Adventures in Crop Sharing: Roasted Beets and Potatoes

This year, our family joined up with another family to buy a partial share of a crop share (a CSA) in our area. This is our first experience with a crop share, and so far, we are really enjoying the weekly supply of vegetables (and some fruits) and trying out new vegetables and recipes. In this series, I will share some of our experiences.

 

 

Beets

Via

Beets are yet another vegetable I had never had, at least not to my knowledge. The first time we got beets, we peeled and diced them, and then we roasted them in the oven with a little bit of olive oil and syrup. They are very "earthy" tasting. They were ok but we weren't too impressed. The second time we made them, we roasted them with potatoes. I liked this a lot better because I felt like the potatoes helped to "even out" the taste a little. Unfortunately, my husband was still unimpressed so we went back to the drawing board to find something to do with the beets that we liked. 

 

What recipes have you tried with beets?



Friday Funnies

Don't we all need a little humor on Fridays?

Before Felix was born, we went through all of Anya's clothes that had been boxed up to pick out any gender neutral things that he would be able to wear. When we tried to explain to her that these were the clothes she wore when she was a baby, she said "Did I wear that when I was a boy?"

 

 

 

 

Comment with something funny your child has said!

Thrifty Thursday: Use Your Credit Card, Part 2

 



via

So I promised that I would explain how we make hundreds of dollars a year using our credit card. We have a ridiculous amount of credit cards, so it does take some amount of organization to be sure they are all paid on time. First of all, we have 4 major credit cards:

1. Discover - You automatically get 1% back on everything you use the card for. Also, quarterly, they have special cashback opportunities that allow you to get 5% back on whatever the deal is that quarter. For example, they may offer 5% cashback if you use your card to buy gas, at the grocery store, at a drug store, at a home improvement store, etc. for a few months. A couple ways you can redeem your cashback are by applying it to your bill or requesting gift cards to partner companies. One month, we had over $100 in cashback and we used $90 to get 2 $50 gift cards. One was to Kohl's and one was to Buffalo Wild Wings. Some of the companies offer gift card amounts for less cash than the cards are worth. For example, you can get a $50 gift card for only $45 in cashback.

2. Citicard - This is similar to Discover in that you always get 1% back on everything you use the card for, and quarterly, you can get 5% back on certain things. Like Discover, it changes every few months. I usually redeem my cash for its full value and get an actual check in the mail, though you have to have $50 to redeem it and request the check.

3. Sandals Bank of America - This card accrues points every time you use it. If we use the card at a Sandals resort, we receive double the points. We typically put the bulk of our expenses on this card and it accrues points fairly quickly. We usually cash this out when we have an extra expense that we weren't expecting. It often helps to soften the blow a little when those things come up. You can have the money applied to your account or even directly deposited into your bank account.

4. Capitol One - We only use this card when we go out of the country, because it is one of the few cards we have found that doesn't charge a fee for currency conversions when we are travelling somewhere that does not use US dollars.

In addition to the major credit cards, we have store credit cards. If you shop at a particular store often, it might be worth looking into. For example, Target offers 5% off everything if you use their credit card when you shop there. You also get free shipping when you shop online. Kohl's sends out numerous coupons and Kohl's Cash opportunities to people who use their credit card while shopping there.

Again, I do have to stress that you do have to pay off each credit card bill in full each month for this to be worth your while. As you can see, each card that you have comes with a new deadline and one more thing to keep track of, so just be aware of how much you can really handle and how much you can spend each month on each card and still be able to pay them off.

There are tons of other cards out there. The ones listed above just happen to be the ones I am most familiar with. What others have you used that have offered rewards?

My Top 10 Baby Items: #2

 

It seems like everyone I know is having a baby, and of course, I just had one. Even though Felix is my second child, we still had to rack our brains about what we needed this time around, what we already had, and what we needed to buy. It's amazing how fast 3 years goes by and how much we had forgotten over that span of time. Therefore, I have put together a list of my Top 10 Baby Items (in no particular order) that we simply could not do without.

1. Travel System

 

This is one item we have used time and time again. A transportation system normally consists of a carrier, a stroller, and a car seat base. The car seat base is installed in the car and allows the carrier to snap into it. The carrier also snaps into the stroller, though a child can ride in it without the carrier, if necessary. Transportation systems are basically the stroller and car seat packaged into a set .

 

Before we had Anya, we opted for a Chicco design. Though Anya was a girl, we bought a green design so that we could use it with the next child regardless of if the next were a boy or a girl. Now that Felix is here, he is riding in the car seat and carrier and is able to ride in the stroller in his carrier or lying down. Anya is also able to still ride in the stroller.

 

There are a few perks to purchasing a travel system. One is the storage area in the stroller underneath the seat. Though it can be a pain to constantly travel around with the stroller, you can't beat being able put your purse underneath the seat. Many travel systems also have cup holders for the pusher and the passenger. Yet another perk  of buying a travel system is that grandparents don't have to buy a car seat. All they have to do is purchase the car seat base (which is generally much cheaper) and as long as the baby travels in the carrier, it will lock into the base.

 

 

Anya in the car seat when she was just a baby.

 

 

Felix hanging out in the same car seat only a few years later (and sporting Anya's sunglasses without the lenses).

 

Big News...

....for my blog, that is. Sorry to all of you that thought we were going to make some big announcement!

In an attempt to do something bigger with my blog (I am sure you have noticed all the changes around here in the past several weeks), I have decided to convert to Wordpress. This will allow me to have more control over my content, and once I get the hang of using Wordpress, I think it will ultimately be better for me as a blogger and for my readers.

So if you follow me, please note that my new blog will be located at www.alifeintune.com. It may be messy for a few days while it is still under construction, but I am looking forward to getting my blog settled into its new home. I am expecting to completely redirect everything from this address within the next few days.

Thanks for reading so far, and I really hope you decide to follow me to my new place!

Adventures in Crop Sharing: Veggie Stock

This year, our family joined up with another family to buy a partial share of a crop share (a CSA) in our area. This is our first experience with a crop share, and so far, we are really enjoying the weekly supply of vegetables (and some fruits) and trying out new vegetables and recipes. In this series, I will share some of our experiences.

