Adventures in Diapering and Beyond

2017 UPDATE

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Thu, 12 Jan 2017 17:25:00 +0000

In 2015 I had my 6th. baby and 6th. c-section! For the first time I was able to have skin-to-skin in the operating room and it was wonderful being able to hold my baby close so quickly after birth. I also had a clear drape. You can read more about his birth story here.

Skin-to-skin in the OR

This picture of my baby was captured by my husband as he photographed THROUGH a clear drape during my c-section!

I'm now a mom of a baby, 1st. grader, tweens, and even a teenager! Life has changed a lot the past few years and I've enjoyed every stage of the kids growing up.

This summer I'll celebrate 4 years as a birth photographer!

Last year I started blogging on Kansas City birth centers/hospitals as well as begin writing on c-sections again. Visit my website to learn more!

Here's one of my favorite birth images from 2016.

Morgan

Gio's Birth Story by Kansas City Birth Photographer Morgan Lang

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Sun, 29 Dec 2013 03:39:00 +0000

Since starting birth photography in the Kansas City Area this past July, I've been trying to get the word out why hiring a birth photographer is something expectant moms should consider.

Rather than using words to try to explain how birth photography is so beautiful, I'd like to encourage you to SEE it instead.

Take a couple minutes and watch Gio's birth and experience the emotions and details from his birth day. All of my birth videos are tastefully captured with the focus on the emotion and joy of Baby's birth day, rather than the type of birth you might see on Discovery Channel.

After you've had a chance to watch his video, follow me on Facebook to see more birth stories. Interested in having your own baby's birth story captured? Contact me through my photography website to learn more!

Birth Stories | Overland Park, KS Birth Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Tue, 08 Oct 2013 19:49:00 +0000

If you missed my announcement of a new website, go check it out! I'm working as a portrait and birth photographer in the Kansas City Metro Area (Shawnee, Olathe, Overland Park, and Lawrence, KS). For my birth loving readers, you'll enjoy seeing some of the birth story videos (shared with family's permission).

The most recent birth I photographed went VERY quick! Mom called in the middle of the night to say she was in triage at the hospital and was dilated to an 8! She'd been having contractions for a couple hours, but didn't thought she had more time because it wasn't very painful. Usually I arrive at the hospital around 4 or 5 cm, so I knew it was going to be a close call. I was out of bed and driving towards SMMC within 5 minutes. Along the way, Dad called and said Mom was now at a 9; I found out later that Dad wasn't even at the hospital yet. Things were going fast! When I arrived at the hospital, Mom was pushing and Baby was born within 15 minutes. Baby and Mom were both healthy and we got some great pictures after birth and with a Fresh Baby hospital session later. It was quite an exciting day! If you'd like to see that birth story, you can view it here: http://morganlangphotography.com/shawnee_mission_kansas_birth_photographer/.

I'll be doing mostly portrait sessions until going on-call again in November. If you'd like to follow along with my adventures in birth and portrait photography, you can also find them on Facebook at: http://facebook.com/morganlangphotography.

Johnson County, Kansas Birth Photographer

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 04:31:00 +0000

Hi Blogging Friends! I started Adventures in Diapering in 2008 as a way to help ease the fears of women facing a c-section. I've recently started a new blog through my photography business, Morgan Lang Photography. With my love for birth, children, and photography, I've began to offer Birth Story Photography to Olathe, Lenexa, Overland Park, Leawood, Shawnee, and Lawrence in the Kansas City Metro area . I'm excited to see where God leads me in this next journey and how I can bless others by telling their birth story through documentary photography.

If you're interested in learning more about birth photography and why someone would want to have a photographer at their baby's birth, or perhaps you live in the Johnson County, KS area and are interested in this service, you can learn more at: Morgan Lang Photography. You can also follow my portrait photography on Facebook at: https://www.facebook.com/MorganLangPhotography.

Thanks for following me through my Adventures in Diapering journey and come visit me on Facebook!

101 Fun Ideas for Toddlers and Preschoolers

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Wed, 13 Jun 2012 21:57:00 +0000

If you're looking for something fun to keep your toddler or preschooler busy this summer, here are 101 fun ideas to get you started!

Color with Wet Chalk on the Sidewalk
Blow Bubbles
Play Hide and Seek (or if You Have Several Children, Play Sardines)
Make a Dog House out of a Box
Play the "Hot/Cold" Game
Have an Easter Egg Hunt- Anytime of the Year!
Help Them Make a Letter/Picture to Mail to One of Their Friends
Build a Tower Out of Blocks Taller than the Sofa!
Have a Picnic in the Living Room
Make Cut-Out Cookies
Take a Walk Somewhere New
Make Sock Puppets
Create Your Own Movie
Plant Some Flowers or Vegetables From Seeds
Lie Down on a Blanket Outside and Name the Animals You See in the Clouds
Have an Indoor Pretend Campfire
Make Popcorn on the Stove
Have a PJ Party
Play Restaurant
Gaze at the Stars through a Telescope
Go for a Nature Walk
Record Yourselves Telling a Story onto Cassette Tape
Have a Scavenger Hunt
Play in a Little Kiddie Pool Together
Make Edible Play dough
Make Collage Place Mats
Finger Paint with Chocolate Pudding
Have a Popcorn Movie Night
Write a Story Together
Play Dress-Up Together
Bake Cookies and Deliver them to Neighbors
Act Out a Bible Story
Play on a Playground- TOGETHER!
Set up a Pretend Hospital
Count Your Blessings- Seriously, Make a List and Count them.
Exercise and Stretch Together
Have a Bike Wash
Go Pebble Hunting
Make Ocean Bottles
Have a Color Theme Day
Teach Your Children a Game They've Never Played Before
Look at Old Family Photos Together
Take a Nap Together
Make a Fruit-Loop Necklace
Create Cinnamon Applesauce Ornaments
Use Hand Prints to Make Seasonal Pictures to Hang on the Wall
Camp-Out in the Living Room
Color Pictures to Send to Family Members that Live Far Away
Have a Reading Day- Check Out a Ton of Books from the Library, and Then Spend all Afternoon Reading
Make Play Clay
Create Treasure Boxes
Have a Tea Party
Set Up an Obstacle Course
Make Boo-Boo Bunnies
Decorate Your Bikes and Have a Little Parade
Play with Shaving Cream
Open a Doll Spa
Do Somersaults Together
Have a Pots and Pans Musical Band
Play “Rock, Paper, Scissors”
Visit a Petting Zoo
Make Pet Rocks
Decorate Pillowcases
Build a Fort Out of Blankets
Make a “Me and You” Book
Play Volleyball Using a Balloon
Create an Alphabet Book
Use a Laundry Basket to Throw Stuffed Animals into
Attend Free Activities at Your Local Library
Make a Bird Feeder
Go Berry Picking
Play Red Light/Green Light
Create Magnets for the Fridge
Experiment with Color Mixing Using Frosting and Graham Crackers
Make Color Bags
Play Indoor Basketball Using a Laundry Basket and Stuffed Animals
Plant a Garden
Cook Breakfast for Dinner
Create a Mini-Salon and Give Each Other Funny Hair-Dos
Have a Hawaiian Theme Day
Dance With a Scarf
Go Indoor Fishing
Play Freeze Tag
Make White Mud
Camp Out in the Living Room
Go Bug Hunting in the Backyard
Build a Sand Castle
Make Treasure Bottles
Decorate Cupcakes
Make Placemats out of Greeting Cards
Have a Stuffed Animal Party
Send a Message in a Bottle to a Friend
Decorate a Card for a Family Member
Learn About a Different Country
Play “Go-Fish”
Make Yogurt Popsicles
Create a Lift-the-Flap Picture
Tie-Dye T-Shirts
Visit Your Local Fire Station
Go on a Colors and Shapes Hunt
Have a Backwards Day

