Amazing Story: A Mother Gives Birth to Healthy Baby Girl, An Ectopic Pregnancy

"British experts say the chances of a baby being carried for so long in this way and both mother and child surviving unharmed are a million to one."

Read this amazing story here.

Reclaiming the Culture DVD Set: 50% OFF!

The delightful new Reclaiming the Culture DVD collection from Vision Forum is on sale for 50% of the original sale price, through tomorrow, May 30. You can get this set of 7 dvds for only $52!
The Promise: The Beauty and the Power of the 5th Commandment

What is Biblical Femininity? (hosted by the Botkin sisters)

Training Dominion-Oriented Daughters - From the clip, this one really seems to cast a vision for raising daughters with a mission.

Foundational Elements of a Godly Estate

Providential Nexus of Jamestown and Plymouth

We Cannot But Speak- a message from Evangelist, Ray Comfort

Guerilla Apologetics for the Glory of God

Sample clips can be seen here. If you are interested in being a Vision Forum Affiliate, please visit here.

And the winner is....
Michelle ! Please send me your mailing address, Michelle, to aprongirl@ gmail.com. Thank you, dear ladies, for entering in this contest. I truly wish I could send you each, this package.I will continue to pray for your pregnancies, and for blessed births, for all of you. Blessings!

Bible Verses for Expectant Mothers

I just wanted to give a sneak preview of the Bible verse cards that I made for an expectant mother. This is part of my giveaway, which ends tonight at midnight. I hope these cards are a blessing for the winning lady. Blessings!

Vegetable Pizza- A delicious appetizer or main meal
Check out the recipe here.

Having a Better Hospital Birth
Often, many ladies would love to have a more natural birth experience, but for various reasons, they must deliver in the hospital. This can be for a variety of reasons, including having a high needs pregnancy, or honoring one's husband's wishes. So what ingredients can be added to the hospital birth package to make it more conducive to a having a more comfortable and more wished for birth?

1. Hire a doula. Hands down, if you want a better hospital birthing experience, hire a doula! She will be worth every penny to you! In my first hospital birth, my husband had to be my advocate, and the hospital staff was quite confrontational. What a blessing it would have been if we had hired a doula! Hubby could have then focused on me, and assisting me, rather than dealing with the whims of the doctors and nurses. A doula will be your advocate. If the medical team gets pushy (aka- time for a c-section) she will often calmly remind them of your desires, and will be encouraging them, on your behalf. She will give you massages (if you want them), and will often bring her bag of goodies to aid you through labor. Doulas are very effective and they can be your epidural! My doula for my homebirth was an absolute Godsend. She did such a plethora of tasks from taking pictures after birth, giving me massages during labor, refilling my water bottle, reminding me to eat, filling my birthing tub with warm water, and encouraged me in so many ways! To learn more about doulas, visit here. Most charge about $200 for a homebirth, and $400 for a hospital birth, but the price really varies upon their experience.

2. Find a Natural-birth Friendly Hospital
My local hospital is the antithesis of natural birth friendly. I truly believe that I could have birthed my son naturally, if they would have only let me continue to walk during labor. Once I checked in, I was not allowed to walk , anymore. My hospital is extremely law-suit paranoid, due in fact to sue-happy patients. (which I am not.) So they require women to lay down, even if the bag of waters is intact. They also require constant electronic fetal monitoring and ivs, and catheterization. Try as I may, laying flat on my back with every gadget known to man attached to me, is not conducive towards birthing comfortably and naturally. If I ever need to birth in a hospital, again, I may go to one which is 45 minutes away, because they are more friendly towards natural birth. Sometimes it is hard to know how fast labor will occur, though, so that is not always a feasible option. Some hospitals even have birthing tubs!

3. Say no to Constant Electronic Fetal Monitors, IV's, and every know gadget known under the sun!
Many doctors will allow you to be monitored intermittently with the EFM, and to have a heplock, instead of constant ivs. This way, you could stay mobile, and could labor on your side, rock on a birth ball, walk, and squat. Being able to have a variety of positions to choose from, helps to bring the baby down into the birth canal.

