Life Goes On

I'm still here and the baby is still in the belly. -sigh- We had a false alarm Saturday night, when I had some contractions that were less than 5 minutes apart and I was feeling quite sure it was time to have the baby. I woke up my mom and told her we were heading to the hospital and she went to sleep in our bed, so the girls don't wake up and see an empty Mommy/Daddy bed. We got to the hospital at 2 in the morning and upon arriving, went to a little examination room to see how far along I was. I was so surprised when the nurse told me I was STILL at 3 cm. I started to efface a little, but I didn't dilate any more since Thursday. Dang it!

They wanted to keep me in for observation a little bit, to see if the contractions intensified and if I dilated any more, and after 45 minutes of being hooked up to the monitors, the contractions petered out and I decided that we might as well go back home. It was 4:15 by now and I hadn't had any sleep yet. They let us go with a list of when to come back if this or that happened.

We got home a little after 5 am. I've done lots of walking since and my Aunt and Uncle are here with us to watch the kids if we have to run to the hospital, but so far, everything is calm. Baby still moves around and I am flushing away part of the mucus plug every time I go to the bathroom, so I know it'll be soon. My mom can't wait around any longer, she has to go back to work, so Hubby took her back today. In the meantime, I still have Aunt and Uncle here, but I'm not doing any walking until he gets back. Life goes on.

Charlie the cat needs to give up his membership card to the meat-eaters club. I was peeling corn for dinner one night and this corn got attacked by Charlie who happily gnawed away on it!

Even picking it up didn't stop him and he just sat up and kept eating. We left the corn on the chair for him and by the time we came out after dinner to see, most of the kernels were all gone.
Silly cat!

My Last (hopefully!) Pregnancy Update!

Still here! Although I think this will be the last photo of myself as a pregnant woman...

me, at exactly 9 months pregnant with baby #4

I had an ob appointment on Thursday and I was dilated 3 cm that afternoon. The doctor didn't think I would make it through the weekend. She was as surprised as I was that I hadn't had the baby by then. My mom, who is here again for another week, was on her way home and decided to stay, hoping to catch me having the baby. She has to go back to work tomorrow and I've been doing all kinds of walking trying to help along the dilation of the cervix. Nothing yet, but I think it'll be happening soon. Just a feeling I have.

I've been working the berries I picked, washing, straining out the seeds and making jam, knowing that there is a strong possibility I won't be able to work them for the next few days. I used up all the berry juice I had stored in the fridge and it's a good feeling seeing all the jars of jam neatly lined up along the counter and in their boxes, waiting to be put away for later.

We have all the paperwork done for the hospital, my bag is packed and ready to go, I have a towel on the car seat, just in case, I have a plastic bed liner on the bed, just in case... Just a matter of time, now. People are teasing us, hinting at a 4th of July baby.. I hope it won't be that long, but if that's what happens, then that's ok. The doctor told me that they do not let babies go a week past due date, so if I don't have baby by then, they will induce me on the 4th. I really want to avoid being induced, so I will be picking up the pace on the walking if I don't have it soon!

Here's a side by side of how much my belly has grown in 4 months

left-- 5 months pregnant; right-- 9 months pregnant

Hopefully, the next time I write, it will be to announce the birth of the baby!

More Berries!

But no baby yet!

I have discovered that our raspberries are now ripe. I am getting overwhelmed with both the mulberries and the raspberries and I should not complain. I have the capabilities to go out and pick berries, wash them, smash them and turn them into jam. I have the know how and the supplies and the materials I need to do so. Regardless of having jam left from last year, I cannot stand by and watch the berries fall to the ground and go to waste. We truly have a bumper crop of berries this year and I am spoiled by the bounty I have been blessed with. Next year, I may not be so lucky and will be grateful that I made as much jam as I did.

I have been walking around the gardens trying to encourage labor to start and since I'm out there, I pick berries. Sometimes the kids tag along, but mostly I am the only one willing to brave the swarm of gnats (keep your mouth closed! I've inhaled my fair share of bugs *hack! patooie!!*) and mosquitoes (*slap!*) and the occasional tick or two (shudder!).

I combine the juices of mulberries, raspberries, strawberries and grape juice and make something I like to call crazyberry jam. I made it last year when I was down to the last of the mulberries and didn't have enough juice for a batch of jam, so I added a few strawberries-- still not enough. Added raspberries-- still needed a little more. Added some bottled unsweetened 100% grape juice to get the amount I needed, and crazyberry jam was born! It was the first jam to run out and we literally went through more than a pint a week until it was gone.

Now I am purposely making crazyberry jam and preserved 12 pints Monday night. Already used up 1/2 a pint today alone. The girls are asking for jelly sandwiches and toast with jam and jelly sandwiches and jelly sandwiches and did I say jelly sandwiches? If you have a mixture of berries, go ahead and mix it up a little to make your own version of crazyberry-- I use 3 1/2 cups of combined juice, 2 tbsp of lemon juice, 1 box of pectin (I use Ball brand), and 5 cups of sugar. I'll be making more tomorrow!

I am smashing the berries as I go, straining the seeds out and then storing the juice in 1/2 gallon jars until I am ready to make jam. I have nearly a gallon of mulberry juice in the fridge and it is an efficient system for me, because I just don't know when the baby will make an appearance. Should baby come tomorrow, it will be easy to pop the jars in the freezer so they don't spoil and I can make jam when it is convenient for me.

Not much going on around here, besides waiting for baby, picking berries and the usual family stuff.