To the reader who was pregnant with her 4th...

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Wed, 22 Feb 2012 15:37:00 +0000

Last night, I received an e-mail from a reader, M., who was pregnant with her 4th. child. I typed a message back, but when I clicked, "send", the message was bounced back to me. It stated that M.'s e-mail address didn't exist. After looking at the original message again, I realized that it was dated April 2011! Somehow M.'s e-mail took 10 months to reach my inbox. Although M.'s message was so long ago, I would like to share it here as well as my e-mail back. Maybe someone else reading this is in a similar situation as M. and needs encouragement too.

M.'s e-mail:

***

Hello, My name is M., I have 3 children all born by c-section aged 14, 12 and 8 i just found out this week that I'm about 5 weeks pregnant.

When i was 17 i had my ovary taken out and then after my 3rd baby i had an ectopic pregnancies and my tube was taken, At which time i was told i would not be able to fall pregnant again. So almost 5 years on i was very shocked to find out iam in fact pregnant.

I went to the Doctors today who has advised me not to have the baby, as he thinks you should not have any more then 3 c-sections. I felt the doctors crying and feeling sick to my stomach, when i got home i started looking on the internet and found many women who have had 4, 5, 6 even up to 8 c-section, Which made me feel a bit better after reading this. I'm still very scared as i want this baby more then any thing. Any advice you could please give me would be very appreciated.

***

Here is my response:

***

Hi M.,

My first thought when I read your message is that you probably don't live in the USA, am I right? I say that because although a lot of doctors here say to stop at 3 c-sections, I have never heard of one advising an abortion for the reasons you listed.

Were your first 3 c-sections normal? Did you have any adverse reactions to the procedure or the anesthesia/epidural/spinals?

To give you an idea how laid back doctors are here (in the state I live) about c-sections- I have had 5, a former neighbor had 4, a friend at church had 4, my doctor's sister-in-law had 5, a lady in my mother's group had 4, and I have met many other ladies online that have had 4 or more.

One lady I met through a c-section group has had 11. Another had 7 c-sections. The one who had 7 did develop placenta percretta during her 7th. pregnancy and had to have a hysterectomy afterwords, but and her baby are fine. Her name is Sabrina and I believe her birth story is listed under my c-section link up top.

If your doctor is that concerned about your pregnancy, then you need to find a new doctor ASAP. You need a doctor that is confident enough as a surgeon that they are not scared at the prospect of a 4th, 5th, or 6th. c-section. Try to find a doctor that is pro-life and pro-family.

I'm telling you all this because I want you to know that although the risks do go up with a 4th. c-section, many doctors are not concerned about women having a 4th. when there have been no complications with the first 3. If it is uncommon where you live, then you are going to have to work harder to either find a doctor experienced in delivering 4th. + c-sections, or a doctor that is a highly skilled surgeon and is confident in what he/she does.

Keep reading positive stories and try to find a good doctor. Read as much as you can about how to make this birth a good experience and try not to worry.

***

M., if you read this, I'm sorry I didn't receive your message earlier because I would have encouraged you to keep your baby and enjoy the blessing that child would bring to your life. I hope that you were able to find joy in your pregnancy and look past the fear and that your c-section went smoothly.

All the best,

Example of a Candy Land Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Tue, 13 Sep 2011 19:05:00 +0000

For all you candy lovers out there, here is another example of a Candy Land Cake. Evi, an Adventures in Diapering blog reader, made this cake for her daughter's 5th. birthday. Check out the candy path she made- complete with the pink candy spots like the ones on the board game! The game pieces and the candy along the bottom edge of the cake were nice touches too. Apparently the cake was a big hit; Evi says, "14 little hands descended on her cake all at once and it was undone in about 45 seconds!"

Thanks for sharing Evi!

How to Make a Candy Land Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Fri, 09 Sep 2011 20:22:00 +0000

Today I'm reposting one of my most popular posts- How to Make a Candy Land Cake. I'm adding back in tons of pictures which should be helpful to anyone making their own CandyLand Cake.

This week I made my first Candyland Cake! It was a HUGE hit with my kids. So much in fact that my other 3 children are all requesting Candyland Cakes for their birthdays too.

The cake was fairly easy to make, but very time consuming. If you decide to make a cake like this, you will probably find it easiest to assemble the candy by looking at a Candy Land game board. Then just use whatever candies you want.

If you have any questions that aren't answered here, leave me a comment or e-mail and I'd be happy to answer them.

Candy Land Cake

Supplies:

*Wax Paper

*13x9 in. sheet cake (the one I used was 2 cakes put together- half yellow, half chocolate)

*Buttercream Frosting:
*Purple
*Pink
*Red
*Orange
*Yellow
*Green
*Blue
*Black
*Chocolate

Various Candies, such as:
*Gum Drops
*Mini-Candy Canes
*Itty Bitty Marshmellows
*Peanut Butter Brittle
*Gummy Bears
*Licorice strings
*Suckers
*Heath Candy Bits
*Small Ice Cream Cones
*Cotton Candy

Directions:

The day before my son's birthday, I made the cake and put a base coat of frosting over the entire outside of it. I then put the cake in the freezer for an hour or so to harden up a bit before decorating.

After pulling the cake back out, I started to make the background colors (grass, sky, mountains, ect.) using frosting.

I traced the outline of the cake pan onto wax paper. Inside of the cake shape I had just drawn, I sketched out the Candyland path making just a simple curvy line that copied the game board.

Using scissors, I cut the wax paper along the line I had drawn. I placed the wax paper cutout on top of the cake and made tiny frosting dots to make the path outline onto the cake. After the frosting outline was on, I removed the wax paper.

