Turning 45..Tears of Joy or Midlife Crisis?

Any words of WISDOM for a woman turning 45!

Usually I wouldn't put my age out there like this but, this is a BIG one! Thank you to some family and friends who have left me comments like:

My sister reminds me we are Blessed with good genes!

-NF

A friend recommended a book on aging well..."Nurture" by Lisa Bevere

-LP

"Been there done that, I still feel the same...Happy Birthday!"

-Friend from Tampa, FL

"Don't even stress it cuz you look great!"

-friend from CT

Another friend said "You aren't quite at your half-way point. Your later years WILL be more wonderful, more full of blessings, more full of glory than all those before. Each year will build upon the others glory."

-Missionary in Africa

"Continue to be, the best YOU, you can be, which is the best you can be to yourself. Happy Birthday!"

-VH in Atlanta

"Some words of Wisdom on turning 45. Well, this is the truth. You are young, and you will never be this young again. Keep yourself as fit as you can because it all gets harder. Eat the best foods that you can afford, and give up something else if you have to. Grow some food for your family. It will be good for you all, and working in the soil in the sunshine will give you vitamin D, and some inner peace and joy.

You are not old. Play everyday. Have enough work for your hands to do. Find some joy in each and everyday. Laugh a lot, and don't take things to seriously. Tell those you love that you love them. Take some time for yourself, then you can be better for the people you love. Keep your girlfriends. They will understand you and be there for you no matter what. Love God, love your family, and love yourself. You are not old. Don't waste your time and energy on things that really don't matter. Set aside special things for you and your husband. The kids will be up and gone before you know it, and you've got to keep that friendship going with your man. It will be just you and him when the kids are gone, so keep it strong. Stop thinking that you're old. According to the gene pool in this family, you're still considered young, a kid as a matter of fact. Think about my mother (Aunt J) and her sisters; ages 80, 90 and what (Aunt D) 97!!! Oh my, has God ever been good to us!

But, the thing is...you've got to keep it right and take real good care of yourself, and enjoy the gift that you've been given. So, my dear cousin, you must relax and love life and just know that GOd has blessed you richly. HAVE A WONDERFUL BIRTHDAY!

-Love your cousin MM from Maine

"Ummmmm... Sleep on a satin pillow and with a satin cap on your hair?! LOL. Wish I had something more profound to impart. How's this-- surround yourself with like-minded, *true* friends, learn how to "weed" out those who don't meet the grade then weed them out with nary a backward glance! On a serious note, I think you've done quite well...your marriage is intact and your girls are beautiful and well rounded. And you finally have your son! You are blessed my Dear, and I am very happy for you. Let's hope that in the next 21 years of our friendship (gosh, it's been *that* long!!!) we'll be able to see each other more often.

-Love ya :-) Friend in Washington, DC

"Seperate yourself from toxic people. So that as you enter this phase of your life you can enjoy true liberty. Happy Blessed Birthday!!! -DvineExpression from twitter

Comfrey Oil: How to make herbal remedies

This will be my project for this week! Well after celebrating my Birthday of course... Which reminds me the comfrey is already cut down and waiting to be chopped up! We will tell you how it comes out.

Learning Herbs.com

Bath Time/Routine

What a wonderful journey!

After reading another blog on Mothering/Breastfeeding and the joy that she was experiencing with the different stages of her infant. That is when I realized, this is my last child, God willing! Which means that I should slow it down and enjoy! This moment will be gone, I don't want to look back and say 'I did it, but I did not enjoy the journey!"

Why should it matter to other's how long I did or did not nurse (breastfeed) my son? Is he happy? Yes. Is he healthy? Yes. Then I rest my case...

We have stepped our bath experience up a notch by adding: Scented bath oil, scented bubble bath, all from the same line of products (Unwind: by Arbonne). Then we slather on, from the same line, our lavender scented lotion. All of this in hopes, that my son would sleep all the way thru the night. Including spraying his pillow with the lavender pillow/sheet spray.

In all honesty, none of my children slept all night till their body was good and ready. But, that first night of the full treatment, he did add two extra hours onto his sleeping pattern.

Now for Mom and Dad to be consistant! (Nite-Weaning/Night #20)

Happy Sleeping,

-Nubian

"You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes"

This is a long awaited book for me!

Facts and Truths about being a "Preachers Wife", in all honesty I am excited about the author: Lisa McKay's book comming out February 1, 2010! WooHoo!

Don't you know God will answer prayers by any means possible, when our request lines up with his word. The author and I have never met and I just found her blog by..."Only Heaven know" because I don't remember! But, one thing for sure it was not just happenstance. (Is that a word or correct spelling!)