 

 

Veggie Stock

 

 

I have heard of people making their own vegetable stock and had always wanted to try it. Now that we are getting all these different veggies from the CSA, I thought I would try it. I just kept all the "scraps" from the veggies we have been using and put them in a gallon freezer bag that I stored in the freezer (at a friend's suggestion). Once I got a full bag, I dumped them in a large pot and filled it with water until the water was covering all the veggies. I then used some fresh herbs from the CSA (basil, oregano, and tarragon) and some garlic to give it a little more flavor. I let it simmer for almost 2 hours.

 

 

 

 



We froze it in 1 or 2 cup proportions in plastic containers and then popped them out of the containers once they had frozen. Then, we stuck them all together in a gallon freezer bag. We got 9 cups of it. So far, we have only used a 1/2 cup and it certainly did the job. I think I will be making more of this in the future, assuming I can keep the veggie scraps away from Eric who wants to use them in his compost bin.

Photo Shoot: Part One

At the end of June, we had a photo shoot to get family pictures, Anya's 3 year pictures, and Felix's 3 months pictures taken. It is difficult to choose which to post, but I will attempt to post my favorites. Today, I have posts of Anya and Felix together.

 

 

Friday Funnies!

Don't we all need a little humor on Fridays?

Anya happened to see that I got a new razor in the shower because it was a different color. When she saw it, she asked my husband, "Did Mommy get a new leg scratcher?"

 

 

 

 

Comment with something funny your child has said!

 

 

Thrifty Thursday: Use Your Credit Card, Part 1

That's right. The title of this post says to "use your credit card." I must say that with a word of caution, though. If you are one of those people who cannot control yourself and have an unhealthy obsession with the way your credit card sounds as you swipe it in the machine at the store, then this tip might not be for you.

However, if you are one of those perfectionist, Type A personalities who can't stand for her bills not to be paid in full each month, then you could really make some money by using your credit card.

First, make sure your credit card has some kind of rewards program. Sometimes these programs are in the form of airline miles, points, or actual cash, among other things. If your card does not have a program like this, I would strongly consider getting rid of it and finding one that does. There are tons of cards out there that offer incentives for you to use them. One thing to be sure of, though, is that they do not have an annual fee. Some credit cards do still have these, so be sure to clarify that a card does not have one before signing up for one.

After you have applied and been accepted for your new card, then you can start accumulating rewards. We charge almost everything and get quite a bit of money back through these rewards program. Then, once you have accumulated a certain number of points, cash, or whatever, you can often redeem them for money or gift cards (or whatever the company's incentive happens to be).

The key to this is that you DO have to pay the credit card bill in full each month. If you don't, then the credit card companies win, folks. If you cannot (or know you will not) pay off your bill in full each month, then I would not recommend doing this. This only works if you pay it off each month, and that means you have to keep track of how much you have charged. No, you can't just go out on a shopping spree with your brand new shiny card and swipe it anywhere you please. Check out your purchases online and make sure you know how much you have on the card and how much you can reasonably pay off each month.

Stay tuned for Part 2 to find out how we make hundreds of dollars each year doing this!

My Top 10 Baby Items: #1

It seems like everyone I know is having a baby, and of course, I just had one. Even though Felix is my second child, we still had to rack our brains about what we needed this time around, what we already had, and what we needed to buy. It's amazing how fast 3 years goes by and how much we had forgotten over that span of time. Therefore, I have put together a list of my Top 10 Baby Items that we simply could not do without.

1. Breast pump

If you plan to breastfeed your baby and will be working at all after the baby is born, even part time, you will definitely need a breast pump. And you will definitely want an electric one (not a manual), unless you are ok with developing carpal tunnel. After seeing the prices of everything baby-related, you will totally be tempted to cheap out on this item, as some of them are $300 or more, depending on what you get. But believe me, you will want to get a good one.

Here's why.

When you are away from your baby and cannot nurse him/her, your breast pump not only allows you to pump your breast milk to feed the baby while you are gone, but it also is meant to stimulate your breasts to produce milk. If you do not pump regularly or pump enough milk, it can cause a drop in your supply which can eventually result in not having enough milk for the baby when he/she is around to eat. Therefore, you want something that will do the job right.

There are numerous brands to choose from. I personally have a Medela Advanced Pump in Style similar to this one. Yes, it was expensive, but you can always wait for them to go on sale or wait for a coupon. Babies R' Us sends out coupons frequently. There are lots of others on the market as well, so be sure to do your research. Whatever you get, I recommend a double pump so you can pump both sides at the same time and not have to do just one at a time. I also would not spend the extra money on a hands-free pump, as there are bustiers you can buy that will make them hands free and they are cheaper than the extra money it costs to buy a hands free pump.

Feel free to comment with any other pumps you have had experience with.

Friday Funnies

Don't we all need a little humor on Fridays?

I spend a few days a week at home with my kids, and while we are home, Anya and I always joke that Felix is "our boy" and not a "Daddy's boy." We tease Daddy about that a lot. A week or two ago, Anya told her Grandma that "Felix isn't Daddy's." That's when I realized that I need to clarify more what I mean when I joke with her!

 

 

 

Feel free to comment with something funny your child has said!

 

When She Woke: A Book Review

I don't normally write reviews of all the books I read, but this is one that I just finished this past week. When She Woke by Hillary Jordan is about a girl living in a futuristic world in which abortion is completely illegal and is considered murder. Furthermore, when someone commits a crime, whether it be murder, theft, etc., they are "chromed," or given an injection that turns their skin a color that represents their crimes. For example, murderers are turned red. In the book, Hannah has an unauthorized relationship with someone she is not supposed to be with and ends up pregnant. Instead of discussing it with the father, Hannah makes the decision to find a doctor who will perform the abortion in secret. Unfortunately, she is caught and given a murder sentence. The book is her experience as a "Chrome" in a society that categorizes her abortion as murder.

While the story was entertaining and an interesting one to ponder, I felt it was very one-sided. For example, Hannah describes the abortion doctor as compassionate and caring while every other doctor mentioned was sterile and cold-hearted. The book got very "preachy" as it went on, and I often got the feeling that the author's intention with her book was simply to preach and not just entertain.

As someone who is very much against abortion (though I can understand and have mixed feelings about possible exceptions due to things like rape, incest, etc.), it was difficult for me to read about a young girl who felt her only choice was to kill the unborn child inside her. That being said, the author did recognize the mixed feelings and troubling thoughts a mother must feel after aborting her child. I don't necessarily believe that abortion was Hannah's best choice in this situation, but I do appreciate the conflicting emotions described in the book.

Has anyone else read this book? Any thoughts?

