Lucian is 1! What a whirlwind year it was, and how absolutely bittersweet that he is already this big. He walks, climbs, plays, laughs, points, eats as a toddler now. He is everyone's favorite, and he loves everyone.
   Ms.Pacman had twin doelings. One red little girl and one traditional redhead,white body big girl. It was a tricky delivery, and I had to glove up, go in, and assist her. I was so aware of each second ticking by as I tried to straighten bent legs and sort out which baby was going to be born first. Thankfully all went beautifully and both were/are healthy,big,and strong. Mama nurses them like a champ and they are frolicking with the herd now. Metroid is due in the next couple weeks with her first, and I am praying for a delivery that is even easier, with equally strong and healthy babes!
   We got two little doe bunnies! They are so small and sweet. I have been watching Craigslist to get the breed we wanted at a smaller than show bunny price. I saw this ad and jumped on it, and a good thing too. The man sold out within the hour!
   Pippi has the next birthday, on May 2nd. She will be 4...I don't know how these years keep going on so quickly. We may be in MI for her birthday, or soon thereafter. Brian had some legal issues to resolve from 18 years ago. We hired a great lawyer and did a lot of footwork to get things ready for a trip up in August to make this all right. His lawyer called on Tuesday and said they are dismissing all charges!!! Praise the Lord!!! All we have to do now is go get some court papers filled out and it is done. We are still going to take our vacation in August, but will be popping up really quick to get this finalized in good time. I am so happy,excited,and relieved. I also LOVE road trips and am very excited to be going "home" if only for a day.
  I can't load pics today...gonna have to figure that out.

Totoro had 5 healthy kittens. 3 are striped and 2 black, I have not even attempted to look at gender. After the sorrow of her first litter and the one that was not meant to live I am thrilled that they are so big and strong! I am also wishing she had only had 3 strong healthy kittens lol...less to find homes for. Griffon had his extra allergy testing and he is most allergic to dogs, but has strong allergies to cats as well.So does Gavin. I am sure a couple more do, those are the only two I know for sure.So we need to find homes for these cute little ones while they are cute and little. We thought we would get all the male cats fixed first but Totoro got out and we soon saw the folly in that plan.
   I am watching Ms.Pacman closely. She is our Boer female and seems close to kidding. I am only able to go off what I have found online...not my favorite way to do this but it works. Her tail ligaments are almost gone and the angle of her tail is different than normal.Her teats have grown and are filling in, though being a first time momma she is not too full. She is very affectionate. So we wait. I am pretty sure Metroid is pregnant too, maybe a few weeks behind. Frogger seems qute proud of himself. :)  I had to move the llama from their pen as he was not acting as much like a guardian as he was a Frat boy jerk!Always bullying Frogger, and acting as though the girls were "his" even when they wanted nothing to do with him. He is back in with the donkey, who does not put up with his brash ways.
   I am re doing Trinity's bedroom. Her floor is the paper bag method I did in our living room, minus the darker dye. It looks great, although I ran out of brown paper 3/4 of the way through and will have to wait until tomorrow to get some more. I painted her walls purple and added glitter to one wall. I want to put the large bunk bed set in there, leaving the bottom without the bed and creating a loft with it. Ikea inspired basically. I hope for her birthday I can get her one of the cool lamps they sell.
   My sister is bringing me home a lamswool for Lucian from Ikea. I have always wanted one and she mentioned she was going so I excitedly asked for it.I can't wait for him to have a special,soft play place. I will put a basket with his bean bags and playsilks next to the rug...even the idea makes me smile.
    I took a lasagna and some cookies to a family that just had a baby in our church. Christian(13) came with me(as did Jubilee,Pippi,and Luke, but they fell asleep) and we got lost in the back country onthe way home. We had such good conversation!I asked him if he had any ideas  of what he wants to do career wise that we could start learning about. He said he doesn't but he has some life goals.(We are having him tested for OCD,dyselxia, and possible autistic spectrum disorders). He would like to make Lembas bread that tastes good so he can feed the poor all over the world. Tears came to my eyes...he has a heart of gold. He also wants to have children and teach them to love God and people...I do not ever brainwash my kids, but to know that they enjoy the life they are living, to know that they like it enough to want to pass it on makes my heart swell.
   One of my due date clubs was discussing growing up, parenting, and how the way we were raised affects the way we are striving to raise our children. It was wonderful to read so many positive stories and see so many people who had good role models. I was sad to see a couple that also had less than stellar times. I can't discuss this with my siblings, because they are loyal to a fault and think it means I don't/didn't love my mom and dad if I say I hate the way we were raised. We all turned out pretty good :D , but I postulate that this was mostly despite how we were raised, not because of it. For the first sixteen years any memory of my parenst involves physical abuse, yelling, screaming, fear. My sister was so mouthy and I was so protective...she would stand there and talk back and get hit so very much and I had an ulcer from worrying about her. I would cry and plead to take her "spankings" for her, I threatened to call the police once and had my fingers bent until they broke, and was told to try to dial now. I remember seeing her kicked in the stomach and screaming at my dad to stop and running as he came after me.Then my mom told me to go back to him and accept my punishment for being disrespectful. After the divorce things got better between my mother and I. I think a lot of that is because I snapped and stopped caring about being a good girl anymore. She had to talk to me like an adult, hitting didn't work anymore. My dad didn't get that memo, and even at 16 I had to hide black eyes from my friends. I started running away and we reconciled after I got married. I loved my parents, and to them they were less violent then how they had been raised. My dad told me of some of the punishments he had endured and it broke my heart. I am not only not spanking/hitting my kids, I am teaching them that they are worthy of respect and that they should love and respect their children enough to ensure that no one hits them, even in the name of teaching. There are other ways to teach. Oh...I could go on and on...I have studied and taught myself  creative ways to discipline. I have looked into gentle Christian parenting...knowing there had to be others who did not equate having a relationship with Christ to using a rod on children.(There are great resources out there!)

