precious to me

Oh, I can't get over how much I love these two.  I just had to share how cute they are.

Inspired

I've been inspired this week. And not just by one thing. What a rare treasure it is to find inspiration...and to find it in more places than one, I am feeling uber blessed.

Inspiration # 1: Finding Joy in Trials -
As noted in my previous post...the other day was a rough one. BUT in the end I found that, for the first time in a long time, the Lord led me to handle it with grace. In my new Bible Study I am doing with other moms, we just started studying James. The first few verses of the book talk about finding joy through trials. I have always struggled over that idea. 'But, Lord, how do I find joy from a colicky baby??...or an angry friend...or ??' It's hard. And all I can say is that I can finally see how the Lord has answered some prayer (things have been dry lately). To ask for trials in order to be sharpened and refined is a difficult request, to say the least. But, I can confidently attest to the rewards. I cannot promise that I will always respond to trials with grace...but oh what a beautiful testimony it is to see the potential I have in Christ. I am inspired.

Inspiration #2: Finding Joy in the Kitchen -
I finally feel like I am coming into my own. This week was my first week of fully diving into the art of true homemaking...at least in the kitchen. As encouraged by my dear friend, Lacey, I have determined to start making everything that we eat from scratch. Reading blogs of other homemakers has strongly contributed to my ambition for this. I have made it a goal to stop buying all/most packaged/processed foods and make them myself. I figure that if I am allowed to stay home with our baby, then I should be doing all that I can to provide the best 'home' for my loved ones. I am not contributing financially anymore and this is one small way that I can lovingly help my husband by saving grocery costs (no more $4 bottles of kombucha, Jenny!). And, on top of all this, I am providing the absolute best health for my family by cooking everything...knowing every ingredient that goes into it all and making it with love and care. So, for now, I have started to make crackers, tortilla chips, granola, cookies, muffins, kombucha...and bread is next (I will soon be posting recipes). And...it's been a blast for me!! I am loving it! I have stopped watching TV during the days or just piddly-dinkin' around on the internet. I am playing my favorite fall tunes from Nat King Cole or Billy Holiday and dancing around my kitchen creating wonderful snacks for my husband and myself! What better way is there to spend a blustery fall day?! I have been inspired.

Inspiration #3: Finding Joy as a Homemaker -
I was recently discussing the art of 'homemaking' with aforementioned dear friend of mine and we were talking about the well-sought after Proverbs 31 woman. Oh, how all of us ladies long to be a wife and mother like that. 'Amen?' I used to read about her and shrug my shoulders and say "well that was then and this is now....and good luck with that!". But, hey, why not find modern ways to incorporate her way of homemaking into our present-day lives? I feel called to this and want to strive to make it a personal mission. God put her in the Bible to serve as an example for us. He knows what I am capable of...what you are capable of...when I put my heart and mind to it. She is my new inspiration.

"A wife of noble character who can find? She is worth far more than rubies. 

Her husband has full confidence in her and lacks nothing of value. 

She brings him good, not harm, all the days of her life. She selects wool and flax and works with eager hands. She is like the merchant ships, bringing her food from afar. She gets up while it is still dark; she provides food for her family and portions for her servant girls. She considers a field and buys it; out of her earnings she plants a vineyard. She sets about her work vigorously; her arms are strong for her tasks. She sees that her trading is profitable, and her lamp does not go out at night. In her hand she holds the distaff and grasps the spindle with her fingers. She opens her arms to the poor and extends her hands to the needy. When it snows, she has no fear for her household; for all of them are clothed in scarlet. She makes coverings for her bed; she is clothed in fine linen and purple. Her husband is respected at the city gate, where he takes his seat among the elders of the land. She makes linen garments and sells them, and supplies the merchants with sashes. She is clothed with strength and dignity; she can laugh at the days to come. She speaks with wisdom, and faithful instruction is on her tongue. She watches over the affairs of her household and does not eat the bread of idleness. Her children arise and call her blessed; her husband also, and he praises her: 'Many women do noble things, but you surpass them all.' Charm is deceptive and beauty is fleeting; but a woman who fears the Lord is to be praised. Give her the reward she has earned, and let her works bring her praise at the city gate."

