These are from a lecture I went to a the beginning of the month. The topic was "Being a Better Mother" the speakers name was Diane Sandusky.
POWER TIPS
1. Start your day by praying for patience and calmness for yourself and your children. Teach them to remember their Creator in the days of their youth.
2. Take a look at yourself, someone made a difference in you, so you can make a difference in your child.
3. Take TIME for yourself, have a 10 minute "power party" daily. Have a cup of coffee , tea, chocolate, etc.
4.Communicate with your friends. Many of them are facing the same struggles, they really are! You could have a double "10 minute power party". A cup of tea and friends.
5. Keep your sense of humor. It will calm your nerves and endear you to your children.
6. Remember to have plans, but, also remember that plans can and will change, its okay!!
7. Make bedtime a pleasent experience. Many children open their hearts at this time.
8. Be thankful for each day and learn something that will make tomorrow better.
9. Understand that sacrifices will have to be made at times.
10. Your children will make mistakes. Allow them to grow, let them choose sometimes.
She recommended putting them on your fridge. I did exactly that, I laminated them first though, there is always stuff flying around in my kitchen :)
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Saturday, March 19, 2011
I FEEL GREAT!
I started to title this blog "It's kind of depressing". However, you get more flies with honey than you do with vinegar. (Did I really just call all of my friends flies?) I figured that people would be more likely to read a blog entitled "I feel great" rather than "I feel like crap". :)
The truth is I do feel great! This is the first time in FIVE PREGNANCIES that I have felt wonderful. I have had Post Partum Depression...let me back up. With Jake, I had the "baby blues", that's pretty normal. With Charley, I had some slight depression and even went on *GASP* medicine for a little while.
With Abe, it was HORRIBLE!!! I have never felt so bad in my life ( that I haven't blocked out). I felt absolutely awful! I withdrew from everyone. The only people I even wanted to talk to were my husband and my mom. I didn't answer the phone. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I would go on walks and want to just keep walking. I knew I was making my family miserable, I felt miserable , and I just knew that I everyone would be better off if I wasn't around. Not dead, just not around. I have never wanted to hurt myself or the kids, I have just wanted to start walking and not come back. This was horrible. Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband who knew to look for warning signs of depression and told me to call my midwife ( he may have even called, I don't remember) . Anyway, I went on meds again and with the exception of a brief period around the time right before I got pregnant with Adelaide, I have been on them ever since.
I used to be of the mindset that "I shouldn't have to be on medicine to deal with my life". Some of you may feel that way. Yes, everyone has good days and bad days. Everyone has ups and downs in their lives. There is a disease though called depression. Sometimes it is temporary, sometimes it is chronic. There are different ways to handle depression. Some medicate . With chocolate, meds, alcohol, exercise, etc. There are good ways and bad ways to handle yourself. After Laidey I was OK, things weren't nearly like they were with Abe but it was still a pretty good bout of PPD. There was a time when I would (what I call) "rage". I would scream, yell, and lose control of myself over the most ridiculous things. It makes me cringe and cry to think about it now. To think about my little ones faces. They didn't deserve the misery I put them throughNo one deserves that. I would be as good as I could manage when people were around, but, when I was alone with them. It was like I couldn't control myself. It makes me so sad to think of how I handled myself. Most of the time I would approach the children and ask for forgiveness for my behavior. At that point though, it's to late! The damage had already been done. After Adelaide I have been on medicine consistently. This is a good thing, it is not a shameful thing, it helps me to be a better mom and I won't feel bad about that.
Now, back to the beginning. I FEEL GREAT! I really feel that I can say that 10 weeks post partum, this is the best I have EVER FELT. A lot of that I know is my attitude towards things in life. I have really been trying to go with the flow and not let the little things wreck my day. So, Abe ate all my Reese Cups (which is a SEVERE offense) , oh well. I didn't really need them. So, Charlotte spilled her cup at lunch AGAIN! oh well, just have her get a rag and clean it up. So, the tire is flat AGAIN, oh well, you really didn't need to drive the truck today anyway. These things are OK. Not because I am medicated but because I can handle them. I am in control of my emotions, they are not in control of me. I am still on medicine ( I am sure there will be a point where I don't need it anymore, but if not, that is OK). My outlook is great. Sure I still have bad days, doesn't everyone? I just look for the silver lining and am not cranky about the clouds. I am enjoying my kids more. Stewy used to say to me, "I just want you to enjoy your kids". I would be so insulted by that "of course I ENJOY my kids, I'm their mother, I have to enjoy them!!!" I really didn't enjoy them though. Charlotte touched me too much and Abe was always (he still is) into something, Jake is so sensitive and he just needs to "man up" (he was FOUR for Pete's sake!!!) Now I really am enjoying them. they are fun, crazy, kids. I am so very very blessed that God chose me to be their mother. I really have no idea what I would do without every single one of them. God gave me these little souls to steward, train and return to Him unharmed. I am doing my best. I am so thankful that I am not alone in this journey. I owe so much to my husband. He has always been so very understanding and empathetic with me. I never would have made it this far with out him.
