Some are skeptical of my constant use of homeopathic or herbal or homemade remedies. I have a few friends and relatives that I have brought into the world of little to no antibiotics, no Nyquil or Sudafed or Tylenol Cold or whatever they call it these days. Don't get me wrong we use these things sometimes, we use Tylenol and Advil, and cough syrup and antibiotics (always used with probiotics!) occasionally. It is just we don't run to the "medicine cabinet" the second we feel a little sick and cover up the symptoms. We drink a lot of Emergen-C and Airborne, we quickly run to the cabinet for UMCKA when we feel a cold coming on or have a cold. I have other remedies for sleepless nights, and upset tummy, stress and anxiety. Feel free to ask me about any of the remedies we us.
But then there is the doozy. The doozy of a cold that has since turned into an ear infection or sinus infection or bronchitis. You just aren't getting better and you want to try something else before you resort to antibiotics. I got a call yesterday from my friend Eric, remember the one in the band. He left a message saying he had a 'mom' question, he was sick, had a sinus infection and need a remedy, did I have one? Yes I do. But just as your cold is a doozy, so is this remedy, it is not for the weak.
Mix in a blender or food processor until the consistincy of salsa, then eat with chips or just drink it, whichever you feel is less evil :)
-Garlic
-Horseradish
-Habanero Pepper
-White Onion
-Ginger
-Apple Cider Vinegar
You will be on fire, but so will any infection in you. You might spike a fever and then it will break, making you sweat more than ever before. You might cry or scream. The pain will be over soon and you will feel much better, much much better.
So Eric used this remedy last night and he called. I missed the call, I was putting kids to bed. But I wish oh so bad you all could hear the message he left. His last words were 'call me, I might be dead.' Funny, but not funny. I am happy to report that when I called him back about 20 minutes later he was not dead and he felt much better.
It sounds bad I know, but 15 or 20 minutes of pain is much better than the toll that antibiotics take on our body. Plus, this is completely natural, finding everything (minus the Vinegar) in the produce department at the grocery store. Next time you are in need, give it a try.
Showing posts with label mothering. Show all posts
Showing posts with label mothering. Show all posts
Wednesday, March 05, 2008
Wednesday, February 13, 2008
Birth on the Highway: One Year Later
The title of the this blog would be what I would name the article for the Eureka Reporter, had they called me up and asked to do a follow-up article to the one from last year. But they didn't call me up, ah well.
Your smile lights up my heart. Each day I thank the Lord for you. Our family is blessed to have you. Just so you know, I consider you timing nothing short of impeccable and ordained by God.
If you didn't know us a year ago, why don't you venture back in time with me, to that night that will never be forgotten...
It was about 9pm on Tuesday and I felt a contraction. I thought “whatever, here we go again”. I had been having contractions for a few hours each evening for the past 10 days at least, so contractions weren’t getting me too excited anymore. The contractions continued, and at about 10pm they got a little uncomfortable, so I told Nick this *might* be it (I am sure he was like, uuhhhuhh sure). We decided he should go to sleep, just in case. I folded some laundry, did the dishes, picked up the house. Coda was having a hard night, so I laid with him for awhile, he needed to poop, but wouldn’t so his tummy was not feeling the greatest. It was getting too uncomfortable to lay with him, the contractions were getting stronger, so I told him he needed to poop. He pooped, I changed him and got him back into bed. By this time it was a little after midnight, I needed to wake Nick up, this had to be it, right?! I could still walk around during the contractions, but I could barely talk, so we decided we needed to go. I called my midwife and told her and then she reassured me that I would be leaving the hospital with a baby if I made the trip down this time. Thank God, I couldn’t imagine being in labor again and then the labor stopping and having to go home without a baby again. We called my mom, my sister and Nick’s parents…we would be there in about two hours and then head to the hospital.
