Menu Plan Monday- 8/6

Well, I still am not feeling up to cooking much but my family has to eat. So, I've decided to just suck it up and do it! Does that sound terrible or what? Well, it's the truth. I really do want to serve my family and it's been so hard to feel up to serving cheerfully! So, here is our easy menu this week:

Egg in a Hole, Fruit (Oranges and Nectarines)

Brown Rice and Broccoli Stir Fry... Hubby hates rice (weird, I know) but the kids and I love it!

Sloppy Joes, Green Beans

Spaghetti w/ Steamed Squash and Zucchini

Chicken Noodle Soup.. I'm going to TRY to cook chicken. Cooking chicken has been the hardest thing thus far. I can eat it if someone else cooks it. My mom made some yummy Italian chicken this past weekend and it was really good. I've been craving homemade chicken noodle soup. Who am I kidding? I'd love a bowl of Campbell's but my conscious won't let me. So, I'm attempting homemade. Hopefully.


Breakfast:
Banana Muffins
Pancakes
Cereal

Lunch:
PB&J, Grilled Cheese/Quesadilla, Leftovers w/ sides

For Snacks:
Fruit/Veggies
Cheese
Yogurt
Raisins
Almonds
Homemade granola

It's time for school!

I've decided to start school a week early because of lots of exciting things going on in our lives! So.... we start tomorrow! When I mentioned this to Luke he was excited! And I am too! I love homeschooling so much! It is just a blessing and I truly feel like I'm answering God's call to 'teach them diligently'. We chose to use Heart of Dakota again this year. I toyed with the idea of switching but I kept coming back to it! I really enjoyed it so much. It's enough structure for me but also gives me freedom to lay aside anything that isn't working and add in what is. Last year we enjoyed everything that was laid out in the curriculum except I sometimes switched up the memory verses and we used some of our own Bible study material. We are doing that again this year. I did some searching and found "Studying God's Word Book B" by Christian Liberty Press. It's a 36 week unit that goes through the 60 catechisms and scripture to help explain each one. I am really looking forward to doing this with the boys. I also added a Christian Liberty Nature Reader for us to read together.

Along with all that is pictured above we will also be doing handwriting (I'm a little late ordering that! Oops. Until we get it, I'll just have Luke do some copy work.) and phonics. We did not finish Teach Your Child To Read in 100 Easy Lessons. But we will! We got through 3/4 of the book. We had a very slow start in phonics and I learned early on not to push it. After TYCTR, I plan on starting Phonics Pathways and I'd like to pick up some easy readers and see how he does with those as well. From my research Phonics Pathways is very similar to 100 Easy Lesson but is a little more in depth. It sounds like the perfect next step for us! I plan on us doing a lot of reading together this year before we focus on grammar and spelling.

Luke will also be involved in elementary choir. He really enjoyed it last year! He is also taking an art class through our local co-op. I think he's going to enjoy that too! I'm hoping to share more updates throughout the school year through the blog.

Well, it's time to get these kiddos in bed! I'm looking forward to a fun and exciting 1st grade year!

 "And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down, and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates."
(Deuteronomy 6:6-9)

Pregnancy Update- July 17, 2012

Look at that sweet little thing. This was taken a week ago on our sonogram appointment. Everything looked great! We could see and hear his or her little heart beating. The heart rate was 164, nice and strong!  Our official due date is Feb 20th, 2013. I had already figured that out and the baby measured exactly at what I had figured! I had some anxiety leading up to this appointment, for obvious reasons, but in reality I was much calmer than I expected. God has just been so good to me in helping me stay calm. I am so thankful for that. I'm ready to be out of the 1st trimester though! For more reasons than one! :)

