Last post - Update in 2011

I stopped using the blog when Facebook became way more convenient. I almost deleted this blog today, but had second thoughts and decided to keep it.

Here is my update:

I now live in Virginia with my six fantastic children. I am a midwife (LM/CPM) and have a thriving practice called Eva Birth Services.

We are healing after years of a rollercoaster home life - most of that hidden in plain sight. The separation occurred after one of the children was placed in danger and a deputy sheriff brought him home. It was a final straw on top of piles of straws and on that day the separation was initiated and divorce should be final before Christmas.

I had no idea the amount of resources available to me. If you find yourself in a not-so-great situation and you're just making the best of it you can.. but it's still hurting you and your children.. please know there are MANY resources available. Email me anytime - bridget@evabirthservices.com - and I will personally help you find them in your area. They are there.

We are looking at an ELCA church to attend.

My children have survived a year of public school and most liked it, though a couple want to return to homeschooling.

I'm happier than I've ever been in my adult life. I'm thankful that the previous 'season' I was in has ended. I tried very hard to be the perfect cookie-cutter submissive Christian wife and finally realized that no amount of me being perfect was going to fix things.

I'm still very much a Christian, but I have found balance. God has been, and continues to be, faithful to me and my children and for that I'm eternally grateful.

I won't be updating this anymore, but you can find me on facebook under Bridget Bragg or soon-to-be Bridget Pelkey.

Could I be any worse at this? :)

(scroll down for video)

Probably not! But, blogging about life isn't nearly as productive as living life.. is it?

I am currently watching this lecture on brain development and addiction. I think it should be a must-watch for parents and those expecting. I have been learning a lot lately about pre-born consciousness and it is fascinating stuff. Even simple things like a baby will swallow more amniotic fluid in the womb if it is sweeter than normal. Babies are amazing creatures and too often we treat them like they're not a part of the pregnancy or birth process. Gentle Birth, Gentle Mothering has fantastic information on how babies need to be undrugged in order to help the birth process. It also has interesting info (also available online) on how a baby born via c-section is not the 'same' baby if born vaginally - the process of a c-section literally changes a baby's genes. It's theorized that this is because a baby isn't ready to suddenly handle the stresses of out of womb life (yet another reason why a trial of labor is always recommended). Not only is the baby different, but the brain activity of a mom who delivered via c-section vs. vaginally is also different, especially in regards to her baby's cry.. I believe drugs were also included in that. I've had one epidural birth and I know my response was much different than the natural births, you miss out on that natural hormone cocktail that so primes mom and baby for birth.

I think it is time for the natural vs. meds debate to no longer be about how "tough" the mom is or for many people to believe they're equal. So many of the differences are hidden that it's just recently that we're getting even more of this information. Yet another reason for me to be passionate about midwifery. IMHO it's much easier to have a calm, centered, natural birth when you feel loved, supported, and safe in your surroundings. For the majority of women, this familiarity with their surroundings doesn't happen in hospital setting. Most of us equate hospitals with disease, emergencies, or other serious issues. (The NHS recently published that 80% of women are homebirth/birthcenter candidates). I've been blessed to see a few women give birth naturally after having previous epidurals and they constantly amaze me. Women are SO strong when they trust their instincts and feel comfortable demanding what they need - whether it be a position change, a real meal, privacy with their partner, extra closeness by the midwife/doula, no lights, more lights, music, silence, bed, tub, leaning over a chair, no vaginal exams, more vaginal exams (some like to know progress), and so on. Each mother/baby pair is unique and should be afforded the right to do what -they- need to do.

It's insanity that a sacred event like childbirth could ever be thought of as an assembly line process. More and more I respect the midwives I see.. they truly are the experts in normal pregnancy and birth. One midwife has a saying 'Look for horses, not zebras'. And, its a worthwhile reminder that the majority of what happens -is- normal.

On the homeschooling front: We're enjoying summer! :) Our school plans for the upcoming year are reasonable and I'm setting up the foundation now (getting notebooks and such together). It should look like:

Charlotte: Math - Teaching Textbooks Pre-Alg or Alg (probably Algebra), Science - Apologia, Writing - Novel/NaNo, Reading - ha, everything!, Grammar - Winston Grammar, History - CLEP early Amer. History, Bible/Worldview - Cornerstone Curriculum (Also studying Flash/HTML on her own)

Bethany: Math - Teaching Textbooks 7 and then probably into Pre-Alg or Alg (I'm cheap, so I'm thinking Alg), Science - Anatomy/Herbs/Mw'ery self-designed plan, Writing - NaNo/Novel, Reading - same as C, Grammar - Winston, History CHOW (Child's History of the World), Bible - Indep. Reading.

James: Math - TT4 (we have 5 in case he zips through it), Science - one of the Apologia Elem books, Writing - Prompts/ Italic handwriting, Reading - self picked from list, Grammar - Winston, History CHOW, Bible - Indep. Reading.

Joseph: Math - real life math, some workbooks, Science - Apologia Elem, Writing - Italic, Reading - 100 Easy Lessons, History CHOW, Bible - Leading Little Ones to God (same for Noah).

