A Time of Waiting

sara-37-weeksPhoto credit: Alicia Caine Photography

Today is the 40 week mark of my pregnancy...otherwise known as the "due date". Of course, today has come and gone with no sign of a baby :) I'm in no big hurry to go into labor...although in the last week, I have suddenly felt much MORE pregnant than before and it would be really nice to feel a bit normal again! I had an appointment with Rebecca, my fabulous midwife, this morning and all is well with baby and mama.

It's been a bit of an emotional week for me however...my Grandma passed away in her sleep last Tuesday. The funeral was today...and it was very difficult for me to miss being back in Iowa with the rest of my family. I trust in God's perfect timing though...and He has known from the beginning of time that He would take her home at a time that I couldn't travel to be there. I'm thankful that my mom and dad will still be able to make it to Montana...they are set to arrive tomorrow night.

We've been a busy bunch lately...with the help of my amazing hubby, we have cleaned and organized EVERY cupboard, closet, and crevice in our house. Yay! I love clean. The birth tub is blown up in the bedroom, the belly cast is done, and all of the homebirth "stuff" is in place. Matt has built a sandbox for Bella, installed a new front door, planted peas in our garden, and has indulged every other nesting impulse that I have had :)

In the "craving" area...I have had intense cravings for green stuff. Not green smoothies :) Green plants! As in houseplants. I've been collecting new houseplants this week and my soul is happy with them around. My friend Emily is my houseplant idol...maybe someday my plant collection will be as cool as hers. So far I have a snake plant, baby tears, a ficus tree, and a few other cool succulents. My mom is bringing me a few more from my grandma's house, so I'm excited for that.

I also have regained the ability in the last few weeks to drink coffee again without feeling sick...yay :) There have been way too many "emergency" runs to our favorite coffee shop for an iced decaf soy caramel latte. Yummo. Must stop that though...if we want to keep paying the bills!

Speaking of food, Mindy (my sweet sister-in-law) planned a fun night out with the girls for me at a delightful restaurant in town called The Emerson Grill. Possibly the best vegetarian food I've had in a long time! It was a fun night...you can see a few of the pics here.

My lovely friend, Alicia, is taking care of all of my photography needs for pregnancy, birth, and beyond :) We did a really fun maternity session at an old mill in Bozeman. You can see those photos in her gallery (go to "Past Sessions" and then "Family" and you'll find them). It was really important to me that we capture our little family of THREE in photos before adding another little one. Five years is a long time to be together :) Alicia did such a great job...espeically with Bella. Love them. She is also going to be at the birth and will do newborn photos as well. Thank you Alicia for the photo love...you're the best.

So there is the update. I wanted to make sure I checked in with you all...just in case you don't hear from me for awhile! :) I have so many blog ideas and posts written in my head, but they will have to wait until I have a little more energy and time! I will post a birth announcement soon :)

Vintage Remedies Winner!

Thank you for all of your comments! We had a great response to this wonderful book with 209 entries. I did the drawing a bit differently this time...I scrolled through all the comments super fast and had Bella point at random to one. And the winner is...

Lee Ann Murray "Sara, please enter me in your contest!!! Thanks for the free shipping code as well :) I think this book is a MUST OWN!"

For those of you who did not win...I would highly encourage you to purchase this book and take advantage of Jessie's free shipping for WSLW blog readers. The free shipping offer expires on May 31, 2009.

Click here to purchase. Enter coupon code: "sara"

Have a great weekend!

Vintage Remedies Giveaway

vintage-remedies1Have you ever wanted to stop popping pills for your headaches (or other ailments), but didn't know of any other alternatives? Maybe you really wanted to try an herbal remedy for your child's cough, but you didn't know who to talk to about it or even where to begin. When I became a mother, my thoughts about medications changed radically and I started to seek out alternatives. I just knew there had to be something other than medicine laced with red #40 to lower fever.  However, I still lacked the confidence I needed to make quick decisions about herbal remedies on my own. I wish I would have known about Jessie Hawkins back then! When we were on tour, we stayed with Jessie and her family near Nashville, TN and had a fabulous time. I utilized her expertise many times while we were on the road and was comforted over and over by her reassurance and sensitivity when I was dealing with an ailment.

Jessie is a Master Herbalist and is the founder of Vintage Remedies. Vintage Remedies offers a Family Herbalist Course and a Master Herbalist Course through the Vintage Remedies School of Natural Health. If you've ever been intrigued by herbal medicine, her courses are incredibly detailed and upon completion, will allow you to work in the natural health field. Jessie also offers individualized consulting and has a really great website too!

And now...the really exciting part :) Jessie has recently released a book called The Handbook of Vintage Remedies: The Modern Family's Guide to Herbal Medicine. Every household should have this book! Many of you probably own the book Prescription for Nutritional Healing...I see Jessie's book as the more user-friendly and abbreviated version of that book. It has information on how to treat everything from eczema to menopause to low milk supply. She also includes recipes for cool stuff like natural antibacterial spray, laundry soap, and chocolate chip bath cookies (yum!), as well as and an index of explanations and uses for all of the most common herbs. Here is the summary from her site:

Throughout this book, Jessie covers over 90 common health concerns faced by modern families and 35 of the most commonly used herbal remedies, as well as practical safety guidelines about using natural remedies at home, and valuable formulas and recipes for putting herbs to use in the home. Tips on setting up a natural medicine chest, changing the family to a healthier diet and boosting immunity are also featured. Jessie's holistic approach covers nutritional, lifestyle, herbal and other natural therapies with a focus on evidence based care. Each health concern also includes information on preventative care and when to seek professional medical treatment.

Jessie has generously donated a copy of her book for me to give away, and she is also offering free shipping for my blog readers through May 31. To receive free shipping, enter the coupon code "sara" upon checkout (click here to order). To enter the giveaway, just leave a comment! I'll choose the winner at random on Friday, May 15.

Bonus: Sara Snow (green living expert/TV host), who just happens to be enrolled with Vintage Remedies, just did a great interview on CNN regarding herbal medicine. Check it out here.

COMMENTS ARE CLOSED...Thanks to all who entered!! I will announce the winner soon.