I touched up the background scene and started making the path and bridges using the buttercream frosting. I also placed some of the candies on that wouldn't go bad before the next day.

After everything seen in the picture below was completed, I stuck the cake in the fridge until the next day.

FYI- The candy assembly the next day went MUCH quicker than the pre-assembly work day.

The Day of the Party

The next day I pulled the cake out of the fridge and started assembling all the candy details. Candy Canes in the bottom right corner, along with some tiny marshmallows for snow.

I stuck suckers into some of the gum drops, made a castle using 2 ice cream cones, frosting (including red to make a cherry at the top), cotton candy, and 2 toothpicks stuck into the back for support.

In the right corner I made Queen Frosting's place using pink cotton candy.

A licorice bridge was made using pull and peel licorice twisted and stuck in place with frosting.

I sprinkled Heath candy along the side of the peanut butter brittle house.

To finish the cake off, I tore little pieces of cotton candy off stuck them all along the base of the cake.

Voila'! The cake was finished and the kids were thrilled!

Ideas of What to Include in Baby's Scrapbook

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Thu, 05 Aug 2010 04:37:00 +0000

Each of my children has their own scrapbook. The scrapbooks aren't all that fancy, but they are fun for the kids and I to look at. They LOVE to pull out their book, lie down on the floor, and flip through the pages remembering what fun things they've done. Now that my oldest two can read, they also enjoy reading the stories I've written alongside the photos. Making a scrapbook for each of the kids has been a lot to keep up, but it has been worth it to get our family history on print for the children.

Here are some of the things I include in my Babies' Scrapbooks:

*Intro. page with Baby's birth info., meaning of Baby's name, Baby's hospital bracelet and bassinet card
*Family Tree up to Great-Great Grandparents
*Photos of my husband and I as kids and photos from our wedding. I write a little about how my husband and I came to know God, our childhood, and how we met and fell in love.
*Ultrasound Photos & Pregnancy Test photos. This is where I'll include how we found out we were expecting a baby and little details about my pregnancy with Baby.
*Pregnancy Photos- bi-weekly or monthly belly shots
*Baby Shower Pictures
*Birth Pictures
*Photos of Visitors and list of gifts received
*Pictures with Baby's Siblings and Grandparents
*Letters from Mommy and Daddy. We write about Baby's birth, how glad we are that Baby is part of our family, and our blessings for Baby's future
*List of Baby's "Firsts". See "Growing Up" photo below
*Growth Chart
*Page full of "what things cost" and "what's popular" from year Baby was born.
*Monthly Photos of Baby (a photo from each month of Baby's 1st. year shown side by side)
*Photos from Baby's major milestones
*General snapshots. As baby's growing, special trips, holidays, ect. Anything I think might be important to him/her when they're older.

My 5th. C-Section Birth Story

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Mon, 07 Jun 2010 12:30:00 +0000

Last Tuesday I had my 5th. c-section and gave birth to a healthy little boy. He was 8lbs 4.9 oz.
Out of 5 childbirths, this one was by far the best I've had. In the weeks leading up to the birth, I had spent time praying about everything I was worried about and I believe it helped a lot in staying calm before, during, and after birth.
My husband was able to photograph the birth and someone who worked in the maternity department video taped for us.
The anesthesiologist turned down the volume on the heart monitor- I don't even remember hearing it during the surgery at all, which was nice because listening to it had made me very nervous with the previous 2 c-sections. The nurses said it was okay for me to take an Ipod into the O.R., so I was able to listen to music in one ear (the other ear phone I left out to hear what was going on) to help me relax as they started the surgery.
When it was time to pull the baby out, they lowered the screen so that I could see the baby's head, but not my incision or anything like that. His head was already out at that point and he started to cry before he was even born : ) The doctor suctioned his nose and throat out real well while he was still mostly in the womb and I was able to watch the whole thing. And then for the first time I was able to see one of my baby's being born. It was amazing!
My baby was taken to the warmer and suctioned out some more and dried off well. Then the nurse weighed and measured him a few feet away from where I was so that I could watch. He was then bundled up and my husband carried him over by me so I could touch him too.
The doctor, nurses, and anesthesiologist continued to keep me updated on how I was doing during the rest of the surgery. They were very reassuring.
Once they were done stitching me up, the anesthesiologist took some pictures of my husband and I with the baby. They moved me onto a different bed and then I was wheeled back to my room (no recovery room- just straight back to my regular room) with my baby lying next to me. There was no separation from my baby at all.
As soon as we were in the room, the nurse helped me get skin to skin with the baby so that I could have the baby nurse. He ended up nursing great right away!
We waited on having Baby bathed until the afternoon, and when they did clean him up, they did it in our room so I was able to watch.
My mother and father-in-law came with our other children to meet the baby about 6 1/2 hours after he was born. The kids were excited to meet their new little brother!
The rest of my recovery went really well. My uterus clamped down right away, so no problems with clotting or excessive bleeding. I had fantastic nurses and a wonderful hospital stay. I feel MUCH better than when I was pregnant, (I was in a huge amount of pain the last 8 weeks of pregnancy).
Despite all the contractions I had had for weeks/months leading up to the birth (including contractions 3 min. apart during the 2 hours leading up to the c-section), as well as the immense pain along my lower abdomen during the past month, my uterus wasn't all that thin and actually looked okay. I shouldn't have worried so much about it.
My baby is 6 days old now and is a healthy little guy. My milk came in either yesterday or the night before. It hasn't been any problem getting up and down stairs as I was afraid it would be. My incision still hurts- it's feels like a giant paper cut. However, the pain isn't too noticeable when I take the pain meds.
So after 3 really stressful births and 1 good birth experience (my 3rd. baby), I finally had one where everything went as perfect as can be.

We Had Our Baby!

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 12:45:00 +0000

After months of contractions and a whole lot of pain in pregnancy, I gave birth to my 5th. child this past Tuesday morning. Baby boy was 8lbs 4.9 oz.- which makes him my 2nd. largest baby (my first son was 8 1/2 lbs and the my last 3 babies were 7 1/2 lbs)! The c-section went fantastic and nursing has been going great.

Thank you everyone who prayed for us and gave us positive words. Everything went so well! I will share his birth story and more photos soon.

Who Do You Share Your Birth Plan With?

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Sat, 24 Apr 2010 01:39:00 +0000

After yesterday's post that shares the birth plan for my upcoming 5th. c-section, I was asked, "Who do you share your birth plan with?" Here's my response:

Usually I make 3 copies of the birth plans. One copy for my O.B., one for the maternity coordinator at the hospital, and a copy for myself.