Noah & Nae -- Young Kid 101

Our official grades are: 8th, 6th, 4th, and 1st. Noah could be in K4. But, honestly, I don't get the need to rush them through those early years. They learn way more by self-discovery than being sat in front of a workbook with a pencil.

Mom: Midwife-To-Be course. A set of 30 units.. and more Rosetta Stone Spanish.

As always, we covet prayers of our family and friends. Quite a few know of an issue that has happened in my family, others do not. I am a relatively private person, so sharing details like that with the world isn't something I do. However, at park days or other things it might come up. I ask that others are sensitive and merely offer to listen or pray as needed. Right now things are smoothed over and doing okay.

I think this upcoming schoolyear is going to be one of our most basic and plain ones ever... and I look forward to it! :) We are still looking into being part of the local co-op, time permitting.

Other random tidbits:

• Naomi's favorite show -ever- is Oswald. It's insanely sweet and light-hearted.
• Noah has realized that Nae can be a pretty good playmate, but wow does she have a SCREECH when things don't go her way. She calls him Noah now instead of Whoa-Wah!
• Joseph lost a tooth, he looks absolutely darling. He also likes to tap his head to 'get my brain working'. Along with that, he can play-act most of his favorite shows complete with voices, sound effects, and motions.
• James has a wickedly dry sense of humor that is showing up. He also no longer believes me when I claim that I spit in something so he won't drink it. hehe. (Yeah, I know it isn't appropriate Mom behavior, but it -works- with most of them!). His favorite website is www.incredibots.com
• Bethany wrote out a mealplan for the week - breakfast, lunch, dinner, and snack. She did way better than I would. :) If she could drive, I'd happily hand over the grocery shopping to her! She's currently hoping to find a way to visit her best friend in Kansas.
• Charlotte can cook, she made up a child-friendly meal of macaroni and cheese (box) mixed with spaghetti and marinara sauce. She loved her trip to summer camp and looks forward to going again next year.

Well... there's a Civilization:Colonization game going on, so I'm off to watch. Charlotte is being Douglas Adams and James is George Washington.

Life is good!

"Hey, all of the leaves are back." - comment by James. And they are.. we're loving the weather here and all of the brilliant green. The duck eggs are getting close to hatching. One of them rotted (and burst slightly) so it went to the trash, we're hoping to get at least one baby from this group. If not, we'll try again!

We're getting closer to the end of the school year which will be nice. Charlotte still has more science to finish which might extend into the summertime. James is excited about getting Teaching Textbooks Math 4. I'm excited about a summer off and then getting stuff situated for next fall. 

A few of you already know this, but I haven't been telling the world. :) I officially mailed in my midwife apprentice license forms. In SC, it is a somewhat big deal because it is all a formal affair. I'm also very blessed that it worked out the way that it did. It's an amazing opportunity for me. I will be apprenticing with a homebirth midwife about an hour away and also helping at the birth center in my city. It gives me a broad variety of experience for which I'm quite thankful. 

On top of apprenticing, I need to graduate from Ancient Art Midwifery Institute to meet SC requirements. SC also requires a written exam (NARM, it's expensive, long, and has lots of chatter about it on the internet!) and an oral exam (3 hours, given in state). At that point I'll be a licensed midwife (LM) here and can do a few more things to be a Certified Professional Midwife (CPM) which is recognized by a variety of states. 

I feel very blessed that this has all come together like it has.  I am still teaching HypnoBirthing courses at the birth center (and love that!) but will probably not be taking as many private doula clients. My next client is planning to birth at the center so that will work out nicely. :)  

Jim has been a great encouragement, especially since the children are at an age that this isn't leaving us in a bind for finding childcare and such. The children themselves have been wonderful. Charlotte is often my help with giving me feedback on how we can continue to adjust/improve with the variety of schedule changes. Bethany enjoys helping me with office-tasks and enjoys reading about herbs, etc. James sat down by me today and said, "So, are you still liking this midwife learning?" and we had a chat about it. The youngest three are obviously not as involved, but they do keep me sane... I've learned to appreciate plopping on the couch, snuggling, and reading a children's book to them. Being away from them at times (and busier at home) has made me appreciate them all the more.

But, honestly, to God goes the glory. He set this up and I'm eternally grateful for it. One Pastor we know likes to say "If God guides, He provides" and that has happened here. I'm doing a lot of work (I won't even play false-humble and deny it!) but He opened every door and it still brings me to tears at times to think of His greatness in this.  Those who know the full story of how all of this has played out so far, know that to say it was anything -but- God would be foolishness. 

Sooo.. I will try to get posts up. I do have great pics of the kids from the park on Friday. Every so often the printer doesn't play nice with me and I'm unable to get them moved. I'll try soon. :) 

Sesame Street Video - Very cool!

I'm amazed that this was covered by Sesame Street. I showed the video to the children and James said, "She's feeding her baby. Can we watch something interesting like the sheep again?" :)  

Here is the sheep link:

http://shipfullofpirates.com/2009/04/14/foolish-waste-of-time-yet-amazing/

Naomi is two!

