Spirit of Poverty: Birthday Crown FINALLY

Last year I began making a Waldorf-style birthday crown for my daughter, Julia-Ann, for her first birthday. I designed it, bought all the materials, sewed on the designs. . . pretty much the only thing left to do was to sew on the elastic portion of it.

. . .and then I got pregnant.

When I am pregnant, in the "morning sickness" phase of the pregnancy, I get some really strange quirks I'd suppose you'd call them. Instead of getting physically sick I get a very 'gross' feeling. The best way I've been able to describe it is as being green under the gills, but even that doesn't do the feeling I get during early pregnancy justice. It's not like a 'I'm going to get sick' or 'I'm nauseous' feeling, just a very icky, gross feeling. And it's not so much foods or smells, per se, that make me sick as it is visual and tactile stimuli. Pretty much I develop an aversion to anything I  was doing or interested in at the on set of my pregnancy.

For example, sweaters. It was winter when I became pregnant with my 5th daughter. I was out shopping, looking in the clothing department and there were sweaters EVERYWHERE. I felt so nasty I had to leave that part of the store! At home, I had to pack away all my sweaters so I could no longer see them or touch them. . . .or really even think about them. It's silly, I know! I'm not sure where that came from or why I get like that. Warm, thick blankets have set off the same response. And with this last baby I had what I term "pregnancy induced hair highlights". My natural hair color has gotten rather dark over the years. Never bothered me before, in fact, I kind of liked it. Oh no. While pregnant, looking in the mirror and seeing my dark hair made me sick. So sick, I went and got some highlights put in to lighten it up! Yeah, God left a screw loose in the "pregnancy department" when He made me.

So as I was saying this time last year I was making this really great Birthday Crown. I had found some natural wool felt at the craft store. I loved the stuff! I thought I was so lucky to stumble upon it. And I was making progress in the sewing department, only a little to go. No doubt in my mind, I was going to have the crown finished in time for her very special first birthday.

Well after getting pregnant and entering that morning sickness phase I could no longer stand to touch the wool felt. Or look at it. I tried to pick it back up and finish it--push past the ickiness--but I couldn't stomach the feeling. I had to resign myself to the notion it wasn't going to get done, despite what little I had left to do. It was tucked away.

Now that her 2nd birthday is rolling up on August 16th, it was time to complete it. I hate an unfinished craft. It makes me leery of starting another one. It' sits in the back of my mind, haunting me. Well, I'm happy to say I can scratch this one off my list!


So finally, at last, the year long Birthday Crown~~

The instructions for the Wool Felt Birthday Crown can be found on the blog Frontier Dreams by clicking here.

Sunflowers and butterflies symbolizing her bithday season, summer, with her intials.

Her Guardian Angel.

Fireflies, again, a summer symbol.

Happy Easter!

Update:

I have been absent from my blog for a few weeks. Our sweet baby #6 was due March 27th and I've been busy preparing life for her. Only it is now April 8th, 2012--Easter Day-- and she is STILL not here!!! I have a history of running overdue, but I must admit I am having a hard time waiting patiently. I am so ready for my baby to arrive and to move on to the next phase of life. . . .

So whenever this little bundle of joy decides to make her arrival and life stabilizes as we welcome our sixth child into our family, I look forward to getting back to my blog and sharing. (eewwww, there's a little contraction now! Cross your fingers and say a prayer that labor is just on the horizon!!!)

God bless! I hope everyone has a wonderful Easter :)

The Spiritual Side of My Home Birth

I'm not sure if I've spoken about the spiritual side of my homebirth plans, I can't recall. Pregnancy brain?! Probably Possibly. Guess it doesn't hurt to discuss it again. It is one of my favorite topics, afterall :) . . .and I just received some great news that I'm dying to share.

I am Catholic so I had planned  or rather desired, that might be a better word, to have the Legion of Mary enthrone a blessed statute of Mary in my home during the time of my homebirth. I had casually brought up my idea to the Legion Leader a couple months back at a get together. By the time I got around to speaking to her again to make the plans last weekend I discovered that the statue was already spoken for for the week of March 25th. I'm due March 27th, I was hoping to have her by then. But I thought I tend to run overdue, so it might still work out afterall. I was assigned to have her the first week of April--for Easter. That would be nice. I may not have her for the birth of my baby, but very shortly after while I'm home caring for and cuddling my new little one I'd have her there with me--and not to mention the honor of having her for Easter! So I resigned myself to this idea.

Well, dear readers, I just got a call this morning saying the original lady cancelled her appointment for the enthronement on the 25th and that I could have her afterall! I could have her from the 25th through Easter!!!! I was ecstatic at this news! Thank you Lord, my plan wish came true afterall!!

