Simple Woman's Daybook

For today, September 22, 2009.

Outside my window...people are seizing the brief opportunity to mow their yards. The rain has continued for a couple of weeks now but reduced to a sprinkle here and there about an hour ago.

I am thinking...that God is am amazing provider. Most of y'all know we do the whole Dave Ramsey thing (no dept and we don't use credit cards). Our upcoming vacation is paid for of course but I have been saving money to spend while we are on the trip. A couple of unexpected expenses last month (one of them being very large) threw me off. I thought we might have to dip into our emergency fund for the trip money. But over the last few days it all came together. Checks from odd places kept coming in the mail and last night we sold our old desk (which we have been trying to sell since June). Although the desk sold for a little less than we would have hoped for, when I added all the money that came in recently, it was the exact amount I had calculated that we would need for our trip. Can I get an AMEN!

I am reading...The Shunning by Beverly Lewis. Yes, more Amish Christian fiction. I am tackling lots of things right now and I need no more information for a little while longer. I am still processing several things I have already read. We are also reading a children's book about what it would be like to live in Colonial Williamsburg in preparation for an upcoming trip. Savannah and I both are learning all kinds of things.

From the kitchen...lots of yummy things and new recipes. This line needs a blog post of its own. Hopefully coming soon...

I am thankful for...Savannah. I know everyone is thankful for their children. But, I must say that I really enjoy her personality. I enjoy her company and I look forward to the adult friendship we will have someday. She's just a really cool person.

I am researching...vaccines. I just finished the book, Vaccine Safety Manual written by neurologist Neil Z. Miller. The book reviews over 1,000 studies. By far it is the most comprehensive review of studies out there on vaccines. I HIGHLY recommend it. Unrelated to the book, I read this morning that the CDC accidentally discovered a link between Vitamin D deficiency and deaths from the swine flu (email me if you want to know details). As I read it I realized that there is an outbreak at the elementary down the street. And did I mention that is has been raining almost non-stop for 2 weeks and no one has been playing outside (sunlight is a great source of vit D)??? Hmmm. Very interesting. Time to bone up on milk, butter, eggs, cod liver oil, salmon, and tuna! Ok kids, we will be playing naked in the backyard today!

I am creating...actually Mark and I created a new light fixture for our office remodel. We had an ornate old gold chandelier in the attic that we painted black and hung in the office. It turned out awesome. I'll explain the theme sometime and post pics when the remodel is complete.

I am wearing... a purplish maternity shirt and brownish green capri cargo style maternity pants.

I am hearing...the air conditioner and the Imagination Movers.

One of my favorite things...my fiends. What would I do without them? I feel blessed to have found so many wonderful friends here in Marshall.

A few plans for the rest of the week...a bunch of stuff. Do you really want a copy of my to do list? Probably not.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...



Savannah, 1 year old. A kiss to her Daddy through the glass.

Simple Woman's Daybook

For today September 15, 2009

Outside my window...it's raining for the 4th day in a row but the sun is shining!

I am thankful for...pregnancy sending my into hyper drive. I may get overwhelmed at times but I enjoy the increased productivity.

I am reading...Beverly Lewis' The Crossroads. I am taking a much needed break from informational research type books and soaking up fiction. And what is better than Amish fiction when you are trying to relax???

Around the house...I just cleaned the mini blinds and base boards. And I put a few more garage sale boxes in the attic. Things are neat and clean but many projects await.

I am creating...a nursery. I haven't gone shopping for fabric yet but a brainstorm is a brewing. I am also creating an itinerary for our upcoming family vacation. We are headed to Colonial Williamsburg and Virgina Beach. Everyone is looking forward to a little R & R.

I am researching...doula vs. midwife. After a few consultations we have decided on a doula. All healthcare providers I spoke with had great things to say about our OBGYN which is comforting. Several doctors (everyone in our area except our doctor) discourage VBACs because they don't want to deal with it. Our doc (who also delivered Savannah) is not afraid of the all natural things thank goodness! And he has worked with both midwives and doulas. Everyone has said I could not be in better hands for a VBAC. Yea! What fun! I am excited to say the least.

I am going to...do an hour of prenatal yoga when I finish this post.

I am thinking...fall is just around the corner and I cannot wait! A good book, cozy blanket, and cup of hot chai tea are just waiting for the season to roll in. Maybe we will see a little fall foliage in Virgina.

I am wearing... green workout shorts and a VBS shirt from a few years back. Savannah told me today, "Momma, your shirt is pretty. But you sure do wear it a lot." It's one of the few T-shirts (non maternity) I can still fit into! Savannah told me I could borrow hers if I needed to.

One of my favorite things...is watching Savannah's baby obsession. At a family reunion Sunday she followed my cousin and his wife around with their newborn. She asked a million questions and begged to hold him. At home she talks to my tummy and tickles it. We showered together last night and she carefully washed the baby. It's a beautiful thing watching the sibling relationship develop.

A few plans for the week...tour a few schools, tour a few farms, a baby shower (not mine), maybe shop for fabric, a playdate, work a little, and all the usual stuff like dance and AWANA.

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...



The Peteet family at Gator and Friends Labor Day weekend.

The Tough Questions

Today at lunch Savannah asked, "Now, who is Daddy's Mommy? I forgot."

Me: "Nana Linda. Remember, she went to live with Jesus before you were born."

Savannah: "Oh, I remember. She died?"

Me: "Yes."

Savannah: "Will I die?"

Me: "Someday."

Savannah: "Do just some people die or does everyone die?"

Me: "Everyone dies eventually."

Savannah: "Was she old when she died?"

Me: "She got sick and died." (She wasn't old)

Savannah: "So, if I get sick I will die."

