I haven't posted here in awhile!!
Life is good.
I am good.
I am gestating once again! Planning and preparing for a HBAC. The wee kiddo looks just like Liam did...but without the boy parts! Honestly don't know what I'm going to do with a girl, but I'm sure it will be wonderful :)
Liam is going to be turning 2!! When did two year pass by??
He's still nursing, but has cut waaay down. He's sweet and intuitive and incredible. Love cars and boats. Elephants and camels. Rides bareback with me everyday on his horse. Is genuinely a wondrful "easy' boy. I love him more and more every day.
It's canning season, so I'm busy preserving all the goodies from our CSA and local orchards to get us through the winter.
So, yes, overall, all is well.
I'll try harder to be more active in this space!
- Mood:
busy
Midwife Checklist
There are many, many questions you can ask a potential midwife. I have tried to put together a complete list, but you may have thought of other things to ask! Pick and choose which questions you want to use as you interview to find the perfect care provider for you.
- What type of midwife is she?
- CNM (Certified Nurse Midwife) With a PhD in Nursing Science
- What kind of training does she have?
- Where will she attend births?
- Lakeland Hospital
- What prenatal tests does she require? What does she recommend?
- None
- Will you choose the back obstetrician or does she have someone she works with? Who is it?
- Yes. Dr Scott Baetes
- What is her view on labor and birth?
- Can you walk and/or move around during labor?
- Yes! A must.
- What positions can you birth in?
- Any that feel comfortable. Perfers: squat, all fours, birth stool, in the water
- Can you eat and drink during labor?
- At will
- How will she monitor the baby?
- Intermiditly, with a doplar
- How often will she monitor the baby?
- Once every hour or so until transition
- Can you labor in water? Can you birth in water?
- Yes.Yes.
- Will you have to have an IV?
- No!
- What conditions will she transfer you to obstetrical care for during pregnancy ("risk you out")? What is her rate of prenatal transfer?
- Plecaenta Previa. Breach position :(. Sever pre-E. Labor before 36 weeks.
- What conditions will she transfer you from home to hospital for? From birth center to hospital? Will she stay with you if you have to transfer?
- N/A
- Will she provide complete prenatal care?
- Yes
- Will she stay with you continuously throughout your labor and birth, or could someone else in the practice relieve her? Would she be busy with paperwork?
- She is the only care provider that will be with me unless she is stricken down by lightening:)
- Will she attend the birth, or does it depend on who is on call?
- She will attened.
- What is her rate of transfer from home? From the birth center?
- N/A
- What is her cesarean section rate? Assisted delivery rate?
- C rate: 3% assisted deilvery: 5%
- What her view on episiotomy?
- Only in crazy severe circumstances. Not adviseable otherwise.
- What procedures does she perform immediately on the newborn? What can wait? Will she wait if you request it?
- Everything can wait.Mother s allowed a BARE MINIMUM of 1 hour to bond with baby before anything is done. Newborn exam is done with baby in mothers arms. Weight and cleaning are done as soon as mother is up to getting up and watching.
- Will she provide you with education as you prepare for the birth?
- Yes. Quite a bit. From all sides of the spectrum.
- Who will she bring with her to the birth?
- N/A
- What will she bring with her to the birth?
- N/A
- How long will she stay after you deliver your baby?
- 6 hours
- What kind of postpartum follow-up does she give?
- 2 hour check. 6 hour check. 12 hour check. 24 hour check. then care as needed and LC folow up as well.
- When does she recommend your home birth or birth center birth baby see a pediatrician or doctor?
- 2 weeks and then at will.
- How long does an appointment normally last? What is a typical appointment like?
- 45 min to an hour
- How many babies is she catching during a month?
- 10-15
- What happens if two clients are in labor at the same time?
- She makes it work :)
- Has she ever missed a birth?
- Yes
- When will she come to you after you begin labor?
- As soon as needed
- Will she do a breech delivery? Twin delivery?
- No. Yes.
- What does she do in the event of a long labor? A "stalled" labor?
- Natural forms of encouraging labor to progress, walking, massage, herbs, nipple stim, etc pitocin or cervial stretching as last resort.
- What does she think of premature rupture of membranes (PROM)?
- Almost never a good idea
- How long does she wait to cut the cord after the baby is born?
- Until it stops pulsing
- What does she do if there is a post partum hemorrhage?
- uteren massage, encourage breastfeeding, eat some placenta, shot of Pit if needed
- What are her fees and what do they include? What is her payment schedule?
- N/A billed through hospital
- What does she do if a mother goes "post dates?" What if a mother is approaching 42 weeks?
- Natural encouragement of labour
- Is she certified in neonatal resuscitation? Does she carry oxygen to the birth?
- Yes. Yes
- Why did she become a midwife?
- How many births has she attended as primary caregiver?
- 5,643
- Does she doing regular continuing education?
- Yes! Loves it
- Where will my prenatal visits be at?
