Slacker!

I've totally neglected my blog. I'm a bad, bad blogger. But I have a pretty good reason, I think. I haven't come out on Facebook or to a lot of people but I'll go ahead and post it here because nobody really reads my blog anyway! I'm pregnant with my 5th blessing! I'm happy and kinda shocked because I thought it would be harder at my age. Apparently my fertility isn't as diminished as many women my age. I pray for couples out there ttc to receive this blessing. I'm following my Above Rubies group and regularly pray for expectant women and women ttc from there. As far as being a good wife, that's not going so well. But my Mothering is still good.

I keep thinking that this will be my last pregnancy. I forget about the m/s. I can't believe there isn't a good cure. Although, there have been treatments in the past that have lead to horrible outcomes for future generations. I do hold on to the notion that m/s is a sign of a healthy, well planted pregnancy. I prayed for this baby, and God heard my prayer. I prayed against totally incapacitating m/s but accepted a little bit to ease my mind. Miscarriage is always a fear for most women. Weird rationalizations.

I wish Kurt wouldn't sit in my spot on the couch. I wish I had more help around the house. Even getting my energy back would be a big help! I'm so tired but can't really sleep. So annoying. But I'm still blessed.

I'm Still Here

I've been slacking off on my Blog! I need to keep it going. To catch up/update: I'm now 37, my husband and children are doing well, and I'm still alive! The CPAP does seem to help with this and I've added Tai Chi that I really enjoy. Of course I might not have perfect form (as I'm a living room practitioner) and follow a DVD as opposed to taking classes, I am reaping some benefit. I know that some Christians see the practice as incompatible with Christianity but I don't. I feel Yoga would be much more 'risky' for me. It is a form of worship, whereas Tai Chi is more like meditation. No chance I'm going to become Taoist any time soon. But I do need balance. Spiritually, physically, and emotionally.

My fibromyalgia has been flaring up lately. I blame La Nina! On another front I'm taking less prescription medication and more supplements. Including Vitex, progesterone cream and B6 for menorrhagia and they work great! I saw results the first month. I also swapped Trazadone (a hard med to stop) for Melatonin and I'm happy with the results. A study came out recently that showed that 'older' women going through IVF had better egg quality and outcomes after taking Melatonin a couple months before the egg retrieval. I'd love another baby or two... But if it doesn't happen I'll probably survive. I'm also going to start taking Inosotil and CoQ10. I'd better watch out or I'll be the next Suzanne Somers! They're both supposed to help with free radical damage, energy, and even mood.

I hit an interesting milestone on a forum I belong to. It's called Fertility Friend and on Halloween I marked 5 years of being a VIP member. Of course you have to pay to be a VIP but there are benefits of ad-free charting (more on that later) and discussion groups. I started using the free charting program before I married Kurt because we decided to use NFP (natural family planning) that includes BBT (basal body temping), cervical mucus charting (sorry if tmi, but hey, it's my blog!), cervical position and other signs and symptoms. I can keep track of my OPK tests too which I love. It's fun knowing these things and I'm somewhat of a POAS (Pee-on-a-stick) addict. Here's a link to my chart: My Ovulation Chart .

I highly recommend this site for women. It's worth the $45 a year. I have been getting free days from referrals. I have my chart linked in some of my siggys on different websites and peaks interest in others. It's such a great invention...

Anyway, I promise not to be gone for so long.

Blessings,
E~

CPAP Woes Solved, Sorta...

I've been noticing from the beginning that I was awaking each morning at about 3:30 to tear off the CPAP machine. It felt kinda like I was drowning and I had to remove it. I finally figured out that I've been opening my mouth to breathe which doesn't work. Also figured out that if I sleep on my side, I move the mask out of proper position. With these revelations I need realize one of those pillows for use with CPAP?BiPap users will be my best bet. There are many for sale on eBay, but I'll look elsewhere too.

I usually sleep on my side. It's hard to sleep on my back, and I never sleep on my stomach. After being pregnant a few times, you get used to sleeping on your side! And after not being comfortable on stomach (then a few months later on back) you grow accustomed.