Me: "Well, not like a runny nose sick. She was very sick." (I had to explain cancer)"...so we take care of ourselves, eat good foods, and take our supplements to prevent getting sick."

Savannah: "Nana didn't take care of herself?"

Me: "We just do the best we can and leave the rest to God."

Savannah: "I clean my room to keep me healthy!"

Me: "Yes you do. And you should do it everyday!"

Information Ban

It's no secret that I having been in an intense nesting mode with this pregnancy. I expect any moment a flock of birds will come to lay eggs on our roof thinking it is the biggest nest they have ever seen. But, my nesting goes deeper than physically getting the house ready.

Books have been studied and even devoured on topics ranging from nutrition to vaccines. In hopes of making the best decisions possible for the developing life inside of me and the already present bundle of energy sitting beside me, I have researched subject to the point of overload!

Although most of my friends think we eat over-the-top healthy, there is always room for improvement. I have cut a few of our lingering bad habits off the menu (mine is breakfast cereal, even the low sugar organic stuff is processed junk) and replaced them 10 fold with good things. Homemade stock is boiling on the stove, things are fermenting and cultivating on the counters, and I am in constant search of local farms with the freshest milk, butter, and eggs. I've tried to make changes a little at a time, but that has never been my style.

So, after sifting through 100's of studies on these various topics (I won't even go into vaccines but email me if you want to talk) and weighing my choices, I decided to take a break and read fiction for a while.My brain was on fire. Which I might add, can cause a headache. But a trip to the store prompted yet another search.

I ran into a friend who mentioned her kids were attending a local Montessori school. If you live in our area then you know what a hot topic schools are. As soon as you get pregnant people start asking you what you are going to do for school. I began looking into it about the time we got married (years before Savannah!).

At the time I knew a public school teacher who told me horror stories (Cari, it was you SIL. She didn't mean to scare me. She was just telling me about her day while we walked). Mark and I decided then that we would send our kids to Trinity, our local private school. Although at the time, we didn't know anyone who went there. Our friends either didn't have kids yet or had babies.

As time passed most of our friends put their kids in Trinity. Yet, Mark and I never could get a warm fuzzy feeling about it (although all of our friends and their kids love it. Not trying to bash here.) We just didn't feel like that's where God wanted us.

We began to review the options I looked into while pregnant, the Montessori school, homeschooling, the highly sought after bilingual program at the public school down the street...and so on.

Pray. pray. pray. We are a year out from Savannah starting Kindergarten.

So, we began to think the bilingual program was for us. We know several families who love it.

But back to my trip to the store. I ended up at my friends house hearing testimony about the Montessori school and it brought to mind all the things I had loved about it before. She also reviewed other options she had researched that I haven't thought of. I left there with an over stuffed head and ready to release some of this info on Mark.

I confessed to Mark my own curiosity on so many subjects at once has left me overwhelmed with information. I went for a walk to mellow out a bit.

And wouldn't you know that I ran into another friend who dropped another tid bit of info into my lap. I have always wanted to do a home birth but do to a couple of factors, I did not think I was a candidate. My friend talked about her recent home birth and mentioned that her midwife has been doing this for decades and even does VBAC home births!

Once again I came home to Mark, " Did you know there is a midwife in our area that has done a ton of VBAC home births? I am going to have to look into that."

Luckily, my laid back husband put his foot down on this one. "Your a VBAC, I'd rather you have it at the hospital."

I was happy with his reply. Not that I don't want to give birth at home. I think I just wanted to be told, "stop". Even adults need boundaries. I'm sure I will still call the midwife. After all, I am researching which to have in the hospital with me. A midwife or a doula?

Someone make me stop!

Simple Woman's Daybook

For today Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Outside my window...silence and stillness. Where have all the people disappeared to? It's kind of alarming now that I think about it. Really, where is everyone???

I am thinking...that MOPS is really good for me. Since becoming pregnant I have become a self absorbed introvert. My time is spent nesting, organizing, and focusing on my home, and family. I am glad to be coordinator of MOPS this year so that it's actually my job to reach out to others and check on them. We had our first meeting today and everything went off great!

I am thankful for...someone who is pregnant but I can't say who!

I am reading...Sally Fallon's Nourishing Traditions. It's a recipe book with so much more. There's lots of nutritional information as well. She is along the same line as Jordan Ruben who wrote the Maker's Diet. Basically, if God made it then it's good. If man has manipulated it (or made it from scratch with chemicals and preservatives and there is nothing that resembles a food substance in it. Can we say Kool Aid, among many other things!) then you should not consume it. Most people find the Makers Diet overwhelming. However, Sally Fallon's book is written in a form palatable for the lay man and with more information on what you actually should eat vs. just things to avoid. I have found her recipes easy to follow as well. I highly recommend this book.

I am praying for...a servant's heart. I want to try to focus outward instead of inward.

From the kitchen...scrambled eggs, sprouted grain toast, and fruit. It's an easy night. Woohoo!

I am wearing...a brown tank top, burnt orange peasant skirt, big gold hoops, and a wide bronze bracelet.

I am creating...a plan for the nursery and organizing the 1500 pics I ordered off snapfish. That number is not an exaggeration!

I am hearing...The air conditioner and Savannah telling me all the things she is making with play dough. So far she has made Scooby snacks, pasta, and pepperoni.

Around the house...fat cats are sleeping, play dough crumbs are dropping, and I am typing.

One of my favorite things...carrots and hummus. I cannot eat enough of it right now!

Here is a picture thought I am sharing with you...



Me 18 weeks pregnant. This was about 4 weeks ago. I think I am a normal size now but the size I was in this picture is the size I was at 10 weeks as well. That's when the Doc thought I must be having twins. Thankfully my growth has slowed down. Apparently I just show quickly!