At 12:55am we pulled out of our driveway, over the next 20 minutes the contractions got increasingly closer together and stronger. The contractions were about 2 and ½ minutes apart and about 1 and ½ minutes long…that didn’t leave much time in between! Twenty miles after leaving I knew we were not going to make it to Fortuna, but I was praying we would make it to at least Arcata or Eureka (both towns have hospitals). We stopped quick for gas and I stuck my hand down my pants, pulled it out and BLOOD, lots of BLOOD. Crap, I thought, I am heading towards 7cm…
With each contraction I rubbed the tops of my thighs, breathed in through my nose, out through my mouth, and prayed for it to be over. Nick had strict instructions to keep both hands on the wheel, look only at the road and drive as fast as he could without even slightly endangering us. Enya was playing, I was contracting, the kids were all wide-eyed…and we were driving.
I tried to change positions, but I didn’t have time in between contractions to figure anything out…I mean I was sitting in the front seat of a van for goodness sake, how many positions could I really get into?!
I had been praying and I asked Nick to be praying, but I needed something more. I asked Nick to pray aloud, he did. We prayed for safety, for a break in the contractions and to make it to the hospital. We were now about 55 miles from home. As the contractions came I knew the birth was imminent. I kept this information to myself; truthfully I didn’t know how to tell Nick, I think we are going to have this baby in the car. A few more contractions came, I was still keeping pretty calm during them, I tried to picture his face, holding him in my arms. Then a change happened, I felt emotional, overwhelmed, I felt like I just couldn’t take another contraction. I said out loud, “I can’t do this anymore.” CRAP, I knew once I said that that the baby was going to arrive within minutes, it was a comment I had made moments before the birth of Coda and Téadora.
I told Nick we were not making it to Fortuna and to call his parents and have them meet us in Arcata at the hospital. I asked him how long until we would be there…he said 10 minutes. I told him I wasn’t sure we were going to make it. He sped up! A contraction came and I told him again we were not going to make it. The contraction ended and I thought, OK we can make it. The next contraction came and I felt “pushy”, I said “the baby is coming”. Nick said give me 5 minutes, he sped up even more. He told me to check and see if I felt the baby’s head, I felt down there and about 1 inch inside me I felt the intact bag of waters. “He’s right there”, I said. The contraction ended and I felt relief, we can make it, we can make it, we can make it….NOOOOOOOOO we can’t. A contraction began, my last actually, I realized I still had my pants on; I ripped them off and yelled “PULL OVER”. Nick went from 85mph to stopped on the side of the road in seconds. I was pushing, my body was pushing, I was holding onto the handle above the door, I looked down and saw the bag of waters outside of my body, but still intact. WOOOSH, the water exploded, exploded. Nick jumped out of his side, slammed his door, and opened mine. HIS HEAD, was there, I was grunting or was I screaming, I was pushing, his head was crowning, I felt his head, and Nick guided him out and onto my chest. I looked at my baby boy, he was breathing, he was pink, and he was beautiful. Nick began to dial his parents on the cell phone, “we had him, on the side of the road, and we will be to Mad River (the hospital) in 5 minutes". At the same time, I said, “he’s fine; we’re fine, get in, turn on the heater.” I wrapped Dillon in a blanket that I had on my lap. I starred at him; Nick got in the car, turned the heater on full blast and sped off.
All was right in the world, I turned and looked at the three, “we are ok, mommy is ok, and baby Dillon is ok”. Coda who had started to cry when I was pushing Dillon out, was now smiling. We were all ok. The next 5 or so minutes to the hospital are a blur, did I really just have a baby on the side of the road, in the front seat of my car, and was it really that fast?! We were pulled over less than 4 minutes. We arrived to the hospital, pulled up near the ER, a man yelled to us, go further, turn left, they are waiting for you. We pulled up to the birth center, Nick’s parents were right behind us. There was a wheel chair waiting with a nurse. All I could think was, “I am going to get out of my car with nothing but a shirt on.” I did. My father in law wheeled me in, I got up onto the bed, it was bright. I could see Dillon, he was perfect, Nick leaned over and kissed me. And I answered the nurse, “yes, my name is Stephanie Lende, he was born at 2:18, well right there at the North Central Exit, his name is Dillon.”
We proceeded to cut the cord and deliver the placenta a little while later. After that my other three joined us. Everything with Dillon and me was great, I had no tearing, and he received a perfect bill of health. He was 7lbs, 8oz and 20inches, born at 2:18am on Valentines Day!
