A week in review, a day early!

Hi all,

I've been told that I don't update enough (hi Dad!) so I'm going to work on that. I might have to make up exciting stuff to include here. This month is Push Month for AAMI (www.ancientartmidwifery.com) so I am working hard on that. It's a great excuse to sit down with books about birth and take notes. I also met with doula clients last night and enjoyed showing them some of the natural births (they're so dull compared to Baby Story.. lots of quiet breathing, gentle encouragment, and mom looking like she's asleep.)

Things learned this week:

- Children will not do the hokey pokey no matter how much mom cajoles them. They will do absurd dances when mom ISN'T trying to get them to do it.

- Charli can play "Into the West" on her violin and it sounds great.

- Bethany knows how to use cake mix to make pressed cookies (the ones that come out of a cookie press).

- Naomi knows how to eat cookies FAST so her brothers don't get them.

- Toddlers can drink the rest of mom's coffee and still nap. ;) (Yeah, I know, but she's pretty quick at swiping drinks and it wasn't hot.)

- One of the cats is good at finding little grey moles and leaving them on the porch (eew).

- I really wish the big van had a working radio!

- Noah loves homemade playdough and has the cutest freckles on his cheeks.

- Joseph is still squirrely about the vacuum cleaner, but he'll have light saber battles with himself all over the house!

- Snow is fun, but 70 degrees is better.

- Pipes will freeze if the water is shut off at 2am. They sometimes won't thaw until 11:30 or so... and it feels like days when you're waiting to take a shower.

- Indoor plumbing is a fantastic invention. I'd rather do without electricity than water (although I think electricity is needed for the pump - but I'm really not sure how it is powered. Hmm. Note to self: in spare time, research how well pump works.. or get child to do it and call it a home school project.)

- James is getting really good at drawing robots. I'll scan one of his pictures soon to show off. His latest had 21 axels, a solar panel, and a back-up battery for when the sun isn't shining.

- I learned how to turn word documents into .pdfs and I'm quite pleased with that!

- The UPS guy thinks Kuza is fantastic, the Fed Ex guy is convinced that he's going to eat him.

- Anything taken from mom's cup or plate is better than what is in your cup or on your plate.

That's it. Friday is my check-in day for AAMI. Maybe I'll make Thursday my check-in day for the blog.. which means I'm SURE to forget next Thursday. :)


Currently Reading: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. It is my second time through this book (I read it during my pregnancy with Naomi). Here's a snippet..

"Have you never heard anyone speak positively about labor and birth before? If so, you are not alone. One of the best-kept secrets in North American culture is that birth can be ecstatic and strengthening. Ecstatic birth gives inner power and wisdom to the woman who experiences it... Even when women experience pain in labor, they understand that there are ways of making the sensations of labor and birth tolerable that do not involve numbing the senses with drugs." and "My experiences as a midwife have taught me that women's bodies still work."

With today's managed care vs. expectant care, I think that is a powerful statement. A lot of women have a hard time believing that their body *will* birth without intervention.