Thursday, July 31, 2008

My how time flies...

Click to play One Month Wyatt
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Tuesday, July 22, 2008

A Full Day

Well, I pulled a full day all by myself. It's not over yet mind you, but I'm so tired I should be sleeping. May get a quick shower here in a bit though before the night feeding.

This morning I got up and fed W. Then got M up and going. Put W in the swing long enough to hop in the shower. Got some semblance of an outfit on and put one on M. Scarfed down a slice of banana nut bread and a bottle of water and vitamins. I already had M's lunch and bags packed...I made her some bacon and her milk (about all I can get her to eat for b'fast these days), and got us all out the door by 8:30 to get M to summer camp by 9.

We made it there on fumes. I lug both children in, talk to M's teacher a minute, lug w back out (p.s. I hate carrying that car seat carrier!), and trek back to the house to finish getting ready for the dentist. I'm in desperate need of gas so I stop at the nearest spinx only to get out and discover that my wallet and entire purse are at home, so I pray us home to get the silly thing.

We make it home, I have just enough time to put on makeup and straighten my hair amidst my screaming child in the swing. I feed him, throw an extra bottle together and his bag and race out the door (with my purse!). We run to the spinx, put in half a tank and make it through the construction to Suzette's. I have very basic instructions for her, and then head to the dentist.

I waited longer than I thought I would, but the cleaning was quick...thorough, but quick. So now I have been to the dentist...since I hadn't been in like 8 years! I grabbed a bite of lunch, then back to get W and pick up M from summer camp. W had been asleep since at least 12pm. and stayed asleep till I could feed him after I put m down for a nap. No big fights about it today which was good. I woke him up enough to feed and he fell asleep again! He didn't want to sleep in his bassinet though which frustrates me, so I let him sleep on me. I didn't get much rest, but at least it was quiet in my house for awhile.

Then M is up again and wanting me to put baby brother down and come play in her room! she has trouble with this newborn requiring constant attention. we did our best to play play doh after feeding. Then we waited for our food that was being brought (thank you Jana) and I made a quick batch of fried okra from our garden. And we had supper. then fed the boy...again...and then tried to keep him up so that he'll sleep some tonight. But he was not having it...he really wanted to be asleep. And that's where he is now. I put the food up, need to do the dishes and laundry, but am too tired. I think I'm gonna jump in the shower before I have to feed W again. May help hubs make an apple pie with the apples from our tree!

Worked on the slings in my 20 minutes of spare time yesterday...would do that today but I'm pooped! Hopefully when M is in summer camp tomorrow and W is taking one of his many naps, I'll be able to finish them up! I'll let you know, itsamomthing. They are coming right along actually. Can't wait, but really I can.

Sunday, July 20, 2008

Check Below

I finished the birth story as best I could with all the distractions! I think I got a little discombobulated at the end there. Still I think I may have forgotten to mention that my intention was to have a waterbirth to help with the pain relief...but clearly that didn't happen. They were afraid that it would slow my progression. Oh well...maybe next time. But check below for the story...and then go to dad's sight to see his little take on the whole ordeal. He was in the next room praying.

Saturday, July 19, 2008

Apples, apples, and more apples!



Remember these from last year?! I thought our little apple tree was on its last leg last year! But no! Check this out!



This is just the beginning of our collection! And turns out we have this apple tree, and two others that produce bigger, more like granny smith apples. Can't wait to do this again with my whole little family of 4. Even W was in it...in the "moby-like" wrap in nothing but his diaper.

Brother and Sister




Mom went home

Mom went home today and I didn't cry...I thought about it there for a minute when she was savoring her grandchildren one last time. I'm so thrilled to have recovered so quickly and with very little "baby blues". Certainly my hormones have been up and down, but no sobbing in the shower everyday for 2 weeks. I have to say that the Women's Nutritional Tea combined with B-Complex that the midwife suggested for mood stabilizing seems to make a difference. Seriously, whether it is really anything or not, I swear I feel better shortly after drinking a cup. 2-3 cups a day for awhile.

Mom has been such a help, making sure things stay pretty clean around here. Driving me places while I was on restriction. Giving M extra attention so that I could focus on the baby. So many things I couldn't really begin to list them all. Still, we will all miss her around here. M will miss waking her up and playing with her. J will miss being spoiled while she is around, and I will miss the sleep and companionship that she gives me. I'm am more than thrilled that she and dad will be together again and that she will have an opportunity to rest! We all need that.

Baby boy is asleep for now, M is at least in bed. They have both had baths, and I guess it is now my turn! I'm gonna go grab that while I can and then feed him and off to bed for us both. Pray for a good night!

Monday, July 14, 2008

M's Big Birthday Bash!

What a day! Thank goodness for Magical Makings and our Ariel hostess! Enjoy these pics! This was quite a birthday bash!