It is hard to believe that Naomi is very close to being two. We plan to go out later to celebrate and I'll post two-year-old pictures at that time. This is her birth picture. :) She is probably thirty minutes out of the womb in this shot..  and in denial about everything. She rarely cried at all those first two weeks. We spent the first week almost entirely in bed for our 'babymoon' with nursing and recovering from birth. All moms deserve a babymoon! I missed that with most of our others due to moving, prematurity, or bilirubin checks. Naomi's birth was about as perfect as they come...

* She basically slept her way into this world, born into a large tub of warm water.

* Her pregnancy was the longest I'd experienced, which I credit to the midwife's nutritional information and fish oil. 

* Her birth was unrushed and peaceful. Friends came over (with their children) and it was seen as a normal and natural event.

* I birthed during the day, which was my dream for this pregnancy. I could see the flowering dogwood out the bedroom window... it's flowering now and it's such a nice reminder of that time.

* We ate, drank, and walked in the country while letting labor get going.

* At around 5-6cm I was in the kitchen helping to make grilled cheese for the children. Not because I had to, but because it felt good to be in my kitchen doing normal things. 

* My birth was empowering, not because it was natural, but mainly because it was -normal-. My home, my surroundings, my friends, my family, a normal day with a miraculous happening. 

The verse I kept in mind during my labor and birth:

"Behold, I will do something new, Now it will spring forth; Will you not be aware of it? I will even make a roadway in the wilderness, Rivers in the desert." - Isaiah 43:19

The frugal way to get a massage..

At the skills weeked I was able to try out a chi machine.

It basically wiggles you like a fish through water. :) It was interesting to try and felt quite relaxing. The reviews on it were mixed, some didn't like it because they felt it was overwhelming, others loved it.

Yesterday, I joined Naomi outside on the trampoline. After running around with her a bit, I stretched out in the middle and let her run around -me-. First off, if you've never stretched out on trampoline with the spring sunshine pouring down on you.. you're missing out. Second, if you have a small child run around you, it feels a lot like a chi type massage as it makes you "wiggle". She had a great time, I had a mock spa treatment. :)

(If you have a larger child run around you, it feels like a poorly crafted fair ride!)

Feet, Bacon and Old-fashioned thermometers

(Got feet? This was one of the 'failed' pictures from our "lets get a group picture!" adventure. I'm not sure if Jim was aiming for feet? I did not crop it. :) For the record, I am barefoot as well, but they're mainly hidden behind the boy in front of me. And um.. yes, Joseph's pants are on backwards. Don't ask. I don't know how he manages it! Naomi is being held so her feet are not in this picture. Bethany was the one to have sense and wear shoes.)

Thermometers: I looked all over the grocery store for a thermometer. When I found them, I discovered they ONLY sell digital. I wonder if old-fashioned ones are off the market now due to mercury? Although the new lightbulbs have mercury in them.. that has been a hot-button issue on the MOMYS list! :) We have a nice thermometer for the humans in the house, I was seeking an old-fashioned one for the incubator. I'll check the pet store soon to see what they might have available.

Bacon: The ducklings brought up a conversation about various animals and the meat they provide. For the most part, we eat a vegetarian diet here, although it's almost by accident for the bulk of the family. I find that I feel best when I follow a vegan (no dairy/meat) diet for myself and we have a lot of tasty vegetarian recipes (chili, burritoes, waffles, penne & sauces, etc) Anyway, except for eggs, we rarely have meat here. I'm hoping our ducklings are a success because just a half dozen would easily keep us supplied in the eggs that we need. After discussing ducks, James announced that he wants to raise a pig. I was a little surprised by this and asked why. His simple response was... "Bacon". It had all of us laughing. He did lament on the price of bacon and such, which made me realize that maybe I talk about grocery prices a bit TOO much? hehe. When asked how much he thinks bacon costs he said, "$50." :) Silly guy. I confess, I usually don't buy bacon because I know it isn't very healthy, but it's also messy and such to make... I figure our breakfast trip to Ryan's once a year (after camping) is enough bacon! But..... forseeing decades down the road when James may say, "I had so many brothers and sisters that I never had bacon.." I decided to remedy it. Guess what's for breakfast tomorrow?

The boys have been busy making a fort and Bethany took pictures of it. We're going to try to get them up tomorrow. The phone actually sync'd the other day, so maybe we'll get lucky and I can post a video as well.

One more post, then bed! (1:34am)

I changed the name of the blog, at least for now, because I think it reflects us. It seems like many of us in the house are entering a new season. Naomi is almost two and is remarkably "grown up" all of the sudden. I think she seems that way because of all of her talking and devising of new games. Noah has entered a new awareness and Joseph is continuing on his path of growing into a mature, soft-spoken, but very articulate guy. James is sprouting and learning more about this "guy" thing as he slowly eases out of young boyhood.. and Bethany has hit a growth spurt. I've already posted about Charlotte earlier.

I'm knee-deep in my midwife studies along with being a doula and childbirth educator. I'm hoping for the right apprenticeship opportunity to show itself (please pray there if you feel led!). And Jim is adjusting to having a wife with a 'job' albeit a very abnormally houred one. I try to study for as much as I can each day and generally take a long day of study on Saturday (literally 8+ hours of being out and focused).

