A Glimpse into our September
I daresay, she is a good mama, but I do worry about her baby. :)

Anastasia is big stuff, now that she can walk around and play, outside. My mom found her shoes that fit perfectly. Before, she had trouble walking with shoes on. I think the shoes we had for her, were too clunky!

She looks a lot like I did at that age.

Stevie is such a crazy, little man!

Free China Unit Study

This free, China unit study looks like a lot of fun! I am heading to the library to find some corresponding books for my little ones. Blessings!

Random Links

My brain is not thinking very orderly, at the moment, so please bear with me if my thoughts are random. :)

*Please pray for Noah. He had to go back to the hospital, due to very high fevers.

* I LOVED Fireproof. I hope that you were able to see it, too! What did you think about it? I love that it is not just a "chick-flick". There is plenty of food for thought for both genders. I absolutely love the humor in this movie. I loved the hot sauce scene and the mirror scene, in particular. The Kendrick brothers pray that God will show them where to put humor into the movie. It seemed like there would be a really serious scene, and it would alternate to something lighter, to make one laugh. This really was amazing, and really well done.

* In the scene where husband and wife reunite, in Fireproof, Kirk Cameron is really embracing his real wife. I loved this interview with Kirk, where he explains his beliefs. I have always been bothered by actors who show an act of affection, while acting, even when they are married. I remember getting into a deep discussion with a relative, about this. She did not think that it was committing adultery, if one was simply acting. But if Jesus considered it adultery to look at someone with lust, how could one go through actions, with another, without committing sin? I am so thankful that Kirk holds fast to his convictions, and shares them with others.

Fireproof DVD Giveaway
Jennie Chancey is giving away 8 dvds of Fireproof, and will choose the winner on Monday. To find out more details about this contest, visit here. I am going to see this movie, in a few short hours and I am SO excited! When Christians use their talents for His glory, it is SO encouraging! If you have seen Sherwood Baptist Church's other productions, such as Facing the Giants and Flywheel, I am sure that you know what I mean. Please pray that many hearts will turn to God and that many marriages are blessed and changed, as a result of this movie.

Please Pray for Anna's Family

Anna, a precious one-year-old, passed away. Please pray for her family.I cannot imagine the pain of losing a precious child.

Clinging to Jesus
Being a first-generation homeschool mama, and a homemaking pioneer, can be challenging, at times. But I am so thankful that God is faithful, and is willing to mold me into His Image. I found the following article by Kevin Swanson, very encouraging. I am thankful that His Grace is always sufficient, to make up for all that I woefully lack!
"My grace is sufficient for thee, for my strength is made perfect in weakness."
-II Corinthians 12:9

A Tale of Two Women

by Kevin Swanson

I must tell you the tale of two women. There was the first woman who was very neatly put together. She had inherited three generations of faith. Her great grandmother, her grandmother, and her mother were Christians. She had a very neat life. The furniture was covered, and she hardly ever sinned. The children were placed in boarding schools and she never yelled at them, even once. The pastor never had to deal with her problems. In fact, once or twice he commended her from the pulpit.

But this is a tale of two women, and I must tell you about the other. She had no godly mother or grandmother. Her father was an alcoholic, and, to tell you the truth, she was not so neatly put together.

One day, she brought her children home from school and engaged in a real relationship with them, and let me tell you, it was messy. She yelled at her children, too much. She was afraid they would be permanently damaged by her yelling. At times, she thought maybe they were a little too close to observe her ways.

Her house was often disorganized... although the stacks were neat. She still practiced hospitality. It was new to her, but her husband thought it would be a good idea. Loving strangers? It was hard enough loving her own children! But she did anyway and she did it badly.

Her children gave her their hearts and they did observe her ways. They observed her yelling, her tears of repentance. Yes. They observed her fears that they might pick up her sinful habits. They observed her struggles to overcome her anger, the time she ran into the [bedroom because she was afraid she might say something ugly. They saw it all. They saw it all. And, trust me folks, it was a big mess.

The pastor was not very happy with this woman and her family. They seemed to require more prayer and counsel than anybody else in the church. "VDP's" he called them. "Very Demanding People."

She would bring the big mess to church with her... and fall on her face and say, "God have mercy on me, a sinner." But, let me tell you, that woman went home justified!

The moral of the story is simple. God is good. He does really well with big messes, but He doesn't do as much with those who are so neatly put together.