Anyway, that is my story, well, just a bit of my story. (If I told you everything we'd be here till next Sunday!!) I hope that you all are enjoying this ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS weather we have been having! It's still March so we know to expect a few more chilly days , I will take the sunny days when I can get em. Have a wonderful weekend and I hope you feel GREAT!!!
The truth is I do feel great! This is the first time in FIVE PREGNANCIES that I have felt wonderful. I have had Post Partum Depression...let me back up. With Jake, I had the "baby blues", that's pretty normal. With Charley, I had some slight depression and even went on *GASP* medicine for a little while.
With Abe, it was HORRIBLE!!! I have never felt so bad in my life ( that I haven't blocked out). I felt absolutely awful! I withdrew from everyone. The only people I even wanted to talk to were my husband and my mom. I didn't answer the phone. I didn't want to talk to anyone. I would go on walks and want to just keep walking. I knew I was making my family miserable, I felt miserable , and I just knew that I everyone would be better off if I wasn't around. Not dead, just not around. I have never wanted to hurt myself or the kids, I have just wanted to start walking and not come back. This was horrible. Thankfully, I have a wonderful husband who knew to look for warning signs of depression and told me to call my midwife ( he may have even called, I don't remember) . Anyway, I went on meds again and with the exception of a brief period around the time right before I got pregnant with Adelaide, I have been on them ever since.
I used to be of the mindset that "I shouldn't have to be on medicine to deal with my life". Some of you may feel that way. Yes, everyone has good days and bad days. Everyone has ups and downs in their lives. There is a disease though called depression. Sometimes it is temporary, sometimes it is chronic. There are different ways to handle depression. Some medicate . With chocolate, meds, alcohol, exercise, etc. There are good ways and bad ways to handle yourself. After Laidey I was OK, things weren't nearly like they were with Abe but it was still a pretty good bout of PPD. There was a time when I would (what I call) "rage". I would scream, yell, and lose control of myself over the most ridiculous things. It makes me cringe and cry to think about it now. To think about my little ones faces. They didn't deserve the misery I put them throughNo one deserves that. I would be as good as I could manage when people were around, but, when I was alone with them. It was like I couldn't control myself. It makes me so sad to think of how I handled myself. Most of the time I would approach the children and ask for forgiveness for my behavior. At that point though, it's to late! The damage had already been done. After Adelaide I have been on medicine consistently. This is a good thing, it is not a shameful thing, it helps me to be a better mom and I won't feel bad about that.
Now, back to the beginning. I FEEL GREAT! I really feel that I can say that 10 weeks post partum, this is the best I have EVER FELT. A lot of that I know is my attitude towards things in life. I have really been trying to go with the flow and not let the little things wreck my day. So, Abe ate all my Reese Cups (which is a SEVERE offense) , oh well. I didn't really need them. So, Charlotte spilled her cup at lunch AGAIN! oh well, just have her get a rag and clean it up. So, the tire is flat AGAIN, oh well, you really didn't need to drive the truck today anyway. These things are OK. Not because I am medicated but because I can handle them. I am in control of my emotions, they are not in control of me. I am still on medicine ( I am sure there will be a point where I don't need it anymore, but if not, that is OK). My outlook is great. Sure I still have bad days, doesn't everyone? I just look for the silver lining and am not cranky about the clouds. I am enjoying my kids more. Stewy used to say to me, "I just want you to enjoy your kids". I would be so insulted by that "of course I ENJOY my kids, I'm their mother, I have to enjoy them!!!" I really didn't enjoy them though. Charlotte touched me too much and Abe was always (he still is) into something, Jake is so sensitive and he just needs to "man up" (he was FOUR for Pete's sake!!!) Now I really am enjoying them. they are fun, crazy, kids. I am so very very blessed that God chose me to be their mother. I really have no idea what I would do without every single one of them. God gave me these little souls to steward, train and return to Him unharmed. I am doing my best. I am so thankful that I am not alone in this journey. I owe so much to my husband. He has always been so very understanding and empathetic with me. I never would have made it this far with out him.
Anyway, that is my story, well, just a bit of my story. (If I told you everything we'd be here till next Sunday!!) I hope that you all are enjoying this ABSOLUTELY GORGEOUS weather we have been having! It's still March so we know to expect a few more chilly days , I will take the sunny days when I can get em. Have a wonderful weekend and I hope you feel GREAT!!!
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Knitting and such....