Adventures in Crop Sharing: Greens

This year, our family joined up with another family to buy a partial share of a crop share (a CSA) in our area. This is our first experience with a crop share, and so far, we are really enjoying the weekly supply of vegetables (and some fruits) and trying out new vegetables and recipes. In this series, I will share some of our experiences.

Greens...

I never knew how many different kinds of greens and lettuce there really was in the world. We have certainly gotten an education on this. So far, some of the greens we have gotten from the CSA include kale (different kinds, too!), lettuce, red leaf lettuce, mustard greens, bok choy, beet tops/greens, spinach, and red rain. Of course, we have had lettuce and spinach before, but the rest have all been fairly new to us. Here's what we have done with some of the "new" greens.

Red leaf lettuce: We used this in salads.
Mustard greens: We used this in salads and wraps. We found it had a little kick to it and the flavor went a long way. They were also good in omelets.
Bok choy: We used this in salads and stir fry.
Red rain: We had this in salads and stir fry. It is apparently an Asian green and is used in a lot of stir fry recipes.
Beet tops/greens: We discovered that beet tops tasted great in omelets!

Changes!

As you have probably noticed, I am making some changes to my blog, including the title and the web address. I want to continue writing posts about my goals and some of the things going on with my family, but I also want to include more posts about natural birthing, breastfeeding, being a mom, cooking, saving money, and a variety of other things. Please let me know if there is anything in particular that you are interested in learning more about!

The Magic That Is Breastmilk

Monday morning I woke up with what felt like a case of pink eye. I haven't had pink eye in as long as I can remember, but my left eye was a little swollen, goopy, a little red, and somewhat itchy. I called in to my doctor who prescribed me some eye drops and it took me awhile to get ahold of lactation to be sure that what was prescribed was ok to use while breastfeeding.

I had always heard things about breastmilk being used to treat certain things, pink eye being one of them. Since it took awhile to get things sorted out with a prescription, I thought I would try putting some of it in my eye. We found an unused medicine dropper and I just put drops in my eyes every few hours, just like I would have done with prescription eye drops. Throughout the day, my eye started to feel better, so I thought I would just continue with the breastmilk and hold off on the prescription for now. Approximately 48 hours later, my eye felt back to 100% - all due to my breastmilk!

It may sound slightly crazy to put breastmilk in your eye, but it did the trick, didn't have any side effects or risks, and cost me absolutely nothing! Pretty awesome, if you ask me:)

Feel free to comment with anything you've treated with breastmilk or even anything you have heard that breastmilk treats. This is an area I'm definitely interested in!

June

Exercise: I have been able to get some kind of exercise at least twice a week (usually more) throughout June. Most of it was walking, though I did make it to Power Yoga twice. I would love to go more often, but each week is different, so we go when we can. I have to admit, though, that it is pretty frustrating to feel as if I don't have the control over my movements the way I used to. I know I just need time to build back up to where I was, but it is frustrating feeling like the weakest link.

I have been doing Weight Watchers for approximately 7 weeks (by the end of June) and have lost between 9 and 10 pounds; I have about 12 pounds to go!

Reading: I finished reading another novel, which sounds like I am being slow, but it was a large book (probably around 700-800 pages). I just started another that I expect to finish in another week or so. I am also right on track with my plan to read the Bible in a year.

Writing:  There was a week in June where I didn't write much of anything, but the other weeks, I either published a blog post or started writing one.

One thing I have also done in this area has applied to be a content writer on textbroker.com. Pretty much everyone who applies gets in if you can write at all. I don't think it will make me a ton of  money or anything, but it sounded interesting, so I thought I would give it a try. I will probably post more about it once I get the hang of it and know what's going on. This is a fairly new development so I haven't completely figured it out yet.

I also signed up to take a free online blogging class for July, so hopefully that will help motivate me to continue working on my blogs.

MT Business: While I was on maternity leave, I had two students who chose not to return to piano lessons. However, I added 4 new students in June, one of whom will be coming for hour-long lessons each week, so financially this is like having 2 more students. My studio now consists of 9 students, so it has definitely grown! I also got a call last week to start doing 2 hours of MT every month at another long-term care facility in Evansville.

House Projects:  We have pretty much done nothing in this department:( And even worse is that we hired a contractor to come and fix some shingles on our roof and they told us we needed a new roof. Not excited about that at all!

Finances: As far as eating out goes, we've only gone over our budget one week this month and it wasn't by much. The rest of the weeks, we came in under budget. It has been similar with the grocery shopping. I am slowly trying to do more couponing when I have the time, so we are definitely saving some.

Unfortunately, we weren't able to save any money this month. In fact, I might have to move a small amount of money into our account to pay the rest of the bills this month, depending on when I am paid for all my work. That being said, it is mostly because we have the remainder of the hospital bill from Felix's birth to pay this month. We also had a few random things come up, such as we needed our house to be sprayed for bugs and we had to have our garage door springs fixed, which is not cheap. We bought a patio set as well. All in all, it's not too big of a deal, seeing as I haven't worked in 2 months. Once I get back into the full swing of things, it should be a little better and we hope to get back to saving money again.

In Other News...

Anya is taking a 6 week dance class this summer. They do 20 minutes of tap, 20 minutes of ballet, and 20 minutes of tumbling. She is the youngest (and smallest) in the group so she can't always do physically what the others do, but she is by far the best listener in the group. We are so proud of her for trying something new and she seems to like it. Besides, the hour we spend there is totally better than TV and is probably one of the most entertaining things I've seen in awhile;)

Both kids are signed up for the summer reading program at the library. They have finished 3 out of 4 levels and are working on finishing up Level 4.

We had a crazy month with 2 weddings 2 weekends in a row. Anya and I were both in my friend Grace's wedding. Anya was one of the flower girls and did really well walking down the aisle. However, she forgot to throw her flower petals on the way down and as soon as she got to the front with me, she asked me "when am I going to walk down the aisle and throw my flower petals? I wanted to do that..." It totally cracked me up and I didn't know how to tell her that she was supposed to have already done it. I told her to throw the petals on the way out, so she did that and it turned out fine.

 

 

 

 

Anya also turned 3 on June 4, so we had her birthday party on June 1. One of her grandmas had planned to rent a bouncy house for her birthday, but because of the weather forecast, the rental was cancelled. We ended up changing the party at the last minute and decided to have it at the "bouncy house place," as it wasn't much more to just have the party there. The party was zoo-themed (and included the monkey exhibit, aka the bouncy houses) and Anya had a zoo cake made by her Grandma Lisa. I can't believe my baby girl is 3! She is very smart and will talk to just about anyone.

