Blog Party!

Who doesn't love a good party?!?!  I know I do!  I love blog parties just as much as regular parties - I just wish blogs served funnel cake!  (Two strange pregnancy cravings this time around - funnel cake and beer!)  Check out this party page, my party page on Penny Pinching Penguin, and pages on hundreds of other blogs (just click the icon above).  You don't want to miss out on all the fun!  You don't have to be a blogger to join in!

Welcome to the Rediscovering Domesticity blog!  I invite you to take off your shoes, relax, and look around awhile.  Check out the tabs at the top of the page.  Get to know what this blog is all about.  I have a few giveaways going on this week.  Check out all the stuff happening in the sidebars.

What is Rediscovering Domesticity?

This blog is where I grapple with being a Christian wife and mother who is staying home after being the breadwinner for 9 years.

Who am I?

Well, I have a lot of pictures and information under the "About" tab at the top of the page.  Basics - I am a wife, mother, daughter, sister, musician, and all-around happy person.  I started blogging while we were struggling to make ends meet as a way to share (on my other blog) what I was learning about saving money.  Rediscovering Domesticity was birthed when I decided to become more serious about blogging and wanted to streamline my content.  I am loving having a space to share what Christ is doing in our lives with others.  I have a fantastic husband, an 18-month old son, a furry pooch, and another boy due in May (and hopefully not coming too soon!). 

So, what is a party without a party favor?  

Make sure to enter my giveaways under the Tab on this blog and on my Penny Pinching Penguin blog - lots of freebies to be had!

Everyone is welcome to download this great scripture memory song free of charge!  Make sure to take a gander at Seeds Family Worship who has graciously offered this free download.

Make sure to enter all of my giveaways - it just takes a moment! Update - giveaways now closed.  Thanks for playing!  Click to see who won!

• Growing Grateful Kids book by Suzie Larson
• Living on Less So Your Family Has More book by Jill and Mark Savage
• Children's Custom Applique Shirt
• Coupon Arsenal Starter Pack (3 Winners!)

Peruse these past posts that may interest you:

• What is Your Love Story?
• Hot Spot Alert: Office is ORGANIZED!
• Hot Topic: Teenage Pregnancy and Athletics
• Counter Cultural Holiday Season
• Feeding Our Babies- introduction to Breastfeeding series

Come on back to see what will be happening soon!

• Worship Songwriter Introductions - Get to know some great people and hear fantastic God-honoring music
• Beginnings of Breastfeeding - How Do I Start?
• Free Wheelchair Mission - Getting others up off the ground and blessing them with dignity and life outside their homes worldwide
• Family Devotions - How Do We Do This?
• Becoming a Mom of 2 Boys Under 2

PRIZES!
Now for even more fun!  Go ahead and visit the 5Minutes4Mom blog party site (click the icon at the top of the page) and hop through to other party posts.  Comment on 20 different blogs and be entered to win some fantastic prizes!  Here are some prizes I'd love to win!

• 10 - Young Living Essential Oils Stress Away Roll-on
• 19 - Prize Pack of Preschool Toys
• 23 - $50 gift cert. for monogrammed gifts
• 30 - Nest Egg pilow
• 37 - $20 Visa gift card
• 48 - Pampered Chef goodies
• 52 - $25 Amazon gift card
• 55 - $20 Amazon gift card
• 67 - DaySpring's Blessing Blocks
• 70 - $25 Kroger Gift Card

Basically, I would LOVE to win any of the Amazon, Kroger, Paypal, or Target gift cards or any other prize that seems suitable for a Christian momma of a toddler son with another son on the way!

Giveaway: Living With Less So Your Family Has More book

Update - Giveaway now closed.  Thanks for playing!  Click to see winners.

A little bit ago, I did a blog carnival post for Hearts at Home on my Penny Pinching Penguin blog.  What a fantastic organization Hearts at Home is! Check out the previous post with an overview of this new book and an interview with the authors, Jill and Mark Savage.

Well, Hearts at Home has graciously sent me a copy of this fantastic resource to give away to one lucky reader! Entering is simple! Giveaway is open to US residents only and will close at 8pm eastern time on Monday, April 12th. You may enter up to four times using the list below.

Enter:

Simply leave a comment on this post for each entry. Make sure each comment contains your email address so I can contact you should you win. I prefer to use the penguinelk at yahoo dot com method to list my email to limit spam from web crawlers.

