Thankful Thursday #101

Thankful This Week For...

...Nation [turning 6]

1. Watching him build [everything]

2. His tender heart towards the Lord at a young age

3. How fearless he is [even if it scares me at times]

4. His energy [one of a kind]

5. His mommies freckles spread across this nose & upper cheeks

6. How he randomly tells me he loves me & I'm pretty

7. His health

8. That he never gives up

9. How artistic he is

10. That he's all mine

last minute batman cake from publix...we missed our normal yummy cakes, but he liked it

he's 6!

can't wait

14 friends came to swim at my moms

the guys

bike from papaw

treated his bros to ice cream with bday money

Nationosaurus Turned 5

My Nationosaurus turned 5 this week, and we celebrated his birthday for the 5th year in a row---a day early---on the 4th of July. We always have a big party at my moms pool and invite all our friends to swim all afternoon & evening.

I guess I was too busy swimming to remember to take pictures, I snagged some, but you'll just have to imagine the 6 families & 17 kids that were there. Oh and the adorable little dino goodie bags I made, the sign I hung, and the green decor that got rained out. Thankfully, Sarah caught a few I didn't.

The cake is by my cake lady.

My mom "made" Nation the coolest gift---she collected all types of odds & ends [that he's always so fascinated by in her garage]. He's been constructing everyday since he got it! He's such a builder.

Naturally, now that he's 5, we're in the Lego Phase, ha! First sets here.

Another friend of ours made Nation these awesome "Heart Seeds'" jars for a new "system" we're trying with Nation...more on that later.

And that's how I know I threw him a great party---this was around 7pm I think.


Solomon & Nation played so long and hard that day too. They both crashed before 5pm dinner and didn't wake up until it was nearly 9 and we were headed home. They missed cake, but promptly reminded me upon waking.

Thankful Thursday Top Ten 49 -Nation-

an idea I got from pinterest

Thankful this week for Nation because he...

1. ...has little freckles all over his nose [just like me]

2. ...always picks flowers for me

3. ...is a builder at heart---always creating something out of nothing

4. ...has always been my best nighttime sleeper [so far]

5. ...loves to dance [just like me!]

6. ...is learning how to daily walk out the fruits of the Spirit

7. ...is such an artist---always cutting, glueing, coloring something

8. ...is so smart [even in his rebellious arguing i'm giggling a little inside]

9. ...loves the outdoors and is happy to play in them for hours [even alone!]

10. ...made me a mom

What are you thankful for this week? 

Write a post and link up below!

Remember to visit the person before you and comment---share the love!

Nation's [Home] Birth Story

This year on Moses' & Solomon's birthdays I wrote out their birth stories, so it only seemed fitting that today when my Nation turned 5, I write out this...

Nation Alexander Georgi

July 5th, 2006

I was 5 days "late" with my first child on July 4th. I remember I sat in a lawn chair near my moms pool holding an umbrella over me and letting the sprinkler spray me from under the chair to keep me cool. I forget why I didn't get in the pool---maybe because we were concerned I'd been leaking a little fluid. Either way, I was hot and overcooked.

We left my moms house late that night and arrived home only to crawl into bed and start contractions---I let Charles sleep a little to see if it was really what it was. I was so excited to finally say the words "It's time". He clocked my contractions while I was in the shower. I was letting the water beat down on my lower back. He was getting so excited that they were getting closer together, I think I shared this excitement with him by telling him to hush it up and stop telling me the minutes. Shortly after, my midwife arrived.

I threw up five times throughout birth. No nausea, just intense cramping that caused vomiting. I did not eat during labor because I did not want to throw anything besides liquids up. Everyone made sure I kept well hydrated though. 

I tried to stay vertical all day to increase the contractions and speed up the process. I would say my labor overall was very textbook---progressing through all the stages that we had learned about in our 12 week Bradley course. I was a very quiet laborer, just breathing loudly during contractions. I would take in a breath and just blow it out slowly, concentrating on emptying my lungs and then repeated. I kept my palms facing up to keep me from grabbing onto anything. I also kept my mouth open to kept from tensing up. I labored with my eyes closed and didn’t like anyone to speak to me or encourage me during contractions. In between contractions I talked with Charles, April and the midwives. I think people commented on how funny I was...just sayin'.

My contractions felt like very intense menstrual cramps. They came and went like a bell curve. I was not able to sleep because my contractions were strong and increasing, but I was able to rest deeply in between contractions. We kept my house dark and quiet. I originally planned on laboring with music and in the water, but enjoyed just squatting or sitting on the yoga ball the most.