In the past, I would take the copy for my O.B. along during a prenatal appointment when I was around 7 1/2- 8 months pregnant. My doctor and I would discuss what was on the birth plan. I'd also find out if there was anything that I was asking for that was unreasonable and then I could make changes if I needed to. With this pregnancy, I didn't take a copy to my O.B. since everything on my birth plan had already been approved by him during my last c-section. Any questions I've had (regarding video taping the birth, holding the baby soon after birth, ect.), I've been able to bring up during previous appointments, so there really wasn't a need to go over the birth plan again.

Around 32-34 weeks pregnant, I have an appointment with the maternity coordinator at the hospital I plan to deliver at. At that time, I take my birth plan with me and go over it with the maternity coordinator. Along with signing all the consent or (non-consent) forms, we go over the birth plan and the coordinator takes notes and places them at the front of my chart. She also will inform me which things may or may not be doable on my birth plan, and sometimes makes suggestions.

As for the copy for myself, I just hold on to it so I can remember what I plan to fight for. The morning I go in for my c-section, there should be a chance to speak with the nurses who will care for my baby and myself, as well as the anesthesiologist and my O.B.. During this time I again bring up my preferences for the birth. We also go over any problems that I had during the previous c-sections.

If you're getting ready to create a birth plan of your own, I highly suggest that you find out ahead of time what your doctor already routinely does during/after the birth as well as what your hospital's standard procedures are. This is especially important when it comes to matters of what happens to your baby after birth. Try to keep your birth plan simple and stick to the things that are really important to you and leave off the things that your doctor or hospital already usually do.

My 5th.C-Section Birth Plan

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Fri, 23 Apr 2010 04:37:00 +0000

In preparation for my baby's birth, I've been working on writing a birth plan. Not everyone feels that writing a birth plan is worthwhile. In my experience, though, if you don't speak up for what you want with your baby's birth, than you will receive whatever your hospital does as standard procedure (the good and the bad).

For my 5th. baby's birth, I am using what I had on my last birth plan and changing it just a little. The hospital I deliver at is now very Mother/Baby friendly, so there is less that I have to fight for. Next week I'll be going over the birth plan with my hospital's maternity coordinator. They've been wonderful about respecting my wishes with my last two babies, so hopefully everything will go smoothly this time too. Here are the things I'm requesting for my upcoming baby's birth:

5th. C-Section Birth Plan

*If possible, I would like a patient and compassionate nurse who is good at helping patients stay calm.
*Lidacaine before IV
*Spinal before catheter
*Volume down on heart monitor as low as safely possible
*M. has permission from my Dr. *** and myself to photograph/video the birth. She is a LPN who is working on her RN and has done clinicals in the maternity ward at a local hospital
*Should I need general anesthesia during the birth, I would like my husband to stay in the O.R. to take pictures and be able to hold the baby.

*Warm Blankets during surgery
*OB will keep cord long for my husband to cut
*I would like to hold baby (with help) as soon as safely possible
*NO eye gel or Hep. B Vaccine for Baby. Vitamin K is okay.

*Unless medically necessary, we would like Baby to stay with us at all times
*I would like Baby to sleep with me in hospital bed (we've done this with our past 2 babies)
*Please ask me before bathing Baby. I will probably want to wait until late afternoon so we have time to bond first

*As soon as safely possible, I would like to be encouraged to walk so the leg compressors can be removed (walking has never been a problem after prior c-sections. I tend to recover very well)

How Our Family Got Out of Debt

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Fri, 16 Apr 2010 13:27:00 +0000

3 days ago my husband and I paid off our student loans over 6 years early. With a lot of work, we were able to eliminate our debt while living off of 1-income and raising 4 young children. Other than what we owe on our house, we are now debt free!

Here are some of the things we did to end the cycle of debt:

*My husband made the decision to work on a college degree he needed in order to receive a promotion with the fire department. Although he had college courses, most of them did not count towards this degree, which meant he had to start all over again. The years he spent in school were the hardest years I have ever been through (raising 3 children 3 and under and being pregnant with my 4th. while he was working at least 90 hours a week and going to school full-time).

*To pay for school without creating more student loan debt, (as we already had over $11k in student loans) my husband applied for grants through financial aid. With having such low-income to family size, he was able to not only finish school for free, he also received his books at no cost through the school!

*A family member gave us Dave Ramsey's Total Money Makeover book. Although we had already stopped keeping a revolving credit card debt, this book really gave both my husband and I the motivation to get rid of the rest of our debt. We don't use all the principals in the book, but we have used many of them. Had we not heard about Dave Ramsey, I'm not sure if we would have become debt free as quickly.

*We used our tax refunds towards paying off credit cards, putting money in the bank so we'd have enough to buy food and gasoline without having to use a credit card, and later to start a $1000 emergency fund.

*Once our credit cards were out of the way, we used tax refunds and stimulus checks towards our car loans.

*After my husband finished college and received his promotion at work, (and a raise), we put the extra money towards our car payment and paid the cars off over a year early!

*We made improvements to our house to increase equity knowing we would eventually sell. We used overtime and tax refunds to pay for the improvements.

*Last year, we sold our house and bought a bigger home that fit our growing family of 6. We found a foreclosure and acquired a low-interest rate which meant our new mortgage was not much more than we were paying before for our other house!

*With the car payments out of the way, we started focusing on our student loans. I upped our payments as much as I could, eventually increasing our payment to over triple what was required.

*This year, we put again put a large amount of our tax return towards student loans. We received money from a family member as a gift and put 100% of it towards the loans as well.

*2 days ago, I used savings to pay the remaining student loan balance off! I consider this to be only by God's grace as it would have been very easy to have continued on the path we had been early in our marriage. I'm thankful that he gave us the resources and wisdom to make a change when we did.

I believe the biggest help to getting out of debt is this: don't create more debt! Pay down debt as you can, and little by little you'll get rid of it. Buy only what you can afford right now, and if you can't afford it, don't buy it.

If you haven't checked out Dave Ramsey's site, do it now. The principals he teaches work, but you have to stay consistent. Things don't get better over night, it takes time and a lot of work. However, you can get out of debt. It was possible for us and I believe it's possible for others too.

Aubrey's 5th. C-Section

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Fri, 09 Apr 2010 21:52:00 +0000

Today I'm sharing the birth story of a blogging friend of mine, Aubrey, who had her 5th. child via c-section 7 weeks ago. In her birth story, Aubrey describes in detail what it was like to have a c-section as well as her feelings about having cesarean births. If you're facing a c-section, whether it's your 1st or your 5th., I encourage you to read Aubrey's story.