I am sure that any of my FB friends that saw this title just rolled their eyes and opted to not read this *wink wink* . I know that I have gotten a bit obsessive with my new found hobby but let me tell you I LOVE IT!!! I can be productive with out having to make a mess out of the kitchen by dragging my sewing machine out. I can be productive in the truck when we are driving to Columbus (about an hour of knitting, one way) . I have made four scarves, one coaster, and I have started a shawl. The shawl is going to be a bigger undertaking than I anticipated ,due to the length of my needles. I love making things, I love looking at something and realizing that I did that. I am the same way about delicious meals. I WANT my family to LOVE eating the food momma makes for them. I don't think that it is prideFUL as much as it is having a sense of pride in what I have made. Anyway I am excited!!!
Recently we have been discussing Family Entrepreneurialship (that's a word! Listen to Doug Phillips 200 Year Plan, www.visionforum.com) What can we do, as a family, to make money to support ourselves? My first thought is raising chickens for those who are interested in natural chickens and not ones that have been pumped full of junk. My second thought is raising pigs, again for the same reason. My third thought is having bees, because honey is EXPENSIVE!! I know I have lots of ideas and we will just have to see where they lead us. These are not just my ideas, a lot of them came from Stewy too. My fourth thought, is knitting my little heart out and selling things at Farmers Markets. My fifth is teaching my children to knit and having a sweatshop in the back of our truck on the trips to Columbus!! You can see where this is going and I won't bore you with anymore!!
I have also had the interest, several of my friends have inspired me, to eat naturally. Eat food in the form that God intended it. Not in all of its processed glory. I have conflicting thoughts but, I think that those will be laid to rest once I put my ideas in actions. Since Stewy is diabetic, I have been to a couple of "how to eat cause you are a diabetic classes". In the classes they promote eating some man made foods because the stuff God made isn't good for you. Like butter, which, should be eaten in moderation anyway right? Yeah, tell Abe that! So I have started learning some things from www.heavenlyhomemakers.com (thanks Laura) and we have some of those documentaries about the food industry in our Netflix queue. This is just something else that I am excited about!!
As far as the weight loss goes, it does not go well. I haven't gained, but I haven't lost either. I am not motivated at this point to add this into my day. I am drinking more water, and trying to eat less (sometimes) but this is my downfall. Right now, I am OK with that. :)
This is the first pregnancy in five where I have not had at least a small amount of PPD. I had it the worst with Abe, it was a little better with Adelaide. This is something that I struggle with and I have been very happy to feel pretty normal in these 9 weeks since Isaac. I have changed my attitude a lot and I know that this has helped. I am trying to give more things to God and trust in Him that he will take care of us. Easier said than done, but, I feel pretty confident in where I am.
Well, I know that it has been a while since my last post. Hopefully the next one will be sooner. I am busy you know......knitting!!!
Recently we have been discussing Family Entrepreneurialship (that's a word! Listen to Doug Phillips 200 Year Plan, www.visionforum.com) What can we do, as a family, to make money to support ourselves? My first thought is raising chickens for those who are interested in natural chickens and not ones that have been pumped full of junk. My second thought is raising pigs, again for the same reason. My third thought is having bees, because honey is EXPENSIVE!! I know I have lots of ideas and we will just have to see where they lead us. These are not just my ideas, a lot of them came from Stewy too. My fourth thought, is knitting my little heart out and selling things at Farmers Markets. My fifth is teaching my children to knit and having a sweatshop in the back of our truck on the trips to Columbus!! You can see where this is going and I won't bore you with anymore!!
I have also had the interest, several of my friends have inspired me, to eat naturally. Eat food in the form that God intended it. Not in all of its processed glory. I have conflicting thoughts but, I think that those will be laid to rest once I put my ideas in actions. Since Stewy is diabetic, I have been to a couple of "how to eat cause you are a diabetic classes". In the classes they promote eating some man made foods because the stuff God made isn't good for you. Like butter, which, should be eaten in moderation anyway right? Yeah, tell Abe that! So I have started learning some things from www.heavenlyhomemakers.com (thanks Laura) and we have some of those documentaries about the food industry in our Netflix queue. This is just something else that I am excited about!!
As far as the weight loss goes, it does not go well. I haven't gained, but I haven't lost either. I am not motivated at this point to add this into my day. I am drinking more water, and trying to eat less (sometimes) but this is my downfall. Right now, I am OK with that. :)
This is the first pregnancy in five where I have not had at least a small amount of PPD. I had it the worst with Abe, it was a little better with Adelaide. This is something that I struggle with and I have been very happy to feel pretty normal in these 9 weeks since Isaac. I have changed my attitude a lot and I know that this has helped. I am trying to give more things to God and trust in Him that he will take care of us. Easier said than done, but, I feel pretty confident in where I am.
Well, I know that it has been a while since my last post. Hopefully the next one will be sooner. I am busy you know......knitting!!!
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