4. If your hospital is like mine, don't go, until labor is nicely progressing. Some people choose to walk around the hospital, but not to sign in, until things are moving along.I think that this is a good idea, since you are right there, in case things start moving along, swiftly. If you tend to have precipitous labors, this is not recommended.

5.Drink or eat at home, before coming to the hospital.Your body needs fuel to perform such an incredible task. Many hospitals only permit laboring mamas to eat ice chips.

6. Pack a bag with energy bars (for you and hubby), massage ball, chapstick, bible verses to focus on, etc..

7. Write a birth plan and go over it with your medical team, months before the birth. If they are not interested in working with you, find a new team. This happens often!

I hope you have found these guidelines helpful in aiding you in having a more enjoyable hospital birth. Every mother and baby deserves a blessed birth! I would love to hear what has worked for you, to make your hospital birth better!

"Children are an Heritage" Giveaway
"Lo, children are an heritage of the Lord, and the fruit of the womb is his reward. As arrows are in the hand of a mighty man, so are children of the youth." (Psalm 127:3-4)
Children are such a gift from the Lord. My life is so much fuller and richer, because of the blessings that He has seen fit, to entrust to mine and my husband's care. They are a joy, a teaching tool from the Father, and a real blessing in my life. In light of this scriptural truth, I am hosting a giveaway, especially for all expectant mothers. Included in this giveaway are:

• Homemade Comfort Pack- This feels heavenly when applied to pregnancy discomforts, soothes away labor aches , and is a comfort when applied to sore areas while breastfeeding. It has a lovely blend of herbs and rice, and smells slightly peachy! My heat pack made labor bearable! This can be used as a heat pack or a cold pack!
• Organic Pregnancy Tea- This delightful tea is a blend of red raspberry leaf, nettles, peppermint leaf, dandelion leaf, anise seed, and cardamom seed. This herbal blend is perfect for any of the 40 weeks of pregnancy. The nettles deliver high quality nutrients to your precious baby. Raspberry leaf helps to tone the uterus, yet it is not too strong of a dose, so it can be used, even in early pregnancy.
  
• Biblical Affirmations and Quotes- (not pictured, as this is a work in progress.) An assortment of inspirational quotes and bible verses, to meditate upon, while in labor.

To enter into this giveaway, simply leave a comment, sharing in what way your children have been a blessing to you. This contest closes on next Wednesday, May 28. Next Thursday, May 29, 2008, I will select a name at random, to be the winner. Blessings to you!

Works for me Wednesday: Book Basket Naptime was becoming scarce for my three-year-old and my five-year-old. We still needed some quiet time, to ourselves, so I put together a basket full of library books on tape, and easy readers for them to enjoy. I let them bring a few learning toys, such as tangrams or lacing cards, in their beds, which they can play with, while they listen to the books on tape. My five-year-old loves following along in the book, and this is helping her reading. Utilizing the books and resources at the library is such a blessing! I endeavor to pick out a variety of resources, such as a children's Spanish book, subtraction facts sing along, and several enjoyable stories, which they love. This really has been a lifesaver for us, and I hope this tip can be helpful for you. For more Works for me Wednesdays, visit Shannon .

Redneck Swimming Pool
When you're hot....you will use what you have! They definitely had a blast in it, too!

My Dishwasher Helper!

One of Anastasia's favorite places to play, is near the dishwasher, when I am unstacking the dishes. Playing with plastic cups is so much fun for little ones!

Encouragement for Mothers

I saw this video at Joy's blog. It was an amazing dose of encouragement to me. Though no one else may notice all you do, as a mother, God always does. I pray that it is a blessing to you!

My Hubby and Anastasia are Famous!
Well....not really famous, but I was really excited that they were featured here.