Wow. Let's be inspired.

Officially a Bad Day

It's 1:39 pm and it's officially a bad day already.

First off, I fed some 3 minute cooked egg yolk to Vienne this morning....as advised in 'Nourishing Traditions' and from other sources.  I was very hopeful with this venture.  But, it quickly turned sour as V broke out with an allergic rash all over her face...wherever the yolk touched!!  Freaked me out!  I made Mark come home from work...we just sat and stared at her, watching her breathe making sure nothing else reacted.  I just wish that NT would advise that eggs are among the top 8 allergens for babies!!  Of course, I didn't know this until afterwards when I was frantically searching the net for what to do and info on it.  Thank the Lord Jesus is was only superficial.  The rash soon faded and she was acting completely normal within an hour.  But nonetheless....

So, this is just a 'heads up' for all you moms who haven't gotten to solids with your baby yet. I would WAIT to try egg yolk!

Well, thennn...I was in the midst of preparing some raspberry muffins to bake...yum.  I had soaked the flour overnight, last night, and whipped up the rest of the ingredients 

and slipped them into the oven...so excited to try them for the first time.  While they were baking, Vienne reminded me that it was her nap time and time to eat.  Of course the timer went off while I was preparing her, so I brought her with me to the kitchen to remove the muffins before soothing her to sleep.  Let's just say - crying baby in one arm, oven mitt on the other, trying to remove a full muffin tin from a hot oven is NOT a good combination.  The entire baking tin fell out of my hands, flopped upside down, and exploded raspberry muffins all over the oven door, the cabinets, and the floor.  Of course, I had to put my immediate angers aside so that I could calmly soothe my baby to sleep before picking up that horrific mess.  Grrrrrr....

Lastly, I found out some scary news about an acquaintance of ours.  She had her 2nd baby this past Sunday.  This morning she was taken back  into the hospital for an emergency procedure because spinal fluid was leaking into her system!  As it turns out, this is from her epidural injection.  Very scary there for a moment, but I hear she is doing fine now.  

But, this just confirms, to me, why it is best to not be drugged during labor.  I had always read about other side effects of epidurals, like:

-babies come out a bit groggy and especially fussy because they, too, have been drugged.  The epidural hits your baby's system as well as yours.

-Some are linking epidurals to autism.

And now I hear this news...that it can possibly cause spinal leakage!  Hello?!!  I strongly urge all mothers-to-be to FULLY research EVERYthing that is related to having a baby.  Not just listening to what your doctor says (I, personally, do not trust doctors).  But it is important to ask questions and look at both sides!  How did using an epidural come about?  What are the side affects?  Why would you compromise you and your baby with any of those side affects? What is pitocin? What does it actually do to your body?  

Read up!  You will be grateful that you did!

Well, anyway, let me end this post on a good note.  Even though this is somewhat of a rough day, I do know that this, too, is a day that the Lord has made.

"Consider it pure joy, my brothers {and sisters}, whenever you face trials of many kinds, 

because you know that the testing of your faith develops perseverance.  

Perseverance must finish its work so that you may be mature and complete 

not lacking anything."  

~James 1:2

For the Love of Cloth Diapers!

Hey!  Did you know that:

Over 27 billion disposable diapers are sold and then put into landfills in the US?

or that

Disposable diapers contain traces of dioxin, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals?!  In small quantities, dioxin causes birth defects, immune system suppression, skin and liver diseases, and genetic damage in lab animals.  It is banned in most countries...but not the US.

or

Americans spend about 7 billion dollars on disposable diapers every year.  If every one of those families switched to simple home-laundered cloth diapers, they would save more than $6 billion, enough to feed about 2.5 million American children for an entire year.

or that

In 1955, before modern disposable diapers were sold and consumed, it was estimated that 7% of babies and toddlers had diaper rash.  In 1991, long after plastic disposable diapers dominated the market, the number jumped to 78%.

or

Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin (TBT) a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.

or that

Disposable diapers also contain Sodium Polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet.  This chemical can cause kin irritations and severe allergic reactions including vomiting, staph infections, and fever.

or

Disposable diapers generate sixty times more solid waste than cloth.

or that

Disposable diapers use 20 times more raw materials, like crude oil and wood pulp.

or 

Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills, and represent about 4% of solid waste.  In a house with a child in diapers, disposables make up 50% of household waste.

or that

If you purchase disposable diapers, you can easily spend over $65 a month.  You will have spent more than $1,600 by the time you baby turns two (this doesn't include the cost of disposable wipes).  