Click to play ariel party
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Saturday, July 12, 2008

SIL's picture session!

Love these! can't wait to get them in the mail! Check out her slide show of Wyatt at one week! http://smilebox.com/playEmail/4d7a6b354f544d304e3377334f544d354e7a55310d0a&sb=1

Tuesday, July 08, 2008

The Birth Story

Ok. Ya'll know he was "overdue" at least according to the estimated due date. I was antsy about it at first, then I didn't mind. I just did things to try to speed the process along. Well, the weekend of his birth, my poor mom went back home to NC to spend some time with Dad and recoup, since W was taking his sweet time. She had already been here for 2 weeks. The joke always was that as soon as she left, he would come...and that is basically true.

Saturday night I decided to try the breast pump induction thing. I was told to pump for 20 min. every hour for 3 hours. Well, I didn't. I just pumped for 20 min. and then went to bed. Not too fun I tell you though. I mean to pump when there isn't anything in there to pump. ugh. But, I endured. And in the middle of pumping I knew something was happening. It's supposed to cause uterine contractions, and it did. I was pretty sure that this would do the trick. I went to bed thinking, if I wake in the middle of the night, this is the real thing...but I didn't.

I did wake early the next morning, Sunday the 29th of June. I felt achey and thought I might be having contractions. I went about my morning routine. And finally at about 9 I decided to start writing down the intervals. It turned out to be about every 12 minutes for a while. I didn't wake J though. There had been too many false alarms...

When he woke, I told him today may actually be the day. I continued to chart the intervals and they seemed to get closer together. I ate like pig that morning too (which turned out to be a bad thing when it came down to getting that baby out!) I called my doula and told her about the situation. I told her I'd call if they got closer together and such...and I did. I realized that this was not getting any easier and certainly not going to slack off. These contractions were painful and here to stay.

Julie came around 1pm? I think. Those types of details are getting fuzzier by the day. about 11:30 am we called Uncle K and SIL to come pick up M so that she wouldn't be an additional distraction to actually get this baby out. They came and I left the remainder of her arrangements to mom. I called mom and she said that she and dad were coming. It was funny actually cause she was very cautious to come seeing as I had already had two very suspicious days that we thought maybe...Well I had called her several times that morn already, and when I decided that she definitely should come, I had to spell it out very plainly..."What I'm trying to say is that I'm having this kid today. You need to come." I think I sounded kind of desperate and hormonal...and of course she knew that meant it really was time.

They headed this way, Julie, the doula headed this way, and I labored around the house. By the time Julie got here I was contracting every 6 minutes which seemed too close together to me. It didn't take long till they were ever 4 minutes. She said that she thought maybe she would be going back home when she got my phone call cause it seemed like really early labor, but after being there with me and timing out my contractions, she knew she was here to stay. We tried different positions. I peed a hundred and one times! AND every time I would sit on toilet, I would have contraction. I labored moving around and walking most of the morning and afternoon, but I got tired and so tried the side lying position. This was actually helpful, but did slow the contractions a bit.

We kept the midwife informed and she didn't seem to think that she would see me today but maybe tomorrow. When we decided to head to the birthing center, it was around 6pm (i think). J had sup, and then we went. At that point riding in the car and having contractions was pretty rough. I'd say I did pretty good considering I only let two bad words slip and only in the privacy of my own car! Ha!

We got there, and Amy checked me and found me to be progressing well at 5 cm. It was 80 plus degrees in there cause the air had been off all weekend. I quickly got into my laboring top which kept me fairly cool and labored a bit more. Then I did side lying again.

At this point they were getting more difficult and I had been laboring all day. I wanted to rest and get on with it all at the same time. I have no idea how long I laid there, but it seemed like at least an hour. Amy came back in to check me and found me to not have progressed any further and said that I needed to walk the halls and squat with each contraction. She anticipated that my water would burst any minute...but it didn't. I did the gosh awful squats! Good heavens that was hard! Thank goodness I could share the work and some of the soreness with my hubs and my doula (sorry guys!)

See, when I'm working hard and/or in pain, I don't like to be touched. So, my doula said she felt like she wasn't earning her keep. The birthing ball was terribly uncomfortable when I was contracting so its usefulness disappeared. Her counter pressure was most appreciated in the squatting sessions. So she earned her keep walking the halls of blessed births.

I did progress very quickly this way. In fact the next time I was checked I was at 8 centimeters, and in a great deal of pain. Here comes transition...Now this is supposed to be the most painful part of labor, but also the shortest, usually lasting no more than 30-45 minutes. I stayed stuck in this phase of labor for a good 2 hours or more. In fact, this is when begging and yelling and sitting on the toilet are about all I remember.

I zoned out for the rest of the labor once they made me walk the halls. Seriously, the memories are literally hazy and I don't remember everything that I said. My doula says I did very well. The worst thing I said was "Dangit!" And she laughed cause she thought I was about to say something else. It was so hot, I was stuck...in transition...on the toilet.

