Following the Principles: Parts 7 & 8 in a series of 8
Baby Lazlo~ 1/6/10 ~ 11lbs~ 23"long ~ Born Safely at Home!
Now that we have finally welcomed our newest addition— an 11lb son named Lazlo who was born safely at our home — I can take the time to sit down and write again. The swelling and the restlessness of late pregnancy made computer time just one more form of torture in a sea of physical discomforts. Fortunately, those discomforts are behind me now (although I vow to never, ever forget the challenges of the third trimester, just in case I am ever stricken with Baby Fever again years from now) and my recovery has been a joyous time of healing, snuggling, nursing and marveling. Well…for the most part.
Our first tandem nursing session a few minutes after Lazlo's birth.
There, of course, is my sweet little 22-month-old T-Bird to deal with. While she is thrilled that there is breastmilk on the menu again, she is not as enthusiastic about her new little brother trying to enjoy that milk–with or without her. Nursing them together is a terrific way to get a worry-free 20-minute power-nap, but can also backfire and result in T-Bird’s numerous attempts to unlatch the baby, to poke him the eye, to cover his face with a blanket, to elbow him… fun times. So then, I will go with the other extreme and nurse T-Bird first, or nurse her in another room, or nurse her after I get Lazlo to sleep. She then proceeds to spend that time constantly unlatching and relatching asking “Where’s Lazlo? Baby wants nursie?” while pulling, scratching and patting the unoccupied breast…more fun times. Not to mention the all-new behaviors when we are not nursing—throwing, hitting, screeching, drawing on walls, stomping food into the carpets. Continue reading 'Practice Positive Discipline & Strive for Balance in Personal and Family Life'»
 Sir Hubby helps me to relax using our Hypnobabies techniques... |
 Jill & Sir Hubby check on Lazlo with the Doppler. He is such a strong, healthy boy and has perfect heart tones the entire time! |
 They have to get really, really low to find good heart tones since the baby is so close to being on the outside! |
 THIS moment would have never been possible without the love, faith, and unwavering belief of my birth team. They never doubted me for a minute...even when I was convinced I couldn't do it! |
 T-Bird is very ready to be reacquainted with her favorite na-na's while Sir Hubby meets his brand new son. |
 I have the feeling that this is going to be a fairly common sight around our house for some time to come ♥ |
Sometimes it is best to just not ask too many questions...
An anvil?
We are not big on Christmas. First of all, we just don’t have the resources to pull it off. Secondly, while we celebrate the love of family, giving, kindness, etc… all of the time, we are not always in a position to mark a super special day of celebration on a calendar and stick to it. Sometimes, we have more to give to ourselves and to others in let’s say…the spring. We like being flexible about this sort of thing. And finally, without the religious part of the holiday it is just something we are not on board with value-wise. But we still do the occasional thing or two if we can afford it, and we feel like it adds to the love in our family, etc…
So, inevitably, every year we ask Bug what she would want to get from someone like Santa if Santa were so inclined to bring a present to our home. And every year she totally blows us away with her simple, heartfelt requests. One year she simply asked for a yo-yo. Another year, she requested a small wooden wind up toy. Last year, she wanted some nuts and bolts so she could pretend to put things together. How could we deny such humble gifts? So every year, she has received these simple things and treasures them. Continue reading 'All I Want for Christmas is…'»
Following the Principles, Part 6 of a series of 8: As we enter the last few (days? weeks?) of our pregnancy with LF#5, I have to admit that one of my biggest, most gigantic fears about having two nurslings under the age of two is “how will I EVER find a sitter for two completely attached, nursing babies AND my high-needs 6 year old???” Not that we have a need to spend a ton of time away from our kids, but having the option for some time together every few months seems like a marriage saving idea!
In the past, with the wide age spacing of the older children, it was really never a big deal. Everyone was always happy to have the older, experienced “helper” tag along to provide invaluable care-giving advice: “Oh, that cry means she wants her blankie! or “By this time, Mom always puts her in the sling!” And even when Bug came along with her higher-needs personality, we had my parents nearby to help out when she was very tiny, and after we moved further away, she had her own personal favorite nanny to provide loving care when she was a toddler. When T-Bird arrived and I had to return to work much sooner than I would have liked, we got creative and rearranged our work schedule to ensure that either Sir Hubby or I could always take care of her (and yes, that’s our picture on page 189 of Attached at the Heart!)