Works for me Wednesday
Being the mother of little preschoolers is a wonderful time of learning. I have found that things go most smoothly in my household, when the little ones are kept busy. Sometimes I have "mommy brain", and cannot think of the next activity, game, or learning tool that they should play with. So in my home management binder, I have put a list of games and free time activities, that I can choose an activity from, for my children to do. Having all of this written down, helps me to glean from it , and quickly find something for them to do. I also can alternate activities better, this way, rather than doing the same thing , all of the time. My children tend to thrive with having variety. To make your own list, simply write out all of the childrens' games you might have, legos, toys, or activities. If you would like to see more of my activities on my list, please click on the picture to make it larger. Keeping my little ones busy through learning and playing definitely works for me.

Sledge
I know this picture is terribly confusing, but if you make it larger, maybe you can find the little triops critter, that hatched. We are becoming quite fond of this little creature, even if he is a cannibal. We had about 8 little triops swimming around in the tank, last week. But he is our one survivor. I thought surely it was my fault for not feeding them enough, or not having the water temperature just right. But I did follow the directions on the box. When I was reading about triops on their website, I found out that they are cannibals. So my dear little Sledge ate his kin. He definitely needs a "Does not play well with others" t-shirt. He doubles and sometimes triples in length, every day. I find myself feeding him extra pellets, because I am worried about him. Why am I becoming attached to this little cannibal? I really am not that much of an animal person, and yet this "overgrown bacteria" (as hubby refers to him) is actually starting to grow on me! He makes breakfast time very fascinating. He is an incessant wave of motion! The maximum life span of these critters is 70 days, and that is if you are really fortunate! So, while Sledge lasts, we will enjoy him. He definitely is a good reminder of what happened to critters' , after Adam and Eve's fall. I rejoice when my children see the consequences of sin. Sledge, you are a science learning tool, and so much more.

My May 12 CVS Deals
Today at CVS, I picked up my photos that I ordered online. The enlargement was free, thanks to the deal Crystal posted about here.My picture order cost a total of $1.08 (factored into my deals) I did two transactions, $10.00 worth of Hershey's, my pictures, and one Adidas deodorant. The total was around 16.50. I used a $3 off $15 purchase coupon. My CVS had Hershey's Cacao coupons ($1 off for each) right next to the chocolate. I used 4 of them. $13.50-$4.00=$9.00 and I used my ECBs for that transaction. My next transaction was for the Aquafresh toothpaste, 2 tums quick packs, a quick pick traveler. I rolled my ECBs over for this transaction, as well.
This is a picture of some of the stuff I have gotten by working out deals with my Extra Care Bucks at CVS. It is such a blessing to never have to worry about running out of toothpaste, razors, body wash, and other toiletries. I just started this CVS adventure back in January and am simply amazed! Learning and teaching others how to get things this way, is such a blessing!

Our Weekly Menu:

Monday- Chicken Stir Fry

Tuesday- Spinach Quiche

Wednesday- off- sister-in-law cooking

Thursday- Egg Drop Soup

Friday- Vegetable Pizza

For more menu plans, visit Laura.

A Few Learning Links:

• Live Nest Camera
• Caterpillar Identification
• Butterfly Fun
• Beatrix Potter

Waiting on the Lord, As He Builds your Family
I just read this excellent post by Amy. I really enjoyed this part:

We are what some people call QUIVERFULL. The term is used to describe any family who leaves their childbearing completely in the Lord's hands. This means no birth control, no sterilization, and no Natural Family Planning; no prevention of any kind.

But, what about PROMOTION? Does God want us to try to conceive? And, let me take it one step further...does He want us to use interventive methods to cause us to conceive?

These are all questions that the Quiverfull-minded family has to consider because there may come a time when the babies don't just "automatically" come every year or so. You may find yourself overwhelmed by the Baby-A-Year Club, only to find yourself frustrated when you don't conceive within your "normal" time frame.

Amy later goes on to state:
Another issue that will more than likely rear its ugly head at some point during our childbearing years is something I call The Conception Competition. Even something as pure and good as being quiverfull can turn sour in our sinful human hands. We all know what this Race to Conceive looks like and feels like. We want to "keep up with the Duggers." We don't want another quiverfull family to "beat us" We find ourselves thinking, "Whatever will I do if ______ (name of another quiverfull mama) gets pregnant before I do?" Jealousy is never far from the surface.

