Menu Plan Monday

Monday- Cheeseburger Soup from the Make It Fast, Cook It Slow Cookbook with salad and homemade bread

Tuesday- Hot dogs, french fries, and salad

Wednesday- Tacos

Thursday- Ham and Navy Bean soup with cornbread

Friday- Spaghetti with homemade sauce, homemade bread, and salad

Saturday- Enchilada's from the Love In The Kitchen Cookbook

Sunday- Pork Tenderloin (from Aldi), baked potatoes, salad, and homemade bread

The Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle!

We interrupt this regularly scheduled blog post to tell you of a great deal! I ran across this when I was reading a few blogs this morning and I have to say I can't wait to jump on this deal! What's included you ask? Well I will copy and paste it here so you can drool. LOL.

97 ebooks for $29.97!!!

Home & Property {Cleaning, Organizing, Decor}

31 Days to Clean by Sarah Mae @ SarahMae.com ($4.99)

Getting it Together: Your Guide to Setting Up a Home Management System that Worksby Kayse @ kayse pratt ($3.99)

Pulling Yourself Together: Implementing a Cleaning Routine that Sticks by Becky @Clean Mama ($10.00)

Simple Living by Lorilee @ Loving Simple Living ($2.99)

NOT a DIY Diva by Melissa @ The Inspired Room ($3.99)

One Bite at a Time: 52 Projects for Making Life Simpler by Tsh @ Simple Mom ($5.00)

28 Days to Hope for your Home by Dana @ A Slob Comes Clean ($5.00)

Organizing Life as Mom by Jessica @ Life as Mom ($9.00)

Clean Enough: Simple Solutions for the Overwhelmed by Jenni @ Live Called ($4.99)

10 Steps to Organized Paper by Lisa @ Lisa Woodruff.net($5.00)

Handmade Walls by Jamin and Ashley @ the handmade home ($9.95)

Easy Peasy Chores: An Easy-to-Use Chore System That Brings JOY Back Into Family Chores by Alina Joy @ The Good Old Days Farm ($17.99)

Educational Children’s Resources

Princess Training by Richele @ Under the Golden Apple Tree ($3.99)

The Armor of God by Richele @ Under the Golden Apple Tree ($2.50)

My Bedtime Learning Book by Richele @ Under the Golden Apple Tree ($1.00)

Think Outside the Classroom by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($6.97)

Raising Rock Stars — Kindergarten Bundle by Carissa @ 1plus1plus1equals1 ($10.00)

The ABC’s For Godly Boys Curriculum by Lindsey @ Road to 31 ($8.00)

The ABC’s For Godly Girls Curriculum by Lindsey @ Road to 31 ($8.00)

K4 Curriculum by Erica @ Confessions of a Homeschooler ($15.00)

Write Through the Bible (print) by Trisha @ Intoxicated on Life ($5.00)

Write Through the Bible (cursive) by Trisha @ Intoxicated on Life ($5.00)

Balcony Girls (books 1 & 2) by Sandy @ Reluctant Entertainer ($19.90)

The Dig for Kids: Luke (Volumes 1 and 2) by Patrick, husband of Ruth @ The Better Mom ($5.98)

Music: An Essential Ingredient for Life by Ryan @ Resound School of Music ($6.99)

Budgeting {Finance & Time}

From Debtor to Better by Barry @ From Debtor to Better ($10.00)

Tell Your Time by Amy @ Blogging with Amy ($2.99)

The Homemakers Guide to Creating the Perfect Schedule by Amy @ Raising Arrows($4.99)

Your Grocery Budget Toolbox by Anne @ Authentic Simplicity ($7.99)

Finding Financial Freedom by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($5.97)

Become a Frugalista in 30 Days by Susan @ The Confident Mom ($3.99)

In the Kitchen {Recipes and Cooking}

Crock On by Stacy @ Stacy Makes Cents ($5.00)

Real Food, Real Easy by various bloggers @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Wholesome Mixes by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)

20-Minute Meals by Leigh Ann @ Intentional by Grace ($4.99)

Restocking the Pantry by Kresha @ Nourishing Joy ($9.99)

Money Saving Mom’s Guide to Freezer Cooking by Crystal @ Money Saving Mom($3.99)

Simply Summer by Kate @ Modern Alternative Mama ($7.95)

Do the Funky Kitchen by Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers ($4.95)

Real Food Kids: In the Kitchen plus 1 month access to select Real Food Kids eCourse videos by Wardeh @ GNOWFGLINS and Jami @ Eat Nourishing ($20.00)

Seasonal Menu Plans on a Budget: A Month of Meals from My Humble Kitchen to Yoursby Diana @ My Humble Kitchen ($4.99)

Just Making Ice Cream by Marillyn @ Just Making Noise ($12.00)

The Curative Kitchen by Susan @ Handy Pantry ($20.00)

Pregnancy & Baby Care

First Bites by Hilary @ Accidentally Green ($9.99)

Confessions of a Cloth Diaper Convert by Erin @ The Humbled Homemaker ($9.95)

Stress-Free Baby Shower by Sara @ Your Thriving Family ($4.00)

