"Natural" Caesarean

If only C-sections could always be like this.

Full link with pictures: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/in_pictures/7154594.stm

Instead of like this.

I'm still here, baby is still inside.

No baby yet. Baby seems to be doing well. I'm pooping out as most women do in the last few weeks. I am trying to get everything in order before the 13th with no energy to do it and a bunch of kids with Spring Fever who would much rather find baby birds, hunt copperheads, play basketball, ride bikes, feed horses etc.....and I can't say I blame them. Which would you rather do? scratch that. I'd hazard a guess that most of my 'readers' would rather mop a floor then hunt for rogue copperheads in the neighbors woodpile. You know those copperheads just lie in wait for kids to walk by so they can LEAP out and bite them. It is MUCH better to take shovels and stakes and go looking for the snake in some kind of gang that looks like a Children of the Corn lynch mob. Hey, when you take the outdoor cat with you and *throw* him at the snake, it's all good. (For those wondering, yes the kids and cat are just fine and snake has been burned in the woodpile and no anti-venom required)

Back to the baby stuff:

At least all the big stuff is done...car seat cleaned and installed, cradle cleaned and set up, clothes ready, diapers bought, new sling purchased (doesn't every new mom er.....baby deserve a new sling?!) now if only we could pick a couple NAMES.
I don't know about y'all but naming has always been an issue for me and Chris. We have a pretty different take on names. I am pretty conservative and traditional when it comes to boy names while he shoots for the unusual although last night HE told ME that my favorite boy name was.......pretentious. Pretentious? Puhhhleeze. Girl names, we both like pretty, girly, traditional names but none of the same ones. Then you throw into the mix our 60+ nieces and nephews and their names that we'd rather not use, there is no RULE against doubling up but you know we really don't WANT to. Add to that our somewhat unusual Eastern European last name that sounds like a cat choking on a hair ball....You get the picture. At this point I will be pleasantly surprised if we walk into the hospital with names picked out. It isn't looking too promising. The baby may end up being Lucy's choice: Baaabbeeeeesssss!!!!!!
Jack's choice: Bob
or the ever-present Glow Worm.

BTW, Chicky...you'd better spill it on the gender of that baby!

Blogs to make you laugh and cry.

Cry.

An absolutely heartbreaking, yet at times joyful, blog by a single father about life without his wife but with his newborn premature daughter.

http://www.mattlogelin.com/

Laugh.

Dear friends of ours on a three week road trip from TX-CA. They are local homeschoolers, their oldest is on the OotM team with Katie, their two older boys are buddies with Jack and Ian and their littles are friends with Emma and Ben. Carol is a published writer and puts life with a large(er) homeschooling family in a true (and hysterical) light.

http://sardinesinacan.blogspot.com/

My Mom's Famous Peach Cheesecake

I've changed this recipe from my mother's version just a wee bit. I hope she isn't mad :-)

Peach Cheesecake

3/4 c. flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 c. milk
3 tbsp. butter softened
1 egg
1 3 oz package vanilla pudding (NOT INSTANT)
2 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp. vanilla extract


1 can peaches or equivalent amount fresh peaches; peeled and sliced

8 oz cream cheese
1/2 c. sugar
4 tbsp. peach juice
1 egg
cinnamon sugar

Preheat over to 350. Combine first 9 ingredients. Mix well. Pour into buttered (or use cooking spray) 9 inch pie pan. (Hint: do NOT use a shallow pie pan or this will overflow). Drain the can of peaches, reserving the juice. Arrange the peaches on the top of the batter.

In a small bowl, beat the cream cheese, 1/2 c. sugar, peach juice and egg. Mix this very well, get it as smooth as you can. Spoon cream cheese mixture into middle of pie (leaving about 1-2 inches on the outside of the pie without cream cheese). Sprinkle cinnamon sugar on top of pie to taste (we like a lot!)
Bake for about 45 minutes until middle is fairly set and edges are golden.


Enjoy!!!

Please pray...

Please pray for Bill as he finishes up his fight with lymphoma. It has been a long, hard road with few victories and his time to rest has come. Please remember Bill and his wife Chris and their children in the next days.

Prayer for the Sick near Death

Almighty and Everlasting God, preserver of souls, who dost correct those whom Thou dost love, and for their betterment dost tenderly chastise those whom Thou dost receive, we call upon Thee, O Lord, to grant Thy healing, that the soul of Thy servant, at the hour of its departure from the body, may by the hands of Thy holy Angels be presented without spot unto Thee. Amen.

Glow Worm update

Glow Worm is fine. Glow Worm's mother, on the other hand, is an idiot.
We had a bit of a scare last Saturday night/Sunday morning in Houston. We're both fine, it was nothing, but it was my wake up call that maybe I should be listening to my OB more than I have.
Climbing a ladder to see baby birds not withstanding, I'm behaving myself now and spending the vast majority of my time on the couch, in the recliner or at least sitting down.
We're doing NST's weekly still and possibly another U/S tomorrow. So far, so good.
Baby is still quite active and easily meeting kick counts daily. I'm starting to swell and little and get headaches despite much water drinking but nothing scary bad (except for Sat night). Only two and half more weeks to 36 weeks and we can breathe a little easier.

Brag post #2

Ian.
As I have mentioned before Ian has been going to CAP with Jack for about 6 weeks now. It is common for children too young to join CAP to attend meetings for a few months before joining. They are allowed to participate in most of what the regular CAP cadets do with the exception of testing, O-flights etc.....
Last night was aerospace education (I think). A senior member had made a slide show presentation of different military aircraft and the cadets had a contest to see who could correctly identify the planes.
When all was said and done it came down to a tie breaker between Ian and.....Major T., the cadet commander, the young man who is going to the AF Academy next month. And guess who won the tie breaker? Yes, IAN! LOL!!
Y'all thought he knew trains, that was nothing compared to his knowledge of military aircraft!

Drawing by Grace

I never intended for this blog to be a brag-fest but I just can't help myself sometimes.

This was done free hand by Gracie. I 'helped' with the shading but any help I give to an artistic project is pretty minimal as I can barely draw stick figures. It seems that GGma's talents have finally shown up in someone else...two generations later :-)

Catholic homeschooling

FYI for all you Catholic homeschoolers who happen on by.

The Ora et Labora board that went private a year ago is closing. A new public board as opened up at:

http://www.catholichomeschooling.yuku.com/


No scandal, no drama. This is just what is going on. I know quite a few moms got left out when the board went private and have missed being able to read and sometimes post. Just letting y'all know.

As promised...

Yes, they are going to Worlds again! This time it is much less stressful as we don't have quite as much money to raise (about $1000/per team member). The entire team is flying and they are shipping their backdrops, technical components etc...

I wasn't able to see their performance because I was judging but I heard they were AWESOME. Everything worked and they all projected well and were funny as all get out. They won long term, beating all 4 other teams and smoked (if I may say so myself) 3 of the teams. The team that came closest to them in long term scores had a spectacular showing in spontaneous and also beat them in style. I think our kids were robbed on their style scores but this is mostly a subjective judging system and you just have to accept the judges may see things differently than you do. Overall, SA-HERO came in 2nd.

Katie will be flying to MD May 30 and after competition going back to NJ for a few days with my mom and uncle and then spending a week or so in CT with her old friends and THEN coming home probably around June 13th or 14th. Two weeks away from home ( and her new baby sibling) will be plenty for her I think.

On the road again......

To University of Maryland that is....
Yes, SA-HERO has qualified for the Odyssey of the Mind World Competition in College Park, Maryland!

The kids did great, Katie and I just got home and are exhausted. Will post details and other newsworthy items tomorrow or Tuesday.