*******

Anticipating Maria's birth was both scary and exciting. Maria is my fifth child, my fifth cesarean. There were many things to be eager for: the first sight of our beloved child, first cries and cuddles. There were also many things to be frightened of: post-op pain, a complication in surgery or after, overall recovery, and the safety of future pregnancies. All of my children have been born via cesarean section.

It started with Morgan, my 8 year old. After many hours of labor, her heart rate began to slow with each contraction. My doctor went for a second opinion and the second opinion said that Baby needed to come out now. My heart sank. Emotionally, I struggled with this birth for years before I realized that it had delivered me a healthy baby who otherwise could have been in danger. In our area, VBACs are discouraged; it is difficult to find a doctor who will help with a VBAC. We were also wary of the risks involved, especially since Baby #2 arrived 13 months after Baby #1. But I won't debate reasons for repeat cesareans now. I've had five and I'm still alive and kicking.

I'm not sure why you're reading this; maybe you're looking toward your first planned cesarean for a breech baby or looking for a little support (commiseration) if it's your second, third, fourth, or fifth cesarean. Maybe you're wondering if repeat cesareans are safe. I will share what my most recent cesarean was like. You'd have an idea of what to expect then. Afterward, I'll tell you how I feel now.

*Maria's Birth*

We arrive at the hospital at 5:30, 2 hours before surgery is scheduled. We check in and are taken to a labor and delivery room. The nurse comes in, introduces herself, and hooks me up to fetal monitors and the lovely sound of our baby's heartbeat fills the room. The phlebotomist comes in for blood draws. The nurse prepares my body for surgery--an IV, shaving, etc. I sign waivers and releases and other papers. Jeremy signs a paper promising that he will sit quietly in the Operating Room, do what he is told, and won't try to help with nor interfere with surgery. It is quiet and we watch dawn gradually overtake night outside. Snow is falling! What a pretty morning to have a baby.

My doctor comes in to check on us and soon after he arrives, the nurse comes in and says, "let's go have a baby!" It's 7:15 a.m. I make one last trip to the bathroom and gather up my IV cords and pole and the nurse drapes a blanket over my back so I don't have to close my gown. We walk across the hall to the operating room. There are already four people in the room. The addition of Jeremy, me, and the nurse makes seven. An intern arrives and introduces himself. The anesthesiologist comes in (we're up to 9 now, including two students) and begins setting up.

My nurse's phone rings. It is Dr. K (the surgeon) calling to say that he is in house, which means that the anesthesiologist can begin working his magic. I'm a little nervous and I shed a few tears. Jeremy is across the room and the won't let him come over to me yet. The nurses distract me with talk about what I think the baby will look like. I say that as long as she comes out with hair, I'll be happy. Soon he is finished.

Before I know it, there are 3 more people in the operating room, my gown has been removed, my feet are going numb, I feel warm all over, and the nurses are working on putting a catheter in. I feel a little humiliated, as there are now at least 12 people in the room and I'm the only one without pants on. My arms are stretched out in a T and there's a lot of motion in the room. Jeremy is allowed to come over and sit behind me holding my hand. It feels good to have him nearby and although I'd really like to have him closer, an arms length is better than nothing.

It's 7:30 a.m. Dr. K comes in and Dr. M (my primary/OB/family physician) is there. Everyone is cheerful and Dr. K says he's ready for a birthday party. The curtain goes up at my chest. The surgeons are standing at my hips but it feels like they're down at the other end of the room. The anesthesiologist tells me that I'm numb and that they're ready to get started. I say that I can feel Dr. K poking me but that it doesn't hurt. Is that normal? The doctors say it is and they begin working. I can feel--without pain--the first several steps of the surgery and I lay there thinking how weird it is. Soon I hear suction (that's the amniotic fluid) then they're tugging and pushing and tugging and then Dr. M pokes his head around the curtain, smiles, and says that Baby has a lot of hair. All of a sudden, I feel a great pulling sensation and then I feel very empty and I hear Maria cry. Jeremy and I are laughing and smiling and I squeeze his hand and tell him to go to her. It's 7:45 a.m.

Dr. M holds Maria up for me as he moves from the operating table to the warming table. He puts Maria down and begins to check her over. He and the nurses wipe her down. Someone moves the curtain so that I can see her and he holds her up again for me, then continues to work. I watch him tickle her to get her to cry. Although she's pink and had been crying, she calmed quickly and will squawk and then lay quietly, moving only a little. A nurse asks Dr. M what he guesses her weight to be. He says 7-3 and when she weighs in at 7 lbs, 2 oz, they applaud. Everyone laughs. When they are sure she's doing well, they wrap her up and hand her to Jeremy. He brings her to me and I kiss her warm face, smell her skin, and admire the full head of hair that she worked so hard on.

Jeremy is holding Maria and follows me to the recovery room. She's crying, so Jeremy unwraps her and lays her on my chest. The nurses offer me water and I take oral Percocet. They push my abdomen (thank Heaven that I'm still numb) and monitor my heart rate and blood pressure. As I get a little more comfortable, I tell Jeremy to go ahead and take Maria to the nursery for her bath and meet me in our room, as I should have only 10 more minutes in recovery. After he goes, the nurses call Dr. K back because my incision is bleeding on one side--not an emergency, but not a good thing, either. He puts 3 or 4 more staples in, tells them to ice it, and explains to me why this is happening. This keeps me in the recovery room for another half hour. Finally, they decide that I'm okay and wheel my cart to my room where Jeremy is anxiously waiting with the baby, wondering what took so long and a little worried.

It's 9:45 now. They move me to my bed and my new nurse comes to introduce herself, help me into a nursing bra and T-shirt, asks about my pain (I'm still numb) and is in and out watching me closely for the next couple of hours. I begin to nurse Maria. When we are settled, we pick up the phone to share our good news.

*Recovery*

I've heard that recovery from a cesarean birth is harder and longer than recovery from a vaginal birth. I've only done it one way, so I've nothing to compare a cesarean recovery to. I'll stick to the physical aspect of it for now. The birth is painless, except for the insertion of the spinal, and once the spinal wears off, that's when the recovery begins. As I understand, many doctors administer post-op pain medications differently. I do believe that they (the drugs) are necessary in order to recover properly. Ibuprofen is mandatory, as it reduces swelling and helps the body to cope with a new incision. My surgeon explained that Morphine or Percocet (I've had both) allows the brain to not care about the pain so much. It all helps with healing. In spite of pain medication, there is quite a bit of pain after the spinal has worn off. Within 12 hours of surgery, I was expected to get into a chair next to the bed, with help. I was expected to shower and to begin walking short distances the next day. I was able to do all of these things. I walked out of the hospital and walked around my house. I filled the prescription for Percocet that my doctor wrote and took every last pill along with the ibuprofen that he recommended. I did not need to refill the prescription for Percocet. For the first couple of weeks, I woke up in the morning feeling as if I'd been hit by a truck but I'd always feel better within a few hours. By the end of the day, was always tired and uncomfortable again. The pain and/or discomfort gradually wore off until this week--six weeks after surgery--when I'm noticing that I feel very normal again. I took five kids to Super Target and to the park and even jogged a little today!