 

 

 

We also had a photo shoot at the very end of June. We did family photos of the 4 of us, some photos of just the kids, Anya's 3 year pictures, and Felix's 3 month pictures. More to come on this!



What Is a Doula and Do I Need One?

When I tell people I hired a doula for the birth of our sweet little Felix, I typically get a look of confusion and then I am asked, "what is a doula?" The word doula means "a woman who serves" (according to www.dona.org). There are technically two kinds of doulas: birth doulas and postpartum doulas. Birth doulas help women prepare for birth as well as help them achieve the birth experience they want. Postpartum doulas deal mostly with the adjustment period after giving birth and may help with anything from housework to education about issues that come up directly after birth.

So, yes, we hired a (birth) doula for the birth of our son. And it was one of the best decisions I ever made. Like I said, many people I talked to about this did not know what a doula was and there seem to be a lot of common misconceptions.

Doulas do not deliver babies. Unless, of course, there is an emergency in which she has to. Our doula keeps supplies on hand to do this just in case, but doulas do not typically deliver babies. Most people are probably referring to midwives who provide similar care as an OB, though they are generally believed to be more "natural" in their care.

Just because you hire a doula doesn't mean you have to have a "natural" birth. Doulas are there to support the mother (and father) before, during, and the hour or two after delivery. A good doula will help a mother achieve the birth she wants, even if it means the mother has a scheduled c-section or plans to have medication during labor.

Doulas do not replace the role of a significant other. However, having a doula ensures that you should never have to be alone during your labor. If you have a long labor, your significant other might need a break to eat, nap, or even go to the bathroom. This may seem unnecessary, seeing as you (the mother) will be going through a lot of pain and probably won't get to do any of those things, but trust me, your support person will be much more helpful to you if they get to do those things. During my labor, I used a lot of hot rice packs so someone kept having to leave to reheat them. Having both my husband and our doula was super helpful at that point! Doulas do as much as you need them to do, and a good one should know what she is doing, so it is definitely a blessing to have her around, even if you just need her to coach your significant other on what he should be doing.

Doulas are probably a better option than just a friend or family member (in most cases). Sometimes family and/or friends may be a little confused as to why you would hire a doula. Oftentimes, they might even say they can just help you for free. This might sound enticing at first, but think realistically. Is your friend or family member going to get up out of bed and come to your house to help you labor if you call her at 2 in the morning? If you luck out and end up having a 25-hour or more labor, is your friend or family member going to stay with you the entire time? Or do they have other commitments and responsibilities like a job, kids, etc.? Will your friend or family member know alternative ways of coping with labor pain and be able to offer suggestions about pushing positions, etc.? Will your friend or family member know enough about birth to offer you true information about possible complications, procedures offered, and medical interventions? Though many friends and family members might have good intentions, chances are they aren't going to be able to do all these things for you. But a doula will.

In my opinion, if your OB knows you have a doula, he/she may be less likely to try to talk to you in an unnecessary medical intervention. So not all doctors will try to talk you into unnecessary interventions, but a lot of them tend to do this (at least according to stories I have heard). A good doula knows a great deal about pregnancy and birth and will be able to give you an alternative point of view to help you make a decision. Because a doula is in the picture, a doctor may not be able to get by on just offering medical interventions.

Hiring a doula does not have to be expensive. The cost of a doula definitely depends on your area, but I can tell you that hiring a doula is probably much cheaper than getting an epidural, Pitocin, etc. Depending on your insurance plan, this may or may not save you money. Our insurance plan has an out-of-packet maximum of $3,500. We definitely met that amount even without any drugs or interventions. However, if your insurance plan has a higher out-of-pocket maximum than that and you plan on going au natural, it is possible that you won't meet the maximum amount, in which case hiring a doula may actually be cheaper. This is one of those things that depends on the plan and the actual situation, but it could be worth looking into!

When I first mentioned hiring a doula at the beginning of my second pregnancy, my husband was definitely skeptical. He didn't feel it was necessary. I told him we should at least meet with a few doulas to see if it was what we wanted and he finally agreed. (I think most doulas do free consultations). Obviously, we hired one and it worked really well for us. After the birth experience with a doula, my husband now agrees that doulas are the way to go! He says that it was helpful to have someone with experience in labor and coping with labor, because "if I tell my wife it's almost over, she's not going to believe me, because how do I know that? I've never been through it. But the doula has and she has seen tons of births."

My thoughts on doulas? I wouldn't go through another natural birth without one, and I regret that we didn't hire one with our first birth. We don't know yet if we will have a third child, but if we do, we will definitely be doing it with a doula!

Here are some links to a few doulas that we know in our area, though I know there are several more. If you know of more doulas in the area, feel free to comment with links to their websites.

Megan Newhouse-Bailey -  This is the doula we used, and she was amazing!

Andie Gunter
Japhia Leach

The Evansville Birth Network also has lots of information about birth. If you are in need of support regarding a previous C-section or know that you will need to schedule one, check out ICAN of Evansville.

Breastfeeding: The Perks

There is lots of research out there now to support the fact that breastfeeding is better for babies than formula. Of course, if a woman cannot breastfeed or there are circumstances that prohibit her from being able to do so, formula is not going to hurt a baby. But, if at all possible, they say that "breast is best."

*Disclaimer: I know that not everyone is able to breastfeed (or even wants to) for whatever reason. I do consider myself to be lucky in that both of my babies were great nursers (that's what happens when you come from a family of good eaters on both sides!). They were also both full-term and had developed the sucking reflex by the time they were born. (Yet another reason why moms should consider waiting, if possible.) This post is not meant to offend anyone in any way but simply highlights the perks of breastfeeding.

Now that I am currently nursing my second child (I nursed Anya until 15 months), I'm reminded of all the other reasons I breastfeed, other than just the simple fact that it is better for him.

1. The cute little faces he makes. Moms who don't breastfeed at all are totally missing out on this. When you nurse, you get a view of your child that no one else really gets. When Felix is super hungry and finally latches on to eat, his eyes kind of glaze over, almost like he's drunk. A lot of times he will make faces and raise his eyebrows, and occasionally, he falls asleep. Then, he'll often smile at me (awake or asleep) and it's just so sweet.