With no 'new' baby on the way and Naomi leaning towards potty-training, it does feel like a different experience and season. It's a good one. We're all enjoying life and this period that we're in now. It feels balanced while still quite exciting and fresh. I also feel like my doula/CE stuff has led me to a different position in some ways. I've been exposed to a lot of ideas and genuinely enjoy how certain things (natural childbirth, homeschooling, etc) bring together such a HUGE variety of people under one 'banner'. It has broadened my understanding of others by a lot and has been a great time for growth. It's also allowed me to pass more of that on to the children.

Now if only someone would decide mopping the floor is their favorite hobby, life here would be nearly perfect. ;)

Grab Bag of Ideas (like always!)

(These pictures were taken a while ago, we went to the midnight sale of Brisingr at the local bookstore. One of the girls' friends went with us. It was also a dress-up event so thats' why they look a bit 'odd'! hehe. We had a nice time, how could we not in a store full of BOOKS?!)

I changed the layout of the blog, if someone finds the white on black to be difficult to read please let me know!

IT IS, IN FACT, NOTHING short of a miracle that the modern methods of education have not yet entirely strangled the holy curiosity of inquiry; for this delicate little plant, aside from stimulation, stands mainly in need of freedom; without this it goes to wrack and ruin without fail. It is a very grave mistake to think that the enjoyment of seeing and searching can be promoted by means of coercion and a sense of duty. To the contrary, I believe that it would be possible to rob even a healthy beast of prey of its voraciousness, if it were possible, with the aid of a whip, to force the beast to devour continuously, even when not hungry, especially if the food, handed out under such coercion, were to be selected accordingly. - Albert Einstein

This might be long. Stick with me. Charlotte came to me a little while ago to have a conversation about college and school in general. She has some niche interests that she'd like to explore more, so we started talking seriously about curriculum in general. She will be in 8th grade next year and I can't imagine not letting her have a hand in all of this, isn't that the point of homeschooling? So, she's going to be doing the basics, along with a focus on computer-related subjects. Bethany also has some interests that she wishes to explore more.

So, we will be stopping Tapestry of Grace. I like the program. A lot. But we seem to do just fine with covering the basics with a variety of curriculums (Teaching Textbooks for math, various grammar sources, Apologia science, etc.). Bethany is currently studying anatomy terms and botany because her major interest is later doing a course by Shonda Parker - www.naturallyhealthy.com (or it might be .org). She has been invited to attend a midwifery skills weekend with me because we'll be discussing herbs, making tinctures, etc. So we're back to basics and lots of trips to the library!

The other fun thing is Charlotte has asked to start devotionals with me. I've never been a fan of canned devotionals, I'd rather break open my Bible and read it. I tried, really tried, to get into some of the "how to study" books, but the Bible and a good program like www.BlueLetterBible.com was enough. C loves the Do Hard Things book, is involved in their forum, and wants to do their printable devotional together, so we are. There's another that we plan to go through together as well. I guess because this is her interest -and- it feels like the time is right for it now.. it's natural and doesn't feel forced at all. I am excited about having this time with her to have these deeper discussions. She never fails to amaze me as she matures into a wonderful young lady. She knows that without her I could *never* do the doula work and midwife studies, at least not yet. But instead of the "woe is me as the overburdened oldest" she finds it laughable to read about some of the things listed in Do Hard Things as examples of what low expectations are had of teens. She's grabbing her life by both hands and I'm whole-heartedly encouraging it.

This is a major reason why I was attracted to homeschooling in the first place. While I don't believe we'll ever be true "unschoolers" I do know that I'm fine with child-led learning. The only place where that isn't true might be math - we do typical work, although Teaching Textbooks is geared towards homeschoolers. Also, in science in the older grades because I like the way Apologia covers 7th-12th grade.

I spent Friday & Saturday at a local midwife skills weekend. It was really nice and overall refreshing. We ate great vegetarian food (all took turns making a meal) and the midwife opened up her home to those of us that were a distance away. She has goats, ducks, beautiful gardens, and a very artistic/decorative home. Two pregnant women (and families) joined us for Friday's dinner and let us practice basic skills on them - baby positioning, heart tones, measurements, and blood pressure. We talked about birth, ways to have an easier natural childbirth, and then watched videos later that evening after they'd gone home. We did bookwork the next day, along with discussions. Many shared birth stories and experiences, which was invaluable for learning from other student midwives. I brought home ....

Eight duck eggs! This is our unexpected spring project. They're in the incubator now and we should have ducklings by early May. The boys are eager to help me build a brooding pen and I think it'll be an especially nice project with James and his new toolset from Christmas. The children and I will be headed to Virginia for a long weekend next month and a local friend has offered to duckling sit for us. We have hatched guinea hens in the past, but ducks are a bit different. Their eggs require a misting or dunking daily - we're doing a dunking 2x's/day - and the eggs are much larger. The midwife uses her duck eggs for cooking and I was pleasantly surprised at the taste (I was expecting it to be strong, but it was fine). I'd love to get to the point where we have duck eggs and more ducklings. The ducks have lovely personalities and I think they'd be a better fit for us overall than chickens. The big test will be teaching Kuza (great pyrenees dog) how to protect them and making sure predators don't get them.

Off to bed! This week should be much less chaotic than last, yay!

Umm... yeah.