April, my best friend, and Charles, my husband, usually sat in the room with me wherever I was and quietly prayed for me all day long [Charles might have been praying so deeply he was snoring]. The midwives would come in every half hour or so and quietly take the babies heart rate and check on me. They often went unnoticed. I also enjoyed laboring in different positions and changing them to keep my mind busy. I even labored on the toilet with Charles sitting on the floor in front me. I would lean on his back and rock his shoulders. The rhythm was soothing to me. Towards the end, she encouraged me to lay on my side as it wouldn't slow the labor down because I was "at the end" and I needed to rest my legs for pushing.

The entire labor was supernatural. I never felt like “I can’t do this”. All of my “pain” was manageable (like my normal bad period cramps) and I felt completely confident in the Lord that I could finish. Transition was not scary like I thought it would be. It was simply contractions quickly following one another. 

Shortly after noon, when I began feeling ready to push, we encountered a small stall. Apparently Nation was ready to come out, but his head hadn’t quite cleared that last centimeter. The midwives tried adjusting him, but it wasn’t until I threw up the last time when I believe that caused my water to break. I will admit for those two hours or so after I thought I was just about to have a baby I began to feel the intensity of a baby wanting to come out and my water not being broken yet. We were about to let them break my water when it broke on it’s own. He came minutes later. 

IT'S A BOY!

[we don't find out the sex]

Pushing was different that I had expected. I don’t remember feeling any pain, but I do remember feeling like I had a baby coming out of a small place! Strong stretching and pressure was what I was feeling. Like I was going to the bathroom. Margaret helped with massage, olive oil and hot compresses to help me not tear. We had not planned to use a mirror, but did at the last minute and it really helped me to see what I was doing. I would simply wait for the contraction and push with it. I had trouble pushing hard enough so I used the bed frame to grab onto and Margaret encouraged me to grunt or yell. I did these things to help bring out the baby, not because I was in agonizing pain. I remember her telling me to keep my chin down and bear down while still keeping my legs spread. It was just a few minutes of pushing in the bed before he came out.

I remember thinking I'd have another baby tomorrow with no hesitation. Laboring in my home, with my husband and best friend, without any pressure or rushing was incredibly relaxing. I share my story and my pictures to encourage all women that they can have a natural [home] birth just like me, or even better!

The Medical Account Overview 
[for anyone overly interested...]

Due: June 30^th, 2006

Delivered: July 5^th, 2006 3:35 PM

Duration of stages:

                1^st stage: 11 hours 38 minutes

2^nd stage: 1 hour 7 minutes

3^rd stage: 25 minutes

Water broke spontaneously at 3:00 PM. Water was clear.

Cord cut: 3:43 PM

Delivery position: sitting

Blood loss: slight

Nation Alexander Georgi:   8 lbs. 2 oz. (weight)   20.5 in. (length)   13.5 cm (head)

Apgar: 8 (1 min.) 9 (5 min.)

Heart Rate: 140 Color: Good Suction: 3 times, lots of mucus

Latch: initial trouble latching because of mucus

Labor Record

July 4^th, 2006

12:00 PM Bloody show (no other labor signs)

July 5^th, 2006

 3:00 AM Contractions begin (no sleep previous to contractions)

 4:00 AM Contractions 3 minutes apart, lasting for 1 minute (Midwife on the way)

 5:00 AM Hot shower on lower back for 1 hour

 5:00 AM Threw up

 5:30 AM 5 cm. dilated, 80 % effaced, baby heart rate 140, prepare bed & room

 6:00 AM B.h.r. 150, drinking water & sports drink, a few pieces of fruit

 6:30 AM B.h.r. 140, Charles makes bread [his birth ritual] 

 7:00 AM Labor by walking, standing, leaning over kitchen table

 7:40 AM Labor on ball, contractions are long & hard

 8:00 AM B.h.r. 136, labors on birth chair, April gets Starbucks for everyone

 8:30 AM B.h.r. 140

 9:00 AM Contractions 2 minute apart, lasting 1 minute, labor by walking & squatting

 9:30 AM Squatting, one contraction after the other

10:00 AM Contractions lasting 1.5 minutes long

10:30 AM Contractions hard, labor by leaning & walking

10:45 AM Labor on toilet

11:40 AM 9 cm. dilated, baby head at +1, legs shaky

12:00 PM B.h.r. 140, laid in bed on left side, desire to push, lots of pressure

  1:30 PM Hardest part of labor, babies head has not cleared the lip of cervix (last cm)

  2:14 PM B.h.r. 136, threw up, still laboring on left side or on all 4’s

  2:28 PM B.h.r. 140, baby coming down, debate if midwifes should break the water

  3:00 PM Water breaks while squatting & pushing beside bed, contractions hard

  3:15 PM Pushing well in bed sitting up, Charles excited

  3:35 PM Birth

  3:43 PM Cord cut by dad

  4:00 PM Placenta delivered, looks good, 3 vessels

Lego Club

Nation will turn 5 next week and I felt it was about time we accepted the invitation to our friends homeschool Lego club. The idea is that everyone brings 100 legos and swaps to build a creation on that day's "theme". The host mom had the genius idea to give each child a baking tray to keep all their legos & creation in. It was either that or 1200+ legos under her couches.