As Jesus taught us in His parable, it is not how many talents you start with that matters. It is what you do with the 0.2 talents you have received. What really matters are the risks you take, the sacrifice you lay on the altar, the heart molding done by His Spirit, and your willingness to uncover the mess and to remove the layers of plastic, sterile, institutionalized, white-coated plaster. If you would try risking your furniture, your relationships, and your otherwise neat life for Jesus; if you would bring the whole mess to the cross everyday, there you will find indescribable blessing and peace!

My Favorite Organizing Tool
As a typical firstborn, I adore making lists of goals, adding events to my calendar, and scheduling things. One tool, that I have found, that really helps me to keep my family's life organized, is the Google Calendar. Each member of my immediate family has a color coded calendar, which is added to mine. That way, we can get a cumulative picture of what is going on, and when. Keeping track of hubby's college tests, coaching calls, work trips, homeschool plans, party events, etc. is so much simpler, with the Google Calendar. Another neat feature is that you can share your calendar with others, and use information from public calendars, to add to yours. For example, one public calendar tells the new release dates of different movies. Another may share dates of important events in one's homeschooling group. You can select if others can read yours, add information, or keep it completely private. This is a fantastic way to ensure that you don't "double book" yourself for two events at once. Hubby and I can both view and add events to my google calendar. I am amazed that something so helpful is free. What is your favorite tool for organizing your life events?

WFMW: Kumon Workbooks- An Incredible Foundation!
My daughter, Lily, is nearly finished with her Spectrum Math for grade one. It has been an excellent workbook, but lacks the review that she needs to really master different math topics. I decided to purchase this Kumon workbook, to help with review and mastery. I have been so delighted with this book, it really ensures that your child thoroughly learns the material. I am excited that they also offer books on addition, subtraction, time, multiplication, division, fractions, decimals, etc.. They also offer a variety of books for those learning to read. To cut back on cost, I cut the side off of a page protector, slip it over the workbook page, and let my children use a dry erase marker to complete the exercises. Both my five-year old and my three-year old are enjoying this workbook! I hope to get several in this series, as they have been such wonderful learning tools. Now, if only they can make some workbooks up to Algebra levels, I think I might survive homeschooling. (just kidding) Finding workbooks like these, which ensure skill mastery, definitely Works for Me.

Date Night
I am thrilled that my hubby and I are going on a date, to see Fireproof, this weekend. A couple of movie times are being bought out by churches. So, to ensure that we can go, when we have a sitter, we bought our tickets in advance, at Fandango. It cost $1 extra, per ticket, to purchase in advance, but being guaranteed entrance to the movie, was worth $2, to me. I am so excited to see this movie with my dear hubby! Are you planning on attending this movie?

The Birth Control Mentality
Jessica has done an exquisite job posting about some subtle effects of the birth control culture. One of my favorite things about her blog, is that she always looks at issues from a biblical perspective. She is always open to discussion, as long as you biblically share your beliefs. I am amazed at her insights into this timely topic. When I go out, I am amazed at how many comments I receive for "having my hands full" with only three children! Children are gifts and blessings, despite what the culture says. This is just another issue, where it is imperative that we hear God's voice, instead of heeding the world's advice.

Menu Plan for September 22-26th

Monday- Skillet Lasagna

Tuesday- Spinach Quiche

Wednesday- Tostadas for 16 people!

Thursday- Mexican Rice Casserole

Friday- Pizza

I am thrilled that I was able to get this Crock Pot for free, because of gift cards, to Kohl's! I should be getting a $10 rebate, so that would mean that I make $10 off of the deal. My favorite feature of this crock pot is that you can set the cooking time, and it will automatically switch to keep warm. I have a feeling that I will be using this website and this website, extensively, especially with the colder months coming.
For more menu plans, visit Laura.

I Lost, Again!

I have wanted this book for a very long time, after gleaning so much wisdom from it, while perusing my friend, Kelly's copy. I really enjoy the book, The Well Trained Mind as a foundational book, in my homeschool. I daresay that Teaching the Trivium is even better, as it is solidly rooted in biblically teaching one's children. I was bidding on this one, on Ebay, but it went up higher (as usual) than I was willing to go, especially for one which was in only "acceptable" condition.This book is normally $34, which is quite expensive for a book, but I daresay, it is worth every penny. I may have to just bite the bullet and buy it outright, as I have been trying to get a used copy for months, now. Their ten things to do before 10 has been very influential in my homeschool. I would love for this book to be waiting for me at my consignment sale, but I am not going to hold my breath. It seems that most people don't want to part with this book! I also have my eyes set on The Hand That Rocks the Cradle.Every book written by the Bluedorns looks like a treasure.