I am way behind on updates. I'm aware of this. To make up for it, I'm including an adorable baby picture. I was blessed to be part of his birth and will always remember it. What a pleasure it was to meet this wonderful family.

This week has been incredibly busy, along with last week, due to going to the Tot Trade to promote HypnoBirthing and doula services here. I shared a table with the local Birth Center and really enjoyed chatting about waterbirth & midwives with people who came by the table. The banner had a large image of a woman laboring in tub of water, so it was often the main topic of conversation!

We are doing great as a family. We had an early spring break due to great weather & Tot Trade stuff and will be resuming school next week. Maybe that'll help me blog with more regularity? I need to get some pictures to put up soon. They'll include:

- Bethany's garden out front.
- James and his cooking adventures (he learned mac & cheese today).
- Noah's 4th birthday (tomorrow!)
- and so on..

I do need to get a picture of Naomi with Kuza. They're so cute together because Kuza's head is about even with hers.. but he listens to her sweetly. She will often put out her little baby hand and say, "Kuza, stop!" if she feels that he is pushing her along. They did go through a few episodes of him leaning against her and she loses her balance.. that quickly ended after her howls of protest.

Anyway, that was just a quick update to let family/friends know that we're still alive. :) We are LOVING this spring weather again and the children are out on the trampoline a lot.

Book Discussion - Holistic Guide to Embracing Pregnancy...

I am facilitating the discussion next month in the Unassisted Childbirth Reading Room through yahoogroups. Please consider joining me! :) This book is available for around $4 from Amazon. (Their "best price" is off a bit). The discussion starts in March so be sure to buy it soon! There will be time to catch up if your book is delayed a bit.

The yahoogroup is a mix of folks - pregnant women, never been pregnant women, doulas, childbirth educators, midwives, moms, and so on. Anyone that has an interest in the book discussion is welcome to join.

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.

Ultrasounds..

http://birthinternational.com.au/articles/wagner02.html ( a lot more info at the site)

In the United States, for example, a consensus conference on diagnostic ultrasound imaging in pregnancy concluded that "the data on clinical effectiveness and safety do not allow recommendation for routine screening at this time; there is a need for multidisciplinary randomized controlled clinical trials for an adequate assessment".

Denmark, Sweden, and the United Kingdom have made similar statements against routine screening. The World Health Organisation (WHO), in an attemmpt to stimulate governments to develop policy on this issue, published the following statement:

"The World Health Organisation stresses that health technologies should be thoroughly evaluated prior to their widespread use. Ultrasound screening during pregnancy is now in widespread use without sufficient evaluation. Research has demonstrated its effectiveness for certain complications of pregnancy, but the published material does not justify the routine use of ultrasound in pregnant women. There is also insufficient information with regard to the safety of ultrasound use during pregnancy. There is as yet no comprehensive, mulitdisciplinary assessment of ultrasound use during pregnancy, including: clinical effectiveness, psychosocial effects, ethical considerations, legal implications, cost benefit, and safety.

"WHO strongly endorses the principle of informed choice with regard to technology use. The health-care providers have the moral responsibility: fully to inform the public about what is known and not known about ultrasound scanning during pregnancy; and fully to inform each woman prior to an ultrasound examination as to the clinical indication for ultrasound, its hoped-for benefit, its potential risk, and alternative available, if any."

This statement, sadly, is as relevant today. During the 1980s and early 1990s, a number of us were raising questions about both the effectiveness and safety of fetal scanning. Our voice of caution, however, was like a cry in the wilderness as the technology proliferated. Then, during the course of one month in late 1993, two landmark scientific papers were published.

The first paper, a largely randomized trial of the effectiveness of routine prenatal ultrasound screening, studied the outcome of more than 15,000 pregnant women who either received two routine scans at 15 to 22 weeks and 31 to 35 weeks, or were scanned only for medical indications. Results showed that the mean number of sonograms in the ultrasound group was 2.2 and in the control group (for indication only) was 0.6. The rate of adverse outcome (fetal death, neonatal death, neonatal morbidity), as well as the rate of preterm delivery and distribution of birth weights, was the same for both groups. In addition, in the author's words: "The ultrasonic detection of congenital abnormalities has no effect on perinatal outcome". At last we have a randomized clinical trial of sufficient size to conclude that there is no value to routine scanning during pregnancy.

The second landmark paper, also a randomized controlled trial, looked at the safety of repeated prenatal ultrasound imaging. While the original purpose of the trial was hopefully to demonstrate the safety of repeated scanning, the results were the opposite. From 2,834 pregnant women, 1,415 received ultrasound imaging at 18,24, 28, 34 and 38 weeks gestation (intensive group) while the other 1,419 received single ultrasound imaging at 18 weeks (regular group). The only difference between the two groups was significantly higher (one-third more) intrauterine growth retardation in the intensive group. This important and serious finding prompted the authors to state: "It would seem prudent to limit ultrasound examinations of the fetus to those cases in which the information is likely to be of clinical importance". Ironically, it is now likely that ultrasound may lead to the very condition, IUGR, that it has for so long claimed to be effective in detecting.