The children were given 45 minutes to create [without mommy of course] and then they took turns "showing and telling" [questions allowed]. It was really sweet to see what everyone made and hear them speak in front of the group. Some where shy, some built simple, some loved the stage, some built things that surely will take us to Mars one day.

It was hilarious to me that as the showing and telling continued---everyones creation [whose theme was "transform"] ended up with the added "superpower" or going under water. After all---it is the ultimate if your creation can go on land and water--isn't it?

Nation was a bit overwhelmed, nervous, stressed, and "wanting to win"---but he eventually borrowed some wheels from someone and thus solved his [he is very literal] dilemma of creating something that could MOVE because apparently to him transform is defined as being able to move.

He made a moving camera [with a shade]---that of course---ended up going under water and transforming into something that cleaned the ocean.

I'm going to use this post to focus on the lovely part of the Lego club today and not the knock-down-drag-out-exit we had to make when someone didn't want to leave...

...there has been many tears, much humiliation and embarrassment for me these past two weeks weeks. I sincerely appreciate your prayers and sensitivity as I am struggling to parent him.

To end on a happy note though---I think I might start a lego club in the [new] neighborhood just until school starts---might be a good way for Nation to meet friends here. Do you think my home owners association will allow a giant handmade sign inviting everyone? Ha!

Thankful Thursdays Top Ten 33

Thankful This Week For:

1. Nation's new stick people [complete with elbows & knees]

2. Moses trying to see what his brothers are doing without him

3. A fabulous small group "ladies night in" even if I did eat too much

4. My tax dollars put to good use

5. Two steps [classes] closer to understanding this embroidery machine

6. Creative people...like the ones who actually did this: UP

7. Giving people...like the ones who created this: dosomethingnow.com

8. iPod touches. It's made furniture shopping with 3 little kids almost bearable.

9. Transparency & prayer. We all fall or go through rough times---be real. 

10. Nation's safety. a) after climbing out the window b) that he survived Me after what he did next...

Beth Moore once said she use to tell her girls after they did something really naughty, to go to their rooms---for their own sake---to run and lock the door. Ha. After Nation decided to climb out his window and run around outside during naptime, he then proceeded to dig himself a deeper hole by opening up the closet and emptying out every single piece of clothing that was hung and everything on the shelves onto his floor. Even way up high---still don't know how he did that. 

I *thought* he was cleaning his room, he did it in just under 5 minutes. And that, is why we call him The Flash. At least he's been drawing me pictures of stick figures with elbows to make me laugh.

What are you thankful for?

Link up below!

Black & White Wordless [#17]

This photo was taken 4 years ago of my oldest on his first Valentine's Day.

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Photo Challenge: The Long Road to China & Back

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Funny Friday #2

I woke up this morning to this. [Read why Nation [4] still wears a diaper below.]

Nation came and told me he had "drawn a line" where I am not to cross because on the other side of it [or under it] he had made a mess. He apparently threw off his diaper and it exploded...if you've never seen the inside of a diaper you don't know the fun mess that awaited me underneath. Apparently, after airborne explosion, it landed in the toilet [bonus point!].

To make it even funnier, somehow his church childcare pick up number [from Wednesday morning] got attached to it.

As a mom...you never know what messes await you

 when your eyelids open.

Nation wears a diaper at night [pull-ups are overpriced] because he isn't consistent at waiting to pee until the morning. I've tried underwear and sometimes he goes 5 days in a row, but then has an accident and I got tired of changing sheets. He's my deepest sleeper, but I've still tried waking him up---half the time I can get him to go in the middle of the night, half the time I can't. 

Suggestions?

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I think by the time Friday rolls around we could all use something good to laugh at. I thought it might be fun to try linking up and seeing [or reading about] funny things that all happen to us this week.

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"A cheerful heart is good medicine, but a crushed spirit dries up the bones."

