Looking back over my blog I am wondering how I did it.

Was that really me that was able to post that much? What in the house was not getting done? Where the children neglected?

But then I realize alot has changed since I joined and started this blog. March of 2006. Wow that seems so long ago. And a few babies ago.

Since then we have added two little ones, not at the same time. Mr. Visionary has gotten back into the pastorate. Being a pastor's wife is a very busy life and one that is not your own. (More on that in another entry)

So I am not sure how much I will be able to post over here. I will post when I can as I am starting to miss it a lot!!

We are just going through our normal days of laundry, school, laundry, cooking, laundry, diaper changes, did I mention laundry.

Know that I do read and love to keep up with you all. Just can not make a comment on everyone.

Hope to be back and active more.

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Everytime I go to the hospital for a baby something is new in how to care for the little one. 

First you take care of the cord with alcohol, then it was soap and water, then soap, then just water, then you do NOT swaddle your babies, then you can swaddle them but make sure their little arms are free. 

Yikes, it is all so confusing so I just do things my own way. 

When they told me that policy did not let them swaddle the babies (this was my second to last one) I asked why and they said it might relate to SIDs.  Well the nurses admitted they have no idea what causes SIDs so I went ahead and swaddled my little one.  They said that as long as it was me doing the swaddleing it would be ok. 

It was funny because after I was finished the nurse looked at me and asked if she could bring in some of her friends to learn how to do this swaddle.  I was glad to teach them. 

Well after our last little one came home I was finally able to swaddle him and he certainly likes it alot.  (I could not swaddle him in the hospital as he had an IV in.  But then I thought others mothers may not know a really good swaddle or how to do it so here is a lesson in swaddling 101.

First you need a blanket that is 45 by 32"  I will post how to make the perfect blanket for swaddling out of flannel. 

Lay it out with the long side at the top

Then take the baby and lay him in the middle with his head at the top of the blanket and slightly over

Take the left side of the blanket and wrap it over the baby and under his arm

Then wrap the other side of the blanket around and under him.

You will have two tails hanging down at the bottom of the blanket cross these over and pull them up, you are taking them around the back of his neck.  The baby will naturally fold his legs up just as he had them in the womb.

Now knot it at the nape of the babys neck

You will know have a baby that feels safe and secure.  This is also a great swaddle to do if you have other little ones who would like to hold the baby.  As the knot is also supporting the babies neck. 

Enjoy your happy swaddled little ones.

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Jeremiah Estel

  9 lbs 14 oz    21 3/4" long

Wow was this an interesting labor.  It started on the 5th of November and was an off and on labor.  The midwife kept coming out and then labor would stall.  I had good labor pains in the evenings and then would wake up with nothing going on.  Finally on Friday and stalled at 6 cm.  The midwife sent us to the hospital.  When we got there they admitted me and said we had three options. 

1. Labor on my own and see what happened.

2. Could start a pitocin drip and go from there.

3. C-section.

Well since I was not progressing well I did not want to labor on my own.  We asked to have an unltrasound done to make sure the baby was not tangled in the cord, as I have really long cords, and the baby had not yet dropped.  Well all looked ok in the unltrasound so we went with the pitocin.

I had an epidural put in as pitocin is so hard on you.  Things went well until I got to 9 cm.  Then I did not progress any more.  So the Dr. streched the cervix during the contractions and got it over the babys head, glad I had the epidural.  Then after the babys head was out she had me stop so she could suction him out.  Then his shoulders got stuck for a moment, I think it was because of stopping, we lost the mometum.  Anyhow he was doing OK but not as good as they would like so they took his oxeygen levels and it was at 92.  So into the NICU unit he went and was on oxeygen.  He went up to 98. 

Then came the x-ray and the blood test, After three of those they decided on Sunday that he had pneumonia in one lung and he would have to stay the week at the hospital for antibiotics.  So mama camped out,  they moved me three times because of space issues.  I ended up spending the last two nights in a room that was tiny.  My DH came and asked why I was in a closet.

I was just glad to be able to stay with Jeremiah.  So after three IV's, I do not know how many pokes for blood work,  and 4 x-rays, we are HOME, and so happy to be so.

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Well I could not resist these sweet little ones. They were being given away at Wal-mart. Some one had tried to drop them off at the humane society but they would not take them as they already had their limit of dogs. So here are are new little ones. They are named Beer-sheba and Bath-sheba Called Bear and Bath. The children love them.

Bear being held

Bath sleeping in the childrens arms.

The girls sleeping

Bear and a toy she has claimed as her own.

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Wow   Time sure has flown.  The Lord has provided a lovely spot in the country for us.  We are enjoying it very much. 

But once again we ran into problems with choices for ISP.  The first company came out and said they would have to install a pole to put the dish on.  It would have cost alot more than what we wanted to pay.  So we went with a cable company.  No cable TV for us though just the internet.  They think you are a bit weird but they will do it.  Well, they got it all hooked up and we tried to get on the internet.  It would only go to certain sites and none of the ones I use on a regular basis.  Yikes.  We called and no one at the company could help us.  We stumped everyone.  I asked if we needed a different modem.  Oh no that could not be the problem.  After three days of talking to different people they said it was our computer.  Well DH hooked a different computer up and it did the same thing.  Back to the phones.  They finally sent someone out but he could only check the hardware.  He decided to try a new modem and YIPEE it worked.  So I am back online.

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