So.. I quit. (long, long, long)

I hope to continue to post pictures, but my Project 365 enthusiasm was derailed by colds, pukey children, and my continued fun with wisdom teeth. Yes, I know most people don't keep theirs.. but hey, I'm not most people and all the literature I find says if you can make it to 30 without issues then you're almost gold. My issues only happen every few months. I did call the dental insurance and find out all of the particulars just in case I find some courage somewhere to have them removed.

(you can her Julia say.. "Gracie, do you have any AA batteries?" I think most of us have been there!)

Last co-op we tie-dyed shirts. Unfortunately, Julia's camera was without batteries and my phone doesn't like to take great pictures. I think we'll supply some more dye/salt and maybe have a go at it again! I need to get some more shirts from Michael's while they are on sale. The shirts turned out great and the children enjoyed it a lot. The older girls tried batik and enjoyed that as well. I *love* the quilts made from batik fabrics so perhaps I'll get them working on that.. assuming I get time to quilt.. I still need to get to Anna's house to finish Jo's quilt (hi Jo!) and bring my frame home. My mom gave me a quilt that she hand-pieced decades ago. It is a Grandmother's Flower Garden style and full of bright yellows, oranges, and other happy colors. I will get a picture of it when I get it in the frame. My poor Dear Jane is on hold... I'm hoping to spend my birthday (2/28, I have a while!) getting some of my applique things together so I can have a few good hand projects. They might be nice to take with me during births if the Mom is resting.

Speaking of births... I have three doula clients so far and it has been fun getting to know them. With good timing, my doula certification will be done by mid-March. Each has such a different birthing history. I'm SO thrilled that I get to be part of this and it makes my midwifery studies all the more fun. I'm literally surrounded by books here at my desk and have notebooks full of various things as well. There are envelopes, pencils, pens, sticky-notes stuck to the rolltop desk, and so on. I organize it often, but it generally falls back into comfortable disarray.

For the locals.. I am teaching a HypnoBirthing class at Covenant Birth Center in March (and again in April, after Easter) and there are spots still open. If you, or someone you know, is expecting, please pass along the info. The max is 5 couples per class. I also teach privately for those not interested in a group class.

On the children (kid) front..

James wants to know what we're naming the next baby. I told him Gertrude or Harry.. he accepted that.

James also got a hair cut: he gave me a five limit time limit, a no-brush rule, and sang during most of it. He looks like.. well.. a boy that got a five minute haircut by a mom that doesn't cut hair well. hehe BUT!! He loves it and that's all that matters. It's his head, his hair, his likes.. he likes non-fuss and one day I am sure that will come in handy! Summer is coming and he'll need some new clothes. I seriously think we're doing the two-outfits idea. Well, three outfits.. one for church. I sometimes wonder if folks think we don't have enough clothes for him. I should take pictures of his drawers and closet.. he's just NOT into clothes. Well, none of them are.. I'm really not either. We dress and go about our day. We are running low on shoes! Kuza has been a fantastic puppy - no jumping, no biting, and he's so gentle/sweet with even the littlest of kids. He adores the cats and constantly keeps watch if we're outside.. but he's got a shoe-habit. :)

Thankfully, sandals are coming into the stores so we'll be buying those and skipping the rest. Nobody wants to do sports this year (and I'm not complaining!) so we don't need tennis shoes. I know there's a birkenstock outlet near the place where we camp in WV in July, I think I'm going to make a stop there this year. I'd love a pair of birkenstocks again! My last ones I wore until they absolutely fell apart beyond repair. When people ask me about the challenges of a big family I usually reply, "Socks." Others with more than one child usually nod their head in agreement. (Except for my friend Di, she's got it all licked when it comes to organization! She should rent out her services for seasonal clothes changes.)

For those still mulling over the "next baby" comment I made above.. I'm not pregnant. Breathe. ;)

Noah cut his own hair, his bangs are VERY short and he left the rest alone. Silly monkey. Joseph doesn't want his hair cut ever again. He told me yesterday that he had one already. Silly Mommy. Why would he need more than one? I know that lots of large-family Christian folks pride themselves on their boys always having those short buzz cuts and such. I've officially dropped out of those ranks. (Not like I was ever -in- those ranks, but y'know.. this is my official dropping out).

My main goals: Make sure my children have a really nice childhood (they only get to do this once) and be a genuine person of integrity... and never forget that what we do is important, unless we're doing things for show or because others think we should. Then it is just a crappy waste of time.

Project 365 - Day 3

Day 3. Still going strong on the pictures. Not doing so great on the germ-avoidance. I managed to catch Bethany's sore throat which means today's picture was almost a cheat.

This is the view off of the front porch. On the right is the end of the white van with the red truck parked behind. The skinny "what in the world are those scrawny thing" trees are called Loblolly Pines. I don't know if they grow in other places, but they're pretty common in the south-east. You'd never mistake one of those trees for a Christmas tree.. but they do make really nice telephone poles! See the oak tree with the red leaves still hanging on? Look down a bit.. the kitten sitting there is Black Cat. Noah named him. I'm happy to announce that Noah now knows his colors. ;) But the name Black Cat has stuck, just like he has. Oh, I'm also happy to announce that Black Cat -is- a boy. Charli managed to grab him up long enough to check. Whew. He's the feral kitty that adopted us a while back. He likes sleeping on the porch and Kuza dotes upon him. I'm not sure if all great pyrenese like cats.. but ours surely does!