It is perfectly natural for a woman to desire children, but when bearing children becomes our sole focus, the essence of truly being quiverfull is lost. The verse reads, "Happy is the man that hath HIS quiver full of them." (emphasis mine) We are not all going to have the same quiver. The Bible clearly warns us against comparing ourselves amongst ourselves (2 Cor 10:12). This only leads to jealousy and sinful behaviors. If we are totally trusting the Lord with our family size, then we MUST be content with our family size at any given point in time."

Whether He has blessed you with one child or ten, may you enjoy precious moments with them, today.

The Beach "Field Trip"

My sweet Hubby had to complete some work orders near the beach, so he was kind enough to take us along. After he finished for the day, we were able to go to the beach. Lily was loving it and was so brave. Stevie was a bit more reluctant and kept asking Lily to get away from the water because he did not want her to get hurt. They had a blast collecting shells, playing in the water, and running around. Homeschooling is a blast; I love "field trips". Blessings!

Michelle Duggar is expecting baby #18!
Michelle Duggar announced on the Today show that she is expecting #18! She is such an amazing mother, and I am so happy for her and her family. You can see the video here.

True Lemon
True Lemon is offering free samples of their lemon, lime, or orange packets for those who fill out this. Their packets are all natural, and can be added to cold water for a delicious and healthy drink! What a wonderful way to zest up water, and it is guilt-free! These packets contain no artificial sweeteners or sugar. I certainly love something that adds a little zest to life!

Prayer Request
My Bradley teacher asked me to speak to her class, tonight, about my birth experiences. I am so grateful for this opportunity to share with other ladies. If you feel led, please pray that I will be an encouragement to these ladies, and that I can share how God strengthened me to birth naturally. To Him be ALL the glory! Thank you, dear friends!
***Update*** Thank you for your prayers! One thing that I found fascinating was something one of the expectant mothers said at the class. She is from London, and she said, "I was never afraid to birth, until I came to America." I thought how sad it was that our culture can influence women so negatively, regarding birth. I pray that one day, birth will not be so medicalized in America.

Naturally Birthing Multiples?
While most doctors will tell you that you cannot birth twins or triplets, naturally, this video tells the story of several mothers, who prove the contrary. It is certainly understandable if one would want to birth in a hospital when having multiples, in case of an emergency. But why don't more doctors allow women to birth vaginally and naturally, if the woman desires it? I know doctors are in constant fear of lawsuits, which is sad to me. Automatic c-sections should not be the norm, but the exception. I saw this video on Tiffany's blog. Whenever I see videos like this, it makes bearing a single child at a time seem so easy, to me. (Relatively speaking, of course) Blessings to you!

What Doesn't Work for Me
1. Cream Colored Carpet- I know this should appear as a given, considering that I have littles, but I did learn this the hard way. We spent $1500 to have new carpet put in our bedrooms, a few years ago, and it needs to be replaced. Very frustrating!

2. Shoes on Babies- Though they can be awfully cute, shoes never seem to stay on my children when they are infants. There are many expensive shoes for babies, and that is always shocking for me!

3.Driving a Stickshift- Maybe one day, with a lot of prayer and grace, I can accomplish this, but not today. It simply isn't pretty!

4. Birthing at a Hospital- Unless truly led by the hand of the Lord to birth at the hospital ,I would really prefer to birth at home. I'll take my heat pack, birth tub, and midwifery care, anyday, over an epidural. Hospitals are just too high stress for me.

5. Credit Cards- I don't need one; I don't want one. So please stop calling, dear credit card companies, and wondering why I decline. I simply don't believe in spending money that I do not have.

6. Detailed/Military-style Schedules- These were always too much for me. I love having a loose schedule/framework for my day. But the intensive, minute by minute plans were too overwhelming for me. If we fell behind on those types of schedules, it was too difficult to catch back up!

For more Doesn't Work for me, visit Shannon.