My method of birth still gets me down sometimes. I'm still a little disappointed, I think. When I start to feel this way, I remember that the first cesarean saved my daughter and me from more suffering and possible harm. The subsequent cesareans delivered four more healthy kids into our family. I am blessed to have the children that we have, regardless of which way they came out.

I can't wait for summer to get here, for my kids to be out of school, for days at the lake and hikes in the woods. I know I can handle it. So after five cesareans, would I do it again? Indeed, I would!

Visit me at Laughing All the Way. Click here to read posts specifically about my cesarean experiences.

Note: my surgeon said that it is safe for us to have more children. Each woman's case may be different. This surgeon, a maternal-fetal specialist in my city of 250K, said that of the thousands of women he's seen, he's told only three women that they should not try to have more children. He said that as medicine advances, the safety of cesareans increases. There are risks, no doubt, which increase with each subsequent surgery but they are small.

How to Make a Candy Land Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 15:28:00 +0000

Candy Land Cake

Supplies:

*Wax Paper

*13x9 in. sheet cake (the one I used was 2 cakes put together- half yellow, half chocolate)

Directions:

After pulling the cake back out, I started to make the background colors (grass, sky, mountains, ect.) using frosting.

I traced the outline of the cake pan onto wax paper. Inside of the cake shape I had just drawn, I sketched out the Candyland path making just a simple curvy line that copied the game board.

After everything seen in the picture below was completed, I stuck the cake in the fridge until the next day.

FYI- The candy assembly the next day went MUCH quicker than the pre-assembly work day.

The Day of the Party

The next day I pulled the cake out of the fridge and started assembling all the candy details. Candy Canes in the bottom right corner, along with some tiny marshmallows for snow.

In the right corner I made Queen Frosting's place using pink cotton candy.

A licorice bridge was made using pull and peel licorice twisted and stuck in place with frosting.

I sprinkled Heath candy along the side of the peanut butter brittle house.

To finish the cake off, I tore little pieces of cotton candy off stuck them all along the base of the cake.

Voila'! The cake was finished and the kids were thrilled!

Things I Wish I had Known Before My First C-Section

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 17:15:00 +0000

Today I'm sharing a list of things that can happen with a c-section. You should also know that not everything on this list happens to every woman. Experiences also vary from c-section to c-section.

Even if you're not expecting a c-section, it can be helpful to know what could possibly happen should one arise. Knowing what is normal can help alleviate fear as well as helping you make informed decisions.

Here are some things I wish someone had told me before my first c-section:

*Shaking during the c-section and first hour of recovery is common. Warm blankets may help you to relax. I found the shaking to wear off as the spinal wore off and I was able to move my legs.

*Not being able to feel yourself breathe can happen during a c-section. You're still breathing, you just can't feel it. If it happens to you, remain calm and just let the anesthesiologist know how you're feeling. He/she can reassure you that you're doing fine. With future c-sections, inform your anesthesiologist before the c-section that you had a problem with the spinal rising too high so they can try to avoid it happening again.

*You may feel incredibly cold during your first couple hours of recovery. As the spinal wears off, the coldness fades as well.

*Intense itching after a c-section is very common. I've heard it to be related to the duramorph pain reliever in the epidural/spinal. If you experience this, talk with your nurse about options for relief.

*The nurses may try to take your baby to the nursery while you're recovering for an hour or so. If you want to have your baby with you at all times, then you are going to have to speak up! If the baby and mother are healthy, then there is no reason for them to be separated.

*The sooner you walk, the better. Getting up and moving actually helps you to heal, as well as helping to get your bowels moving again.

*Really bad pain in your shoulder or arm in the 24-36 hours after a c-section is also common. Trapped gas is the cause for that one and boy does it hurt! Make sure you're up and getting around when you can and it will help a bit with that.

*Your milk can take a week to come in. Again, it's normal, but also frustrating. It's still possible to have breastfeeding go well even if your milk delayed. You can try tube feeding while the baby is latched on that way baby is learning to latch and your milk is being stimulated to come in.

*While you are recovering, the nurse will check your uterus by pushing on it to see whether it is clamping down as it should. If it's not clamping down, they will massage your uterus and it might hurt a lot! You can help things along by massaging your uterus yourself too. Ask your nurse how to do this.

*Nurses may not always remind you about pain meds. With the some of my pain meds., i.e. Percocet, the nurses weren't allowed to remind me that I was able to take them again. So have your husband or whoever will be there with you help you stay on top of when you're due for meds. again.

*Being in pain can make healing more difficult. It's possible for pain to further delay your milk from coming in. So take it easy and try to keep your pain under control with meds. and rest.

*It's okay, and it's normal to have feelings of remorse over not giving birth vaginally. Even with a planned or elective c-section, you may still find yourself feeling like you "missed out" on something. What's not okay is when other people make you feel this way. Surround yourself with people that will love and support you as you heal.

Getting Ready to Make a Candy Land Cake

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:53:00 +0000

My youngest son is turning 5 next week, which means it's time to start thinking about his birthday cake. For his last two birthdays, my son wanted an ambulance cake and a fire truck cake. This year he has requested a Candy Land cake. It should be a lot of fun as there is a lot of room for creativity with the candy and design!

There are some great photos on the web of Candy Land cakes. Using some of those ideas as a spring board, I've started sketching out my plans. We've also started compiling some goodies to decorate the cake with. Here's what we have so far: suckers, gum drops, sugar daddies, ice cream cones, licorice, gummy bears, whip cream, little candy canes, and green frosting.

The cake plans are still in process. If you have an idea or suggestion on how to decorate any part of this cake, I'd love to hear it! After the cake has been decorated (and eaten), I will share pictures as well as instructions on how it was made.