So now I need to clear her a spot on my mantle. Maybe buy her a few fresh flowers, or pick them from my garden already beginning to bloom with  all this crazy warm weather we've been having :) On the 25th she will brought to my home and enthroned while reciting the rosary and saying some prayers.

Thank you God <3

Nesting?!

This was the week I had planned to get my house scrubbed from top to bottom. This was the week we took off from homeschool in order to do it. This was the week I was going to get all the baby items out, washed, and organized. It is this Friday both my doula and one of my midwives come for a home visit. What should I wake up Monday with?! A COLD! Of course! Thank you, God, I appreciate that one. But being the season of Lent and no other time in which to accomplish these cleaning tasks which must be accomplished, I pull myself up by bootstraps, offer it up to God, and clean anyways. In the words of Rambo, "I don't have time to bleed for a cold." So this week is dedicated to cleaning and nesting FINALLY! Only four weeks to go and I thought I'd never get to it. Leave it to the thought of home visits to a messy, chaotic, unorganized home to get the fires burning under you :) Yesterday I managed to scrub, top to bottom, my living room. I went cleaning-woman-crazy on it. Got inside my couch, under my couch, base boards, crown molding, dusted fans, wiped walls, steam mopped the wood floors--you name it, I got it. Mind you this all in between blowing my constantly running nose--thank you to my dear children for passing that along to me. I had four of my five daughters sick with a cold this weekend. My nesting experience isn't turning out exactly as I had in my mind. But the jobs getting done none the less. I can only hope as the days roll along and my cold lessens nesting will become less difficult, maybe even enjoyable because this means my little one will be arriving very shortly. It's starting to become real as I wash little clothes, and organize little cloth diapers, and the likes. And the not so quaint and cute chores of scrubbing the toilets and such, well it is all in the spirit of true nesting I do those things. This is not a nest I merely bring home a new baby to. This is a nest I will be birthing my new baby in!!!

Homebirth Supplies

I thought I'd share what all is required, equipment/supplies wise, for a home birth. It may vary from midwife to midwife, but this is the list my midwives at Ten Moons Midwifery supplied me and recommend.

Hombirth Supplies:

• Birth Kit, order at 30 weeks, so that it will be sure to arrive by 36 weeks
• 1 package maxi pads
• 1 plastic or metal bowl for the placenta (you may want to set aside another bowl in case you get nauseated)
• 1 large outdoor disposable picnic table cloth with flannel backing, 1 tarp, or 1 plastic shower curtain liner to protect your floor or carpet. You will need one extra tablecloth, tarp or liner for waterbirth
• 2 fitted sheets and extra pillows and cases. Make up the bed for the birth as soon as you are sure that you are in labor
• 2 large plastic garbage bags
• laundry basket
• 1 roll each of toilet paper and paper towels
• 1 crockpot for hot compresses, if desired
• 12 cloths for compresses (these can be made by cutting up an old towel or you can buy a cheap package of wash cloths. Please wash them an put in a bag labeled compresses)
• 2 bottles electrolyte drink (Third Wind, Recharge, etc.), coconut water, or homemade "laborade." Leave bottled drinks at room temperature
• 4 bath towels, minimum. You will need at least 4 more for waterbirth
• 4 receiving blankets, minimum
• electric heating pad and an old pillowcase
• 1 flashlight with working batteries
• 1 set of baby clothes and 2 cotton newborn hats
• variety of food in the house. You may not want to eat in labor, but you will definitely be hungry afterward. We [being the midwives] sometimes get hungry too. We especially love a good cup of coffee!
• 1 bottle hydrogen peroxide, to remove blood from carpet, etc.
• 1 bottle ammonia, if desired, to add to laundry with meconium soiled clothes, diapers or linens
• 1-3 perineal cold compresses, if desired, can be added to the birth kit,or might like to use bags of frozen peas instead
• 4 gallon size Ziploc bags
• cookie sheet. It is our tray for your labor and birth
• space heater, if needed, to keep the birth room at 70-75 degrees for several hours after the birth
• small bottle of olive oil for baby's bottom, to keep the meconium from sticking to baby's delicate skin
• newborn diapers
• thermometer
• infant car seat, with straps adjusted to smallest position. If a base is included with your car seat, please go ahead and install it in your car.

Birth Kit:
Purchased through Everything Birth; this is a pre-determined package my midwives put together through the company, called the Ten Moons Midwifery Birth Kit, that costs $39.