But

If you use simple pre-fold cloth diapers and covers, you will only need a few dozen diapers (in various sizes), which you can use over and over throughout your baby's diapering years.  The cost of cloth diapering can vary considerably from as low as $300 for a basic set-up to $1000 or more for organic cotton fitted diapers.

-Info collected from a pamphlet for

www.DiaperShops.com

 

Gives you a nice guilt trip, huh?  Wellll....that, of course, is NOT my intention at all!  But, I just purchased a few more Fuzzi Bunz cloth dipes for my daughter and received this pamphlet with them, in the mail.  I had to share the info....it was so astounding to me.  I mean, of course I knew a lot of this beforehand, which lead us to make the decision for cloth...but the stats are still shocking!

And, let me tell you - we are so very happy with our decision for cloth!  Yes, when I first thought about using them I was initially grossed out - thinking what you probably think: "eewwww, I don't want cloth diapers soaking in my toilet and then have to wash them...nor do I want all that work!"  Those were the old days...back when we were diapered.  But, now they have everything for our modern day needs...we are so spoiled!  Vienne has a collection of the cutest cloth diapers in all colors.  They are soft against her skin and oh so easy to use! With velcro or snap tabs, they are all one piece.  You put them on like a disposable diaper and then just toss them into the diaper pail after use.  I have about 23, now, and I think we do laundry every 2-3 days.  We are not running to the store every week to replenish her diaper stash....not only saving diaper money, but also saving gas!  We also use cloth wipes which are so handy.  I keep them w/water in a wipes warmer...nice, soft, and warm against her tush.  Everything is tossed together into the pail and ready to be washed.  I just dump it all into the washing machine (don't have to touch anything!), soak it in cold water for 30 minutes or so and then wash in hot water.  Dry as usual or out in the sun to get out any lingering stains.  

For our diapers, we chose to use bumgenius (primarily) and fuzzi bunz.  The bumgenius dipes are one-size-fits-all...which means that they snap down to fit her while she is tiny and unsnap to stretch out for a potty training babe!  So this means that I have saved from having to buy many different sizes....meaning more money saved.  And, if we take good care of them (which we are), then I intend to use them for the next babe (or, you can resell them if they are in good shape)....saving even more!  I mean, it all just makes sooo much sense.

Anyway, if you have questions please feel free to ask....or just hit the links that I have included in this post and learn more!

Dedicated Unto the Lord

Vienne Juliet ~ 'alive and full of life'

(with our pastor at church)

"I pray that from His glorious, unlimited resources He will empower you with 

inner strength through His Spirit.  Then Christ will make His home in your 

heart as you trust in Him.  Your roots will grow down into God's love 

and keep you strong.  And may you have the power to understand, 

as all God's people should, how wide, how long, how high, and how deep 

His love is.  May you experience the love of Christ, though it is too great 

to understand fully.  Then you will be made complete with all 

the fullness of life and power that comes from God!" 

~Ephesians 3:16-19

Yesterday was Vienne's dedication at church.  This is the scripture passage that we chose for her when she was born - a prayer over her life and a reference to the meaning of her name. 'Full of life' - that my daughter surely is!

It is our prayer that we raise her to wholly love the Lord and to choose Him above all else. And, in this prayer and hope, I am reminded to ask myself if I do the same thing that I wish for my daughter?  I do wholly love the Lord.  But, do I choose Him above all else?  How dedicated have I been unto Him?  Do I fully understand 'how wide, how long, how high, and how deep His love truly is'??  A good question to ask every now and then.