2. The cute little noises he makes. Moms who don't breastfeed at all are totally missing out on this, too. Felix often makes sounds like "mmmm" and "ahhhh" while he's nursing. I guess Mommy's milk is just that good:)

3. He (or she) will always want you (at least every 2 to 3 hours). Since I'm the only one who can feed my baby, it insures that I will get my baby back in my arms at least every 2 to 3 hours, even if we are out somewhere.

4. I don't have to pack anything for him to eat when we leave. When we are out places, I kind of feel a little sorry for the moms who have to make sure to pack the right amount of bottles, formula, etc. All I have to remember is my cover, and if a mom chooses not to use one (which is actually perfectly legal in the state of Indiana), she wouldn't have to remember anything at all.

5. I can eat more than if I weren't nursing. When I first came home from the hospital, I was famished. The hard work I did during labor and delivery and the fact that my body was making milk must have been kicking in and I could eat and eat and eat. In the first few weeks, I lost another 5 pounds, even through all the eating. Unfortunately, I am not one of those women whose weight melts off just because of breastfeeding, even though both of my little darlings gained weight quickly on nothing but my milk. That being said, when I started Weight Watchers this time around, I was awarded extra points each day for exclusively breastfeeding (as opposed to supplementing with formula) and I even added a couple more points to that number to be sure it didn't mess with my supply. Lots of nights, I still have tons of points left after dinner so I can still enjoy an ice cream sundae. And oftentimes, my weight is down again in the morning.

6. It's completely free! While some moms are having to dish out lots of cash for the right formula to feed their babies, I am spending virtually nothing for my baby's food. Yes, I bought a pump (which is lasting me through both babies so far), some bottles and nipples (for daycare), containers and bags to freeze my milk in, and a nursing cover. But a lot of these things (besides the nipples and freezer bags) are reusable from the first baby to the second, and the cost doesn't even begin to compare to the cost of formula.

Yes, there are cons to breastfeeding. I do still have to follow the seafood rules just like I did while pregnant, and I have to time my alcoholic beverages so that Felix won't be affected. I also have to be sure to either feed him or pump every few hours to keep up with my supply and ensure that he will have enough when he is away from me, and this can become pretty grueling and time-consuming when trying to plan things out. That being said, knowing that Felix weighs 14 pounds and 9 ounces (which means he has gained approximately 6 pounds since birth) at 10 weeks and 5 days all due to my milk makes it all worth it!

I will leave you with a couple pictures of my chunky monkeys!

Anya at 12 weeks

Felix - look at those cheeks!

All the breastfeeding moms reading this - feel free to comment with anything I've missed!

May

Exercise: I was still technically on physical restrictions for the first half of May, but was released for work and normal activities on May 15. Before that date, I did take the kids for lots of walks but did not keep track of it. After that date, I have walked a ton...definitely more than two days a week, so I was pretty proud of myself for making it a priority. I also went back to my first Power Yoga class at the very end of May. However, it's frustrating because I just can't do what I could before I got pregnant. I know I will build back up, but it doesn't make it any less frustrating.

Reading: I read another book in May, which brings me up to a grand total of 9 novels read so far this year. I am also still on track with my Bible reading schedule.

Writing: I took a break from writing the week we were on vacation in Chattanooga, but I wrote something in my family blog at least once every other week of the month.

MT Business: Since I didn't work during May, I didn't really do anything in this area.

House Projects: Nothing really happened with this, either...

Finances: We spent more on eating out this month just because of vacation, but we did decent in this area while we were home. We were over budget for groceries/toiletries a couple of weeks but came in under budget on other weeks to balance it out. We also had a yard sale but did not make as much as i had hoped, though I realize most of our items were not necessarily yard sale type items. We plan to try to sell some of the stuff left through Craigslist.

I am not sure that we will be able to save much of anything for the month of May because the medical bills definitely started coming in. While it is disappointing that we won't be able to put back much money for May (if any at all), we are going to be able to pay all our medical bills from Felix's birth with just our paychecks and we shouldn't have to move any money over from our other account.

Other events for the month of May:

Felix was baptized at the beginning of the month.

Our friends Abbie and Brian are Felix's godparents.

We spent 5 nights in Chattanooga for vacation. Hopefully someday I will get around to blogging about it:)

I rejoined Weight Watchers in the hopes of losing the rest of the baby weight sooner rather than later!

Reflections on Birth: Labor and Delivery

Over the past 8 weeks, I have been thinking a lot about the differences between my kids' births.

Both Felix's and Anya's births had a few similarities:

1. I was lucky with both pregnancies in that I didn't have any complications or problems.
2. Both kids were born past their due dates.
3. With both kids, we went into labor the day after a membrane sweep.
4. We did not do a medical induction with either of them.
5. We were able to have vaginal deliveries with both.

That being said, the labor and deliveries were so different.

1. Care Providers

For Anya's birth, I had an OB who I think is a really great guy and a good doctor, but he was simply more medical-minded than I was. He had a good bedside manner and took great care of me throughout my pregnancy, but I think we just had completely different views on how birth could be. One of the things I remember him saying was that he didn't like birth plans - that really should have been my first clue. We ended up not having a birth plan for this birth because of that comment.

For Felix's birth, I switched to a different OB who has a reputation for being very natural-friendly. I was nervous about switching providers but I am so glad I did. In our first meeting with Dr. Scordalakes, he recommended that we hire a doula if we wanted to do it naturally, and then he said something about wishing they had birthing tubs at the hospital here. I knew immediately we had made the right decision in switching and I do not regret it at all. We did have a birth plan with this birth and the staff followed it perfectly. Also, Dr. Scordalakes was ok with everything we had on it.

2. Coping with Labor

For Anya's birth, we had taken a childbirth class at the hospital and we had both read up on coping mechanisms. We also attended a Birth Network meeting that was geared towards coping during contractions. But for some reason, when I went into labor, it was like we forgot about all those things. I really don't know what happened. I remember thinking after the fact about all the things we should have tried but didn't think about. We did do some things like use the exercise ball and the slow-dance position but there were so many other things we could have done. I think I was just as prepared as I thought I was, and I was definitely not as educated as I am now (though I am still learning new things every day!).