Living "Green"

I wanted to share something that has been on my mind lately-- besides the impending birth of the baby and mulberries.

Living "green".

I hope this isn't going to be another trend for people to jump on the bandwagon and say, "look at me! I'm green!" and then a few short weeks or months later, they go right back to doing what they've always done.

Being green IS a total lifestyle change, one that can be as easy or as hard as you make it. You can take small baby steps and grow from there, which makes it easy, or make big changes which sometimes can be costly and hard to keep up.

The husband and I have always been aware of our consumerism and after moving to our first house and discovering what a great recycling program our landfill had, became avid recyclers. Moving here, where there are nearly no recycling options at the landfill, we've had to find other ways to reduce our trash and recycle.

During the winter time, I admit to using our dryer when drying clothes. Partly because we bought a vent that lets the warm, moist air go back into the house instead of outside. Helps to heat the house and restore the humidity in the air that the wood stove dries up. My point? Since installing my outdoor clothes line (made of recycled telephone wire), I have just received my first electric bill that has zero dryer energy on it. Our average monthly bill is around $130, and it has gone all the way down to $89! That's $40 in savings!! Nothing else has changed-- we still use the same amount of electricity for lights, TV, cooking (electric stove), and computer. The air conditioner has not yet been used and the only thing that has changed is the dryer usage. I should add that I am probably using the stove more because of the jam-making I am doing these days.

Just imagine the power we all can save if everyone would choose to line-dry their clothing instead of using a dryer.

There are many more changes that we'd like to make / add to make our lifestyle even more green:

-A bigger garden for one-- I haven't been able to plant as much as I hoped this year (I like to think my growing belly gives me an excuse) but I'm happy with what we have planted so far.
-We plan on getting chickens next year, so we are busily working out chicken coop plans and gathering used materials to build one.
-I'd LOVE to get a goat, too, for the making of goat cheeses and yogurts, but I don't know if that is feasible just yet.
-I want to get more fruit trees than what we already have-- cherry, apple, blueberries to name a few.
-Rain barrels are desired as well, but I still need to figure out how to truck the water from the house alllll the way to the garden without breaking my back or having to buy multiple hoses.

There is much more that we could do, but these are the biggest goals we have at the moment. What kind of changes have you made this year that has made a big impact on your life and / or wallet?

Drumroll Please...

It's been a busy busy day, so without further ado, let's choose a winner for the Mulberry Jelly!

I had my trusted and loyal assistant, Oldest, pull out a name from the tin....and the winner is...

...Fated Follies Studio!!

Congratulations!! I've sent you an email with my contact information, so please check your messages!

Thanks to everyone else for entering the drawing and I really enjoyed hearing from you! This was fun! I may do this again!! Have a great weekend!!

1,2,3...

Three little girls... soon to be joined by a little boy... no baby yet!

We went from having a heat wave last week where we spent nearly every waking moment in the kiddie pool to cooler weather this week where I had to put blankets back on every one's bed. Not that I'm complainin', no not me! I love the cool breeze that blows open the curtains at night and the feel of crisp cool sheets on the bed with the ceiling fan lazily spinning round and round.

The popsicles are lasting a bit longer, too, instead of 3 hot, sweaty little girls begging for a popsicle every 10 minutes. My towel supply is not running out the door getting "accidentally" dropped in the pool or dragged through mud. We don't have to run our air conditioner, which we got fixed, and it turned out it was never broken after all, but a simple little switch that got turned off.

Another upside to the cooler weather? Perfect for heating up the kitchen with all my canning of the Mulberry Jelly! I don't have to hear Hubby grumble about me making the house hot. There's still time to leave a comment on the Giveaway post for a yummy jar of my fresh-made Mulberry Jelly! You don't want to pass this up! I'll be drawing a name on Friday afternoon after we get back from our yard sale-ing rounds.

Pregnancy Update #4-- Still Pregnant!

We're still waiting... Everything is ready, the baby clothes, diapers, car seat... All that's left is the arrival of a baby that seems to be content to stay in my womb.

I am genuinely surprised to have made it this far, because I was absolutely positive that I would have had the baby before now. I had contractions that were 10 minutes apart on the 8th of June and I realized that I had not packed a bag for the hospital! So I rushed around getting things packed and ready to go. Then after a couple hours of contractions, they faded away. After that, every time I touch my belly, a look of concern would come across Hubby's face and he would ask if I was alright. I had to reassure him that if I was having contractions again, I'd let him know!

Since then, I have not had any contractions and actually feel pretty good considering. My hips hurt at night when I sleep on my side, and I often wake with leg cramps that jolt me out of bed. Baby moves around and let's me know he is still in there, alive and kicking, but he needs to start moving on out!

If there is anything I am tired of, it's the feeling of being in limbo. The feeling of limiting myself in where I can go and what I can do. Tired of wondering if today is the day. Not being able to bend over and touch my toes without going red in the face. Putting on underwear with sore hips is something I'm ready to say goodbye to.

The girls often ask, as we head out to the doctor appointment, if the doctor is going to take the baby out now. I have to explain that the baby decides when to come out, and he'll come out when he is good and ready. Then Middle asks me, "The baby isn't ripe yet?" Something tells me I talk a little too much about food being ripe before you pick it!

Speaking of ripe-- you can still leave a comment for my Mulberry Jelly Giveaway! I'll have a drawing at the end of the week and send a lucky reader a jar of my freshly made Mulberry Jelly.