Off I go for another cup of hot tea... I hope everyone is having a great 2009 so far. Bethany is trying to decide what she wants to do with her birthday. She has twelve days left to decide!

Project 365 - Day 2 & Christmas Pic

"Oh, no!" says the cat. "It can't be the end of holiday vacation already!" Actually, the cat hasn't said that, but the kids might as we jump back into a normal routine next week. This picture is a good sign that we're not in our normal routine.. because the cat is snoozing in my clean laundry. (Which, I'm guilty of not folding. Charlotte fills the washer and moves things to the dryer. I fold. Everyone puts away. It's a good system when Mommy doesn't get distracted!)


We have two siamese cats because having just one might be normal. How scary if we did something normal! :) So, we have two siamese cats and the cheat is to look at their feet. Artoo (Joseph's kitty) has grey feet and Taliesin (my kitty) has white. They're brothers. I'll let the visitors figure out which cat it is. I think I've given enough hints!

This picture makes me happy because it's like a "Where's Waldo" image for me. We have the sword on the table, don't worry it is rubber, and then the hodge podge of Christmas paper littering the floor. Bethany, always the helper type, is attempting to open up the basket of Naomi's plastic foods. Naomi, always the Queen, is wearing her new backpack and the footed PJs that have been passed down through all three of her brothers.

I remember when James wore all pink blanket sleepers because that is what we had to hand down. Then, slowly, they wore out and we bought boy ones.. used by Joseph and then Noah.. We have two blanket sleepers currently and I think it's about time to replace them. They'll definitely be pink!! There's something fantastic about snuggling someone in a sleeper, I'm surprised more adults don't wear them to bed. One of Naomi's has legs a little too long so her feet tend to slip out of them. She walks around with the footed part flipping all over.

The other part of the picture is the realization that Noah is wearing shorts with a sweater. We don't take fashion seriously in this house, but .. really.. for Christmas next year I am going to have assigned clothes for -everyone-! :)

Project 365 - Day 1

Yep! Trying this again.. This is a shelf in our schoolroom. I wanted to make sure I didn't miss the first day! :) However, I admit, this picture is uninspired. Project 365 is where you take a pic every day for a year. I might not post one every day.. but I do plan to take one every day. I'll label all of the posts appropriately!

The quote does match the schoolroom theme.

“The United States is the outlier — it’s the place that is strange. All of the Western European countries and Canada have school choice. They don’t always call it vouchers but they have it. If you lived in Winnipeg you could go to any private, public or parochial school and the province pays. They have choice. They have choice in Sweden — socialist Sweden has choice: vouchers for going to religious schools, private schools, public schools. Only the United States has this system where all the money just goes to the government-owned schools. It’s unusual. It’s weird. It’s not sustainable in the long run. Eventually choice will catch on.” – John O. Norquist, Former mayor of Milwaukee

Naomi the Chocolate Girl & Chorepacks

The pictures are out of chronological order... but they're definitely in order of cuteness!

Noah takes a swipe at Naomi's nose... Charli takes over wiping a hand.

I don't think Naomi was all the way happy with us cleaning her.. But she stood still for it!

Bethany pitches in with the other hand..
And *these* are the BEFORE pictures... isn't she cute? She got into the chocolate fruit dip and REALLY enjoyed her little self!! hehe. We've learned to 1) start paying attention when she gets quiet and 2) don't leave tempting things on the table!

(She's so cutesie!)

Chorepacks: The idea is from Managers of their Chores (www.titus2.org or .com) I like Managers of their Homes, although I do not use their charting system. I do use it as a good kick in the pants if I feel unmotivated! :) (Honestly, my daughters have begged me to never do a MOTH schedule again.. ever. So I don't think they'd give it glowing reviews.)

The MotC idea of chorepacks is brilliant! I bought nametag holders with metal clamps. For the cards, I cut index cards into half and they fit perfectly. I jotted out the various AM chores we do and then put them (numbered) into each child's chorepack.

Noah (3) has this in his:

- Make bed, tidy 3 things in bedroom, bring out laundry. (I drew little pictures on his card to help. It is all on one card because I figured it's a general bedroom chore).

His room to do is the "Wii Room" which was the "TV room" and before that the "dining room" (dining room is now in the living room which is being called the schoolroom. I tried call the Wii Room the living room but we all got confused.. I need to paint and then it'll be the Yellow Room.. I digress...)

- Clean off couches, put pillows neatly on couches. (Has pics of couches on card).
- Straighten shelves (drew pics of books)
- Pick up toys
- Put any clothes in laundry room (Both Noah & Naomi still discard clothes in random spots!)
- Get floor ready to be vacuumed.
- Vacuum. (He doesn't do this, I do, but he does have to make sure there's nothing that the vac will suck up unexpectedly.)

That's it for his chorepack. He really enjoyed flipping through his and doing his "work". They all especially liked having a clear outline of what to do and knowing when they were DONE. I liked not having to remind five different people of what chore comes next. We did a runthrough this afternoon (with Daddy home) so I could make sure I had them all in logical order.