• 10 disposable underpads, 23x24 light
• 5 disposable underpads, 30x30 heavy
• 2 plastic backed sheets
• 1 OB pads, nonsterile, 12 pack
• 1 peri bottle
• 1 mesh pant
• 1 tenderfoot lancet
• 2 flex straws
• 2 alcohol prep pads
• 1 super sani-cloth
• 5 lubricating jelly, 5g
• 1 bulb syringe, sterile 3 oz.
• 8 gauze, 4x4, sterile, 2 pack
• 6 gloves, sterile vinyl singles, medium
• 4 gloves, sterile pairs, medium
• shipping included

I also ordered the Vitamin K with my kit. This little bottle was a pricey $39.95. I opted to have it administered orally to my newborn, as opposed to an injection or going without. I am also supplementing my diet and taking Alfalfa supplements to increase my vitamin K serum levels so that my baby has more at birth.

To keep things simple, I ordered my "birth" pool through the same company. It is actually a kiddy pool that works really well for home births. It was $39.95, much cheaper than a rented alternative. It came recommended by both my doula and midwife. Referred to as the "Fishy Pool" or "Aquarium Pool," they are sold on Amazon and through birth supply companies. They sell for $37 on Amazon but shipping is $12.40. It was cheaper to buy it for my price through Everything Birth and pay their $5 shipping rate. But what's great is that after my homebirth it can be cleaned out and my younger girls will have a play pool this summer!

Everything Birth: Sponser

I am 30 weeks pregnant and into my third trimester. I went to my midwife checkup yesterday, which are now every 2 weeks in frequency. Everything went well, thank God--baby is doing great :) She reminded me it's that time already to put in my order for a home birth kit.

I ordered the kit, as well as my birth pool (yes, I'm shooting for a water birth--or if not the warm water is supposed to work wonders on labor pains) through Everything Birth. It's a great little site that offers home birth materials, midwife materials, cloth diapers, etc. Check them out.

I'm planning to talk more in depth about the goodies packed in my Birth Kit, the items on my birth supplies list, and the birth pool I chose on Monday. With only 10 weeks to go, now is the time to get all my ducks in a row--baby will be here before I know it. Exciting!

Booties complete!

I finished up my baby hat from the other day. I even made a matching little pair of booties using Bev's Baby Bootie pattern. All my babies come out with big feet and long fingers--a Goad family trait I suppose :) Those cute little newborn size booties and socks are too small for my girls from the get go! I had to up the size of the booties a bit to adapt them for my little one.

I'm thinking about adding a little wooden button to the sides for added flair??

And the sweet part . . . I have enough yarn left over to make my belly-covering scarf! I'll be showing that off later this week.

What I'm Working On: Baby Hat

I'm getting back to making my baby preparations. Can you believe it? I am already 29 weeks into my pregnancy. Only 11 weeks to go (or maybe more like 13 in my case~my babies tend run late). Time is flying and this baby is growing! One of my first projects is knitting a baby hat. I am using a round form, called Knifty Knitter. Knitting these little hats on the form are surprisingly fast. This is was an instant gratification project :)

I first made a prototype with some cheap yarn to get the technique down. This will be used for one of my daughter's baby dolls. I am now working on the real thing. It is made from Bernat Baby Blanket yarn in Baby Yellow, which my mother graciously supplied.  It is oh-so-soft! I have plenty of yarn so I may even be able to make a matching pair of baby booties as well. (Or maybe a scarf for myself :) My poor belly has gotten so big that my jacket no longer zips up. I can button the top button but if I move even the slightest bit it pops open. My older girls get a kick out of this! I could use a nice wide scarf to help sheild my exposed belly from the cold for the remainder of winter.) I forgot how much I enjoy knitting/crocheting. I am not the most skilled in these art forms but I find them very relaxing, something I needed right now.

Doulas

So I am preparing for my first home birth. I have had five babies previously, but the home birth is a totally new experience for me. I am learning everything as I go. I've read the homebirth/midwife handbook, Spiritual Midwifery, I've found my midwives, I attend my Birth Circles, and I think I may have found a doula. What's a doula you say? It's a birth assistant. A doula plays a different role from the midwife. A midwife is there to be a guide and guardian to the natural birth process. A doula is someone who is there soley for me and my needs--to be my support, hence, my personal birth assistant. She will help try to make me as comfortable as possible and help me with pain management. The role of a doula varies slightly from a home birth to a hospital setting. In addition to the personal assistant and pain management components she gives during a home birth, in the hospital, she can be a "go between"  between the laboring mother and hospital staff. She can help explain the childbirth process as the mother goes through it, answering any questions.

