I had quite a lot of fun things scheduled for the holidays starting Christmas Eve.  Part of those plans had me about 2 hours away from home.  Each time I left I let my moms know that it would take me 2 hours to get to them.  Luckily no one needed me.

Tuesday was our last big outing, a day at SeaWorld.  I was hoping once I spent $70 on a ticket no one would call.  Other then having to take 2 cars down (in case I had to leave early) it was no big deal and again no one needed me.

So a big thanks to the 2 babies who were so thoughtful. 

Maybe it is Kooky?

I never went to a Chiropractor until Thing 3 was a baby. I didn’t  know much about them before that.  I did think they were a little Kooky.  Then Thing 3 had trouble with nursing on one side.  I knew that when he was born his neck was really pulled on, someone suggested I bring him to a chiropractor.  I figured it was worth a try.

It can help!

After our first visit he happily nursed on both sides!   The whole family has been seeing a chiropractor off and on since then.

If I had known then what I knew now I would have made Chiropractic Care a normal part of life during my pregnancies. I love my Chiropractor and honestly she is a healer in many ways, so we rarely see our normal doctor anymore.  We are just healthier overall and when things come up she helps quickly resolve them.

Now I will admit not all Chiropractors are created equal. So just like I tell you to choose your care provider wisely, choose your chiropractor wisely too.   If you are pregnant, you need to make sure you are working with one who understands and is trained in working with pregnant moms.  You should also try to find one that can help with overall wellness too.

Why is it Crucial, especially during pregnancy?

Think of your body and how it has to adjust to carrying a baby around in front of it.  The demands are pretty intense.  Chiropractic care can help your body adjust to this.  If you are having any back pain, then it is even more important.

Go read this amazing post by Sage Beginnings which outlines all the reasons why it is so helpful during pregnancy.  The post has great pictures too.

I hope everyone has a wonderful day today!

We like to give a nativity away each Christmas.  We leave a piece at a time on the doorstep the few days before Christmas and ring the doorbell and run.

When you have this on the back of your van

you can’t really sneak by.

We park down the street, we wait.  The other night we thought it was safe to go (well, T2 was insisting it wasn’t safe, but I assured him it was.)  We drove by their house and the family was standing out front and watching and I am SURE they saw us, how could they miss our van driving by?

Now we are leaving the piece and not ringing the bell.  Is that cheating?

I got this great tip and I love it! A pillowcases and some ribbon=easy wrapping.

The picture isn’t great, I took it with my iPhone.  But you can see how I used pillowcases for my bigger gifts.  I also took this tip and used a different paper for each boy.  Fast and easy sorting on Christmas Morning! 

I do love Christmas, but sometimes it is so full of fun things that it can be overwhelming.

Tonight (the 19th) is the first night we have all been home with nothing to do since the 26th of November! 
Between Christmas Choice, live nativities, Singing Carols at Retirement homes with Kids are Music, teaching Hypnobabies, attending a birth, scouts, holiday parties our calendar has not given us much rest.

Dinner is cooking and we have a quiet evening planned. Enjoying each others company, playing games and opening all the Christmas Cards we have been gathering.

I love this video with Amy Grant’s song which captures what I feel.

I wish you all a Silent Night!

BIRTH

What if your water breaks before labor starts?  Lie #99 and Water broke and no contractions?

Is privacy during birth important? VBAC mom triumphs with some support and privacy.

Midwives do not give superior care

Scary continuous fetal monitoring – plans are in work for more interventions using CFM as a tool.

Great cesarean and VBAC links

Sacrificing for a wedding but not our births?

Vernix is golden – what is so great about Vernix?

Nice article about benefits of Hypnobabies

4 GREAT BIRTH STORIES

Beautiful Birth Story

Great Hypnobabies HBAC Story

Love this breech vaginal birth story

Serene Birth

PARENTING

Underrated mothering milestones

Great music video for teens and me

For more Sunday Surfing, visit Authentic Mothering, Mama and Baby Love, Gems of Delight, Breastfeeding Moms Unite, Domesticated Women, This Adventure Life, Maman A Droit, Hobo Mama and Baby Dust Diaries.

Love this new video by DONA

Enjoy!

Did you have a doula?

Was it an essential ingredient in your birth?

Talk about pressure.   Talk about comfort?  Let’s do an experiment where women give birth in an MRI machine.

This is happening in Germany, where doctors have designed an MRI machine that will accommodate a birthing mother.  (Mind you she has to wear earmuffs throughout the birth to block out the high-frequency noise.)

They’ve already used the open MRI to take first-of-their-kind pictures of a woman giving birth, and doctors report that the procedure went without a hitch.

Aside from allowing the study of a baby’s movement through the birth canal in greater detail, doctors hope to understand why 30 percent of births don’t progress properly through the birth canal, requiring an expensive Cesarean section.

Noble scientific ideas, but I don’t think I would sign up for that.  For so many reasons!

I have always loved bananas and my boys do to.

It is the perfect first food.

• I used to mash it up in a bowl with a fork and a little water or breastmilk.
• Then as they got bigger I didnt’ even need a spoon I would just peel and spoon out little chunks.
• Then as they got bigger I would cut pieces and put them on their high chair tray.
• Now Thing 3 likes to either “eat it like a monkey” or practice using his knife and fork while he cuts and eats chunks of bananas.

I got a Chiquita Mom package in the mail this week.

There were some fun recipes in there and a great booklet.  I learned some cool things about bananas.  Like, When is the perfect time to eat a banana?  I loved the tips on freezing bananas and in the package I got some special freezer bags for this.

Chiquita is going to send (5) of YOU an Official “Chiquita Mom Kit” to help you buy, save and use those Chiquita Bananas in your house!

Your Chiquita Mom Kit includes:
• Chiquita Mom’s Flip Book
• Chiquita Banana Recipe Cards
• Chiquita Moms Grocery Tote Bag
• Chiquita Moms Freezer Bags
• A coupon for FREE Chiquita Bananas!

If you want a chance to win one, leave a comment with one thing you love about bananas!