Unbound Birth by Jenny @ The Southern Institute ($4.99)

My Pregnancy Journey by Mindy @ Simply Designs ($9.99)

My Buttered Life Baby Edition by Renee @ Made On Hard Lotion ($5.00)

The Minimalist Mom’s Guide to Baby’s First Year by Rachel @ The Minimalist Mom($5.00)

Redeeming Childbirth: Growth & Study Guide by Angie @ Redeeming Childbirth ($3.99)

Holidays & Special Events

Festive Traditions by Jill @ Modern Alternative Kitchen ($7.95)

Holiday Mixes: Gifts in a Jar by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)

Flourishing Spring by Michele @ Frugal Granola ($5.95)

Family Camping Handbook by Katie @ Kitchen Stewardship ($6.95)

Truth in the Tinsel by Amanda @ Oh, Amanda! ($7.99)

Plan a Fabulous Party by Mary @ Giving Up on Perfect ($4.99)

iPhone Photography: The Visual Guide by Alli @ Alli Worthington($9.97)

Spiritual Growth

Pursuit of the Proverbs 31 by Amy @ Amy Bayliss ($3.99)

The Best of Visionary Womanhood by Natalie @ Visionary Womanhood ($5.00)

God’s Word in my Heart: A Scripture Memory Learning Guide with Verses {all 4 versions} by Jenn @ The Purposeful Mom ($3.99)

Kept: a 13-Week Inductive Study on 1 Peter by Lara and Katie @ Quench Bible ($4.99)

Love Like Him: an 8 week Inductive Bible study on 1 Corinthians 13 by Lara and Katie @Quench Bible ($2.99)

Marriage & Romance

Rekindling Romance by Jason & Jami @ A Biblical Marriage ($4.99)

Good Wife’s Guide by Darlene @ Time-Warp Wife ($2.99)

31 Days to Build a Better Spouse by Ashley @ Ashley Pichea ($4.99)

31 Days to Great Sex by Sheila @ To Love, Honor and Vacuum ($4.99)

Entangled: Recognize Your Emotional Affair by Amy @ Amy J. Bennett ($4.99)

Motherhood

The Heart of Simplicity by various authors @ The Heart of Simplicity ($9.99)

True Christian Motherhood by June @ A Wise Woman Builds Her Home ($7.00)

Hula Hoop Girl by September @ One September Day ($4.99)

When Motherhood Feels Too Hard by Kelly @ Generation Cedar ($4.97)

Mindset for Moms by Jamie @ Steady Days ($4.99)

From Cube to Farm by Heather @ From Cube to Farm ($2.99)

4 Moms of 35+ Kids Answer Your Parenting Questions by various authors @ 4 Moms, 35+ Kids Parenting E-book ($7.99)

That Works for Me! by Kristen @ We are THAT Family ($8.00)

Health & Fitness

100-pound Loser by Jessica @ Muthering Heights ($4.99)

Honoring the Rhythm of Rest by Danielle @ Domestic Serenity ($2.99)

42 Days to Fit by Brandy, Emma and Stacy @ The Marathon Mom ($4.99)

Healthy Homemaking by Stephanie @ Keeper of the Home ($12.95)

Personal ePlanner by Jennifer @ ListPlanIt ($5.00)

Beauty

Frumps to Pumps by Sarah Mae @ SaraMae.com ($4.99)

The Cottage Mama’s DIY Guide by Kristy @ Little Natural Cottage ($4.00)

Simple Scrubs to Make and Give by Stacy @ A Delightful Home ($3.99)

The No Brainer Wardrobe by Hayley @ The No Brainer Wardrobe ($7.99)

Embracing Beauty by Trina @ Trina Holden ($9.00)

Reuse, Refresh, Repurpose by Kristen @ The Frugal Girl ($3.99)

Working from Home & Blogging

Your Blogging Business: Tax, Talk and Tips by Nikki @ Christian Mommy Blogger($4.99)

The Bootstrap VA by Lisa @ The Home Life {and Me} ($12.99)

How to Grow Your Blog and Manage Your Home by Jacinda @ Growing Home ($4.99)

How to Have Your Cake and Eat It, Too by Mandi @ Life Your Way ($12.00)

Simple Blogging: Less Computer Time, Better Blogging by Rachel @ Small Notebook($8.00)

Ecourses

Learning in Love: The Preschool Years by Renee @ Tougas Cafe ($7.99)

Homeschooling from the Heart by Renee @ Tougas Cafe ($7.99)

Grocery University by Carrie @ Colorado Bargains ($24.95)

Vibrant Living Strategies for Moms by Lisa @ Well-Grounded Life ($59)

You Can Do This! The First Five Steps to a Real Food Kitchen by Laura @ Heavenly Homemakers ($5.00)

I can't wait to jump on this sale! It starts April 29 and goes through May 4. This could be a perfect gift for Mother's Day.  The link again is Ultimate Homemaking Ebook Bundle.