My husband is a "Local Preacher" and that could quite possible make me one day, you guessed it! Well, as you can see I never did actually label myself that. It is a tall hat to fill and I'm not sure that I want it or could handle it if God brought to me. That would also make my children "PK" or Preachers Kids (I am guarding them with every ounce that is with in me).

If you are here and still reading, you would probably say this woman needs prayer you are right, and lots of it I might add. I've worked in a church as the Secretary of about 200 people in the congragation and that was harder then serving over in "Desert Storm" send me to war to defend my country at anytime! (Kidding all ready been there and done that) Pray for my sister she is over in Irag on her second tour...leaving behind her Dh and four children.

Well, back to the book: I've asked many of the women that I know that are "Preachers Wives" and they have said to me "As far as they know there is no book" Yes, it is true to let the Holy Spirit guide you, but it is nice to know that women "Preachers Wives" Like author Lisa McKay are getting to a place where they feel comfortable and know who they are in Christ and they can bear all or at least some.

The Author Lisa McKay and her new book is sure to be a best seller in the Christian community (according to me, whom is a first time blogger and first time book reviewer, before the book even comes out). Just from being a fan of her blog, I can tell this is going to be a breath of fresh air! I say bring it on my Sister In Christ! She is calling it "You Can Still Wear Cute Shoes" And Other Great Advice from an Unlikely Preachers Wife.

My Blog may be brand new and I am still getting the hang of this but my encouragement came from her blog. Go and take a look, I'm sure you will be a fan too! http://thepreachers-wife.blogspot.com/2009/05/unveiling.html

I have not figured out how to post the cover of her book, just yet! But, give me some time! This was fun...maybe I'll start my own feature friday. LOL first I have to work on getting some traffic. Have a Blessed Day, and Y'all come back now you here.

Chow for now,
-NubianQueen

Weaning and Distractions

This journey is now being looked at as an Adventure!

We have been continuing with our Night-Time Weaning! Now, we are working on disractions that work during the day-time.

1. Taking a walk
2. Eating a snack
3. Playing a game with Mommy
4. Doing something fun with siblings/Daddy
5. having breafast/lunch/dinner on time
6. BF only after bath-time
7. Let's watch tv

Any tips... Leave a comment.

Chow for now!

-NubianQueen

My Brown Baby

How funny! As a new blogger I am encountering some really funky things! Like going to update my Blog and have this logo pop up! I've visited this site and I really did enjoy it. So, I clicked on the logo and it stored on my computer! Go and visit and say you saw their logo on my blog!Chow for now! -NubianQueen

Happy Memorial Day!

Memorial Day, originally called Decoration Day, is a day of remembrance for those who have died in our nation's service.

After knowing the exact history of Memorial Day it seems funny (or even weird) to say Happy Memorial Day! But, we do Honor and remember those who served our country and are presently serving! My family when I really think about it is a "Military Family". My grandfather served in the Coast Guard, my father in the Army (during Vietnam War), myself (United States Air Force) during Desert Storm! My sister is serving her second tour in Iraq with the Army! My brother served as a Marines. He is now in the Army Reserves and still has a bullet lodged in his leg. So, I guess I can safely say or consider my family a "Military Family".

Oh, and not to forget the love of my life: My Dear Husband served in, you guessed it, the Air Force. He has been retired for over or about 15 years now! We met in Spain, what a beautiful country. We could pack up and move there tomorrow and it would not bother me a bit, I loved it there that much! Our oldest child is now nearly 14 and our youngest is 2 1/2. We've come a long way baby!

S0, thank you to all who have served, and are still serving. It is like another friend put it in her blog, a huge sacrifice. To my sister and her family, God is with you and her and will bring her home safely. That is my Prayer! Amen.

"Old Navy"

Today was $1 Flip Flops at "Old Navy"... WooHoo!

When you are a family of 6, deals like this are a God send. It was crazy in the store, we arrive about 10:05am and the lines were out of this world....

It was fun shopping for a family of six. Why can't every store have bargains like that!

Happy Shopping!

-Nubian

Nite -Time Weaning #15

Had a wonderful night! I honestly was so tired, I don't remember if my son nursed or not! DH was at work and my lil soldier boy was in my bed. So, more then likely he nursed. Must try harder tonight!

Nite #14 of Night-Time Weaning!

Waking up this morning to the sound of my lil soldier boy crying at 5am! Now that is a sweet sound.

Let me explain, I slept in a totally seperate room from him and my DH. My DH was totally on duty, while I (hid away) slept in the room with my three lovely daughters. Aahh, blissful! Now if only my DH was off every evening, we'd be done with this whole weaning (thing) process. What did I put in my post the other day... "Gradual weaning is successful weaning!"