A Change of Heart

God has been gently nudging me towards a change of heart. The woman I wanted to be doesn't usually mirror my actions, my words. I love being a SAHM although it's a difficult at times. The rewards will out weigh the sacrifice in the end.

I've been praying and meditating about my office of Homemaker. I also was thinking about homeschooling. As a homemaker, I'm filled with the desire to create a home. What's that mean? To me it means home cooked meals and a routine. Trying to make my family comfortable and content. I don't know if it's because I'm getting deeper sleep (thanks to the CPAP) but I have more energy and desire to do those chores that I couldn't do before. It's hard with fibromyalgia to get the things done I'd like.

I want a less messy house. Well, at least the portions I can control; Kurt was just born messy! For the first time in years I actually cleaned the kitchen. Not the usual day to day, but the down and dirty expunging of the clutter and mess. I've kept it up for over a week and I'm quite pleased with myself. It's odd having the energy to do something but still feel exhausted as I do today.

I think gardening is helping me too. I go out almost every morning and water, weed, and prune my garden. It's so fun and the food is delicious! We plan on 4 more beds next year! Maybe more...

One of my biggest examples and inspirations is a man from Portland. He has the most beautiful flowers. His roses are truly divine. Yet he has no hands. That's right, he has arms but no hands. So if he can nurture something so lovely despite his circumstances, then so can I.

Big Swag Buck News! I UseMy SB to buy Amazon gift cards!

If you're still Googling, you're nuts! You need to be a SwagSurfin!This is a copy and paste of a great deal!

Summer of Swag!

Here are the two BIG things going on this coming week.

1. Monday we'll be having a Swag Code Extravaganza - we'll be releasing at least 5 Swag Codes throughout the day - this would be a great way for any newcomers you refer to start out with a bang!

2. Each day next week we'll be highlighting a different high value Swag Buck bill, starting on Monday with the 25. Every 7th searching win on Swagbucks will be awarded that big bill, meaning that more people will have big wins next week!

To read the post TSG wrote about this - feel free to use the language included here (just link to our post if you do):

http://blog.swagbucks.com/2010/06/get-ready-for-summer-of-swag.html

For more incentive to sign up, you can use the code SUMMEROFSWAG when you sign up for an extra 20 Swag Bucks to pad their account. The code is good until the midnight on Friday, June 11th.

Well, Looks Like I'm Getting a CPAP

I've known for years that sleep apnea goes along with fibromyalgia for most people. I finally broke down and got the study and was diagnosed with mild sleep apnea. So now I get a CPAP. I was waking up, on average, 12 times per hour at night! Can you believe that?! After all the insurance wrangling and ordering is done, I hope to start feeling the effects within a month or so!

I need to discover what's eating my greens in my garden before me!

Also have some exciting SwagBuck new to share...

New Directions for me.

I'm going to gear my blog more towards homemaking and my adventures in juggling family, life, church, and frugality (of course) with fibromyalgia. I am in a current flare up due to a car accident. I'd like to focus on the daily struggles with this disease and my faith in the Lord to help me overcome it and still be the home maker I want to be. That I was created to be. I worked through a lot of pain and did a bit of cleaning and got dinner ready.

Chiropractic and Myopathic appts will be taking up much of time as I try to heal from my injuries. I was blessed in finding two people that know about FM.

I'll still espouse the virtues of Swag bucks and they have some great promotions starting next week. But you'll have to come back to check those out.

I hope to get some pics of my square foot garden up. My potatoes are growing like crazy and my radishes are done and oh so spicy! I have a second bed ready to sew more seeds into and I need to devise a slug deterrent. I think I'll start out with cheap beer and maybe copper wire. Any ideas are great! Thanks!

Check Out the Daily Polls on SB

"Swagbucks has just introduced a new daily poll feature that will allow you and your friends to earn Swag Bucks every day simply by voting! It's a great way to share your opinions with the community and be rewarded for doing it. All the polls are Swaggernaut submitted and those Swaggernauts whose polls are featured on the site earn themselves 100 SB (those can be submitted to: pollideas@swagbucks.com). This is a fun, easy way to rack up your free rewards from Swagbucks.com, the number one destination for fun, online polls."