I'm already thinking about delivery. As many of you know my last two deliveries were c-sections. And you know that I tried with Eli to have him. That is called attempting a VBAC (vaginal birth after cesarean). Well, I've been contemplating trying the same. I have been praying about it for some time and even prayed that if it were a possibility that my hubby would bring it up. And you know what? He did! I almost started crying! We had talked the past year about just going ahead with a 3rd c-section whenever I got pregnant and not dealing with trying again. For him to bring it up out of the blue was truly an answered prayer. But it's not that easy. Most doctors will not let you try for a VBAC after one c-section much less two. It is a 'higher risk' situation although the risks are not greater than any other surgery (umm.. like a cesarean). The risk is that there could be uterine rupture and that would require immediate emergency care. Chance of uterine rupture is very low, something like 0.9%. The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists updated their guidelines which states that women who've had up to two cesareans- including those having twins-  can attempt a vaginal delivery, as long as the prior incision was low and horizontal (mine both were). Round-the clock access to emergency care is required to try a VBAC, as well. So, what am I saying? I ask you to pray for me. Pray for this decision. I honestly don't want to try and fail again. It's such a depressing thing to go through. I know I can't be guaranteed that it will work but I want to have the guarantee that it's the right choice for me. The hardest thing is going to be convincing my doctor and if I can do that, I'll be more confident that this is the right direction. So pray for clarity and pray for my doctor. I haven't brought it up to him yet and I am scared! He's already mentioned repeat c/section and pregnancy prevention since this will be my 3rd c/s. That makes me sad because what if I want more kids?! If I could successfully have a VBAC, I could for sure have more children and my doctor would be more confident of that as well.

How am I feeling? Yucky. All food sounds gross but I get super hungry and have to eat! I'm having a hard time drinking my water. Ew, it's so gross! I am exhausted. The afternoons are the worst. I pretty much lay around and do nothing. My motto right now is if we have clean clothes (even if they are piled on the love seat), clean dishes and food, we will survive! I'm praying that this will all end soon. With Eli, it started easing up around 11 weeks. I'll be 9 weeks tomorrow! :)


I give thanks for the blessings granted to me through the prayers of many (2 Corinthians 1:11)! Thank you!

Pregnancy Update 7/3/12

I decided, for various reasons, that it was time for a new doctor. I actually had planned to see a new one before becoming pregnant but being pregnant kind of makes you speed up that process! I had prayed about the decision and asked around and had in mind who I wanted to see. Well, I was not disappointed. My new Dr was very gracious and comforting. I just appreciated the care I was given and the way it was given. I was not anxious at all! In fact, I was quite calm about the entire process! My blood pressure was actually the lowest it's been in a long time while at the Dr's office! I suffer from 'white coat syndrom' and typically my blood pressure spikes when at the doctor! I can assure you that is only a God thing. He is so good.

So, I had my first appointment a week and a half ago. As I mentioned, it went great. I am in fact 'officially' pregnant (if the 3 positive home pregnancy tests weren't enough). I am taking extra folic acid as a precaution and they also checked my progesterone levels because of my last miscarriage. I found out last week that my levels were great! My next appointment is this coming Friday and that is when I will have my first sonogram. Pray for me friends! I will be 7 weeks and 2 days, which is exactly the same gestation that I found out that I had miscarried.

It's always fun to take my hubby to the doctors. If you know him, you know that he loves to joke around. Dr. D was asking me a few questions and he asked what I did for a living. When I told him that I stayed home with my kids, he said, "Oh, well you must have you a man that makes big bucks!" As soon as he said that, the Hubs looked over at me and said, "You do?" Haha! He's so funny! I really love him.

So, how am I feeling? Well, I feel pretty good when I first get up. After I eat though, it just goes downhill from there. It progresses from just a funny feeling in my mouth to nausea by the end of the day. Those are the moments when I try not to think that I may have several more weeks left of this. The only time I feel good is when I'm actually, literally eating. I am eating well though, no sweets during the week especially! And so far, I'm still walking 2 miles a day! I hope I can keep it up as long as I still feel okay in the mornings.

Thanks in advance to those of you who are praying and will be praying for Friday! I am nervous and excited all at the same time!

 

Oh give thanks to the Lord, for he is good;
for his steadfast love endures forever!

Psalm 118:1