* MANDATORY ENTRY - Visit Hearts at Home's website. Leave a comment with something you like about what they have to offer.
* Leave a comment telling me why you would like to win this book.
* Tweet about this giveaway, post on facebook, or blog about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your post.
* Become a follower of this blog.

I will choose a winner using random.org. I will contact the winner via email. Winner has 24 hours after contact to respond or I will choose a new winner.


If you want this book and don't win or don't want to wait, you can purchase it through amazon for just $9.35.

Giveaway: Growing Grateful Kids Book

 

Update  - Giveaway now closed.  Thanks for playing!  Click to see who won!

A little bit ago, I did a blog carnival post for Hearts at Home.  What a fantastic organization!  Check out the previous post with an overview of this new book and an interview with the author, Suzie Larson.

Well, Hearts at Home has graciously sent me a copy of this fantastic resource to give away to one lucky reader!  Entering is simple!  Giveaway is open to US residents only and will close at 8pm eastern time on Monday, April 12th.  You may enter up to four times using the list below.

Enter:
Simply leave a comment on this post for each entry.  Make sure each comment contains your email address so I can contact you should you win.  I prefer to use the penguinelk at yahoo dot com method to list my email to limit spam from web crawlers.

• MANDATORY ENTRY - Visit Hearts at Home's website.  Leave a comment with something you like about what they have to offer.
• Leave a comment telling me why you would like to win this book.
• Tweet about this giveaway, post on facebook, or blog about this giveaway. Leave a comment with a link to your post.
• Become a follower of this blog.

I will choose a winner using random.org.  I will contact the winner via email.  Winner has 24 hours after contact to respond or I will choose a new winner.

If you want this book and don't win or don't want to wait, you can purchase it through amazon for just $9.35.

Bedrest and Mommyhood

What an interesting past few days here!  I am very thankful I had some posts pre-written and ready to just post.  What has been happening?  I've been trying my darndest to stay pregnant.

On Monday, I just didn't feel like myself.  I thought I was just tired after a busy Easter weekend.  I assured Hubby that I was fine so he went to work leaving me at home with Buggy.  All day, Buggy was out of sorts and I assumed it was teething (those 8 teeth STILL are not through!).  He was so snuggy and just wanted to hug my belly over and over.

By afternoon, I didn't feel well at all.  I put Buggy down for a nap and sat down to rest.  I realized I needed to start timing my braxton-hicks contractions.  After 30 minutes, I had had 6 contractions.  My instructions had been to call the doctor if I had 4-6 in an HOUR so it was time for a call.  I was told to go to labor and delivery.  I gather up a screaming Buggy who had just woken up from his nap plus some things to keep him occupied at the hospital.  I geared up for a fight to get him up on the floor with me (security guards everywhere keeping kids 12 and under out of the hospital.  Thankfully, clutching my belly and saying "contractions" worked like a charm!  Hubby was able to join me about a half hour later.

After being monitored, they found I was contracting (REAL ones, not braxton-hicks) every 5 minutes.  So begins the shots and tests and muscle relaxers.  32 weeks is a bit early to deliver.  I stayed in the hospital until 8pm.  Hubby was able to take Buggy to a friend's house for the evening so he could come back with me.  I learned that if I was in active labor before 34 weeks, I'd need to be transferred to a bigger hospital. 

Thankfully, contractions were stopped.  I was loopy as all get-out.   I was ordered 48 hours of bedrest.  My parents were able to plan to each come for a couple days so there is someone here all week to care for Buggy (who has a tummy virus).  I am very blessed.

I've done my time - my 48 hours.  I can tell my body isn't ready for me to be back to normal yet.   I am slowly easing back into life.  Monday I will see my OB again and make a plan.  I'll be 33 weeks at that point.  Buggy was born at 35 weeks 6 days.  I HOPE to keep this little one in longer.  Thankfully, the fetal fibronectin test they ran was negative which means that the chance of me delivering in the next few weeks is quite slim.  Now to just keep the contractions at bay!

I am very thankful for modern medicine.  I am very thankful for the skilled doctors and nurses at our hospital.  I am very thankful that we are near family and between friends and family don't really need to worry about much of anything (I can't believe how many IM's I got on facebook asking if we needed meals or help grocery shopping).