These wonderful babies are worth it!!!  

We found the Dalek from the Christmas parade in Tulsa, to the extreme delight of our Whovian children. It definitely amuses me that they like Dr.Who, and I have to be careful who is watching as some are more sensitive to scary stuff than others, but this was just fun. Logan does a creepy good ,"Exterminate" impression.

The blackberry,strawberry,pomegranite,raspberry,blueberry mead is in the last fermentor now and will be ready for bottling in a week or two.(This pic is the secondary fermentor). The last batch was easily the best stuff Brian has brewed. He wanted to do a lambic this time but the one he was going to do is out of production so he went with a mead. I am glad for it.

We have picked up a couple gingerbread sets on clearance and the children have had a blast decorating them. Jubilee and Pippi have especially enjoyed playing with their Lalaloopsy minis in the gingerbread train.

Lucian is about to be 9 months! He loves to suck is lip, blow raspberries, and "sing". He is taking four steps at a time,consistantly now, and is really just the most joyous baby! He has a fever today and is still happy and gurgling, despite radiating heat. I am nursing him as much as possible and just holding him to keep him from overdoing it. His resperations seem a bit labored too. I despise cold and flu season. Pippi was vomiting a few days ago, but no one else seems to have picked it up. We did miss church just to be on the safe side...this week seems all out of order now.

Today I am continuing my quest to reduce stuff in the house. We are moving the parrot cage that we house chicks in out to the henhouse. We can heat it just as well out there and that will free up a lot of laundry room floor space! I want to get rid of half the furniture in the house too. Especially the couches, which are really not suitable for our family.

  I have been baking up a storm each day. Not because of the holidays...just because there are a lot of us and we like to eat good food. I made a wreath challah and six strand braid challah today.I like how easy it is to make, and it seems more filling than my other main bread recipe. Plus Griffon can eat it and that is always a plus! Other foods on the baking list have been giant chewy chocolate chip cookies, banana bread(another allergy friendly recipe), swirled sugar cookies, artisan bread(I need to go throw a batch together before bed). I know there are more but I can't think of them. I blame/thank Pinterest for the yummy inspiration.

We are starting a unit study on the Hobbit. The goal is to read/study it for a few months and then see it when it hits the dollar theater.The children are really into it(the Lego sets they got from their aunt don't hurt :P ) and I am enjoying it a lot more than when I was a kid.I did go see the movie already with Brian(and LOVED it). We got a Kindle for Christmas as a family gift and I have downloaded three Hobbit resource guides to use. I also am playing the Misty Mountain song on Youtube. We had big mugs of hot cocoa (a tradition for the first snow of the season, but it also seemed rather hobbity). It was nice.

I am soooo loving babywearing lately. Luke is a hefty 25 pounds and I have no problem holding him on my back while I cook or better yet on my front so I can just wrap my arms around him for a little snuggle while I work. In this picture he fell asleep in the wrap so I sat down and just snuggled him for a while. I adore this baby!!!

Pippi and Lucian in the morning. I mean, how could I not love my life with these cute smiley babies around?!?