- Elkhorn Clinic
- What does she expect regarding self-care during pregnancy?
- Education, diet, exercise, mediation
- What is her view on nutrition and weight gain during pregnancy?
- Have she ever had to resuscitate a baby?
- Yes
- Have she ever lost a baby? What were the circumstances?
- Yes. Preterm birth.
- Will she help me with breastfeeding?
- Yes
- How does she feel about circumcision? Immunization?
- Hates the very idea of it. Persoal choice.
- How do I get my baby's birth certificate?
- Through hospital.
1 Sorrel Peruvian Paso. 14 years of age. Strong and spirited, but extremely well trained for us. Comes complete with papers from Spain.
That's right ladies and gentlemen. We got BOTH horses.
The friend who's horses I'm training went half with us for both of them and has agreed to keep them at her farm for us in return for training services.
I am over the moon!!
I have wanted for so very long to be back to being involved with horses. I sold my final foal that I had lovingly raised and trained about 5 years ago, and the pining for another has not at all lessened since then. Getting hired on as a trainer this year was wonderful! But now owning a horse of our very own is just.....awesome.
Matt is thrilled! I thought for sure that this would be a no go with him, but he is head over heals about the idea of having our own horses for us and the kids.
Pictures and more horse raving to come!
- Mood:
excited
Rebecca gave birth to a beautiful baby girl at home in the water Friday afternoon!
Labor was long but she was born in just one push. A healthy 7lbs 5oz.
Welcome to the world Delia May!!
You are loved by us all more than you could imagine :)
- Mood: excited
More on this later....
- Mood:
anxious
- Mood: excited
When he sleeps, he SLEEPS!
Now, he does still wake 2-3 times a night (as well he should, light sleep periods and even wakeful times during a sleep cycle are extremely important to the developing child's brain. Especially from birth through the age of three. *This Public Service Announcement is brought to you by the letter Y*) but god help you if you have to try to wake the kid when he doesn't want to be wakened.
Just now I was reaching across him as he was napping and spilled the tall glass of water I was holding all over him. And he did nothing but rub his face, moan a quiet "Noooooooo" and roll over! :p
- Mood: amused
aggravatedMatt took of his wedding ring last night and set it on the dresser while he went out to rotate the tires. I found it while Liam and I were dusting this morning and so I handed it to him to hold for a bit. He loves pointing out our "ings" to us daily, so I thought it would be fun to let him wear it for a bit.
What I didn't anticipate however was the gutteral emotional reaction that I would have to seeing the ring I placed on my husbands hand the day we took our vows so big upon my little sons thumb.
I teared up immediately looking at his small soft fingers so carefully rubbing his fathers ring. They are such a stark contrast to Matt's strong, big, weathered hands.
I've been thinking all day about how quickly two years has passed. And how everyday I can see more and more of the man he's going to become. A man so very much like his daddy.
So brave. SO brave! Strong, compassionate, introspective, observant, outgoing, FUNNY!
I could, of course, go on and on :)
How lucky I am to be entrusted with his care and keeping as his tale unfolds.
- Mood:
contemplative
Quiet but strong,
small but steady,
and fast as a little mouse.
So wonderful to hear.
- Mood: thankful
Sorry for such a dark picture :P
It was a great way to celebrate the fourth(along with the zoo, beach, and fireworks!) and a decadent way to enjoy all of the fresh blueberries and raspberries growing in the yard. A very very good summer cake!
Recipe here
- Mood: accomplished
- Mood:
silly
- Being greatful that our favorite Library has THE best children's librarian who does THE best acting and charecter voices for Story Time
- Being greatful that our favorite Library has such an easy book renewal system. I can hardly get through 2 books during the time I rent them for
- Enjoying having a potty trained boy!!! We are officialy out of diapers!!
- Indulging in the new daily tradition of jumping on the beds after nap time while singing 5 Little Monkeys Jumping On The Bed
- Trying not to fall off
- Not always succeding
- Horseback riding every afternoon with the two new horses I've been hired to train
- Loving being paid to hang out with my son and ride horses
- Still pregnant! And geting more excited and hopeful with every passing day. First scan on the 17th! Might have some very interesting news to share....
- Being head over heels in love with 20 months :) Not seeing any sign of the terrible twos. Yet
- Having some breathing room in our finances. Being more and more sure we'll put an offer on the hobby farm ( 4 bed, 3 bath on 2 acers) in the fall/winter.
- Hoping beyond hope that it's still on the market then.
- Thinking that house sitting could not have been any worse. Either I'm truly not a dog person, or we were intrusted with the care and keeping of the three worst Hellhounds in the tri state area.
- Hating any weather hotter then 80 degrees.