-Proverbs 17:22

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Dr. Mommy

There really are few things tape can't fix. Usually duct tape, but in this case it was electrical tape. Nation sliced his finger pretty bad on an old fashion batman lunch box [thanks Old Navy]. Charles wrapped it up, but Nation didn't want to get it wet...that's where I came in...I rigged up a ziplock water proof hand protector. Worked like a charm.

Incidentally, when Nation is really injured he doesn't want me, he wants his daddy. I'll never forget last summer when Nation was outside playing and Charles was in the carport and Nation got hurt, but ran into the house screaming looking for us. I heard him screaming [I was in the shower], but thought he must have gotten in trouble and was with Charles. Then I heard him scream..."Where's my daddy?" and I knew... I got out and blood was everywhere because he'd been running up and down the hall. I forget now what he hurt, but it wasn't as bad as it looked. Just a lot of mess. Charles came flying in from outside and Nation ran to him and not me. It was a terrible moment, but I still remember how desperate Nation was on his daddy.

If you get hurt this week...run to Daddy.

Black & White Wordless [#5]

Where boys hide their Oreos

Me: "Nation did you just get a cookie out of the kitchen?"

Nation: Looks down at his underwear and pulls cookie out

Me: "Hold on, let mommy grab the camera"

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This just so happens to be my 100th post. I started this blog the day we arrived in Dayton, OH and tonight should have been the night we arrived home for good. We are home tonight, but not for good. Looks like we will stay there until the week of Christmas. 

Nevertheless, this blog ride has been so amazing I'm keeping with it. 

Thanks for reading [all 100 times]!

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This post was apart of:

The Long Road to China
Supermom

I'm A Sell Out---First Giveaway

Do What I Say And No One Gets Hurt

Celebrating 1 month in Dayton & 30 blogs later. In "blogworld" it's kind of a joke, but I'm proud. Gotta start somewhere. If you read my first post you know I'm backsliding by doing this, but I will quote Nation today..."I changed my mind."

First giveaway! $25 Amazon.com giftcard!

Two ways to enter. [You can do both]

[1] FOLLOW ME ON BLOGGER 

*if you already do just put your name below in the comment section
*or if you don't have a blogger account [get one, they're free & you don't have to blog---you can just use it to read blogs]

ex. Sarah Harris Martin

[2] TELL YOUR FACEBOOK FRIENDS ABOUT ME

*Repost the link of your favorite blog of mine in your Facebook status. Say something nice :)

*Then Copy & Paste your status below in comment section so I know you did it.

ex. Sarah Harris Martin loves this blog because her kids do crazy things like in this post: http://curiousgeorgi.blogspot.com/2010/09/how-to-split-your-brothers-head-open.html Check it out!

One winner randomly selected at 5 PM EST tomorrow. Good Luck. Love Y'all.

[thank you Sarah for letting me use you as my example]

Wooden Spoons & Wooden Blocks

This week Charles is working 7 am-7:45 pm. He leaves at 6:40 am and gets home after 8 pm. LONG days for me. Pretty much the 12 hours the kids are awake. The kids played inside a lot today while I cleaned, etc. Debated about going out around naptime, but stuck to the schedule [always regret when I don't] and Moses & Solomon napped from 1-4.

We went to Sam's club this evening & then to the pool before dinner. I tried out soup again on the kids they told me they would like the chicken & rice "out of the water". Ha. I decided not to loose it on them over this tonight [of all nights] and just fixed something different. Normally I don't, but it was either that or a breakdown.

Usually I put them down at 8 pm, but we are letting them stay up a little later to spend some time with daddy. Nation goes in and out of naughty phases and although most would assume it's the move or time away from daddy I would normally agree with you, but it's probably just him being him. He's awesomely stubborn, but my job is to holy-spirit-harness that for the Lord's glory [one day].

Until then---it's a lot of work. Next time I find myself explaining myself [reasoning] with him I'm going to spank me. Nation has his own thoughts on spankings---He told me tonight "spankings don't work". He comes up with great things to "get in my head". He's a character.

In between timeouts he invited me to see his block creation. He got these Melissa & Doug Blocks for his 4th birthday [Thanks Grandma Quay] and really enjoys them. I love to see what he invents.

I want to continue to buy the boys more building and creative toys. These cost $60 in several stores I've looked at, but you can find them on Amazon.com for a fraction of the cost---the price varies daily, but usually is around $35-45. Same exact ones and I have Amazon Prime so the 20 lbs of shipping is free---majorly their loss.

Going back to the subject of breakdowns, I told Charles I could either go have a good cry or go run. He suggested I run. Tried out the new gym and got back on track doing the Couch to 5K. I did three weeks worth before we left for OH and loved it. Will blog about this another time.