Have you ever had preterm labor?  Have you delivered early?  I'd love to hear your story!

Can't Handle the Truth on Breastfeeding?

Yesterday, I posted a new study showing how breastfeeding saves lives.  I enjoyed reading the stats in this article.  I read  a wonderful blog post on yet another Babycenter forum.  This post focused not on the stats behind breastfeeding or the debate between breast and formula.  This post focused on the cultural shift that needs to occur that would make it so much easier for women to be successful at breastfeeding.

I highly recommend that you check out the full post here: When It Comes to Breastfeeding, We Can't Handle the Truth by the Feminist Breeder Blog.

If you have breastfed, what would have made it easier for you?  What support would you have appreciated?  If you haven't breastfed, why (you'll hear no judgments from me)?  What support would have been helpful?    I know that without support, there is no way we would have made it 16 months!

I found this great article posted on a Babycenter forum today and wanted to share.  It discusses the health and financial impact of breastfeeding vs. formula feeding.  I will say that I am not opposed to formula feeding but STRONGLY feel that breastfeeding should AT LEAST be attempted whenever possible.

Check out the full article here.

CHICAGO - The lives of nearly 900 babies would be saved each year, along with billions of dollars, if 90 percent of U.S. women fed their babies breast milk only for the first six months of life, a cost analysis says.

Those startling results, published online Monday in the journal Pediatrics, are only an estimate. But several experts who reviewed the analysis said the methods and conclusions seem sound.
"The health care system has got to be aware that breast-feeding makes a profound difference," said Dr. Ruth Lawrence, who heads the American Academy of Pediatrics' breast-feeding section.

The findings suggest that there are hundreds of deaths and many more costly illnesses each year from health problems that breast-feeding may help prevent. These include stomach viruses, ear infections, asthma, juvenile diabetes, Sudden Infant Death Syndrome and even childhood leukemia.
The magnitude of health benefits linked to breast-feeding is vastly underappreciated, said lead author Dr. Melissa Bartick, an internist and instructor at Harvard Medical School. Breast-feeding is sometimes considered a lifestyle choice, but Bartick calls it a public health issue.

Among the benefits: Breast milk contains antibodies that help babies fight infections; it also can affect insulin levels in the blood, which may make breast-fed babies less likely to develop diabetes and obesity.

The analysis studied the prevalence of 10 common childhood illnesses, costs of treating those diseases, including hospitalization, and the level of disease protection other studies have linked with breast-feeding.

The $13 billion in estimated losses due to the low breast-feeding rate includes an economists' calculation partly based on lost potential lifetime wages — $10.56 million per death.
The methods were similar to a widely cited 2001 government report that said $3.6 billion could be saved each year if 50 percent of mothers breast-fed their babies for six months. Medical costs have climbed since then and breast-feeding rates have increased only slightly.

About 43 percent of U.S. mothers do at least some breast-feeding for six months, but only 12 percent follow government guidelines recommending that babies receive only breast milk for six months.
Dr. Larry Gray, a University of Chicago pediatrician, called the analysis compelling and said it's reasonable to strive for 90 percent compliance.

But he also said mothers who don't breast-feed for six months shouldn't be blamed or made to feel guilty, because their jobs and other demands often make it impossible to do so.
"We'd all love as pediatricians to be able to carry this information into the boardrooms by saying we all gain by small changes at the workplace" that encourage breast-feeding, Gray said.

Bartick said there are some encouraging signs. The government's new health care overhaul requires large employers to provide private places for working mothers to pump breast milk. And under a provision enacted April 1 by the Joint Commission, a hospital accrediting agency, hospitals may be evaluated on their efforts to ensure that newborns are fed only breast milk before they're sent home.
The pediatrics academy says babies should be given a chance to start breast-feeding immediately after birth. Bartick said that often doesn't happen, and at many hospitals newborns are offered formula even when their mothers intend to breast-feed.

"Hospital practices need to change to be more in line with evidence-based care," Bartick said. "We really shouldn't be blaming mothers for this."

Happy Half-Birthday, Buggy!

My little Buggy is officially 18 months!  Where has the time gone?  It has been such a blessing being your mommy!  I look forward to many more years laughing and playing and talking with you, my sweet little man!

In this picture, Buggy is coming to say hi at the front window of the Children's Museum on Easter Sunday where Children's Ministry took place.  He was a happy camper!