- Loving living in a place where it can be 67 degrees in June and July! I'm just not cut out for the heat :P
- Loving that my son loves ABBA
- Sword fighting with cousin Will (Liam that is...not me :P)
- Feeling overwhelmed by the laundry lately
- Taking in Liam's first movie!! "Up"! It was way over his head (he did however enjoy the fact that there were lots of doggies) but Matt and I loved it. Fair warning...bring tissues! Liam just sat between us and shared popcorn and M&M's and giggled at all of the funny bits :) It was such a wonderful experience that I see us doing many more. Next up, the new H. Miazake film "Ponyo".
- Spending LOTS of time with Matt's parents and coming to a new level of family bonding. He and his dad hug now! They're gaga over the Model T's which is something I never expected from Matt. Both of them are even going on a road trip together, just the two of them, in July to an air show with the T's. Pretty cool stuff.
- Constantly listening to the Disney broadway classics station I set up on Pandora. It started with the Broadway version of the Lion King and we've been enjoying finding out what all else is out there!
-Discovering reason 99237 to love 'extended' breastfeeding. Nursing combats nausea! It's been so awesome to just pick Liam up and snuggle and nurse whenever I feel really sick. It's allowed me to really enjoy this pregnancy so far!
- Finding my patience quite short lately. Trying to be very mindful of that fact and working through it
- Realizing I have more friends then I've ever had in my entire life right now. Being so, so, SO grateful for this fact
- Falling in love with co-sleeping all over again in our new King size bed!
- Having an impromptu toddler dance session in the dairy isle at Whole Foods with two complete strangers and their children :)
- Finally feeling comfortable enough with myself to dance like no one is watching, even when I know 15 + people actually are
- Making time every week to scrapbook. And looking back on all of my completed scrapbook projects. Feeling good about capturing and preserving our family memories in this way
( Pictures )
- Mood: happy
It is a Monday. Check!
It's playgroup day. Check! (had a blast!)
I'm on call for LLL from 1-3. Check!
It's my MIL's birthday.Surprise her with a spa gift cert and flowers. Check!
Am I missing anything........??
Oh Yeah!
It's our anniversary!!
D'oh!!
We actually both forgot until MIL called to wish us a happy anniversary since we share the same anniversary as Matt's parents (which sounds a bit cheesy, but It's actually pretty neat!) .
All we could do is look at each other and laugh :)
I'm so insanely thankful that I'm in a partnership where we can both laugh about stuff like this instead of one of us getting all fussy about it being forgotten.
So I nipped out and got some take out from our favorite Chinese place (It's our tradition to eat Asian food on our anniversary ever since our honeymoon sushi fest :P) and called my sister to ask her to sit for Liam this weekend so we can get dressed up, go out, and have lunch at the Anaba Tearoom.
And as a "Holy Crap, it's been 2 years!!" gift to each other we decided we're going to go out and get a new plush bed set (to go with our new king size bed being delivered later this week!) because the traditional Second Anniversary gift is cotton.
So, happy 2nd baby!
It's been a wonderful, whirlwind ride, and I wouldn't change a single minute of it :)
- Mood: ecstatic
Bamboo Spork!
They are just a little bit bigger than this in real life.
We picked up 8 for Liam at Whole Foods, and they quickly became a "can't do without" for him.
We love them because:
-Made from sustainable, chemical free, and plastic free substance.
-Compact.
-Reusable.
-Super Cheap
-Easy for toddler hands to manuver.
-It's a frickin' spork!!
We've been doing a LOT of impromptu picnics now that the weather is lukewarm-ish and sticking three of them in my pocket for the family to eat with is so easy!
I seriously can't say enough good things about these silly little sporks. :)
I want to spread the good spork news! So pass on the word!!
- Mood:
creative
I normally don't give Diet Ads a second thought...but this one caught my eye, and I can't help but LOL at it!!
It's too crazy not to share.
On the Left:
Pale
Pregnant
Brunette
On the Right:
Orange
Not Pregnant
Blond
That's one HELL of a before and after in just one week!! :P
- Mood:
devious
I am pregnant again.
So far things are looking good, and I'm sick and tired as hell which is also a great sign. But I'm finding myself very ambivilent to it all.
After so many losses (3 to be exact) in the recent months, I just can't muster up much excitment. I'm tired and enbittered, and just so wary of letting that spark of hope creep in only to be snuffed out once again.
Part of me thinks that It's a way of protecting myself in case things don't go well again, another part of me asserts that I'm just so worn out from having to be "on" 24/7 for a toddler already that I'm not in the right frame of mind. But no matter the rational... the fact remains that I still feel guilty.
I really do want the excitment and bubbly-ness to be here! But I can't fake it and I can't force it.
Right now I'm simply counting the days. Watching the weeks go by. Staying helthy and relaxed.
Trying to keep my mind off of it, but simotaniously keeping a central part of me focused on it so as not to let it slip away.
So, that's where I'm at right now.
Hopefully at my appointment in a few weeks I can gain some reasurrence in the form of actually seeing a little heartbeat, but until then...I'm just, here.
It's not that bad.
- Mood:humble
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