You can answer a different daily and hopefully win some SB's. You can also create your own. I think they're fun and interesting. Seriously, consider it! I know there are questions you'd like to ask! Here's the link to online polls:

http://swagbucks.com/?cmd=co-daily-poll

Time Flies!

Our square foot gardening is coming along famously. I have such a good hubby for making them for me. The potatoes, carrots, radishes and even the greens are looking good. It's time for me to make the lay out for the second bed.

I'm very sore a) because of a car accident I got into, b) the chiropractor I finally saw yesterday, and c) the myopathic practitioner I saw. The latter is very good and focuses on one body part at a time until he can release the 'lesions'. I call them knots. Things are bound to get a bit worse before I'm feeling better, but that's ok. I'm just afraid my fibromyalgia will flare up!

On better news I've earned over $50 in Gift Cards for Amazon. I even signed up for Amazon prime for free 2 day shipping! All because of my favorite search engine Swag Bucks. Ya'll need to check it out and sign up. I'll give you a link.

Why So Quiet?

Where have I been and why not posting? Mostly because my hand is in a cast. Makes typing more difficult but I hope it will be off in the next few weeks.

I finally got my seeds in the dirt, the right way this time. I made an attempt on Saturday and did it wrong. So, I used the sun yesterday to get the chance to redo. Let me tell you: One handed gardening is tough, even in raised beds!

We're gearing up for Liam's first birthday on Saturday. I still have so much to do. Like plan the menu! At least I have the cake part figured out...

Gardening!

My "Square Foot Gardening" adventure continues! I bought some fingerling potato starts and many seeds including: Blue Lake Bush Beans, Collards, Royal Burgundy Bush beans, Kale, Bibb Lettuce and Thai Basil (for Vietnamese grilled meat salad wraps this summer!), Nantes Carrots, Half Long Carrots, Broccoli, Sugar Baby Watermelon, Cucumber all from Ed Hume Seeds. I also plan on getting pumpkin, salad mix, radishes, Yukon Gold potatoes, and maybe radishes and brussel sprouts which are delicious fresh. I'll keep you posted on our journey to more self-sufficiency through growing our own food. All I need do now is buy a few types of compost and some lath boards to mark of the square feet and I'm on my way! Here's a link from Amazon to the book:

http://www.amazon.com/All-New-Square-Foot-Gardening/dp/1591862027/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1269638755&sr=8-1

Swag Bucks

Won another $40 in the wee hours of the morning. Today is super Swag Day where you can win a lot more bucks. If you use a search engine, you might as well be rewarded for it!

bTrendie

bTrendie

Sign up today only for $10 off. The prices are already great too!

I Just Won $5 Credit on My Fred Meyer Rewards Card!

I just won $5 credit from Fred Meyer's just by playing a game. You can play everyday until April 6th! You need a Rewards card registered to win. It will automatically be loaded on to your card.

Be sure to check back at my blog for more deals!

Spring Fever!

I'm dreaming of my upcoming square foot garden! I can't wait to dig in the earth. This style requires some specialized procedures. Not hard, just important for this type. Tired of arguing with hubby about it. He won't use Home Depot card for me to shop for peat moss, compost (at least 4 different types) and something w...ith a 'V'. He's a smart man! Better to pay cash!

All my garden dreams and my hand could be broken! Oh well, supposed to be easy just gotta use tomorrow's last nice day to do measuring then some ordering! I want greens, lettuce, carrots, potatoes, green beans, salad greens... mmm! Maybe even cucumbers and kohlrabi! And no I didn't leave tomatoes out on accident, I just don't like them! Oh! and maybe a pumpkin and Miles favorite Watermelon!

I'm also ordering organic seeds and will have an organic garden. Heritage and heirloom seeds. Always curious about purple carrots! No GMO here!

I pray God gives me strength and grace to keep it up!

Blessings Everyone,
E~

Blessings!?

I'm really cranky today. I don't know if it's the pain, the fact my printer won't work so I'm missing out on awesome coupons or if it's something else. I do have moments of feeling hopeful. That I can endure and make plans for a garden and can take care of and so what I need even if my hand has to stay in a brace or cast.