Around noon I got a phone call from one of the neighbors up the road a bit. She told me there was a dead owl on the side of the road(a little further up) in case we wanted to go see it and try to identify it. She added that it wasn't bloody or otherwise injured looking. I was so glad she called!  She is a homeschool graduate and from her facebook posts I think her "geeky" side is right up our alley.
  Anyhow...I scrambled to get everyone in matching shoes and to find our two favorite bird identifying books and we hopped in the van.

  We determined it to be a barred owl. They aren't very common here. The feet were stunning! This picture doesn't do justice to how large and perfect they were. I wouldn't let the kids touch it, and didn't want to set a bad example, so we didn't turn it over(oh, how I wanted to).We looked up the procedure for what department to notify of a dead raptor(health dept) and I called them but they weren't there. Apparantly they like to test them for West Nile virus.

I love owls. I am so sad this one died. It would have been awesome to see it alive.

I saw my first bald eagle of the season a couple days ago. I love spotting them all winter.

And...more bird news lol. We got to church Sunday morning and there was a large box by the nursery. Inside was a rooster for me! One of our friends had an extra that was getting picked on and gave him to me.His name is Elvis and he is a cochin/copper maran mix. Handsome boy!

He is the silver and black boy. Georgie,our delaware hen(the white with black speckles on her neck) was the dominant one but she has gladly stepped down to Elvis and they galavant about. It is so nice to look out back and see that big guy leading them around.
   Griffon rolled his foot while playing outside today. I have had him stay off it all day and will be taking him in tomorrow for x-rays if it still hurts like it does today. He is my most active boy and loves to flip/run/jump so sitting still has been a challenge for him.He keeps saying it doesn't hurt anymore and then he tries to walk and grimaces.
    Christian has a visit with the orthopedic surgeon next week to discuss his leg length discrepency from when he broke his femur at gymnastics. It has been 3 years and he has a hard time. I am very curious to see what the Dr. has to say.
   Luke has taken to standing for about 5 seconds, many times throughout the day. He also loves to bounce into a kneeling position. I love watching him find his balance.

 

My sister gave us an elf on the shelf. The funniest part about that is that we do not "do" Santa Claus. This is a little elf that is supposed to spy on kids and fly home to Santa each night to tattle...ummm...report. Mandi is doing it with my nephew and he so wanted his cousins to have an elf too. The moving it around and posing it funny part appeals to me so I am going to play along, minus the santa bit. This is her introducing herslef. Her name is Holly.

Tomorrow we have dentist appts for Christian, Griffon, and Pippi(her first one). Tuesday I have a dental appt. Trinity gets her braces off next week.
  

I decided to put Luke's birth story here, as I neglected my blog and never got it done 7 months ago. :P

Lucian Danger, born 18 April 2012 at 11:00 pm. 9lbs4ozs,21 3/4 in.