Gift Ideas for a New Mom

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Tue, 05 Jan 2010 21:34:00 +0000

When a new baby is born, most people take a gift. It's fairly easy to think of ideas to take a new baby. But what about the new mom?
Here are some of my favorite gift ideas to give to someone that's just had a baby:

*Cute and Comfy PJ's- I received new drawstring PJs after 3 of my births. It was really nice having something comfy and new to wear while recovering at the hospital and at home. It was defiantly one of my favorite gifts!
*Magazines- Whatever her interests are in, you can probably find a magazine to match.
*Fuzzi Socks- Bath and body works has some really neat fuzzy socks, but you can find them just about everywhere else too.
*Slippers- Something Cute and Comfy to keep toes warm while caring for baby.
*Journal- I used a journal I received at the hospital to start writing out my baby's birth story and first days of life. I wrote in it before we even went home, which was really nice as the details and emotions were fresh in my mind at the time.
*Peppermint Foot Scrub
*Snack Items- Snack items (especially the new parents' favorites) are always a hit. Hershey's Chocolate, Cookies, favorite drink, bottled water, ect.
*Gift Certificates- Wal-mart, Target, Bath & Body Works, a Restaurant, ect.
*Meals! Bringing a hot-cooked meal is a wonderful gift for a new mom. It means one less meal she or the new dad will have to worry about, which means more time to focus on their new baby! Frozen meals are also nice as the new parents can use the meal on whatever day is best for them.
*Offer to Help- Cleaning her house, or even just holding the baby while she is able to get a shower.
*Personalized Item- Anything with the baby's name, birthstone, or picture on it.
*Gift Baskets- Filled with helpful goodies for the new parents

Whatever the gift is, the kindness and love behind it matters most.

Related Articles on Adventures in Diapering:
*10 Tips for Visiting a New Mom
*Ideas for Keeping a Mother's Journal

Questions to Ask During a Hospital Tour

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Wed, 30 Dec 2009 03:40:00 +0000

When I was expecting my first baby, I had no idea what questions to ask when choosing a hospital. Knowing what I know now (after having 4 babies- 1 labor, 4 c-sections), here are the questions I would ask before choosing which hospital to give birth:

Questions to Ask When Choosing a Hospital for Your Baby's Birth

*What are the rooms like? Are they private or shared? Is there a jacuzzi tub to labor in? Would I labor, deliver, and recover all in one room?

*What about in the event of a c-section? Would I recover in the same room I will spend my entire stay, or will I spend an hour or two in an official recovery room? Would the baby be taken away after delivery while I recovered? Or do you keep babies with their mothers at all times unless medically necessary?

*Can I eat and drink during labor?

*What type of monitoring do you require while I'm in labor?

*What methods does the hospital encourage for pain relief during labor?

*Is the hospital pro-breastfeeding? Are there well-trained lactation consultants on staff every day?

*What things are provided during labor and my stay? A birthing ball? Lactation pillow?

*What will happen to the baby after he/she is born? Do you routinely take healthy newborns to the nursery after birth, or do you encourage mother/baby bonding during the first hours after birth?

*What's the hospital's visitors policy? Is there an age requirement to visit? What are the visiting hours?

*How do you handle security? Does everyone go through a locked area in which they can only pass through by someone allowing them to before visiting you in the hospital? How do you ensure that babies do not get leave the maternity floor without their parents?

*Do you have a snack room? What types of snacks do you provide?

*Are meals provided for my husband?

*Is there a place for my husband to sleep in the room with me?

*How long can I expect to stay in the hospital after a vaginal birth? C-section?

*What level of NICU does the hospital have?

*If my baby would need to be transferred to a higher level of care, what hospitals could I expect to choose from?

*If the baby is a boy and I decide to circumcise, which day after birth could I expect that to be done?

*Is there a free breastfeeding support group at the hospital, or a free lactation consultant line for after I'm discharged?

*Do you follow-up with mothers after they are discharged and back at home?

Who do you ask to find out about a hospital?

*Many hospitals have maternity coordinators whom you can call and ask questions to over the phone. Most (if not all) also allow tours of the birthing rooms/suites where you can get a feel for the hospital and staff before making your choice. You can also get helpful information about a hospital by asking your doctor and friends who've delivered there.

Preparing to Cloth Diaper a Newborn

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Sun, 13 Dec 2009 22:13:00 +0000

Next year, I am looking forward to saving 100's of dollars by using cloth diapers on our new baby! Some people may think cloth diapering sounds gross, but I think using cloth diapers is great! I enjoy saving money and I like putting a nice soft and cute diaper on my babies. It took me until I had my 4th. baby to consider cloth, but now I am hooked!

When I started cloth diapers in 2008, my 2 youngest children were 4 months and 1 1/2 years old. Now my children are all potty trained. Most of my cloth diaper stash held up and can be used for the new baby. What I don't have, though, is diapers to fit an infant.

After asking advice from friends, reading countless reviews and opinions, and punching out the numbers to figure out what would be most cost-effective, here's what I plan to use:

*Thirsties Duo Wrap Size 1
I bought 5 of these covers. Size 1 fits Baby from 6lbs up to 18 (or 16)lbs. If the baby is a girl, we will get at least 5 months of use out of the covers. If the baby is a boy, we will be able to use them for about 3 months.

*Cloth-eez Prefolds
1 Dozen Orange Edge (newborn size)
2 Dozen Yellow Edge (small)

Cloth-eez are supposed to be super soft and seem to have a high resale value on cloth diaper swap sites. I'm debating on whether to buy the regular cloth-eez or to pay a few dollars extra for the organic ones.

I also need to find some cloth wipes.

For the covers, diapers, and shipping, it should cost less than $140 to diaper the baby for at least Baby's first 3 (maybe even 5) months of life! Plus, I can resell the diapers when I'm done!

If you used cloth diapers on a newborn, what type did you use? Any advice on cloth diapering during the first few months?
Have any of you tried the Cloth-eez Organic prefolds? If so, is it worth the few extra dollars to buy them?

Sabrina's 6th. C-Section Birth

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Thu, 10 Dec 2009 22:43:00 +0000

Over the past year, I have encountered many women that have had 4 or more c-sections. Hearing their stories has been a huge encouragement to me as I am now pregnant and anticipating my 5th. c-section next Spring.

Today I would like to tell you about one of those women, Sabrina, who recently had her 6th. c-section. Sabrina gave birth to her sixth child on December 1st this year. Although her fifth c-section was only 13 1/2 months prior, she had no problems with her newest baby's birth. She even feels that her sixth was the best cesarean she's had! You can find Sabrina's 6th. c-section birth story and birth photos on her blog. Hopefully you'll find her story as encouraging as I did.

Snowmen Handprint Ornaments

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Thu, 03 Dec 2009 16:23:00 +0000

Here's a cool keepsake idea I came across recently. I found this idea while googling ideas for homemade Christmas gifts. They're snowmen hand print ornaments that you make with your kids. After coming across this idea on the web, I bought shatterproof ornament balls in 4 packs at Hobby Lobby when they were 50% off. I purchased enough packs of them to do one hand print ball per child for each set of grandparents, as well as a set for our family's tree. It was a super easy and super inexpensive gift to make! If you'd like to make these ornaments with your kids, you can find the instructions on Living a Better Life.

You can find other great homemade ornament ideas on One Pretty Thing.