Since moving away from my parents, our beloved nanny, and my flexible job, I have been a full-time homeschooler, stay-at-home-parent and very tired pregnant lady! But being at home has also allowed me to forge many wonderful friendships in our new hometown. I adore that we share so many of the same parenting values with our new circle of friends. But, like me, they also have very full lives and busy families. We can get together and have playgroups, and homeschool groups, and ladies nights…but leaving T-Bird with someone other than Sir Hubby or Big Sister Ella has not been territory that I have delved into yet. Continue reading 'Provide Consistent and Loving Care'»
 Suspicious about being out of the house so early and being offered toys instead of breakfast... |
 They gave her "Silly Juice" which made her all giggly and dopey. I hate to admit that it was adorable. |
 As promised, she will get to wake up in my arms...a zero trauma event for her |
 They did not insert the IV until after she was under...but she sure noticed it as soon as she came to! |
 A little swelling gives her a puffy pout |
 Poppa Larry reads T-Bird a story while she checks out her sore lip |
Following The Principles: Part 5 of a series of 8: I did not expect the arrival of my first baby to create so much upheaval in my bedroom. There was no room for a “nursery” so by default we became co-sleepers. The room would have never won any awards for decorating to begin with, but after the baby it became a minefield of clothes, blankets, stuffed animals, toys, wipes, baby nail clippers, bulb syringes, diapers, and little mismatched baby socks.
My Dream Bedroom
After firstborn moved into his own room at about two and half years, we spent joyous hours creating HIS space with all of HIS favorite things. It was then that I made a vow to create a special place for me to relax and recharge. I fantasized about my ideal bedroom…my haven. I knew one day I would have the resources to make that happen! Continue reading 'Ensure Safe Sleep'»
Following the Principles: Use Nurturing Touch, Part 4 of a series of 8: Carrying our little LF#5 in my body is the ultimate in nurturing touch. A tiny body wrapped up inside of mine. Bouncing. Rolling. Rocking. Swaying. Swirling. Surrounded by warmth. We are planning another gentle homebirth for our new little one in which only loving hands will touch him/her. We will enjoy our Babymoon as long as we can, remaining in bed and nursing for 2-3 weeks while my body heals. Of course we have made preparations (as much as anyone can prepare for the unknown at any rate) in case of an emergency need to transfer our care to a hospital and are prepared to do whatever it takes to make even the most medicalized situation a high-touch, high-compassion one. No matter what happens with our pregnancy and birth, we know that we are committed to our attached and connected parenting principles. We trust that our new baby will be lovingly connected to our family even if that means finding new ways to apply the attachment parenting principles to whatever circumstances LF#5 is welcomed into the world under.
A Rare Moment: Everyone together! T-Bird, Sir Hubby, Bug, Brent, Ella
But what about the rest of us? We are already dealing with situations which are challenging our ability to stay connected. It seems as if the past few months could be defined by one word: Distance. Distance keeps our family apart while Sir Hubby attempts to balance his business, his father’s health, and our family. Distance has my son several hours away at college. Our older girls are both at ages where they are pulling away (in healthy ways) to explore independence, self-directed learning, and social pursuits without holding our hands. But the biggest distance I feel is the one between my little T-Bird and I. Continue reading 'Kiss You To Sleep'»
Homeschool Perk--Getting the playground all to ourselves!
Along with our unexpected pregnancy, we have also been gestating another new little life these past few months: the life of a homeschooling family (or maybe we are more technically an “unschooling” family).
As the back-to-school frenzy surrounded us here in our part of the country, our school year had already been in session for nearly a month. We didn’t have to buy a thing to get started. There were no uniforms to buy, no back-to-school haircuts, no competing with the mom next to me at The Big Box Store to get my hands on the very last purple glitter pencil box*
Let me tell you about our first day of homeschooling this year: Continue reading 'Why We Have Decided to Homeschool'»
T-Bird takes life as it comes
When I enter the path, I can clearly see the goal. The center of the path. The object of the game. There it is! I head out confidently straight towards it. But the path suddenly veers to the left. I’m moving away from my goal. But my confidence is still high, my energy levels are still revved up, the memory of the goal being in my sights has not faded. Any disappointment is only temporary.
Soon the path curves back to the right, and although I am a bit further from the goal then when I started, it is clearly in sight again and the forward momentum of my ambition will have me claiming my reward in moments. Instead, the path cuts sharply away from the goal once again. It quickly twists and turns back and forth, one instant I am so close to my goal that one more simple step towards it will get me there. The path has other plans though. The turns come so rapidly that I have to slow my pace or risk becoming unbalanced. I barely move forward at all, but keep twisting back and forth. For a few moments, I lose my sense of direction–lose site of the goal– and focus instead on my bare feet on the smooth pavement of the path. Continue reading 'Lunch at the Labyrinth'»
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