I had fully intended on this being a Birth Story post, but we don’t have one yet. I am three days overdue with not much hope of labor starting in the next couple days. My contractions seem to have slowed and become less painful. I am dialated the same as I was last week, at 2 cm. So discouraging! I know its gotta happen eventually, but every morning I wake up and realize I didn’t go into labor during the night I get annoyed and frustrated. I reluctantly pull myself out of bed using the crib as support and get ready for another day. Brae seems more annoyed than I am. She was ranting the other night about how mad she was that the baby isn’t here yet. I’m not sure whether she is excited for the baby to come or she just wants to get out of school for a couple days. Probably a little of both.
I have a bunch of tabs saved on my phone of recipes and cool articles. I thought now would be a good time to share them with you all. Hope you find something you like!
Homemade Applesauce Recipe from Simply Recipes– I made some last night using this recipe. Peeling the apples is a pain, but I sat and watched a rerun of Bones and they were done long before it was over. The peels and cores went to the chickens. They were very happy.
Spiced Apple Preserves from Simple Bites – No peeling? Sounds good to me! I haven’t made these yet but I am hoping to get around to it soon. Never tried apple preserves before but considering how much I love jam I am eager to try it.
Natural Homemade Baby Care from Simple Homemade – A sister site to Simple Bites, Simple Homemade has loads of wonderful articles. This one focuses on making things like healthier baby oi, diaper rash cream, cradle cap ointment, and a soothing massage oil. Be sure to check out her article on coconut oil as well. I am a total convert! Its my new favorite lotion and my breastfeeding teacher told me its way better than over the counter ointments for sore chapped nipples.
Basic Pancake Mix – I have tried a few different recipes and this is by far my favorite. It doesn’t call for anything that I don’t always have on hand, like buttermilk. I never have buttermilk unless I buy it for something specific.
How to Make Goat Cheese – A friend recently gave me a half-gallon of fresh raw goats milk that she and Brae milked from her goats. We don’t drink a lot of milk but we eat loads of cheese. I can’t wait to make this.
Yoga Journal Online Videos – I am aching, literally, to do some yoga. I feel ridiculously out of shape. I used to be very very limber but now I can’t touch my toes. I cant wait to get back on the yoga bandwagon. About 10 years ago I was doing yoga twice a week for 90 minutes and I looked and felt amazing!
How to Carve a Wooden Spoon – Whittling wood was one of my favorite things to do while camping as a kid. I never made anything worth keeping, but got lots of scars from accidental slips of my pocketknife. I wish I had this tutorial back then.
Yes on Proposition 37 – Mandatory Labeling of GMO Foods in California – I love corn, but I rarely buy it because I don’t know if its genetically modified or not. Chances are, in this country, it is. GMO foods do not provide any benefits for us, if anything there could be serious consequences, environmentally and biologically. At the very least I deserve to know whether that tomato was created in a lab with frog DNA to make it less susceptible to disease or if its au natural, just the way I like it. By the way, those commercials on TV every five minutes in CA that oppose prop 37 are incredibly misleading. They say that the new law would be unfair because some foods need to be labeled while others don’t. For example, they compare Soy milk with Cow milk. Well, soy milk is made with soy, a plant that can, and often is, grown with GMO seeds. Cows can’t be grown with GMO seeds. Neither can meat or cheese, two more products they use in their examples. They are taking advantage of those people who do not understand what a GMO product is. Not nice. Also check out this great GMO rap recently played at the Beard Foundation Food Conferance.
5 Things to Do with Apple Peels – Wish I had this list before I fed the chickens all those apple peels from my applesauce making session.
Wish me luck that we go into labor this week!
Shoots and Roots 
Oh good luck when birthing day finally comes, I know exactly how you feel, it’s such a low (and made all the more horrid because the sensible bit of brain knows its ridiculous!). By day 40+7 last month I had almost convinced myself that the whole pregnancy was a figment of my crazy imagination … and then within 1 hr 45 minutes this bubba reminded me how real he was!!! It’ll come, and we’ll get limber again… honest we will. In the meantime focus on the cool thought that you’re going to lose around 8-10kg before the month is out 🙂 I did anyway!!
All you blog fans are thinking of you in these days and cheering you on. Hope you can hear us! Good luck.
Oh, it will all happen before you know it :-)….sometimes labor comes on like a lightening bolt! Maybe you’re cuddling him right now, even! I’m just impressed you listed out and described all those links!!! I’m very curious about the apple peels…
So excited for you three + one !!!! Thinking about you from over here….
Still no baby! Lots of contractions though. Hoping it will be soon :). Thanks for all the prayers!