Fun, Hands-on Science
This week, we started our first science kit, triops. I was elated to find a plethora of science kits at Hobby Lobby , my favorite craft store! (I love how they honor God by closing on Sundays.) It was $7.99 regularly, and all science kits were 30% off. Each week, my local newspaper has a 40% off a regularly priced item, for Hobby Lobby, so I can get a good deal, anytime. I had put the eggs in water on Sunday, and I had just about given up on them. The children and I were so elated to see a few tiny triops swimming around, this morning. The triops are so tiny, but they can grow up to 2 inches. I have learned so much from homeschooling my children; it is a lot of fun!

CVS Deals for the first week of May
I snagged some really great deals , yesterday, at CVS. I got two CVS photo books printed, one for my mom, and one for me. (I hope my mom likes her mother's day gift.) I enjoy scrapbooking, but in this season of my life, it is too much for me. By the time I drag out all of the supplies, naptime is usually over, or something crazy is going on. For now, I am very content with letting the Kodak kiosk be my helper. The 10 page, 6 x 8 photo book is on sale for $9.99, this week at CVS. I had a $5 off coupon from CVS in my e-mail, and I used a $3.00 off coupon from Kodak (from the newspaper), so I got one for only $2.00! Yippee! I was able to work out a deal, so that I only lost $5 ECB by buying two photo books, but I can easily make those up by using my $3 off $15 coupon and other coupons. I also got my Hershey's stash (I had a coupon for buy one, get one free), to help me make it through the next two weeks.lol (In my opinion, mothering little ones requires large amounts of grace, stashes of chocolate, and a "healthy dose" of coffee.) I also got a few "free" after ECB, for this month, Colgate 360 toothbrush and two Aquafresh toothpastes. My Venus razor was .99 cents after ECB and a coupon. (Though it was paid for with Extra Care Bucks!) There are many "free" after ECB deals this month, so make sure that you grab a May CVS booklet, or check it out online, here.
Earn $25 now by clicking the following link:

Revolution Money Exchange



I must admit, I was a bit skeptical when I started seeing buttons on blogs, advertising for the Revolution Money Exchange. But after reading Crystal's posts here and here, it appeared to be a believable deal. She received her check for over $500 for simply referring friends. (She has already maxed out her total for the year.) So here is the deal, if you sign up for Revolution Money Exchange, (a quick 5 minute process), you get $25, and I get $10 for each person who signs up under me. How can they possibly afford this? Well, word of mouth can be a lot cheaper than advertising and a lot more effective, too. As Crystal says, tell everyone about this deal; tell your mailman, your uncle in New Mexico, and your plumber. I would truly appreciate it if you would click on my button when you sign up! Blessings!

Congratulations to my Dear Husband...
In three short months, my husband has gotten 30 college credits, by taking CLEP tests. He is enrolled in College Plus, which has been such a blessing to us. He has a total of 33 credits, now. So, he can officially be called a college sophomore. Today he took the Natural Science CLEP, which counts for 6 credits. God willing, next year, Stephen will attain his Bachelor's degree in Business Management via Thomas Edison State College. Thank you, honey, for working so hard and studying so hard for us.

My Shopping Deals for the End of April
CVS: I got these for close to free by rolling over my Extra Care Bucks, and thanks to some great coupons at Money Saving Mom. Being avid readers, I was so happy to see that the Post it Products were on sale, as I love using their flags as bookmarks. We also use them to mark where important things, places, or people are. You can mark missionaries on the map in one color, places you visited in another, etc.. The flags are great for a variety of homeschooling purposes!
2 Bic Soleil
1 Hair Coloring (there is a rebate form here.)
8 Flags/Post it Note Products
M &M's
2 deoderants

Walmart: These were some items that I got for free because of coupons from the Money Saving Mom website. The Kashi waffles are $1.98, and the printable coupons are for $2 off a Kashi product. These waffles are organic, and have green tea in them. Yeah-processed food that I don't have to feel guilty about!

Reading Time with Anastasia


This girl is all over the place! Thanks, Lily, for being a great photographer!