Word For Wednesday #1

New Century Version (because it's easier to read and understand a lot of times)

Titus 2:4-5  Then [the older women] can teach the young women to love their husbands, to love their children,⁵ to be wise and pure, to be good workers at home, to be kind, and to yield to their husbands.

The King James Version puts it like this:


⁴That they may teach the young women to be sober, to love their husbands, to love their children,
 ⁵To be discreet, chaste, keepers at home, good, obedient to their own husbands, that the word of God be not blasphemed.



Quite different...hmm...


So, for the record, to live according to God's will we (younger women) are supposed to do the following:

1) Love your husband and children Not too hard, right? I hope not. Remember, even when they put you at wits end and you feel like you can't stand them anymore; you still love them.

2) Be discreet and pure Dress for success for God...not a nightclub. Some have different views on this point. Some women use this to show that we should be fully covered. I, however, think that your husband should make the call. If he is comfortable with you wearing a tank top out in the summer time than so be it. However, if the idea of your bare shoulders makes him uncomfortable put something on over it.

3) Homemaking A lost art! Throughout my life I searched for the PERFECT job for me. My mind went to everything. Lawyer, doctor, actress, model, hairstylist, etc... But the job that I've found most fulfilling? Being a stay at home wife and mother. Staying at home (especially before children) is looked down on by society. However, if you can afford it (and I understand many families cannot...or don't want to) staying at home is a great job.

4) Be nice :) Basically, that's it. Be kind to people!

5) Obey your husband Another lost art! No, I don't mean kiss his feet and jump when he snaps his fingers. If your husband is doing his job (loving you as Christ loves the church) you should have NO problem obeying his wishes.


Lets work on these this week!

Tidy Tuesday #1

From http://www.realsimple.com/

Daily Quick Cleaning Checklist

Kitchen

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  Clear out and wipe down the sink (5 minutes). No piles of dirty dishes! Move them into the dishwasher, and wipe the sink with a sponge.
  
  
  
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  Wipe down countertops and stove (1 minute). Clean splatters and spills with a damp cloth or sponge and an all-purpose cleanser.
  
  
  
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  Wipe problem spots on the floor (2 minutes). You can save a full-floor mop for the weekend, but use the same cloth (once you’ve finished with the countertops) to quickly clean any spills or sticky spots, which will attract dirt and get more noticeable if left alone.
  
  
  
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  Fold or hang dish towels (30 seconds). Even if they’re clean, a jumble of dish towels on the counter can look messy. Take a few moments to fold or hang them.
  
  
  

Bathroom

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  Wipe out the sink (30 seconds). If you use a premoistened cloth to wipe your face, swipe the sink bowl and faucet handles with it, too. Or use a washcloth, paper towel, or a product like Windex Glass and Surface Wipes, which don’t leave streaks on chrome or mirror.
  
  
  
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  Clean splatters off the mirror (15 seconds). Got foamy toothpaste spray on the mirror? Do a quick swipe with the same cloth you used on the sink.
  
  
  
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  Wipe the toilet seat and rim (15 seconds). Same cloth! Just do the toilet last.
  
  
  
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  Swoosh the toilet bowl with a brush (15 seconds). If you see a ring, give it a quick scrub.
  
  
  
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  Squeegee the shower door (30 seconds). Wipe down glass doors to remove water droplets that can cause spotting. No squeegee? Use a dry towel.
  
  
  
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  Spray the shower and curtain liner with a shower mist (15 seconds). A quick spray with a daily cleanser will reduce buildup of mildew and soap scum.
  
  
  

Bedroom

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  Make your bed (2 minutes). Even a fluffy down comforter pulled up over messy sheets will look polished.
  
  
  
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  Fold or hang clothes and put away jewelry (4 minutes). Even better: Resist the urge to toss them somewhere in the first place! Put them away as you take them off.
  
  
  
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  Straighten out the night-table surface (30 seconds). Take last night’s water glass to the kitchen, stow your reading glasses in a drawer, and straighten books or magazines.
  
  
  

Living Room

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  Tidy the sofa (2 minutes). It’s likely the focus of the room, so neaten it. Fluff the pillows and fold the throws.
  
  
  
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  Pick up crumbs with a handheld vacuum (1 minute). Concentrate on surfaces in plain sight: sofa cushions, coffee table, and rugs in the middle of the room. Look for dust bunnies, too.
  
  
  
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  Wipe tables and spot-clean cabinets where you see fingerprints (1 minute). Use a microfiber cloth or a Swiffer cloth to pick up dust. If the surfaces are streaked or sticky, use a moist cloth.
  
  
  
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  Straighten coffee table books and magazines (2 minutes). Toss old newspapers and corral the remote controls into one place (a drawer, if possible).
  
  
  
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  Clear major clutter (5 minutes). Stash video games, toys, and anything else you might trip over.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  I love this list! It's so useful when you only have a few minutes.
  
  
  

What to Expect...

I'm going to try to update more often. It's been set as a daily chore. I'm going to do certain things on certain days...it should help me think.