For Felix's birth, we hired a doula and this was one of the best decisions we made during the pregnancy (and was right up there with switching OB's). She had a lot of tricks up her sleeve so this time we didn't forget about all the techniques to use. We used a ton of things:

a. Heated rice packs - I had one on me almost at all times at the beginning of active labor. This was when having 2 people came in handy, because someone could run to reheat one of the packs while the other held the other rice pack to my back and I never had to be alone.

b. Exercise ball - This worked really well in the beginning. Just moving in a circular motion was very soothing.

c. Showers - I was in and out of the shower several times. This was probably the best coping skill I had. That being said, toward the end, nothing really worked but this was still the best way I had for dealing with the pain.

d. Hip Squeeze - For those of you who aren't familiar with this, it is basically when someone stands behind you and squeezes your hips together while you are having a contraction. It doesn't take the pain away completely, but it definitely relieves some of the pressure. I often used this in conjunction with the heated rice packs.

e. Music - I had created several playlists beforehand, including one for Early Labor, Active Labor, Pushing, and After the Birth. I was given some pointers from a local music therapist who had received training in Music Therapy Assisted Childbirth, so those were the guidelines I followed. It was definitely nice to have something to focus on during the contractions and sometimes the lyrics of some of the songs stuck out in my head and helped to motivate me throughout labor.

f. Squats - I actually hated this, but Megan (our doula) kept trying to get me to do them during contractions to help my water to break. I'm glad it didn't take too many of them because they definitely hurt really bad toward the end.

g. Rocking and Other Random Movements - A lot of times, I would just sway back and forth, do side lunges, or rock back and forth if I was on the bed. I found that I really could not stay still during contractions or they were almost unbearable.

h. Focused Breathing and Imagery - During contractions, I always tried to focus downward. I know it sounds hokey but it actually did help to imagine the contractions pushing the baby down and my body opening up to let him out. During contractions, I tried to breathe and pretend that my breath was helping to pushing everything down.

3. Progression of Labor

Labor felt so much different with each of the births. What I felt at 4 cm with Anya was what I felt between 6 and 7 cm with Felix. I guess I went into the second birth much more prepared and relaxed than the first, so maybe that's why it wasn't as painful in the beginning. Both times I did stall a little, though. The first time around, it took forever to get from 4 to 5, which is about the time I got the epidural. The epidural then stalled my labor, and because I was confined to the bed, it was very difficult to do anything to get labor to pick up again, which is how we ended up with a low dose of Pitocin.

The second time around, it was getting from 6 to 7 that was the most difficult and took the longest. That is also the point at which things got harder to cope with. Of course, I was getting discouraged by that point, but having the doula remind me that things would hopefully pick up and go more quickly once we hit 7 really helped me to keep going. Also, because I could move around, I was able to do those oh-so-great squats to get my water to break, and once that happened, Felix was born within the hour.

4. Pushing Positions

With Anya's birth, I absolutely hated pushing on my back. It felt really unnatural to do it that way but that is what I felt the staff really wanted me to do.

With Felix's birth, I got to do whatever I wanted. I pushed on my hands and knees for awhile (mostly because I got stuck in that position and had a hard time getting out of it) and also on my side. I didn't like the side-lying pushing as much as I thought I would. Ultimately, I ended up being on my side when Felix crowned and I pushed him out in a sitting position. It was so much easier that way and I could see more of what was going on.

The differences in the births don't end here, because there are other things that were very different after each child was born, so stay tuned for more!

April

My April update is 3 weeks late, but this is the first chance I've really had to go through everything and write about it.

Exercise: I was within 6 weeks of delivery throughout April, and I told myself I was not going to keep track of exercise during that time, simply because I wasn't supposed to be exercising. However, I did go for walks a couple times on most weeks.

Reading: I read a couple more books in April, which brings me to a total of 8 fiction books and still 4 non-fiction/ebooks. I got a little behind with my Bible reading while I was in the hospital and immediately after we came home, but I eventually caught up. I have been reading a lot in the middle of the night while I am nursing, but I don't get much time during the day or even at night before I go to bed.

Writing: I wrote in my blog almost every week, starting the week after Felix was born. The week he was born, I started on his birth story but didn't finish it for another couple of weeks. Again, I haven't written in my travel blog or my music therapy blog lately, so that is definitely something I would like to increase when I go back to work.

MT Business: I am not doing anything with this while on maternity leave, so I will pick back up with it once I go back to work!

House Projects: I'm pretty sure I did nothing in this area, either...oops!

Finances: We were able to save right about what our monthly savings goal is for this month, but probably only because we hadn't gotten too many medical bills at that point...We have been doing fairly well with eating out and only spent a little more than half our budget for groceries and toiletries. This was due to people bringing us food and us not being able to get to the store as often. It was nice having somewhat of a stockpile on some things so that we didn't have to worry so much about shopping for things we needed during the month of April.

Looking at what I've written, it looks like I didn't do much of anything

. I guess that's how it's supposed to be right after you have a baby, though! We spent most of our time adjusting to life with 2 kids, one more demanding than the other (guess which one is which!)

This one....

 

 

Or this one....?

 

 

 

What Women Really Want...

If you google "Mother's Day" anytime from the end of April through the first part of May, you will find all sorts of things, from deals to gift suggestions to blog posts about Mother's Day. And then there are the Dads who have no clue. If this is you, you might want to read this compiled list of tips to help you with Mother's Day without getting yourself in trouble. If you have already gotten yourself in trouble, then consider bookmarking this page or saving it to your favorites and reading it again at the end of next April to avoid the same thing happening the next time around.

1. Do not EVER pull the "You're not my mother so I'm not obligated to give you a gift" card. Just don't do it. Your wife may not be your mother but she is the mother of your children. Plus, you most likely have to live with her and would like to continue living with her after Mother's Day is over. Just do something to make her feel special or at least acknowledge that she is the mother of your children and that you appreciate everything she does for them and your family in general. Trust me...using this excuse is simply not an option.

2. What you give your wife doesn't have to be extravagant or expensive; homemade gifts are fine if they have meaning. In fact, you might even be able to get away with not buying her anything if you have the kids make homemade projects for her and do things throughout the day to make her feel special (but you will probably have to do both!) If you do decide to buy her a gift, do not buy her something related to cleaning or cooking (unless you are 100% sure she enjoys cooking). If you are going to buy her something, buy her something you know she wants but would never buy for herself. It is also ok to allow the kids to help with this but it is best to steer them in the right direction if you think they need it. If you bring home something the kids picked out that is random and doesn't have any meaning, she will just be confused. Ultimately, most mothers really just want to know that someone thought of them that day and that they are appreciated for what they do. Being a mother is probably the hardest job in the whole world. Sometimes it's the little things that will keep her happy.