Your smile lights up my heart. Each day I thank the Lord for you. Our family is blessed to have you. Just so you know, I consider you timing nothing short of impeccable and ordained by God.
If you didn't know us a year ago, why don't you venture back in time with me, to that night that will never be forgotten...
It was about 9pm on Tuesday and I felt a contraction. I thought “whatever, here we go again”. I had been having contractions for a few hours each evening for the past 10 days at least, so contractions weren’t getting me too excited anymore. The contractions continued, and at about 10pm they got a little uncomfortable, so I told Nick this *might* be it (I am sure he was like, uuhhhuhh sure). We decided he should go to sleep, just in case. I folded some laundry, did the dishes, picked up the house. Coda was having a hard night, so I laid with him for awhile, he needed to poop, but wouldn’t so his tummy was not feeling the greatest. It was getting too uncomfortable to lay with him, the contractions were getting stronger, so I told him he needed to poop. He pooped, I changed him and got him back into bed. By this time it was a little after midnight, I needed to wake Nick up, this had to be it, right?! I could still walk around during the contractions, but I could barely talk, so we decided we needed to go. I called my midwife and told her and then she reassured me that I would be leaving the hospital with a baby if I made the trip down this time. Thank God, I couldn’t imagine being in labor again and then the labor stopping and having to go home without a baby again. We called my mom, my sister and Nick’s parents…we would be there in about two hours and then head to the hospital.
At 12:55am we pulled out of our driveway, over the next 20 minutes the contractions got increasingly closer together and stronger. The contractions were about 2 and ½ minutes apart and about 1 and ½ minutes long…that didn’t leave much time in between! Twenty miles after leaving I knew we were not going to make it to Fortuna, but I was praying we would make it to at least Arcata or Eureka (both towns have hospitals). We stopped quick for gas and I stuck my hand down my pants, pulled it out and BLOOD, lots of BLOOD. Crap, I thought, I am heading towards 7cm…
With each contraction I rubbed the tops of my thighs, breathed in through my nose, out through my mouth, and prayed for it to be over. Nick had strict instructions to keep both hands on the wheel, look only at the road and drive as fast as he could without even slightly endangering us. Enya was playing, I was contracting, the kids were all wide-eyed…and we were driving.
I tried to change positions, but I didn’t have time in between contractions to figure anything out…I mean I was sitting in the front seat of a van for goodness sake, how many positions could I really get into?!
I had been praying and I asked Nick to be praying, but I needed something more. I asked Nick to pray aloud, he did. We prayed for safety, for a break in the contractions and to make it to the hospital. We were now about 55 miles from home. As the contractions came I knew the birth was imminent. I kept this information to myself; truthfully I didn’t know how to tell Nick, I think we are going to have this baby in the car. A few more contractions came, I was still keeping pretty calm during them, I tried to picture his face, holding him in my arms. Then a change happened, I felt emotional, overwhelmed, I felt like I just couldn’t take another contraction. I said out loud, “I can’t do this anymore.” CRAP, I knew once I said that that the baby was going to arrive within minutes, it was a comment I had made moments before the birth of Coda and Téadora.
I told Nick we were not making it to Fortuna and to call his parents and have them meet us in Arcata at the hospital. I asked him how long until we would be there…he said 10 minutes. I told him I wasn’t sure we were going to make it. He sped up! A contraction came and I told him again we were not going to make it. The contraction ended and I thought, OK we can make it. The next contraction came and I felt “pushy”, I said “the baby is coming”. Nick said give me 5 minutes, he sped up even more. He told me to check and see if I felt the baby’s head, I felt down there and about 1 inch inside me I felt the intact bag of waters. “He’s right there”, I said. The contraction ended and I felt relief, we can make it, we can make it, we can make it….NOOOOOOOOO we can’t. A contraction began, my last actually, I realized I still had my pants on; I ripped them off and yelled “PULL OVER”. Nick went from 85mph to stopped on the side of the road in seconds. I was pushing, my body was pushing, I was holding onto the handle above the door, I looked down and saw the bag of waters outside of my body, but still intact. WOOOSH, the water exploded, exploded. Nick jumped out of his side, slammed his door, and opened mine. HIS HEAD, was there, I was grunting or was I screaming, I was pushing, his head was crowning, I felt his head, and Nick guided him out and onto my chest. I looked at my baby boy, he was breathing, he was pink, and he was beautiful. Nick began to dial his parents on the cell phone, “we had him, on the side of the road, and we will be to Mad River (the hospital) in 5 minutes". At the same time, I said, “he’s fine; we’re fine, get in, turn on the heater.” I wrapped Dillon in a blanket that I had on my lap. I starred at him; Nick got in the car, turned the heater on full blast and sped off.