I look around and see people with missing limbs. Poorer than me. Greater challenges. Those who run marathons with 1 leg. I don't have that perseverance but hope to cultivate it. The first thing I must master is my get-up-and-go. Then I must know in my heart, inside and out, "love is patient, love is kind...

Scroll Down to Check Out Some of My Faves From Etsy.

I'm in pain but can't go to sleep yet. This computer is relaxing me!

Injured, Again!

One thing you'll learn about me is that I get injured a lot. I fall. Been to the neurologist had full brain work up and. Then went to orthopedist cuz they thought my out turned foot may be at fault. So I took another tumble in the kitchen. Then husband said it's some sort of curse. I thought about that while in the Urgent Care and he may be right. I got a picture of all his stuff he's holding on to from his 1st marriage. How he can't let go. This house is cursed! Or I'm just a clutz.

I was running in socks across the kitchen floor in socks and slipped on a piece of paper. Brought a big ceiling fan down on me that was on the kitchen table. This house will me cleaned up. Oh, yes it will. I'm the keeper of this home and I'm going to rid this place of as much clutter as I can. I won't touch Kurt's stuff (except for clothing with more than 3 holes.

On top of it all they think I may have broken my schapoid again. Hurts worse than last time! Bless me friends and pray for me.

I Just Won 3 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com just for using the toolbar!

I Just Won 3 Swag Bucks on www.swagbucks.com just for using the toolbar!

Day Light Savings Time

I'm not enjoying this at all. I still have a kid in bed and it's supposed to after 11. I'm truly a mixture of things running through my head. Like the kitchen I'm supposed to clean, the cinnamon I poured on the ant trail (I think they live in our walls) that's supposed to kill them, how to adjust temps on Fertility Friend to make up for the sleep disturbance, and all the messages in my mailbox. Sigh... The exhaustion of FM is debilitating.

Swag Bucks

I encourage all you out there that use search engines (which is pretty much everyone) sign up for Swag Bucks. You have opportunities to earn the bucks in a variety of ways. From searches, to visiting the website and checking out offers, up loading their tool bars, and secret Swag Codes. To date I have 4234 Swag Bucks! I've used my points in the past to get Pay Pal credit of $5 and Amazon gift card. I'm saving up for more Amazon gift cards. I love to read! But they also have lots of other categories to choose from. I can refer you if you click or cut and paste this link.

http://www.swagbucks.com/refer/MamaL0cs

Morning has Broken

Kids are still asleep so I have some time to myself. Thinking about daylight's savings time. I hate the thought of 'Springing Forward' but it's the way things. I need as much sleep as possible!

There's a Great Deal offer today from 'My Frugal Adventures'. 10 pairs of sunglasses for $25. Click on the link below to check it out and sign up for her news letters. I was tempted to buy them, but I'd rather save up for glass lenses. I'm clumsy.

So on the agenda this weekend is pretty much just hanging out with the kids. Devin wants Mongolian grill, but I don't know if that's in the budget. I like spoiling them when they come, but can't always do it. Besides, she's 15 and prefers lounging around at home on the couch. Who doesn't? I definitely want to get Miles a hair cut. He looks like one of the Beatles and I don't like it. I want the hair off his ears!

I need to learn more about how to set up my blog page. I want to add links,pictures, video, etc but don't know how. I wonder if there's a book for that?

Other Interests!

Cloth diapering, baby wearing, breast feeding. And my newest passion is bulk cooking to freeze for a later date. I haven't gotten into a whole month of cooking ahead of time, but I do cook around a certain theme like chicken, turkey, ground beef. It's fun!

Greetings and Salutations!

I'm Erin and going to start a blog. It will be about my life, struggles with my walk with the Lord, SAHM, and frugality. I'm also starting my 1st garden this year and will attempt to learn to sew. I have fibromyalgia and migraines which can make it hard to mother but I do the best I can.

I have 4 children. The two youngest live with me and my husband and the 2 oldest live in Portland. What can I say they like the big city! So bear with me as begin this journey.

I look forward to sharing inspiration from a variety of sources as well as great deals and freebies!

I'm Erin. I'm mestiza (Spanish for mixed) in more way than one. My family is a mixture of colors and cultures. I'm a doula & lactation educator and hope for more children.

Blessings!