Our purpose

I am thinking a lot lately about what our purpose is and what our mission field is. You see I have had an occasion to help out with a sibling set of five kids from 11-5. Some people might say they don't have time or that it's too much when I already have 6 kids. But when we stretch ourselves and show others the love of Christ amazing things happen. We had these kids for about six weeks last summer and this time they will have only been here for a week. It is a lot but we have had a lot of fun too! My kids get some quality fun times with their cousins and have had a lot of kids to play with. So today I want to challenge you to step out of your comfort zone and do something extra for your family or friends or neighbors. Let's show the hope we have in Christ as love shown for others!

Hayden's Birth part 3

Part one is here.

Part two is here.

After getting in the bed and having my water broken there was a huge gush of fluid. The midwife made a comment about there was sometimes more and did something. Another gush, and another, and another! Tons of fluid explains why I felt so huge! It was funny to see so much fluid and we all got another good laugh. Thus far I was very comfortable and not in much pain at all.

Within minutes of standing up from getting my water broken I could tell that this was going to get a lot harder fast! I was trying to make sure I didn’t get into the birthing tub too soon so I told them to wait. It didn’t seem long though and all I wanted was the warmth and comfort I had heard the water brings. I was so thrilled that I was finally going to be able to have a water birth.

You see I had wanted a water birth when I was pregnant with Natalia. It was part of what drew me to try a midwife instead of a doctor. But when I developed gestational diabetes I was told I would not be allowed to have a water birth with her. Fast forward to this birth and I was told the standards had changed a bit. As long as I wasn’t on insulin or any medication for the GD then I would be able to have a water birth if the labor progressed normally. Praise God I was able to avoid medications. It wasn’t easy and it was only by God’s grace but part of it I credit to Juice Plus.

Now it felt as if the tub couldn’t fill fast enough! Steve was a great coach and helped me to sway and take each contraction as they came.  Meanwhile my sister searched for my swimsuit top. She tried hard but couldn’t find it. After asking a few times if that shirt was it and my saying no I decided that I was too impatient to look for the shirt and just jumped in the tub. Poor Savanna was shocked! But labor isn’t a modesty thing. It’s messy and sometimes a birthing mama doesn’t care what she wears, if anything.

Now we were getting somewhere! The warm water helped some and it was a comfort but mostly by this point I was too focused on just getting this baby OUT! It felt like forever until they said I could push but in reality it really wasn’t that long. It was just after midnight as I was given the go ahead to start pushing. It was hard to push in this big tub and I ended up sitting sideways in it with Steve basically holding me up some. His arms were getting sore quick but every time he went to move I told him to go back to holding me up. He was awesome and kept at it though. Soon I felt like I was reaching the end of my strength. This baby was big! Steve said a quick prayer in my ear and it helped me to have that last little bit of strength come. And Hayden was born at 12:28am on January 31, 2012. He was 9 pounds 4 ounces. What a big boy! And was 21 ½ inches long.

Hayden's birth story part 2

This is continued from part 1 here.

So there I sat surrounded by my family filled with excitement. I felt a little funny telling THEM to settle down. But it was definitely worth the chuckle. After trying to eat the soup I was ready to head to the hospital.

When we arrived I was hoping that the Holistic Birthing Suite would be empty and that I would be admitted there, but first they had to make sure I was really in labor. We sat around for a while with me on the monitors and nary a contraction happening. I was beginning to doubt the fluid I saw since it wasn’t a huge leaking feeling but just that little bit of fluid. Finally the midwife came in to do a test to see if it was really amniotic fluid.

Ok so I have to stop to tell you a funny thing that happened at this point. One of our many relatives had called to ask for an update on whether this was it or not and when Steve was explaining that we were about to get a test done to see if I was leaking amniotic fluid the question was asked, “So we are waiting to see if she’s leaking antibiotic fluid?” Too funny!

So the midwife does the test and announces that yes it is amniotic fluid. I was so happy to know I was staying and that within the next few hours I would be meeting my little guy! And to top it off the Holistic Birthing Suite was available! I was thrilled! What a beautiful room to give birth in.

The next step was for me to walk around and to see if I would start to contract regularly. At this point there was also some talk of if I had a smaller bag of amniotic fluid surrounding the bigger bag that actually held my son and that maybe only the smaller one had ruptured. But for now they just had me walk and walk. I didn’t mind. I was pretty comfortable and I wanted to get some more progression going. At this point I was only about 4cm and 50 to 60% effaced. My sister was there and she walked with me and got a doctor’s note for missing her college class that night. Then my mom arrived and she got a note too. It was a regular party in the hallways of the hospital! This is one of the things I love about my births. With the arrival of every child my family shows up to support me and to wait excitedly to meet the newest member of the family.

 And by a party I mean a party! This time my dad stopped his work in the next state over and drove a few hours so that he could arrive hopefully on time to meet his new grandson as soon as he was born. My stepmom was there and so were my mom and my sister.  Of course Steve was there and this time Savanna, who was not quite 15. Our older boys, James and Russell, were sitting right outside the room with my dad and my mom’s boyfriend.

After walking around for a little bit it was obvious I wasn’t contracting very much and that my bigger bag of amniotic fluid must have still been intact. So the next step was for the midwife to break my water.

To be continued….