Off to the park, we now need day-time distractions and the park will do it for him every time!

Chow for now,
Nubian

Tips to Enhance Beauty of Our Feet!

This article was especially meaningful to me because of my time spent serving in the military! Desert Storm to be exact, my feet took a beating wearing those darn boots every single day for five months. My feet are now on their way back to recovery. After 18 years...

Tips to enhance beauty of our feet

Express Features by "Express Buzz"
Its painful to even imagine how grandmother could walk barefoot all around the village even in hot summers. Well, since almost none of us have that kind of strong feet, summers make sure to give foot trouble. Foot care is a must to maintain healthy and beautiful feet in these dry, humid and sweaty days.

Ventilation for feet is a major concern, specially when kept covered under shoes and socks for long. Apart from smelling that bacteria activated by sweat cause, there could be irritation, blisters and other fungal infections. A simple solution is to use two to three pairs of shoes and if wearing with socks, changing daily and wearing washed fresh ones everytime is advisable. Many tend to get rid of shoes in summer for the same reason which is good but can be risky of sunburns and blemishes if not well-moisturised or protected with sunscreens and SPF lotions.

Sandles do give enough ventilation but exposure to sunrays definitely should be taken care of by keeping feet clean and applying foot powders or moisturisers.
Also, you may look for sweat absorbing socks that keep the feet dry and sweat free.

Pedicure at parlours will feel great in summers mainly for those who complain of nail infections or corns, calluses, hammertoes etc. Using vaseline or heavy creams before wearing socks can be a good trick to prevent them. Regularly washing the feet and then drying them (very well) will also benefit. But nothing feels as good as a massage. It helps blood circulation and keeps the feet healthy, soft and supple. At home, one can scrub the feet with a pumice stone to get rid of corns and calluses. However, any serious foot trouble should be discussed with a podiatrist.
bbsexpresso@epmltd.com

13 Nites and counting!

This technically will be our 13th night on the not so consistent Night-time Weaning!

Thankful for running into a friend today, that gave me the most helpful tips since the beginning of my blogging experience.

Just remember to be consistent! Well, I know this but to hear it again, just confirms and reinforces what I know I need to be doing. Seems to be no way to avoid the crying. ;(

We will just work thru this...little by little. Inch by inch should be a cinch.

Today was a great Day, no Nursing bra for me!

-NubianQueen

Nite-Time Weaning #7-10

The key to healthy weaning is that it is gradual.

Food that helps your toddler sleep!

I am willing to try this how about you!

Having a snack that contains 'Tryptophan' may help your toddler to sleep. Tryptophan assists with the production of the hormones serotonin and melatonin which help us to sleep and then stay asleep. Foods containing tryptophan:

- banana
- beef
- brown rice
- chicken
- cheese
- eggs
- fish
- milk
- tuna
- turkey

Eating these foods with a high-carbohydrate food makes tryptophan even more effective. E.g. a glass of warm milk, peanut butter on wholegrain bread or a slice of cheese on wholegrain toast before bed may be the ticket! But remember not to let your toddler be too full before bed otherwise the body is busy digesting which can slow the "get to sleep" process down.

-Alissa http://www.is.gd/AGq6
If you would like to find out more about Eat Play Grow and how Play and Nutrition Consultant Alissa can help you and your family.
click here:

Nite #6 of Weaning!

This is definitely a process that only the strong will survive! After waking up and falling asleep at 1am and 3am, my lil guy slept till 9am. This is actually his second morning, sleeping that late! So, I am and do count my blessings!

Chow for now,
Nubian

Nite #5 of Weaning!

Grace

The race is not given to the swift...

The evenings are always met with positive thoughts of the possibility of blissful sleep! Rest for the weary or not so weary. We would all just like to see a peaceful end to such a pleasant and memorable experience (Breastfeeding). My husband being off from work, was on duty as the official tot consoler. Our lil guy actually slept till 2:15am, in his on room. Once he wakes up and realizes he is in his own bed and room, he immediately calls for "Mommy" and Daddy is to the rescue.

After about 15 minutes of crying (not bad) he settles in to bed with Daddy, who gives him some positive and very persuasive conversation. I awoke four hours later, startled by the silence and the uninterupted sleep.

AAww! That was the best four hours of sleep I've had in, well a very long time! You get the picture...

Five nights down and more to go... the thought of going thru the day without having to catch a quick cat nap is very appealing!

Chow for now,
Nubian

Nite #4 of Weaning!