But the worst of it was that I was stuck in transition for soooo long. more than 2 hours I think. I was begging for anyone to help me, but no one could. I labored on the toilet till I needed to push and this worried them a little since I wasn't fully dialated, or something like that. But I was pretty close...so I tried to breathe through a bunch of them...which by the way is extremely difficult! When your body wants to push, its a miracle if you can avoid it!

They offered to break my water, since it still hadn't burst, so I said SURE! What ever will help move things along...They did that and I suppose it helped, but like I said I zoned out.

Weird thing is that I actually pushed in the bed laying down! Didn't expect that and didn't really think about it till later. But I just did whatever they said at that point and I was just glad to be pushing. The next part was a battle! I pushed and not for really long, but it felt like it might never end. They say that pushing is better as far as pain cause there is some numbness...but W decided that he wanted to come out with his hand on his cheek, so that added another level of difficulty and pain. Me and the midwife battled over pushing and breathing. I would release air and she would yell don't! He would be almost there and then go back in. Pretty typical.

I pushed like my Cuz in Law said 500%! Not just 100% And finally the head was out. And they say he was wide eyed and turning his head, but his little shoulder was obviously stuck...thanks to his other arm being up by his face. So I'm almost there and Amy, the midwife is pulling while I'm pushing...she's working her magic getting that one arm out so he can turn his body and dislodge his other shoulder. AND...there he is...I was so excited, but so exhausted I hardly knew what to do. They placed him on my chest and he was so slippery I thought I might not be able to hang onto him...

Not to mention, that they told me to hold my own legs while I pushed and that just wore my arms out! J was there beside me the whole time I pushed and instinctively held that leg. In fact, I barely remember asking someone to please hold my other leg...and J stepping in to make that happen by making it known more loudly and firmly. When the other midwife stepped in to hold it, I apparently murmured the most heartfelt "Thank You" she had ever received.

All in all, I'm glad I had that experience. It led those witnessing to really think about the way that Christ suffered for us on the cross...that is really what the child birth curse of Eve's is all about. Mom used the term endured...I endured the pain to get to the child...just like Christ. Love that scenario. That makes it all a bit more worth it. The experience was to me, extremely hard and the verdict is still out as to whether I will ever do that again in that same way, but I must say the recovery for me and little W has been fantastic and very easy! I DO Love That!

One week!

Well we made it through the first week and we are doing really quite well. That is one of the pluses of natural, no drugs, childbirth. Mood wise I'm doing really well too! I mean compared to last post partem...No real baby blues. A little sure, some hormonal fluxes as well, but all in all I'm pleasantly surprised at this recovery.

W is a good baby too! He has a little schedule I swear! Course its only been a week, but he has his awake times and sleepy times, and eats well every 3 hours except at night which there are one or two 4 hour sleep times. In fact, two nights ago, he slept a little over 5 hours and I had to wake him.

Hubs and I have a little schedule going, sort of...though I'm not sure we need it too much, cause he has been easy to put back to sleep...mostly.

Itsamomthing has been so gracious to help out with arranging for food to be brought to us and truthfully, some of you have gone out of your way to bring meals and check in on us before we could even get the chance to actually need something. I am pleasantly surprised, amazed and grateful for your generosity! Considering the recent moving away of ALL of our extended family, it is nice to know that we still have support all around us. Thanks for being the church.

Friday, July 04, 2008

The Birth Pics

Excuse me for the way I look, but really I was about to give birth to a huge baby! haha... I joined this Smilebox thing so those of you that want can print these, at least that is my understanding. If it doesn't work, then let me know and I'll send out something else so you can have these pics for yourself.

I swear the story is to come...

Click to play Wyatt's Birth
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Thursday, July 03, 2008

Can't Wait

Can't wait to sit a post a long drawn out story post about this whole birth experience. As most things in my life, it didn't go exactly as planned, but my doula has aided the story telling with some great and terrible (haha) pics of me and the whole process. She did a fantastic job of being modest and appropriate with them as well, so I can post almost all of them. Woh the story is long and may have to come in installments, as it is hard to get in a long time for blogging.

Mom and baby and family are doing well. we are getting as much rest as is possible and a lot of snuggle time with baby. Thank you SIL for helping with M and summer camp. Thanks to mom who is helping with pretty much everything. Thank you to those of you who have already gone to the trouble to bring us meals. They have been some of the best help you could give.

BTW--LOVE the recovery time of natural childbirth. Feeling tired, but coherent and have been out twice already. Wyatt and I took our guaze moby-like wrap out to the library with M and mom and then made an appearance at J's work cookout today. He loves being in there! and I love being hands free! And snuggling of course.

More to come...pics you can print too.

Tuesday, July 01, 2008

The wait is over...

Click to play Wyatt is Here
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