My Little Apple Dumpling
Lily has always been a fan of Strawberry Shortcake, and we were delighted to find an Apple Dumpling outfit, for Anastasia. (Apple Dumpling is Strawberry Shortcake's little sister.) Lily and Anastasia love playing dress up, together.

Gianna Jessen : An Abortion Survivor
Growing up, after school in my middle school and high school years, I had to wait at the library quite a bit to get a ride home. I perused the pro-life section of the library, quite often. During that time, I read the biography of this amazing woman, Gianna Jessen. She was burned in her mother's womb for 18 hours. She was later born alive. Thank the Lord for her, and her beautiful testimony. Gianna is a true Christian, who has forgiven her mother. What an inspiration Gianna is!

Please Pray for Cole!

Cole is only expected to live for a few more hours.He is three years old, has a precious little sister, and his mother is expecting her third baby. Please pray for a miracle for precious Cole and for his family.

*Update-Cole passed away, this morning. Please keep his family in prayer.

The First Blast of the Monstrous Regiment of Women: A Movie with a lot of Food For Thought!

I was thrilled to find that Netflix had this movie, available to rent. I quickly added it to my movie queue, and was thrilled when I was able to watch it, a few weeks ago. This movie is very well done by Colin Gunn, and his wife, Emily. There were so many issues, regarding feminism, that this movie covered in great detail, from women in the military, to the consequences of women suffrage. I find it fascinating that seemingly good things, like a woman's right to vote, is actually a means of division within the biblical family. It used to be that the man, as the head of his home, would vote, as a representative of his family. But now, quite often, the husband and wife cast votes for opposing political members. Women have been seduced to believe that if they work outside of the home, they will be truly liberated. In doing so, the once unified family is divided into many realms, as children are placed in schools, daycares, babysitter's homes, and the mother is in a separate workplace. The biblical vision is one of family unity, whereas the adversary's plan is for destruction of God's Plan. Abortion is a necessary tool for the feminist, for she may never achieve her goals and ambitions, without it. If birth control were to fail, the feminist delights that she does not have to alter her life, by having a baby. She can terminate that precious life, and go on with business, as usual. Another topic, which this movie caused me to reflect on, was equal pay for men and women. It sounds more than fair that a woman should earn the same as a man, for performing the same work. But what has happened as an effect, is that this makes it harder for men to be the primary breadwinner. Now, rather than being a truly "liberated" woman, dwelling in her God-given role as wife, mother, and homemaker, many women are forced into the workforce. I highly encourage you to see this movie, as it shows the problem with the modern feminist ideologies, and it also presents the cure.

Bringing out the Big Guns......
Most conversations between my husband and I are personal, as they should be. But something happened last night that I am just finding hilarious, today. I asked my husband to please keep me in his prayers, that I would be a better wife and mother. He responded that he is going to need to pray and fast for that. So today, my dear man is very hungry, for my sake. (Yes, I guess I must need that much help. lol) As a side note, my husband fasts and prays, often, for many intentions. I am very proud of him for living the Bible out, this way! I cannot thank God enough for a man who is willing to deny himself, for my sake.

* I know that they Bible says not to blow the trumpet when you pray and fast. But hubby is not blowing the trumpet. I am, about him.
Also, the Bible says,
"Let another man praise thee, and not thine own mouth." -Proverbs 27:2

Just One More Reason I am Thankful for Midwives...
This new contraption has been recently approved by the FDA. It is just another gadget to put on a laboring mother. I thought the electronic fetal monitors, blood pressure cuffs, etc. were difficult enough..but now there is another device! Now, a doctor can sip a mocha, and not be "annoyed", by being called into a room, where a laboring mother is not fully dilated. This gadget will give constant readings of dilation progress. With the constant knowledge of one's dilation, I can easily see how if dilation does not occur swiftly, this will lead to more c-sections. Intermittent Auscultation has been found to be as safe as constant fetal monitoring. Laboring women need support, massages, food, drink, compassion, and loving care, not another machine to make it easier for a doctor. The tragedy of allowing machines to rule birth is that the mother's needs are far too often, forgotten.
Bonnet Tip to: Tiffany.

Menu Plan for the Week of September 14th-20th

Monday- Chicken Alfredo

Tuesday- Corn Frittata, and Biscuits and Gravy

Wednesday-off

Thursday- Taco Potatoes (me)/Nachos (children)/Burritos (Hubby)

Friday- Homemade Pizza

Saturday- Amish Skillet

For more menu plans, visit Org Junkie.