For me, the choice to have a doula comes from this being my first totally natural childbirth. Three of my five babies were induced, and with all five, at one point or another during the labor process, I was administered Pitocin. Pitocin gives you contractions on steroids. I opted for the epidural. This time will be different. Pain medication won't be an option and while I look forward it, I hold a little apprehension not knowing what to expect. Having someone there just for me helps ease some of my worries. I handle pain pretty well, but I've read and watched documentaries where laboring women hit that peak of pain. That's my fear--that peak! My doula can help me focus through my contractions and encourage me on when I reach that point where I feel I can't go on. It may not happen. I may have no problems with the labor and delivery process. Everything could go smoothly and I'm able to manage on my own. But I'd rather be prepared. It gives me peace of mind knowing I'll have that personal support should I need it. Of course my husband and my mother will be present, but their role will be different. They're there to share the beautiful experience of a new soul being brought into the world. To witness. While I'll rely on them for certain aspects, I want my doula.

As for many families our financial resources are not unlimited. Paying my midwives is top priority, everything else comes secondary, inclusive of my doula.  A certified doula can cost anywhere from $400-600. One solution is finding a student doula, which is what I did. During the process of the certification, a doula needs 2-3 birth experiences. Having received the training but not having the certification, can make it difficult to find clients. Usually you can hire a student doula from $100-200! She needs you as much as you need her. Through a recommendation of an acquaintance of mine, who is herself a fully certified doula, I was able to get the name and number of a student doula in my area. I've spoken with her on the phone a few times and she sounds great. We will meet face to face at a meeting in January. That's when we'll discuss in more detail my birth plan and get to know each other a bit more before my baby's birth day, which will be here before I know it!

A Quilt and a Badge

I finished sewing my baby quilt! I am pleased with how it turned out and I had a good time in the process of making it--which is half the fun. There is nothing like being in your crafting space (mine happens to be the basement), having a nice cup of tea, and creating. That’s my idea of a good time! While the quilt may not be perfect, it was sewn with tons of mama-made love : )

Not only did I get my baby quilt checked off my to-do list of things to get ready for my new baby, I earned a Merit Badge as a bonus! This project completed my requirements for the Beginners Quilting Badge.
　
Quilting Beginner Level

• If you don’t know how to quilt, learn.
• Pick a simple pattern like a doll-sized quiilt that will help you learn the basics, even just sewing squares together.
• Learn how to add a backing and batting and do simple quilting stitches to hold everything in place.
• Finish your quilt project. There is a three-hour minimum time investment required.
　

After some of my other holiday gifts and baby items are completed, I’ll be upping the ante and going for my Intermediate Quilting Badge. I’ll be attempting a cathedral window quilt (baby-sized mind you, they’re quite intricate and time consuming). When my great-grandmother passed away she left behind a couple of cathedral window patches, which came into my mother’s possession. Ever since I laid eyes upon that pattern I’ve wanted to make one. Of course I’ve been waiting for my sewing and quilting skills to mature to even attempt it. I think I’m ready to give it a try.

More birthday gifts!

Sometimes a gift received from a loved one is what you need to make your birthday special. Even if it's not exactly what you've been wanting, it's the thought that counts. Other times being allowed to "gift" to yourself items you've had on your wish list is even better!  For me that item was fabric for my baby quilt. I've been planning this quilt for a few weeks now. And the time is about right to get started. All I needed was the fabric. 


Making a baby quilt is a little tradition that didn't start until I was pregnant with my fourth daughter, (O). In fact, it was my oldest daughter's Brownie troop that started it for me. As a group project they designed and made a friendship quilt for us. It was such a special gift, from the heart and homemade.

When I was pregnant with my fifth daughter we were homeschooling by that time and part of a homeschool group. My daughter (C) was in a Kindergarten Girls Group. Each month a different mother took a turn leading the group and doing a craft or activity. My month was up and I was racking my brain for ideas to do. Why not teach the class about quilting and design a friendship quilt for our newest expected baby? That's just what I did. I had never made a quilt before, so it was a learning process for me as well. Each girl got to design a nine square patch. I had pre-cut squares of fabric and a drew a "template" on a large sheet of paper. The girls each arranged their squares to their liking and pinned them to the paper. I then took the patches home, sewed them together exactly as the girls had laid them out, and embroidered their names on them.

This time around I do not have any groups to assit me in putting my quilt together. It will be entirely Mama-made.  Here are the quilt plans I have for baby #6. We don't know whether this little bundle of joy will be a girl or boy, so I wanted to keep the colors neutral. And I wanted to go outside the box from the usual pastel baby schemes. My color scheme was inspired by the colors of India and from nature. I am a Lay Missionary of Charity, and I have a monk friend who visited Calcutta. He shared his photo album with me. The beautiful colors awed me: the browns, with pops of yellow, oranges, reds. . . my greens and blues come from nature.

I spent over an hour in JoAnn Fabrics!  No kids, just me and my sketch, having a good time exploring the isles of fabric. That was a treat in itself. It was tough to narrow down my selections, there were so many wonderful colors and patterns. But money put a limit on how many I was allowed to come home with :) Here is what I  finally chose:

Let the quilting begin!