God's Glory in Babies and Calendula

Dearest Long Lost Blog,

Days have grown shorter and shorter, both with the season changing, less and less sunlight and family changes and growth.

This summer we watched things grow...delighted, that with our move 7 hrs north of Winnipeg, we've gained 10 more days worth of summer sunlight hours. It was strange watching the sun set between 11pm and midnight. Of course now, it's much darker, and also strange to see the sun set on a steep angle.

Yes, besides watching plants, vegetables, herbs and the above Indian Calendula grow...we watched our baby grow. The seventh little member of the family, and fifth baby, was eagerly and impatiently waited and longed for.

After receiving prenatal care here from a local obstetrician, it became more and more apparent to me that I earnestly desired to birth the way I want to birth. This may seem presumptuous to some, especially in the case of emergency. But it is totally acceptable to have this view in the case of a low risk pregnancy where unfolding events stay low risk....if that makes any sense?

(Us at 41.5 weeks at the beginning of September)

 I traveled back to our home city with the 4 children at 38.5wks to await baby's arrival to birth at The Birth center with my wonderful midwives who've supported me with each birth. 

And we waited....and waited....Papa, my Hubby, joined us when  I was 41 wks...if I had been home up north I know I would have really felt the pressure to be induced then. Being overdue is challenging at the best of times...and I've been overdue with most of mine...but the pressure was so much more intense, not being home, everyone around me...waiting...life on hold. Life's challenges always offer a chance to grow in character...Haha, never tell a hormonal, overdue pregnant women that! But it is definitely true in hind's sight.

My poor garden was left to fend for itself. I was grateful for a few good friends that went a picked! One even froze some for me, what a Peach! Over due, and a garden overgrown. Yes, that's the almost 2 year old getting lost in the Swiss Chard.

But Shilo's birth really was the birth of my dreams. The little life plunging out of me, into the water, catching him, pulling up to me...only my hands...only me and him in the water...another story for another time.

 (Shilo and I, a few hours after birth, resting)

We were eager to get back, and find our new norm. Those first couple of weeks were interesting...the newborn is the easy part usually, right? It's the older 4...adjusting their own new levels of responsibility...them adjusting to mama dividing her time a little more. This is a quandary. Juggling my hours and minutes amongst my 5 and all the other homemaking, does not necessarily mean I cannot give one on one attention to each child. Some parents of 1.5 children have tried to tell me that it is too difficult to give children the adequate attention when there is more than a couple. The beauty in homeschooling...and not over committing to 1000 extracurriculars...the beauty in not always sending children off to play, but absorbing them in life's tasks, right next to you...is that they are close to you....Toys are over rated...sorry, I've probably said that 100 times in previous blog posts. Darn the toy industry, children just want to be with people, adults, their parents.

  Back on topic....

So, those sweet early days were spent nursing and reading together....ya, mostly that. And then there was some harvest to deal with. Five gallons of apples did not go far. 8 pies, and a little apple sauce. And with meals with other families those are disappearing fast.

My girlfriend says that having babies is like wine. It betters with age. Some might argue this. Maybe I just get amnesia...yes, I think I do...Am I suppose to clean the chord stub, again? Just kidding.
Yes, the little miracle is something sweet. And I'm that bee, attracted to my honey of a Shilo Joshua, born at 42 weeks at 11:59pm on his mama's birthday, September 4th. 7 lbs 5 oz.

And with the recent festivities of our Canadian Thanksgiving...I remind myself, I have much to be grateful for.

 Happy Thanksgiving Week!