Author - Lorri

I’ve created a bit of a sensation over at the Sonlight Forums. It all started innocently enough. Sarah was reaching the end of her pregnancy and she was just done. If you’ve ever given birth, you know exactly how she felt. Tired, big, achy, uncomfortable and big. She wanted that baby out. I casually mentioned that she could try an induction technique that worked for me: Reese Peanut Butter Cups.

What?!

When I was pregnant with Rebecca and due December 28, I was worried that I would have her before Christmas and she and I wouldn’t make it home to celebrate with the rest of the family. On the other hand, I was anxious for her to arrive. Someone on another online forum recommended eating peanut butter cups to bring on labor. I thought it was a bit odd, but I stored it in the back of my mind. I not-so-patiently waited for labor to begin and finally started eating mini peanut butter cups.

I ate a few handfuls at a time, over the course of a couple of days, with the last round being in the evening before going to bed. The next morning my water broke and Rebecca arrived on December 22, with just enough time for us both to come home on Christmas Eve.

A coincidence? Perhaps.

At the end of my pregnancy with Bip, I was feeling much like Sarah. It was August in Virginia, need I say more? This time I wasn’t dragging things out. I ate half a bag of miniature peanut butter cups in one sitting after the older children went to bed. I finished the bag sometime after lunch the next day, then took a nap.

Philip arrived home around 5:45. He asked me what I’d been doing and I told him that I finished up the peanut butter cups. He said, “uh-oh!” While we were talking, my water broke and Bip arrived an hour later.

Another coincidence?

I told all of this to Sarah, whose interest was peaked at my suggestion. She didn’t believe it any more than I did at first. But she tried the peanut butter cups and her baby arrived within 24 hours. Since then, she and I have been encouraging other end of pregnancy moms on the SL Forums to give it a try. I think we are up to 3 success stories now. As it turns out, at least two other moms have piped in with their positive experiences with peanut butter cup induced labor. We’ve got several others who say they’ll give it a try when they approach their due date.

Some skeptics on the board claim that all that chocolate clears out your digestive tract, thus triggering labor. Personally, I didn’t have any ill effects, bowel or otherwise, from eating all those peanut butter cups. Either way, castor oil is often recommended to jump start labor, with the warning not to stray too far from the potty. All things considered, I’ll take the peanut butter cups, thank you.

From the anecdotal evidence on the SL Forums, it does seem like the peanut butter cup minis work best. You should try to eat as many as you can in one sitting. Like all “natural” induction methods this works best if you are close to full term anyway and are looking for a jump start.

So have you ever heard of the magic of peanut butter cups?

First, Bip did not sleep well last night. Well, he’s not a baby anymore and the boy needs to sleep. MAMA needs to sleep. Argh with that kid already.

Next, we’re all out of wipes. So first thing this morning of course, the above mentioned non-sleeping toddler has a giant, green, gross poop. The only good thing about having to use toilet paper for clean up is that it went right down the toilet. I’m wondering if the green poop is related to him being up all night, like maybe his belly hurt?

Then, as I’m in the middle of this diaper change, the phone rings. On my way to the bathroom, I check the caller ID and it’s an 800 number. It’s also 8:30 in the morning. So I didn’t answer it and I start thinking bad thoughts about companies who call before 9 am.

So, toddler all fresh smelling and clean again, I go down to finally eat my breakfast. The mystery 800 caller has left a message. It’s my credit card company and they want me to call them back.

So I do, and lo and behold, my credit card has been compromised. Two charges at Amazon.com were made this morning, before I even got up. So my oatmeal’s getting colder as I go through each charge I’ve made in the last 2 weeks. Sigh. Now I’m getting a new card and I’ve got to try to remember where my card is used for automatic payments. The cc person seemed to think that my number was stolen at Amazon.com.

And why, why does Bip need to crush his goldfish crackers before dumping them on to the newly vacuumed carpet?

I can’t imagine what else the Lord has in store for me today. Guess I’m not going shopping. I think I’m going back to bed.

Today’s post has an optional musical accompaniment. Click “play” below to listen while you read.

Pumpkin Girl takes the cake, she really does. Somehow she always manages to win a prize. Not necessarily for feats of skill or academic excellence, but in contests that have to do with luck.Today was our church’s annual Mass in the Grass and parish picnic. I think it’s a military thing. At our base here, mass was held along the banks of the Potomac river. Even though the forecast was for another hot and humid day, it was pleasantly warm and breezy. After mass we enjoyed a veritable cornucopia of culinary delights otherwise known as everyone’s best potluck dishes. Yum!

We stuck around for the children’s activities, including a jump tent, dunk tank, beading necklaces and face painting. We were sitting around watching the action at the dunk tank and getting ready to leave when they announced the cake walk. Now, I know what a cake walk is, musically speaking, having once learned to play “Golliwog’s Cakewalk” on the piano, which is what you’re listening to. But I didn’t know what sort of game it was going to be today. But I asked Boo and Pumpkin Girl if they wanted to do the cakewalk, and only Pumpkin wanted to. Off she went and I followed to watch.

Today, the cakewalk amounted to a game of hot potato, using a paper “cake” plate. The children were a little confused about the instructions and there were some 2 year olds who really didn’t understand what to do. But they gave it a shot and by the time the plate came around the second time, everyone knew how to play. And then the music stopped and would you believe it, Pumpkin was holding the plate.

Woohoo, she won and she was taken out of the circle and led to a table full of cakes. She was told she could pick one, then the organizer went back to get the next round started. Pumpkin picked the prettiest cake she could find, of course, then we stood there for a moment, wondering if she won a piece of cake or the whole cake. For all the other games, every participant got a tiny prize, like candy or a noise maker. But the organizer came back, asked Pumpkin which cake she wanted, then handed us the whole thing!

We couldn’t believe her luck! In the past, she has won a $25 gift certificate to the commissary and a pre-made Easter basket containing a stuffed Tweety Bird wearing a pink hat. But this time, she really did take the cake.