Nearly 50?

The snow might actually go away since we are expecting several days in the upper 40's. The heaps of snow will be around till May or so...

In other news, we are considering selling the house and building new on the other side of town. SCARY! I am also mourning the potential loss of my beloved plants in my gardens. To mention them all by name.... 300+ tulips, two dozen asiatic lilies, star magnolia, 3 liliacs, a dozen or so day lilies, columbine and foxglove that were started from seeds when we lived in PA. I'm coming around to being OK with leaving the house behind for a new one...but the garden pains me.

Well..Sam is having a rough morning so I'd better see if I can help him be more comfortable. Tata!

Winter Thaw!

Drumroll please! Today it hit a whopping 40 degrees! Yes, I was as shocked as you are. The 5 foot icicles fell off of the house (before we could get pictures of them) and we (well, Morgan and Ben to be exact) chipped the inches of ice off of the driveway. The biggest deal was it hit 70 in the house downstairs. We actually took our sweatshirts off! However as soon as the sun went down...the temperature started to fall accordingly.And what does tomorrow hold you may ask?? Temperatures falling to the teens and EIGHT inches of snow!Until next time...

USA is Backwards...

So in my quest to be healthier and provide optimal milk for Sam I have noticed something about the food in the USA. Unrefined foods which would be healthier because they have been messed with less, cost more. Refined foods which have gone though countless processes cost way less. For example whole milk costs more then skim. Refined white sugar costs way less then "raw" sugar which costs more then cane juice. I find this frustrating. From what I read about sugar...in the 1800's when they started refining it, refined sugar was so expensive that only the "refined" or wealthy could afford it. Also there is documentation that the wealthy that were eating this refined sugar were getting sick, often. If sugar wasn't the only product with this problem I wouldn't be worried...but almost everything we eat has been terribly refined and this I find alarming...
Anyway, this all comes from me finding reasons to cut sugar out of our diet at the Shepard house. Mind you, we didn't just throw away the sugar/corn syrup containing products that we have but have decided to not buy anymore. If it has to be sweet we will be looking for honey or cane juice.
*stepping off my soap box, for now*

The latest ponderings...

Since last you tuned in I (Kate) have pondered a great many things. First, my belly button due to 2 little boy's pregnancies is no longer eligible for a belly piercing. I've always wanted to be "cute" or "cool" and have a little belly ring but it wouldn't be either to pierce the dimple that resides where the ring should go. Aww well. My husband will be glad to know I've given up on the idea as he was never in favor of it. I haven't given up on wanting a tattoo someday...maybe on the small of my back. I just haven't taken the time to research a Celtic symbol that I both like the look of and meaning. Also there would be the researching the actual studio to have the procedure done. If you have a favorite Celtic symbol or tattoo studio...please share. :)

On to another pondering...I was Gluten free for 5 days to see if that would help Sam feel a little better. It didn't, so I grabbed my tasty wheat products again in a hurry. Now we are considering going dairy-free to see if he feels better. Just a little fussy around feedings and quite gassy. Since he doesn't get to choose his foods yet it only seems fair that I do my best to choose things that agree with him. He will have plenty of years to make his own good or bad food choices. It has also been suggested to me that I cut refined sugars out of my diet. Apparently wheat, dairy and sugar are the reason why Americans are so unhealthy. At least wheat and dairy products have some nutrition attached to them where sugar has none. However trying to give up any of these during the holiday season is quite tricky. You have to either resist all tastyness all together or cook/bake with really weird stuff.

Still more pondering...how to be warm in a Victorian in Wisconsin in the winter. We have wraped many windows in plastic which has helped a lot. There are still some places, mostly in the entry area where you can feel the cold air blowing in. I have heard that Charlotte, NC is a nice place to live (warm). Far enough away from huricanes and tourists (known as terroists in RI) and close enough to the mountains to enjoy those as well. Perhaps we will move towards that direction someday.
That's all of the ponderings that I can think of for now. I'd better post at least pictures on the boys blog to satisfy those who crave them.

Sam is Here!

So if you have not heard...Samuel Rodger Shepard arrived at 2:32 am on November 20th. He weighed 8lbs 6 ozs and was 20.25 in long. As of Nov 28th he was up to 9lbs and 22 in.
He reminds us a lot of Ben in looks. Black hair and dark eyes. He has his dad's skin color. He is a quieter baby compared to what we remember about Ben's early days...This may to due to a calmer, second time momma and a gentler birth. He seldom cries and has taken to nursing like a pro.
Anyhoo..here's a picture or two. Be sure to check out the Shepard Boys blog for more updates in the future! Also there are many more pictures on my Facebook!

Turned!

As of Tuesday, Baby Brother has turned into a good postion for birth, finally. Due to lack of space it isn't likely that he will be able to switch around again. He was hanging out a little left (left is better than right) at the appointment but now seems to be right in the center...which hopefully means he's about ready to be born.

Due date (recently adjusted) was Wednesday...and we wait. My parents will be here sometime today for 2 weeks so we are hoping he gets motivated. Benjamin tells my belly every morning "Come out baby brother!" Sometimes he adds "I want to play football." That should be interesting.

:)

Blessingway

On Saturday night some good friends came over and had a "Blessingway" for me. Basically its a time for an expectant mother to be honored by her friends as she waits for labor to begin. There are books and websites out there if your interested. Here's how this one went...

Good friends brought over their idea of comfort food. The lights in the house were dimmed and many candles were lit for a soft light. We all talked a lot about our birth experiences. They washed and massaged my feet, curled my hair, and presented me with a wreath of flowers to wear. Also beads were strung on a single cord to represent each of their children which will be a necklace to wear during labor. Each guest also made a bracelet for themselves to remember me in prayer in the coming weeks. Candles were also lit to remember our "May Baby."

It was a lovely time that I will always remember.