Story: The Woman Who Loved Trees

 There once was a woman who loved trees. Lovely Oaks grew in her yard.

 When she looked at the trees it reminded her of when her children were younger and how they played in and around them. This always made her smile.

 But one day the trees grew sick and had to be cut down. The woman was very sad. The wood could not even be used for fire wood or the smoke would spread the sickness to other trees.

 She told her daughter in spirit how sad she was and told her about all the happy memories she used to have looking at the trees. The woman wished there was some way to use the wood. This gave her daughter an idea...

 Her daughter in spirit told the woman's husband her idea...

 and he went to work cutting up the wood.

 He made a lovely set of a table and chairs out of the wood just the right size for children. Then they were brought to the daughter's home where the neighbor children happily began to have a tea party.

The woman was happy again knowing that children were using the wood from her beloved oak trees once more.

The End Beginning.

Thank you Mum and Pop. The neighborhood children love their new table and chairs and I know that one day Panda will love them to. 

Fairy Garden

 I have always had a love of fairy gardens and when I was younger I built them all over my parents yard. A year or two ago Bear bought me this giant pot to sit next to our front door and I have been dreaming of turning it into a fairy hallow. 

The little house is made out of Polymer Clay and a pop-can. The windows glow in the dark so it looks like someone is home at night. Everyone who visits our home is cheerfully greeted by this little garden. My younger visitors ask who lives there and my older visitors say it makes them feel young again.

I have entered my garden into The Magic Onion's 5th annual Fairy Garden Contest. I love my new little garden and hope you do to. Maybe you might grow one of your own? If you do, I would love to see. Have a beautiful day, be well, and Have Fun!

Nova Natural Give Away

This lovely Waldorf mama Doting on Deirdre is giving away a gift card to Nova Natural this Saturday. She has a fun blog with great photos so even if you miss the give away please still stop by her blog to say hello. 

Cloth Diapers & Wet Wipe Spray Recipe.

We love our cloth diapers! We are back. Panda and I are doing fine. I still have to limit my activities but we are at last finding our rhythm.

Bear and I chose to cloth diaper Panda for many reasons; cost, health, looks, ease, environmentally friendly, to name a few. There is nothing cuter than a baby in a cloth diaper.. I'm pretty sure that's a fact ;)

Our Panda was only in disposable diapers for a short while. The hospital sent us home with a stash and I was on bed rest so I was not able to keep up with the CD's. He got a horrible diaper rash from the hospital disposables, it cleared up overnight (literally) when we put him in his first CD and we have had no problems since.

We also use cloth wet wipes. Here is the recipe we use..

2 cups warm water

2 TBSP Witch-Hazel

2 Tsp Lemongrass oil

5 drops Tea Tree oil

add everything together, shake well, and store in a spray bottle. Shake before each use. This does not stain cloth diapers, wet wipes, and most importantly it does not irritate our Panda's bum.

Here is our CD set up. Not shown is the diaper pail. We use a normal trash can with a cloth liner. It is in the closet . We attached a few baking soda deodorizers in the lid of the can. Everything has been working out well so far and we have no odor problems. Hope this can help someone. Have a blessed day and have fun!

Mother's Day Craft

 Hello, this is a simple craft you can do to make beautiful cards. You will need paper, a rainbow ink pad (any color works, but rainbow gives a little extra special touch) and the feet of a very sleepy baby (you could also use a stamp or the side of your hand).

 Press the foot of the very sleepy baby into the stamp pad...

 and onto a piece of folded paper.

 Use a crayon to add details, make sure to wash baby's feet off before the ink dries... And there you have it! A beautiful card just in time for Mother's Day.

Happy Mother's Day from my family to yours. Make it a beautiful day and Have fun!

Welcome, My Son.

 

Welcome, my Son to this wide and wondrous world. Yours was not the birth we had planned for you. We wanted you to enter this world in our home surrounded by love and comfort, but my body was not strong enough in the end. Plans had to change quickly or we both could have been lost. It was no ones fault and could not have been avoided. This was just the way my genetics played out. 6 days before your estimated due date our midwife sent us to the hospital because some of our lab works were slightly off. When we arrived only half an hour later, things had progressed at an alarming rate. My platelets were low, my blood pressure was extremely high, my blood oxygen levels were dangerously low, my protein count was ten times what it should have been, I was in the first stages of organ failure, and I was at high risk for a stroke or seizure at any moment. The decision was made that you had to come out if we both were to survive.  Amazingly as I got worse and worse, your heart rate remained perfect throughout all of what was to come.  Though I did not feel them yet I was already having contractions at 7 minutes apart and was dilated to 4cm. The only method of induction they had to use was to break my water and things got rolling. 

Our wonderful Doula (Laura) came driving home from Chicago (a 6 to 8 hour drive) the second she heard what was going on. She was amazing and gave me the focus I needed. Our midwife (Cathrine) came to be with us. She also was amazing and took command of that little hospital room. Your Poppy, my Bear, my strength, my love, was there by my side the entire time and yes, he was also amazing. There was so much love in his eyes and I drew so much strength from him as he literally held us together. We filled that room with strength and love despite the bright lights and a Dr. who stood back and made it clear what she thought of home births. We ignored her and did what we had to do. Somehow we managed to convince the hospital staff that I needed no pain killers (I was able to give you that at least). My hips started to sublex and your Poppy and a nurse braced me on either side. The hospital refused to let us labor in any position other than on our back (I am sorry. I did not want you to have to work around my pubic bone so hard). I tore. I tore bad, but we kept going. You stopped while crowning for an hour and a half to two hours. I could feel your head but you would not come the rest of the way out. We could get though this. That much I knew for certain.  

After 10 hours of labor on April 14th at 10:27pm you made your way into this world. Your father carried you up to me and laid you across my chest. They would not let us wait for the cord to stop pulsing like we had planned, but your Poppy was the one who got to cut it. You began looking for food immediately and I refused to let the nurses take you from me. They preformed every test they could while you were in my arms. I think you were about two hours old before they convinced me to let them weigh you right next to your Poppy and I (and then to return you immediately). You were 8 lbs and 5 oz, 20 inches long, and perfect in every way. 

10 days later and I am still on bed rest. My blood pressure is still extremely high but we are home. We've had a few scares since, and you developed a rather nasty case of jaundice, but we were able to treat you here at home and even that has cleared up now. We are doing fine. We are going to make it.

I sit here with you in my arms and think, while this is not how we planned for your birth to go, it is where we needed to be. The people who needed to be there were there, and what had to happen happened. There were so many prayer warriors around the world praying us through this and God heard every single one of their sweet voices. Truly nothing but the grace of God brought us through this. We are home. We are healthy. We are safe. We are family and you are our son. This is how you entered this world. Glory to God indeed! Proof evident that prayers are heard and answered.. Even if it's not what we planned it is what God planned. In His wisdom and mighty hands I place my trust and you, my son.Welcome to this wide and wondrous world. With all my love, Your Mum.

Knit Baby Clothes and Anniversary

It's done! My first knit sweater and baby's first outfit!

4 years ago today I woke up just Me;
That day in a chapel Me became We.
After years of love and laughter
Our We is about to become 3!

Happy Anniversary Bear. I love you more and more every day and am looking forward to this new chapter in our lives. We made a commitment to stand beside each other no matter what. Thank you for daily proving to me that  I chose the right partner. You are going to be a wonderful father to our son. Our son. Such beautiful words. We are full term and he could arrive at any moment. He will be the best of the both of us and more. We have made a unique and beautiful individual together. I can't wait to meet him and place him in your arms. I love you always.
Your Fox~