All was right in the world, I turned and looked at the three, “we are ok, mommy is ok, and baby Dillon is ok”. Coda who had started to cry when I was pushing Dillon out, was now smiling. We were all ok. The next 5 or so minutes to the hospital are a blur, did I really just have a baby on the side of the road, in the front seat of my car, and was it really that fast?! We were pulled over less than 4 minutes. We arrived to the hospital, pulled up near the ER, a man yelled to us, go further, turn left, they are waiting for you. We pulled up to the birth center, Nick’s parents were right behind us. There was a wheel chair waiting with a nurse. All I could think was, “I am going to get out of my car with nothing but a shirt on.” I did. My father in law wheeled me in, I got up onto the bed, it was bright. I could see Dillon, he was perfect, Nick leaned over and kissed me. And I answered the nurse, “yes, my name is Stephanie Lende, he was born at 2:18, well right there at the North Central Exit, his name is Dillon.”
We proceeded to cut the cord and deliver the placenta a little while later. After that my other three joined us. Everything with Dillon and me was great, I had no tearing, and he received a perfect bill of health. He was 7lbs, 8oz and 20inches, born at 2:18am on Valentines Day!
Saturday, February 02, 2008
Adelaide Stuart Lende
Please join us in welcoming, Adelaide Stuart Lende, aka Addie. She is amazingly cute and super tiny, weighing about 2 1/2 pounds.
Some of you might be in shock. Most of the world did not know the Lende Family was expecting to add another girl to the family quite so soon.
Some of you might be in shock. Most of the world did not know the Lende Family was expecting to add another girl to the family quite so soon.
Without further ado....
Were you fooled?! I thought that would be a funny one.
We would appreciate you leaving us a comment telling what thought/s went through your head when you read the email/MySpace bulletin/beginning of the post.
Wednesday, July 25, 2007
He's Five!
Captian Aidan that is! Each year I am in awe of how fast time goes by. Five years ago I became a mom, five years ago God entrusted this little baby to me (and Nick :0), five years ago my life began to mean something and five years ago I fell in love in a way that I never thought possible.
Aidan is wonderful kid, he is full of life, he is a clown, he likes to make people laugh, but he is not made of steel, he melts with a mean-look, he loves to snuggle, he love to hug, kiss and take care of his littler brothers and sister. He loves to pretend, one day he is Captain Jack, then the Red Power Ranger, a tiger (which according to him could never be related to a cat!), a T-Rex dinosaur...and the best part is, we all get to play along in his pretending.
We let Aidan pick where we are going to go to dinner tonight and I was shocked (NOT) when he said McDonald's! The Close's are joining us for our gourmet meal at the Crescent City McDonald's.
On Saturday we had a HUGE party for Aidan (which my camera broke 1/4 of the way through)! We all had a blast, Nick built a "pirate ship" in the front yard, the kids all had eye patches, they ran around with plastic swords and pirate bubbles. We opened presents, ate our "treasure chest" cake and demolished the pinata. All in all it was an awesome day, pictures to come!
*Aidan's shirt was painted by a WAHM (work at home mom), she is amazingly talented, if you want her info let me know!
Friday, July 13, 2007
Relate?
"Sometimes I secrectly let the milk run out so that I have to make late-night grocery run -- all by myself. I drive slowly, put the windows down, and enjoy a tin ypiece of solitude."
-------from I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids: Reinventing Modern Motherhood, by Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile
-------from I Was a Really Good Mom Before I Had Kids: Reinventing Modern Motherhood, by Trisha Ashworth and Amy Nobile
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