My Cleaning Buddy

2008-2009 Homeschool Materials
Teach them to your Children
The Big Picture Bible
Phonics Pathways
Kumon Math Workbooks
ACE math
The Mystery of History vol 1
CLP Nature Reader 1
CLP phonics readers
Activity Bags (excellent learning activities for preschoolers)

Family Read Alouds:
Five in a Row reading lists
Farmer Boy
The Secret Garden
The Basket of Flowers
On the Banks of Plum Creek
Paddle to the Sea

The Joy of Sewing
Sewing has become one of my favorite hobbies. I am still such a rookie, but I actually look forward to sewing, now! Before, it just seemed too complicated, to me. My current project is a Bosom Buddy. I am about 3/4 of the way done, on this project. The only complication is that sewing can be difficult with little ones. I try to make it an occasional nap time task, but sometimes it is difficult. It seems to take me forever to get out my sewing machine, and all of the supplies, etc.. I would love to have a central sewing station, but that is just not feasible, right now. If you have any tips on sewing organization, in a smaller home, I would love to hear all about it. I adore the fabric at Hobby Lobby! It is so cute, I must have admired all of it, several times, before finally choosing a print. I wish my Walmart had fabric. Only one Walmart, near me has fabric, and that particular Walmart is very dangerous. When we went to the beach, a couple of months ago, we stopped in a Walmart, nearby. I was thrilled to see so many gorgeous fabrics for $1 a yard! But dear hubby reminded me that we were at the beach to see....the beach. Picking out fabric was not on the itinerary. :) I am such a fabric-holic, I guess. I am so thrilled that I can do a few simple things, now, with the sewing machine, such as sew a semi-straight line. I am so grateful for all of my blogging friends who have encouraged me in this way! A big thank you to Emily and Kelly, for encouraging me to continue sewing! If you are a seamstress, I would love to hear what projects you are working on! I am so excited about making gifts for others! I was delighted to find this link to a variety of different items to make for others, for Christmas! I thought that these children's games and toys were very cute projects!

Graphic Courtesy of art.com

Works for Me Wednesday: Pieceless Puzzles
My son loves putting puzzles together. But it is always extremely frustrating to work so diligently on a puzzle, and not be able to complete it, because some of the pieces are missing. Last week, our Walmart was having a huge clearance on many items, including pieceless puzzles, so we were able to get one for $5! These puzzles were designed for ages four and up, ages eight and up, and ages twelve and up. These are terrific for taking on trips, and are so much more versatile than the average puzzle. When I ask my son to "clean up" his puzzle, he simply has to take the long strand of the puzzle, and put it in the ziploc bag. Another great feature of the puzzle is that it is two-sided! I hope that they will continue making a variety of these types of puzzles, as less mess, and no pieces to lose, definitely works for me.

God's Provision
Today, I needed to run a few errands, so I grabbed a few items from CVS. My CVS had diapers on clearance for about $2.37 for a pack of 48! So I got 240 diapers for about $7.50, out of pocket, along with deoderant, cleaning cloths, and root beer. (We are having a movie night, tonight, and wanted some root beer as a treat.) Normally, the packages of diapers would have been $9.99, each. So I got $50 worth of diapers for $7.50. Amazing! I am just so thrilled that God had those deals waiting for me! Per hubby's request, I am not cloth diapering Anastasia, since she turned one. We like using cloth from birth till one year. I was starting to get low on my diaper supply, and can usually only find the cheapest pack for $6.00 for 40 of them.
Here is a peek into the savings, which I have received, this year, at CVS: $1,075. Even if CVS' deals are not as good as they once were, the clearance section has really been a Godsend, this week. I am very grateful for God's provision and guidance. For more Money Saving scenarios, visit Crystal.

Menu Plan Monday- September 8th-13th

Menu planning can be a challenge,at a times, and it tends to be one of those things that I procrastinate about. But with my new system, it is pretty painless, for me.