Wednesday, the 13th

WEANING THE UGLY TRUTH:

Off to sleep and so it begins! It's like fighting in the middle of the night when you are already overly exausted! Lil guy falls asleep around 10:30pm...WooHoo!
*After bath
*Hair shampoo
*played in the park
*Good full tummy
We have our little route

Lil guy up as per usual 1am...Nurse him and tell him that is it till morning! Crying begins...one of his sisters Sleepy eyed Princess gets up and comes into my room to see if everything is all right. Yes, I say, thank you for checking in on us, sorry to wake you (go back to sleep). Little more crying and finally off to sleep for lil guy.

Weaning is like a ghostly fight in the middle of the night. Shear exaustion with no real memory of it in the morning! Any advice, I will take some...

Nite #3 of Weaning!

Well, my guest is that if I don't stick to it this time...My tot (whom I will affectionately call my "lil soldier boy") will be married with children before he give up the boob!

No really...my daughters had friends over this weekend for a sleep-over and he (lil soldier boy) was excited! We got down stairs and he was trying to lift up my shirt to show my boobs like they were his trophies! I was like...you know what! I don't think so!

People talk of no sleep or should I say little sleep. I've been a walking, talking, functions sleep deprived Soccer Mom for a very long time! My average is 3 hours of sleep (broken up of course), the next morning I just get up help with Homeschooling and pass out just after lunch. Yes, I've been taking naps, I'll admit it. Can't image life without the naps, my family and I would never have made it this long. We laugh alot! I even manage to smile...My secret, people think I'm getting a full night sleep! Boy, won't they be surprised if they ever stumble upon this blog!

Well chow for now!
Nubian

Just Remember the Password!

Wow! This blogging thing can be fun! But, when you go to sign back in, after being on numerous other accounts. Just remember your passwords!

If you are like me in this digitally transmitted new world, you have at least four or five email accounts. All with different passwords and ID names. Then you belong to www.cafemom.com, www.sparkpeople.com (have not been there in a while), don't forget www.myspace.com what is my account name over there, again (who knows), if your having a baby or thinking about it like my new twitter friend@ http://babymakingmachine.blogspot.com/2009/05/crying-baby.html (then you hang out) at www.babyfit.com.

Hey, am I getting paid for any of these plugs. no not yet, because I have not figured that one out yet. Or, there is the new craze, drum roll please! www.twitter.com maybe it's just new to me! But, if Oprah can figure it out, well we all should be on it! Did I name all my favorite spots, I'm sure I left some out. But there is always another post to my newly formed blog and there is always another day! Now let me go and get caught up on my twittering!

Chow for now,
NubianQueen

Breast Feeding Lowers the risk of Heart Attacks and Strokes and other Great Benefits

The longer women breastfeed, the lower their risk of heart attacks, strokes and cardiovascular disease, report University of Pittsburgh researchers in a study published in the May issue of Obstetrics & Gynecology.
"Heart disease is the leading cause of death for women, so it's vitally important for us to know what we can do to protect ourselves," said Eleanor Bimla Schwarz, M.D., M.S., assistant professor of medicine, epidemiology, and obstetrics, gynecology and reproductive sciences at the University of Pittsburgh. "We have known for years that breastfeeding is important for babies' health; we now know that it is important for mothers' health as well."
According to the study, postmenopausal women who breastfed for at least one month had lower rates of diabetes, high blood pressure and high cholesterol, all known to cause heart disease. Women who had breastfed their babies for more than a year were 10 percent less likely to have had a heart attack, stroke, or developed heart disease than women who had never breastfed.
Dr. Schwarz and colleagues found that the benefits from breastfeeding were long-term ? an average of 35 years had passed since women enrolled in the study had last breastfed an infant.
"The longer a mother nurses her baby, the better for both of them," Dr. Schwarz pointed out. "Our study provides another good reason for workplace policies to encourage women to breastfeed their infants."
The findings are based on 139,681 postmenopausal women enrolled in the Women's Health Initiative study of chronic disease, initiated in 1994.
Reported in news-medical.net.
Original research: Duration of Lactation and Risk Factors for Maternal Cardiovascular Disease. Obstetrics & Gynecology: May 2009 - Volume 113 - Issue 5 - pp 974-982.

Thank you to "The Natural Child Project" blog.

Happy Mother's Day! 2009

For some people (Mothers, Wives, Christians, Homeschoolers, Gardeners) this blogging thing may come easy! I've just been very reluctant. Is my age or just the shear fact that I have not got a clue what I am doing! But, here I go.

The old saying "Ain't nothing to it, but to do it!" (excuse my english and grammer). It feels good to be off on a Brand new Adventure! DO YOU remember your very first blog!

Night #2 of slow Weaning!

This is our #2 Nite attempting to wean my son from night time nursing! Back rubs seem to side track him for a few minutes. We are not stopping cold turkey! Slowly weaning from night time. We or I need to add to my sleep tank, it's been depleted for a while.