Favorite Toys for Kids Ages 1-4

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Thu, 19 Nov 2009 17:27:00 +0000

With Christmas only 5 weeks away, I wanted to share some of my children's all-time favorite toys, as well as where I found the best deal on them. Most of the toys are pretty basic- not a lot of glitz and glam, but the kids have a lot of fun with them . Today I'm sharing our children's favorite toys for ages 1-4 years old. Tomorrow I will share a list of our favorite toys for kids 4-7 years old.

Please feel free to leave a comment with what your kids' favorite things are too! I have enjoyed getting ideas from other moms as our kids have been getting older and becoming interested in different things.

*Duplo Blocks by Lego. These are a lot of fun to build with, plus they are big enough that choking is not an issue. This is a toy that kids play with for years and is great for letting several kids play with together. Even our 6 year old still has a blast with them!

Where to shop: Wal-mart, Target, and garage sales.

*Touch and Feel Books. Usborne has some really cool ones which can be found through their consultants, or for an even better price on Amazon.com.

*Baby Dolls. Our girls play with their baby dolls all day long!

*Little Tikes Shopping Cart. Our 2 year old loves to push around her babies in the shopping cart and the other kids enjoy using it in their kitchen play.

Where to shop: Toys R Us will have the shopping carts on sale for $17.99 on Black Friday.

*Doll Stroller. Our daughters push the stroller around all day long. You can find these anywhere- Target, Wal-mart, Toys R Us. Just make sure you find one that has a seat cover that stays on well.

*Play Food. The Melissa & Doug Cutting Food Box has been a big hit, as well as Learning Resources Pretend and Play Bakery Set

Where to Shop: Amazon.com (especially next week as there are likely to be sales all week long). Garage sales are a good place to find Fisher Price and Little Tikes Play Food (from the 80's and 90's) for pretty cheap.

*Play Kitchen. All of our kids love playing kitchen!

Where to Shop: I found ours at a garage sale for $5! I find that the older Little Tikes kitchens have better storage, (especially shelves) then some of the newer ones. Usually you can find people selling play kitchens on Craigs List, however it will be pricer than if it was at a garage sale. Wooden play kitchens can be found at Amazon.com (with free shipping on some of them), Target and many specialty toy stores.

*Fisher-Price Loving Family Dollhouse and Dolls. My daughters (ages 2 & 3) play with their doll house every day. I like how much detail there is to the sets and have had a lot of fun playing it with them.

Where to Shop: Garage Sales!!! I watched spring garage sales and Craigs List for 2 years until I found the doll house I was looking for. I bought a large doll house with a box full of items to go in it for $25. This Spring I found another Loving Family Doll House for $5! I bought it and gave the other one to a friend. The one we have isn't the newest or fanciest model, but it's just right for our girls. . If you can't find one at a garage sale or Craigs List, Wal-mart has them for about the best price I've seen. They also carry some of the very basic decorating sets to go inside the house. Toys R Us carries some fun sets for house as well that you might not see at other stores.

*Dress-Up Clothes and Costumes. Every day is dress up day at our house! My daughters love to wear ballerina skirts over their clothes, and my sons enjoy dressing up like super heroes as they run around the house.

Where to Shop: The week after Halloween at Target (you can find them up to 75% off). Garage sales are a great resource too. I've found ballerina skirts for 25 cents, as well as ballet shoes, leotards, hats, and costumes for the boys. 25 cents- $1 is what I've found most of those items for.

*Thomas Trains. Our kids started playing with these as toddlers and our oldest (age 6) still enjoys playing with them. The wooden ones have a lot of cool bridges and accessories to go with them, but our familiy has the metal Take-Along type. If cost was not an issue, I would have chosen the wooden type, but our kids have still had a blast with the take-along ones.

Where to Shop: Just about all the mega stores carry Thomas and finding them on sale is fairly easy. Craigslist and garage sales are a great way to get a larger ammount of trains for less.

*Matchbox and Hot Wheels Cars. Our boys started playing with these when they were 1 and like the trains, they still enjoy playing with them now. When they were really little and couldn't even talk much, they would sit pushing the cars and make car noises. Funny how boys just know how to do that.

Where to shop: Target, Wal-mart, Toys R Us. There are tons to choose from and they are super cheap- 88 cents- $1 a piece, or $4 for a set of 10 at Toys R Us on black friday. They've made great stocking stuffers for our boys. Our girls enjoy playing with them too.

***In case you're interested, you can find many of the black friday ads on the internet already! For our family, I usually watch sales at the stores as well as keeping an eye on Amazon's prices every day. The prices fluctuate on amazon.com on a daily basis, so I find it helpful to add things to my cart and just check back each day until the price drops low enough and I'm ready to buy.

Keepsake Hand and Footprint Turkeys!

noreply@blogger.com (Morgan) — Mon, 09 Nov 2009 16:23:00 +0000

I made these turkeys with my kids 2 years ago and have enjoyed them so much, we made them again this year! It makes a nice craft for the kids and a fun decoration for Thanksgiving!

To make the Turkeys, you will need:
*Construction paper in brown, red, orange, and any other color you want
*Googly Eyes
*White Paper- the bigger your child, the bigger the sheet of paper you will need.
8 1/2" x 11" works well up to preschool age.

Instructions:
To make the feathers: Start by tracing your child's hand on a sheet of construction paper. Stack 6 more sheets of construction paper under the one with the traced hand and cut out the hand shape through all 7 layers of paper. Set aside.

To make the body: Fold a piece of brown construction paper in half and trace your child's foot onto the paper. Don't worry about going around each toe, simply trace a general outline of your child's foot shape. Cut the foot tracing out through both layers of construction paper so that you now have 2 foot shapes to use for the turkey's body.

Flip one of the brown foot shapes over and then place both brown pieces onto the white sheet of paper so that the heals overlap and then flare out towards the toes. The heals will be at the top of the paper and the toes at the bottom.

Glue the hand shapes behind the turkey body so they are fanned out like turkey feathers.

Using orange paper, cut a small triangle for a beak and two legs. Use Red paper to cut out a wavy oval for the wattle.

Glue the legs under the bottom of the turkey body (see picture) and then glue the rest of the turkey in place.
Using glue, put the wattle and beak on as well.

Add the googly eyes and the turkey is complete!

*I laminated my turkeys and have held onto them as keepsakes. By laminating the pictures, they last longer and can be put up as decoration again in future years. Check out your local teacher supplies store for using a laminating machine. If you live in TX, MO, KS, CO, or AK, consider checking out Mardel. They have laminating machines in the teacher section of their stores that are VERY inexpensive to use.

*IF you plan to laminate, do not add the eyes until AFTER you laminate the turkeys. Glue the eyes on after laminating the pictures.