Thursday, April 17, 2008

Have you been denied a VBAC?

Below is a cut and paste from the ICAN of Portland yahoo group I am on. I had a cesarean at a hospital (Central Washington Hospital in Wenatchee, WA) that is now banning VBAC's. Had Michael been conceived a few months later I would most likely have had a second cesarean instead of the wonderful VBAC I was "allowed" to have. I know far to many women who are struggling to find a place to birth their baby. If you have been denied a VBAC because of a VBAC ban please contact Pam. Her information is below.

"I have a lawyer who will help us challenge the VBAC bans at hospitals in the following states: Alaska, Washington, Oregon, Montana and Idaho.
She is looking for women who have been denied a VBAC or are being told right now that they can't VBAC.
Please contact me at: president@ican-online.org if you or someone you know are in this position. If you have local email lists, you may post this on them.
Thanks,
Pam Udy
--
ICAN President
www.ican-online.org"

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Its Official

I have been asked a lot of different questions and heard quite a few comments regarding the kids. I have heard "Wow you have your hands full", the irritating "Your oldest looks nothing like you", and I have even heard (when Madeline was a baby) "Wow you were just the incubator weren't you?" I always nod or smile or say whatever is appropriate to be polite and try not to show my complete frustration for these people who I know are just trying to be friendly. Well today I heard "Are they ALL yours?" And all was said in a long drawn out way because oh my gosh no one has four kids thats just wayyyyyy to many. So its official I am the mom of many. I responded to the man who asked the above question with a smile and "yes all mine" as I tried to cross the parking lot at OMSI today. He was still standing there going on when I got to the other side and we smiled at him as we tried to make it to our car. Which is quite a feat when the parent/child ratio at the time was 1 to 4.

So here is our day. I am rather proud to say that I (BY MYSELF!!!) managed to get all four kids ready (minus Michael's shirt somehow he only had on a hooded sweatshirt???), load up the car, the diaper bag, and go to OMSI. We only stayed for about 3 hours but the kids had a blast. We spent the first hour or two in the Children's play area. Maddy and Michael just roam to whatever section they want to and check in with me when they go to a new one. Madeline painted, played with water, went in the sand area, and did play dough. Michael spent most of the time in the sand area and animal section. Marah ran wild and I ummm lost her twice. Do not try to put on one child's shoes because when you look up your two year old will have wandered off. You will then frantically scan the area wishing she was wearing a brightly colored shirt. Then do not set your bag down and try to get the baby latched on to eat because once again your two year old will be all the way across the room before you can blink your eyes. So we survived the children's section with all four kids still alive, the baby actually fed and changed, and my pants all wet. Third tip of the day: do not help your son put on a smock at the water table because when you turn your head your two year old will pour an entire watering can of water down your leg. You will then walk around looking like you peed yourself while the other parents look at you really strange. Cause you know they have one child and this just does not happen to them. LOL. But in all honestly it was a great day. We explored, the kids played and I even got to talk to two other moms. Yes TWO conversations with adults, I am on a roll. One mom we happened to follow everywhere somehow and the other who put Marah's smock on for me since my hands were full. Actually thinking about it three conversations if you count the one where I apologize over and over for dripping pink paint down some little boys head. Yep you read it right I did it. This child now has pink streaks in his blond hair, when I tried to wipe it out it just kind of spread everywhere.

Thank you Grandma Karen for the OMSI membership!

Its a bird.
Marah built this out of wooden blocks. I love these blocks and really wish we had some at home.

A painting. She also painted a paper plate snake.


Next was the dinosaur exhibit. We had not seen it yet and the kids thought it was really cool. I can't wait to go back with Joe so that I can maybe look at some of it too. :)





Michael is hiding from the T-Rex. It roars and scares him half to death.


Marah loves the T-Rex and roars back at him.

They dug for fossils.


Look closely. Do you see it? I did not even notice until I looked at this photo. My 7 year old is stealing a little boys paint brush. Sigh...

Friday, April 11, 2008

New Bedrooms

Joe and I decided Madeline needed her own space. Michael and Marah tend to destroy her projects. So Madeline is now in the craft room. I decluttered so much stuff in there. I am amazed at how nice it looks now. All paints, glues, glitter, clay, etc moved to a shelf in the laundry room. We left the home school books, paper, pens, and other craft items.

Her bed. The first morning she woke up in here she made her bed and tidied before anyone else was even awake.

Reading couch

Poster

Her sewing desk. We moved her machine to a shelf in the closet so she has an area for other work too.

All her favorites

The shelves

The bottom of the closet is toys and the top of the closet is craft stuff and games.

Michael's room

His bed
They still share a dresser and the closet in here.

Spiderman room

Toy shelf

He was not so sure about sleeping in his own room the first night. Now he is really excited to make his room his own.

Thursday, April 10, 2008

Our tribe (minus one)

A week or so ago I was talking with Joe about how people are not meant to live so isolated. We are meant to live with other families. To have a community of mothers, fathers, grandparents, children. Mothers need support, as do fathers. Kids need to be able to learn things from other generations. What has happened to our society that this isolation has now become the norm?

I told him that I think Bryan and Marni are "our tribe". He told me that the "tribe" part was a bit too crunchy and don't tell them that. LOL. Of course its one of the first things I told Marni when she came to visit this week. And you know what she agreed.

Marni and the girls stopped by for the night on their way to her mothers in Oregon. It was so nice to be with such good friends again. I know Joe missed Bryan and wishes he could have come too (darn jobs!). The kids had a blast. Now to convince them to move...

Marni and Isabelle

The kids

My future daughter in law.

The girls

Marah's Birthday

Madeline decorated
Michael made her a gift

Madeline made her a doll from a pattern she created herself.

Two years old!

Random Pictures

This is a very picture heavy post. Catching up from the last month.




Easter Sunday at Church they did face painting at Kids World.



Sadly, this is what our kids now call snow.

Joe was gone one night and as I was putting Marah down there was some thunder. The kids were scared and asked to sleep in our bed. Later this is what I found.

Marah is upside down and Michael is in the side carred crib. LOL

The kids made a bug house.


We finally made it to Zenana Spa for our pedicures.

This is Marah saying "see, see, see." She has to see each picture as you take it.

Michael spent his birthday money on Legos.

Princess Marah. She brought me all this and HAD to have a snack.


So in love

Tandem nursing

Weighing Naomi at a home visit