Monday- Lasagna and Mixed Vegetables

Tuesday- Breakfast (pancakes, hashbrown casserole, eggs, turkey bacon)

Wednesday- off- sister-in-law is cooking

Thursday- Beef Burritos/Nachos for the children

Friday- Homemade Pizza

Saturday- Amish Skillet

I must share with you a picture of some scrumptious cinnamon rolls. I have made cinnamon rolls, several times, with a recipe from my bread machine cookbook. They are tolerable, in my eyes, but I mainly make them because they are easy to make. I generally don't have hours to devote to making dessert. I really hope to find a good bread machine recipe for cinnamon rolls. But in the meantime, the recipe above is delightful, even if it is more time-consuming. I was able to fill two, 9 inch pans with cinnamon rolls. Thus, we were able to eat them with our Friday night pizza, and had another serving to share with guests, another evening. If you want a really scrumptious cinnamon roll, try this recipe. You won't be disappointed. No anorexic cinnamon rolls here; these are the kind to savor! For more menu plans, visit Laura.

Where the Rubber Meets the Road....or the Bumper
This afternoon, a lady in an Explorer bumped/ran into the back of my van. I was sitting at a stop light, the rain started drizzling, and all of a sudden, I felt a thud. It was a light tap, and not really a big deal. The lady who bumped into my van was sleepy, and she said that she shut her eyes for just a second. The damage looked very minor, so I just wrote down her insurance information, and we parted. She had seemed so sincerely sorry that she had bumped into our van. I could hear her precious little one(s), making noise in her vehicle. She smiled and talked to Anastasia, while I wrote down the insurance information. As she pulled out of the gas station parking lot, I noticed that she had a pro-life support ribbon on the back of her vehicle. I think she was a military wife. She had mentioned that she had been in several accidents, but that she had never hit anyone before. She felt terrible. I told her not to worry about it, but that I would just get her information, just in case. I shared everything with hubby, and he said that he really didn't want that lady's insurance to go up. We felt like she was a kindred spirit, as a pro-lifer, military supporter and a stay-at-home mom. We both agreed that we would not report it to her insurance company. Inside, I felt like I was doing something great, I was willing to have a dent on my rear bumper, and not report her. Then, God led me to reflect on something. What if she was the most flaming liberal on earth? What if she rode around with an Ob*ma 08 bumper sticker on her vehicle? Would I be as willing to show her Christian love, as to a conservative? I was immediately humbled to see my very weak faith and example. Doing good to one who is like me is good, but even the wicked do the same. If I want to truly reflect Him to others, I must love my enemy. That is where the rubber meets the road. May I reflect His love to everyone, not just those I like, because they are like me. It is hard and impossible for my sinful flesh, when left alone. But leaning on Him, I can do all things.

Frugal Hormone-Free Milk
Since I am all about milk, this week, I figured that a post about frugal milk would be a fitting topic! My husband and I try to make healthy choices for our family, as much as possible, and within our budget. When I learned about the ill-effects of hormone milk, I became inspired to buy only hormone-free milk. At $3 for a half gallon, this stuff was pretty costly! We need about a gallon of milk a week , and $6.00 or more just for milk, seemed ridiculous. Hubby happened to pick up a marked down gallon of milk at Food Lion, for only $2.00. I was happy about the deal, but a bit bummed about the hormones. Then, I read the label on the front of the milk, very carefully. It stated that Food Lion's farmers pledge not to use artificial growth hormones. So now, I can have my hormone-free milk for $1 a half gallon, or $2 a gallon. When it isn't marked down, I can get a gallon for around $4, which definitely beats paying $6+ a gallon. Also, Food Lion is having a special till mid-December. If you buy 6 milks, you get the seventh for free. One milk ticket even printed up, yesterday, when I purchased my $2 gallon.As a note of praise, I really feel that God is showing us His provision. Hubby called me, yesterday, and told me that the milk was marked down at Food Lion. When I got there, there was only one whole milk left. Amazing! My husband and I are often asked about how we survive on a limited income. God is so faithful in revealing even small ways, that we can better utilize our income. For more Frugal Fridays, visit Biblical Womanhood.

A Great Article for Over-Abundant Milk Supply
I have been doing quite a bit of research due to my "problem" of too much milk. I am so thankful to those of you who have given me tips, chatted with me, and given me support. I have had this problem often, during my 52 months of nursing, but it seems that the fact that I had oatmeal, yesterday, put me over the edge in excess supply. If you ever need to make more milk, eat oats! Boy, does that work for me! (I had read about that a long time ago, but forgot. Last night, when nursing the baby, I was researching about over-supply and was reminded about oats.)
It seems that the internet is full of tips for a small milk supply, but lacks much information on how to help with an over-abundant supply. For future reference, this article was really helpful to me. I am trying to take it easy, sip a lot of peppermint tea, stay hydrated, use compresses, nurse baby in different positions, etc.. I do not have a pump, yet, so I am doing what I can. Running out to the store, to buy a pump, would have probably put me over the edge into full-blown mastitis. When the consignment sale starts this next month, I am definitely looking into a quality breast pump. (If I do not need to buy one before then.)
I do have to chuckle at some of the funny recommendations....I was told to eat a ton of Altoids to help with over supply. Everyone will know I am coming from five miles away. Here comes....peppermint! I am pretty desperate at this point, so I might have to go back to my regimen of eating garlic cloves to ward off any possible infection. Now I know why I need the Altoids! Good thing these things all work together!
Have a blessed day!