Mon: Meals for the Week (recipes included!)
Tues: Tidy Tuesday (Cleaning tips!)
Wed: Word For Wednesday (Scripture for your week)
Thurs: Thankful Thursdays (Something for which I am thankful)
Fri: Frugal Friday (Tips on how to save money!)
Sat: Everything else!
Sun: Day of Rest (no posts)


So keep checking back!


I have no meal plans for this week because we're headed out of town!

We got a smile!!!

Fun Videos!

Breastfeeding

Finally! I can write this!

There are numerous benefits to breastfeeding: http://www.babycenter.com/0_how-breastfeeding-benefits-you-and-your-baby_8910.bc names a few!

Some of my best advice came from here: http://www.mothering.com/discussions/showthread.php?t=1010100&highlight=


A few things that normally come up

Pain - Yes, it is painful when you start. Not only are your nipples sensitive from hormones, but they're doing something they aren't used to doing! A problem means pain, but pain doesn't always mean a problem. It took about 3 weeks for the pain to go away for me. That's not on the side with the cracked nipple...

Injury - Another thing that happens, but is treatable! We had trouble latching on the right side and I developed a crack in my nipple. A week of pumping on that side (the pain was toe curling and I couldn't nurse) and offering a bottle, neosporin, and lanolin and I healed up. It's kind of cracked again, but I can handle it this time so we're still nursing.

Latch - Learn what a good latch is BEFORE you give birth. Yes, there are people at the hospital that can help...but if you get a nurse like my night nurse (I felt more educated about BFing) you'll be glad you were well informed.

When to start - IMMEDIATELY AFTER BIRTH! Even if he isn't strong enough or awake enough to really suck, trying helps! Relationship needs to be developed ASAP and this helps. As soon as they're done with the evaluations you need to try nursing again. Don't be discouraged if he "doesn't get anything" because that's not true. During this time you produce colostrum which is more nutrient dense than breastmilk. As my day nurse told me "A tablespoon of your breastmilk right now has more nutrition than an entire bottle of formula." It can take several days for your breastmilk to come in (not in my case, I was engorged on day two)

Watch the baby NOT the clock. Some will tell you to feed every 2 hours (my night nurse for example) Your baby will wake up to eat! You shouldn't have to wake him up... unless it's several days later and he's going 4+ hours without eating...then wake him. DO NOT try to "develop a schedule" or "train" your child. (Stay away from Babywise books!!!) He may want to eat every 20mins or every 2 hours. He knows best! The first few weeks are hard because he'll probably eat constantly. As long as he's dirtying plenty of diapers there is nothing wrong with your supply. I had a similar issue early on. He eats like that to boost your supply (usually happens during a growth spurt) It's hard, but stick it out.


Hmm....any questions? I'll answer them in the next note.

Every Mom Needs To Know...

This list will probably be never ending! I have, however, come up with a few things that every mom needs to know...

1) Gripe Water : You can buy it at the pharmacy. It's basically ginger and fennel based (it also has sodium bicarbonate, or baking soda, in it) . It's used for stomach problems like gas, hiccups, colic, etc... I got it for Franklin because he gets hiccups pretty bad. It works WONDERS. Half the time I only have to use a half "dose" for him and the hiccups are gone in minutes. Also, when he gets gassy or when his tummy gets upset it helps it settle. It's amazing and I recommend it 110%!

2) Maalox and Aquaphor : Mix the two together in equal parts and use on diaper rash/irritation. How? A lot of diaper irritation is because of acids in whatever mommy/baby are eating. Maalox negates the acid and Aquaphor is healing for skin irritation. Aquaphor is also great for cracked/irritated skin during breastfeeding (And, according to Hayley, great for tattoo care)

3) Cornstarch : If the diaper irritation is caused by being wet frequently this is great. I know the first several days of Franklin's life we were constantly changing his diaper and, therefore, he was wet frequently and his skin was irritated from always being wiped. Cornstarch helped out!

4) Nursing pads : Whether you nurse or not you will lactate! When the baby cries your breasts will leak (at least, at first). When you get engorged your breasts will leak. If you're nursing on one side and the baby bumps the other side it will leak. Sometimes nursing one side will cause the other one to leak. You will WANT to wear a nursing pad or you'll be changing clothes all the time.


Crap, I know there's more but I have baby brain (yes, it lingers) and I can't remember. More later, I guess. If you have questions I can answer them in later posts!

Previews

Next week I'm going to do posts on:

1) A few checklist items for every new mom to have!

2) Breastfeeding (the ups and downs and everything in between...possibly even list the benefits)


As well as other fun updates!

Stay tuned

Pictures!

This kid has long toes (like his parents) and really big feet. I'm thinking he's going to be tall... Of course, they said that about me and look at how I turned out!

He's so precious when he sleeps! He did that a lot today because he was up most of the night. He's having another growth spurt so he eats ALL THE TIME!!!

This was right after he'd eaten. I laid him back on his nursing pillow (he enjoys sleeping on it like this) and he threw his hands up and sighed really big. He was QUITE satisfied! :)