3. Bring her breakfast (or even just coffee) in bed. This is something that never gets old. Mothers rarely get to eat an entire meal all the way through without having to nurse the baby, get up to get someone else another fork, or help someone go to the bathroom in the middle of it. Mothers rarely get to eat their food at the right temperature, so on Mother's Day, I'm sure she would appreciate that luxury. Also, this option doesn't cost you anything but just a few extra minutes of sleep.

4.Take the kids for a walk or get them out of the house for even just a half hour so she can have some time to herself. You may assume that she will want to spend every waking minute with her kids on Mother's Day, and that might be true, but I guarantee you she will appreciate even just 20 minutes to herself.

5. Make her dinner or take her out for dinner and plan something special to do as a family. If you are unsure of what she would like to do that day, just come up with a couple of options or suggestions and ask which she would like to do. She'll appreciate that you thought to come up with some ideas of your own ahead of time instead of just waiting until the morning of to ask her open-endedly "what would you like to do today?" And don't wait an hour before dinner to ask her where she wants to eat. For one thing, by then, it is likely you won't get in anywhere at a decent hour, and it makes it look like you haven't even thought about it. I realize that a lot of mothers have very specific ideas about what they would like to do on Mother's Day, but at least thinking up a couple of options for her to choose from will go a long way. Trust me. As far as dinner goes, there are typically tons of places that offer Mother's Day deals, so it doesn't even have to be all that expensive if you take her out. And don't take her to a place that offers a "free slice of pie for Mom" or any kind of free dessert for her unless you plan on buying dessert for your kids as well. I can guarantee that your wife won't see any part of that slice of pie if you do.
    
6. If you have children in diapers or who need help going to the bathroom, offer to take over those duties for the day. If your wife stays at home with the kids, she does this every single day and would probably appreciate the break.
    
7. If you have a child who wakes up in the middle of the night, offer to take care of him or her so that your wife can get more sleep. You can do this the night before Mother's Day or the night following Mother's Day. Do both nights if you want to score extra points.
    
8. Offer to give your wife a massage, especially if she complains of back pain or feeling tense. If she is making comments about those types of aches and pains, then she is probably hinting at a massage anyway.

9. If you have small children, make sure they are wearing a "Mommy" shirt. Children are not always good at showing their mothers that they love them. And even though we know they love us, it is still nice to be reminded of it whenever we see our children. I know it sounds silly, but it makes me feel a lot better just to have the visual reminder of "I love Mommy" on my daughter's shirt.

10. Do not, I repeat, do not ask her or insinuate that she should plan her own day. Mothers get one day out of the entire year that they should be made to feel special and it is your job to figure out how to do that. If you're not sure how to go about this, then ask her friends to help you or come up with some options and talk about it with her directly. Mothers may not know how they would like to celebrate if they are asked "what do you want to do?" but she might be better able to make a decision if she is given some options. Plus, it lets her know that you have actually tried to come up with something on your own. Chances are, your wife plans every other party/event/vacation/miscellaneous thing that happens in your lives, but she probably doesn't want to plan her own special day, at least not without some thoughtful ideas and input from you to make her feel like you actually thought about it.

11. Think about what your wife really wants or needs. If she has been especially stressed out, then give her a few hours to herself to do whatever she wants while you take the kids. If the baby has been waking up more than usual lately and she has been tired, then take the kids out of the house for a bit so that she can take a nap. If she has been complaining of back pain, offer to give her a massage or pay for her to have a professional one. At least on this one day, even if you don't think to do it on any other day, you need to really listen to your wife. I will admit that women are not always good at telling you exactly what they want, but if you really listen, I bet she gives you hints.

12. If your wife is pregnant with your first child, she is still a mother and should be recognized as such. No questions asked.

13. Don't forget about Mother's Day. In this day and age with electronic calendars and Siri, there is absolutely no way this should even be possible, and even if it somehow is, she won't believe you.

15. If you will be out of town over Mother's Day, do not forget the card and/or gift. If the gift is something you can't bring with you, then it is ok to give it to her before you leave or after you get back, but ONLY if you have something else planned for that day wherever you will be. Giving her her gift before you leave or making her wait until you get back and then totally ignoring the day itself is never a good idea. And no using the excuse that you don't know what's going on where you will be. If you can plan an entire trip using the internet, you can also plan a special Mother's Day using the internet.

16. Don't just give her a gift card and tell her to buy something nice for herself unless you are 100% sure she will really buy something nice for herself. I'm sure it's hard for a lot of Dads to believe, but a lot of mothers would still spend it on groceries or clothes for the kids just because. If you are going to get a gift card and are unsure as to how she would spend it, or if you want to buy her an article of clothing or something else but are unsure of what to pick out, then take her shopping yourself and make sure she spends the money on something special for herself.

17. If your wife (or mother of your children) has just recently had a child, you should probably do more than you think you should. She is likely to still be suffering from hormone-induced irritableness, lack of sleep from being up in the middle of the night with your newborn, and probably feels a little neglected because most people are more interested in the baby than how she is dealing with the important job of taking care of a new life. And even if you don't think it is a big deal that she still can't fit into her pre-pregnancy clothes, she does. Plus, the aches of pregnancy and the pain of labor is still fresh in her mind, and the aftermath of everything she has been through in the last year (the not-so-pleasant recovery period) is a constant reminder to her of everything she had to go through to bring another life into this world. It is true that women have babies every day, but your wife's body grew a life and made a million sacrifices to keep that life safe inside her body and then had to go through a ton of pain (physical, mental, and emotional pain, during the birth AND after) so that that life could safely enter the world and become his or her own little person. If your wife is breastfeeding, she is still making a million sacrifices to help sustain that life. In my opinion, this makes women pretty close to superheroes:) So celebrate that on Mother's Day.

18. Spend some time with her while the kids are napping or after they have gone to bed. If she is like most moms I know, her days are filled with cartoons, baby talk, and preschool games. She needs some adult interaction, adult conversation, and adult TV every once in awhile, too. So even if all you do is sit in front of the TV and catch up on a show the two of you like to watch, it would probably still be enjoyable. Or another option would to just talk...ask her how her day was, how her job is going (if she has one), what she'd like to do on your next date night (if you're still having one after all of this mess!). It's really hard to have any kind of conversation about anything with the kids around, so take this opportunity when it comes around!

