at least 12hours a night and is only now having minor toddler issues. She my princess who loves to dress up, do her hair, get lotion and is very sweet. She loves to help me cook and clean and is becoming a very independent toddler.


My youngest, Lily,is 7 months (born in June) and has quite the temperament. She was basically the opposite. She was fussy. Borderline colicky. She didn't nurse well (I finally gave up at 3 months) and doesn't like solid foods. She has extreme mood swings and goes from being the happiest baby you've ever seen to the most unhappy baby you've ever seen. She very active, already rolling all over the place and trying desperately to crawl. She loves to bounce and jump and I can already tell that once she's mobile, she'll get into EVERYTHING!! She's probably going to be my tomboy. Isn't funny that you can see so much personality in a 7 month old?

How about you? Tell us your Mama story!

Mom Monday: Mommy Devotions

Originally posted 5/11/09

Today I thought I'd send you over to Joy Ever After's Tips for Mommy Devotions. Trust me, it's totally worth the time to read. I love when women are honest about the very serious struggle it can be to balance our time and energy. Some days I find myself feeling extremely guilty... as though I've neglected God and now He's angry with me.

But you know, I think that God greatly values our efforts as moms (He definitely has a high opinion of their worth in His word!) and He understands the time and energy it takes to be not just a good enough mom, but a great mom. Not that I'm saying God doesn't expect us to honor Him, but I believe striving to be a good wife and mother is one of the best ways we can honor God as a woman. I've been trying to keep God in my mind throughout the day, singing praise songs and talking to my daughter about Him and for this season of my life, I believe God is ok with that. But I definitely don't want to camp out here. Everyday is about learning more, growing more, and loving more. I'm a work in progress. How about you? I hope you are remembering today that moms need encouragement and you have a very noble job!

Mom Monday: Real Moms

This week, I highly recommend reading Heavenly Homemakers' article over here. She also wrote a follow up article that's just as encouraging. Go ahead, read them, it's totally worth it and I'll wait here for you.........

Ok, do you feel better now about wherever you find yourself in the Christian Motherhood journey? It's no easy task, of which I am reminded OFTEN, and I'm so encouraged to know that it's not just me. I came across this article not long after my "pity party" last week (in which my motherhood skills were one of my grievances). God's so good that way. Even when I'm being whiny and probably annoying to God, He still cares enough to reach down, wipe the muck off of me and encourage me to go at it again.

One of the things I've also been learning about is maturity and the amount of time, tears and effort that maturing takes. I hope very soon to share more about what I've been learning since my "pity party" turning point because I truly want to encourage others. You are not alone! Are you a real mom? Share with us what you've been learning/going through lately so that we can encourage you and each other!