A Post for Ladies Only...
I doubt that a man even occasionally stops by this blog, but I had to put that out there, just in case. lol Anyways, I was wondering if anyone else ever had this "problem". I make a LOT of milk. So much so, that I can be in pain, a lot! I know it is a blessing to have an abundant milk supply, and I am thankful. I have heard many stories of premature milk-dry up. (For lack of a better term.) But I am making milk like it is going out of style. Seriously, sometimes, it seems like one nursing child is too few for me. My milk supply seems like it was meant for multiples. :) Baby girl is almost 14 months. She has been sleeping in the crib since 11 months. She usually sleeps through the night. I thought that my body would adapt a little better, but it is still making a ton of milk. How can I encourage my milk supply to decrease a little, without drying it up? I used sage tea when I was weaning my son at 20 months, but that dried everything up in one week. I want to nurse baby girl for at least a few more months, God willing. I am not going to pump because that only encourages the milk supply. Also, I do not own a working pump. I have used cabbage leaves and ice packs to help with engorgement. Any advice that you can pass along would be a huge blessing. Thank you!

*Update- it is now almost midnight. I am so engorged that I am afraid of an infection. I just woke up baby girl to get her to nurse. She is at that busy age where she only nurses really well when sleepy. I appreciate your prayers.

** Another Update- I had oats this morning. Not a good food for mamas who make too much milk. I am really hoping that I can sleep tonight. It would be a huge blessing. I just put baby to bed for the second time. Here's hoping....

Tackle it Tuesday- Tag Consignment Items
My challenge for this week was to price and tag my consignment sale items. It feels so great to get this over with! For more Tackle it Tuesdays, visit 5 minutes for mom.

Labor Day Weekend Hike
On Saturday, we had a great time taking a couple mile hike at Raven Rock. It was quite hot, but it was a good lesson in endurance. I was quite impressed with the children for hanging in there. Lily and Stevie walked the whole way. Anastasia was sweating some but just smiled at me sweetly and ate raisins.

These stairs led the way to a beautiful view!
Daddy and his Lily
So pretty!

Labor Day Meme
It is Labor Day 2008, and Shannon decided to host a Laboring meme. As in tell the facts of your births! As a birth junkie, this meme is going to be fun for me.

How long were your labors?

Lily- 33 hours- I never thought it would end.

Stephen- 5 hours- I thought the nurses were lying when they said "time to push".

Anastasia- 14 hours- Nice and intermittent contractions, but I had been contracting pretty steadily for 2 weeks! Mucous plug also alerted me that labor was imminent.

*I guess my girls like to take their time.*

How did you know you were in labor?

Lily- Contractions

Stephen- Strong and ever-increasing contractions, no relenting

Anastasia- Contractions

Where did you deliver?

Lily- Hospital

Stephen- Hospital

Anastasia- Home

Drugs?

Lily- Unfortunately- After I went to the hospital at laboring hour 23. They turned off all drugs at end of labor, so I was in agony on the bed, with the devil drug, Pitocin. I remember saying, "I never consented to Pitocin without an epidural!"

Stephen- Unfortunately- I really tried to go natural but my hospital requires laying in bed, constant electronic fetal monitoring, etc.. After all of that machinery, and no way of coping, it is hard to do anything but get drugs. I held off till about the last hour and a half. It was too intense to be strapped down!

Anastasia- No- I do recall midwife making jokes about epidurals, when I was in transition. Now that is just wrong! ;) Natural birth was an amazing experience, though, and it is is the only way I want to birth, from now on, God willing!

C-section?

No, thank goodness. I agree with Kim that anyone who has had a c-section is my hero. I have watched a video of a c-section and it made me very woozy.

Who delivered?

Lily- a cranky doctor

Stephen- a cranky doctor (because I woke her up to deliver)

Anastasia- a midwife, who I woke up in the night and she was only kind and gracious about it!

For more labor day memes, visit Shannon.