I began contracting regularly at 30-32 weeks...like every 5 minutes. They were mostly painless, sometimes requiring some attention, but always there. This was nothing new, it has happened since my third pregnancy. On Tuesday the 10th they moved to two minutes apart, dropping me to my knees for several, very intense. I called Ruth(midwife) and said I still wasn't sure, but maybe something was going on. After 6 hours of this I realized it just wasn't making any change and went to bed dejected and still contracting. I woke up Wednesday morning to the same contractions that lasted all day at 2 minutes, but no show or any indication this was actually going to give me a baby.Thursday was back to 5 minutes apart and normal. Things continued like this until Tuesday the 17th. I had an appt with Ruth and then Brian and I had plans to go for sushi with some friends.Brandy(apprentice midwife) called and said they were at a birth and asked if I could come in Wednesday morning instead. I said no problem and went and had an awesome sushi lunch during which time I felt very emotional (in a good way) and I wondered again if this might be something starting. All day and evening Tuesday things stayed steady at 5 minutes. Wednesday morning I woke up to 4 minutes apart(I am guesstimating, I never actually timed these) and really did not want to drive the hour by myself to the appt. Ruth called and said she was at her 4th birth in 24 hrs and could we please reschedule. I replied that that suited me wonderfully as I was feeling worn out from all this "false" labor. She said to call her or Brandy if anything changed and she would see me Thursday morning regardless. I hung out at home all day, contracting in a 3-4 minute pattern like clockwork and losing mucous but nothing blood tinged(my marker for progress :P )I took the older two kids to Youth Group at 6:45 and felt like things were slowing down a bit...not time wise, but they just barely registered anymore in intensity.Several people from the church came out to chat and say that I would be having the baby soon and I politely laughed at them...I really felt like it was going to be another full week of this! I left church at 8:15 and drove the youth pastor home, told him I would call his wife in the am and chat(she wanted to be at the birth).I got home at 9ish and got the kids settled in for bed and laid down with the two littlest(Jubilee sleeps in her own bed in my room, Pippi sleeps with me. We were all laying in my bed this time). I was pretty resigned and really at peace with the realization that I would likely not have him anytime soon. I tried to doze off as the surges kept coming gently...enough for me to know they were happening, but really not painful in any way. At 10 on the dot I felt two strong kick/jerks that made me jump! They hurt and I could Hear my water break as they happened. There was no fluid and I wondered what had just happened. I ran to the toilet and water started gushing out of me. It was completely clear, leaving me wondering if it was actually waters or urine. I felt his head shift a bit and the water stopped. I got up, called Ruth at 10:02(gotta love cell phone records for timing purposes) and got hit by a freight train contraction...like my body was screaming ,"Push!!!". She answered and I tried to speak and convey what was going on. She was out the door before I finished a sentence.She asked where Brian was and I said I didn't know...he may still be at work in Tulsa(an hour away) or he could be on the road home...I would call him as soon as I got off the phone with her. She said to get someone there and to call an ambulance if I felt like I needed it. I thought that was odd...my water broke but I had no bloody show or anything, so even though contractions were now 2 minutes apart and lasting 90 seconds and I was feeling my hips spreading I still had hours right? Lol...she knew better.I hung up, called Brian and found out he was a little over half an hour away. He made it home in 25 though ;) . After calling him I called Ginni(pastor's wife/good friend)and she hung up on me in her exxcitement.I moved Jubilee to her bed, still asleep, and Pippi jumped up wide awake. Trinity and CHristian were on the computer in the next room so I had Christian take Pip to watch tv and Trinity(who desperately has wanted to be in the room for one of my births but it has never panned out) asked if I wanted some water. I said no, and she just kinda hung back(exactly what I neededher to do)I yanked the blankets off my bed and lay two blue pads down. Ruth called back and asked me where Brian was. I said he was on his way and she said she was going to stay on the phone with me till someone got there. I kinda groaned as a contraction hit and she asked me to lay down. I tried and screeched that there was no way I could lay down. I got on all fours instead(my arms are still sore from doing this) and felt more water gusheverywhere. I asked how much the blue pads could hold. She assured me it should be fine, but I got off the bed and laid two more on the floor and knelt there instead. I looked down and saw the blood I knew meant rapid change/end is near. I was shaking like a leaf at this time. I was trying to remain coherent and polite on the phone, but also trying really hard not to push. Eventually Brian and Ginni arrived at the same time(10:40ish?) and when Brian walked in the room I threw the phone at him so he could talk to Ruth instead. I was literally fighting the urge to push at this time, and was starting to recognize it as a losing battle. I kept yelling, "Can't push can't push can't push ohhhh." Brian,Ginni, and Trinity stayed back as I fought this battle, and I climbed on the bed at some point trying to get higher than the pain. Then I got really quiet and I heard Ginni tell Brian that I was pushing. I was kneeling in the middle of the bed and just decided that I had to see if bearing down would help.(this was the first delivery I have been vocal for and it unnerved me how loud I was yelling). I felt his head coming out immediately and then time stopped as his shoulders just stayed there. I was pushing with all my might, one hand propping me on the bed, one hand holding his head(amazing!!!) and felt him start to move a bit. All my others have been deliver the head and they shoot out babies, I had three distinct sticky points with Luke...head, shoulders, and again at the chest. It still only took three minutes. Not even two contractions. At some point I know Brian came and tried to help but I yelled for him to get back( as I was trying to figure out how to move to make the shoulders dislodge, but I didn't say that, just yelled Get Back). I finally birthed him into my own two hands and brought him up to me and collapsed back on the bed in absolute shock. I saw the headlights of Ruth's car as he let out a little cry. She got in the room two minutes too late for the delivery(Brian missed Jubilee's birth by two minutes). He latched on beautifully, I delivered the placenta about 15 miutes later. He was pink and plump but I said he looked so much smaller than I had anticipated...probably not even 8 lbs. Ruth laughed good naturedly and said he was easily more than that. She weighed him and he was 9lbs 4 ozs, my biggest by almost a lb. 21 3/4 inches. 14.5 inch head, 14.5 inch chest. I am still in awe at how it all ended up. He is the spitting image of Gavin, my only redheaded son prior to Luke. We are sooo happy to have another ginger!!!