I don't plan to do afternoon or evening chorepacks. Having the house Company Ready once a day is good for me. We don't have people who drop in unexpectedly and fifteen minutes is usually enough for us to get back to.. um.. normal chaos? :)

Merry Christmas!

Even though our Savior was probably born in the spring (during the Feast of Tabernacles). I feel it is nice to keep the Christmas tradition. We do not celebrate Santa Claus, just like we do not celebrate the Easter Bunny, but we do enjoy all of the wonderful things that this season brings.

Yesterday, I took Noah shopping for James. He pulled his name out of the oven mitt (we didn't have a hat handy!) and that was his sibling to shop for this year. I decided to skip Walmart and visit the small general store in town. I rarely take Noah out alone, well.. I can't remember the last time I took him somewhere without a sibling. We chatted the whole way into town and I marvelled over some of his words that are definitely quirky due to translators in the family. Everyone in the family knows that "TeeTas" are pirates in Noah-speak and none of us bother to change it. (I know a secret.. all too soon they'll be pirates and I'll miss hearing tee-ta! Charlotte used to refer to pepperoni as mokey and that hasn't happened in at least ten years). He insisted upon getting out of the truck without help, but tucked his hand into mine as we crossed the parking lot.

At that moment, all I could think was "Thank you, God, for allowing me to slow down enough to appreciate this." The wind was a little chilly, people were walking past with packages, the town is decorated, and there I was... blessed enough to have this little child's hand resting so trustingly in mine.

So this year, I look back on last year. My mother's heart was troubled because our Christmas Eve tradition of light-gazing and milkshake drinking was impossible. We had one vehicle and it didn't seat everyone. We all agreed that our Queen was much better than milkshakes and lights. A baby outweighs just about anything else. I knew that in a few months we would hopefully have a van. I also felt blessed that we'd been able to spend time practicing hospitality because our options for going out were so limited. This year, we get to take Naomi out for her very first Christmas Eve lights/milkshake routine. The children are excited for her. And, I love that as well... the spirit between the six of them is fantastic.

Well, enough rambling. Here's my Christmas "Letter" which I refuse to do like many others. :)

(oldest to youngest...)

Jim - He gets to do his *own* letter, we'll see if he blogs. :) Some of his highlights this year included getting pneumonia right before vacation.. then getting soaked on vacation because I put the tent up incorrectly.. and getting new laptop for Christmas. His fun project soon will be putting together the trampoline.

Bridget (me) - On a mini-midlifecrisis.. lost weight, colored my hair, got certified in HypnoBirthing, moved ever so closer to crunchy, enrolled in midwife school, working on my doula license.. and got not only a new cat, but a dog as well. I'll add the canary next year.

Charlotte (child #1, 13 yrs old) - Still writing (a lot), still talking (a lot), still playing violin (ditto).. witty and charming, sometimes unbelievably sharp, and getting taller every single day. Her hair is turning more red and she's eagerly looking forward to summer camp this year at The Wilds.

Bethany (child #2, 10 yrs old - almost 11) - Discovered a love for baking which makes her siblings very proud of her. Very proud. She even treated Jim's coworkers to a few batches of biscotti. Just as clever as her big sister, her wit often shows up at unexpected times. Her soft heart often makes the others turn towards her for comfort.

James (child #3, 8 yrs old) - He keeps growing. What is this all about? Practical and strong, he's going to be quite a man someday. He could easily get by with two outfits.. one if I'd let him sit in a towel while his clothes were washed.. he figured out how to use the saw and cut firewood. He likes the book Good and Evil (www.nogreaterjoy.org) and comes up with good questions. He still has no patience for handwriting.. or sitting still..

Joseph (child #4, 5yrs old) - How intelligent is this guy and so sensitive. He keeps track of others and has a strong sense of right and wrong. He'd make a great judge one day. His wavy hair is usually in his large brown eyes and his only goal is to avoid a haircut. He will sit and do "school" for hours if given the chance. He still isn't sure if he's right or left-handed. He takes after his Pap-pap (for whom he is named).

Noah (child #5, 3 yrs old) - He got a haircut which seriously injured the spirit of myself and his sisters. It's growing back nicely. I can't imagine my Noah with short (or straight) hair for long. He's so torn between being big (like his brothers, he always claims that he's five) or being a baby like his little sister. He hits the ground running in the morning and rarely stops. He has figured out he can drag Naomi into some good mischief. Currently we're calling them the "Ns".

Naomi (child #6, 20 months) - Still as precious as ever, but ooooh she's SO spoiled. (Just the way we like 'em! - as the kids would chime in). She knows a few baby signs and has cutesy little curls starting in her hair. She likes to flash a Great Big Smile if she thinks she's in trouble. She still insists upon being held a lot, it's a good thing she has lots of siblings. This child wasn't designed for a one-child family.

There.. that's us for this year. We've made academic progress which is too boring to blog over. We're plotting fun things for the spring. But, most of all, we're just enjoying a relaxed life and loving each other. In the end, that's what's important.. Love.

(I'll probably not blog again til Christmas Day. The camera is, unfortunately, not working right so I'm not sure how many photos we will have to share..)

Aha! This one is better..