So what should you do if you have already made the mistake of not doing enough for your wife or, God forbid, not doing anything at all for her? She already knows you screwed up big time, and you can't exactly go out and get her something immediately because it will just look like you are trying to cover up the fact that you really didn't think about her, which, in fact, is exactly what it is. My advice? Apologize profusely. Several times. When she says "it's ok," know that it is still not "ok" and probably won't be for at least a couple more weeks, if you're lucky. Do things around the house that need to be done and do not ask her to do anything extra. She is probably already angry enough with you. Make an extra effort to take care of the kids more, and if you see an opportunity to do something nice for her, go ahead and try it. But definitely do not try to initiate "anything" when you are alone (if that even ever happens) because that will only make it worse. Also, don't bring home flowers and think that will magically make up for the botched Mother's Day. She gets one day of the entire year to feel special for doing what is probably the most important job in the world and she feels that she has been robbed of that opportunity (even if you did not mean to make her feel that way), so you might need to give her some space to get over it. You could wait a few days or a few weeks (depending on how she is doing) and plan a special day that is designated as a "Mother's Day Do-Over." (Do this only if you think she will be receptive to it, and make sure she knows that you know you screwed up and want to make it up to her by doing this...do not try to play it off as just another way you want to make her feel special.) Plan it just like you would any other Mother's Day, using the above tips. And then make sure you never screw up her Mother's Day ever again. Ever. She might be willing to forgive you the first time around, but if you do it twice (especially twice in a row), you may have to find somewhere else to live the rest of the year.

So why is it so important to pamper your wife on Mother's Day? It's true that if your wife wanted something, she might be able to just buy it or do it on any other day, but mothers are typically pretty bad about taking time out for themselves. Carrying a child for 9 months, birthing a child, and then caring for a child of any age is no easy feat and requires a mother to be "on call" 24/7. Even though mothers know they should take time for themselves, it is hard to do that knowing that there is still so much to be done concerning the cooking, the cleaning, the kids, etc. Contrary to popular belief, mothers are really bad at taking care of themselves because they are too busy taking care of everyone else, and they actually tend to feel bad if they take any time out to do something nice for themselves...at least I do. And even though they theoretically could just go buy themselves their own Mother's Day present, they probably won't because once they stop and think about it, the important part of Mother's Day and gifts surrounding that holiday is the fact that someone appreciated you and thought to get you something or do something nice for you. If a mother has to do that for herself, it just doesn't mean anything at all, other than the fact that her family (namely, her husband if she has small children who are too young to understand) didn't think enough of her to make her feel special. Even if you feel like you tried and never meant for things to get out of hand, it will be hard for her to understand how you didn't see what it was she wanted.

Some of this post is just for fun, but there IS a lot of truth to some of it. Hopefully, this is all just review for you (if you are a father), but if not, hopefully it will help you to be more successful on Mother's Day next year!

Anya's Birth Story

In preparation for another upcoming post discussing the differences between my two labor and deliveries, I thought I would post Anya's birth story, because I realized that I never posted it to this blog. I wrote this almost 2 and a half years ago which happened to be about 6 months after her birth. It isn't quite as detailed and I didn't make any edits to it, so you are getting it just as it was originally written. If you have already read Felix's birth story, you will note that the two are completely different! We also had a different OB than with Felix's birth and we did not have a doula.

Again, this birth story contains some graphic descriptions, so stop here if you don't want to read about it!

Birth Story

Anya Claire
June 4, 2010
7 lbs., 7 oz., 21 in.
Born at 40 weeks, 6 days according to dating ultrasound, 40 weeks, 2 days according to ovulation

 

            I pretty much cried through my entire last doctor’s appointment because I was so upset about having the induction conversation.  They had told me our daughter would be 8 pounds, 5 ounces and my blood pressure was super high that day, so I was sure they were going to want to induce me asap.  However, my OB was really cool about it and said that there was no medical reason to induce at this point but he would not feel comfortable going past the next week, though he said we could wait a little longer if we wanted to.  I told him we would think about what day the following week we would be ok with and agreed to do another NST and ultrasound on Monday if we decided not to induce that day.  During the cervical check, I asked him to do a membrane sweep.  It definitely hurt but it only lasted 20 to 30 seconds; to be honest, I don’t even really remember how bad it was at this point.  I was almost 3 cm and about 80% effaced at that point.  Fortunately, things really took off from there.

            I started cramping and contracting that day.  I had had contractions off and on for about a week but these contractions never stopped.  That evening they were between 3 and 5 minutes and lasted at least a minute each time.  They weren’t very painful but I had heard so many stories about other peoples’ labors not being painful until the end.  In the back of my mind, I knew it had to be too easy but we went to triage anyway just to be sure we weren’t further than we thought.  Once we got there, I was told I was at the same dilation and effacement as at the appointment earlier that day, so I was told that I was still in early labor.  They allowed us to walk a little but after about 30 minutes we decided to just go home and try to get some rest before active labor started.  My OB was on call and he tried to give me some Ambien to help me sleep but we had decided that if we weren’t in active labor by morning, we were both going to work, so I wanted to make sure I wasn’t too drowsy in the morning. 

That night we got home probably around 1:30 am and went to bed.  Of course, my husband, Eric, was able to fall right to sleep but my back hurt so I had to go sit on an ab ball for awhile.  When I finally got back to bed, I only drifted in and out of sleep, but never really got any good sleep due to having to get up to pee what seemed like every 10 minutes.  Things were getting more and more mucousy and I ended up losing what I’m almost positive was my mucous plug over the next few hours. I didn’t realize how much of that stuff there is…pretty disgusting! 

I woke up at 5 the next morning with a really strong urge to have a bowel movement.  In the back of my mind, I knew it could be a contraction but I wasn’t sure if it was that or that I just had to go to the bathroom.  Several minutes later, I had the same feeling, so I decided they were contractions, and they were much stronger this time.  I woke Eric up and we both ended up calling into work because there was no way I could go to work this way, even if I wasn’t in active labor yet.  I used the ab ball and massage to get through some of them and I ended up getting in the shower as well, which was wonderful with the contractions.  We had had our bags packed from the night before so we just had to add a few more things to it.  We got dressed and packed up all the last minute things in between contractions because they were lasting over a minute and were 3 to 5 minutes apart.  In retrospect, I wish we would have stayed home a little longer, but this being our first time, we had no idea how far we were and with some of the contractions being 3 minutes apart and lasting as long as they did, we didn’t feel comfortable staying home.  When we got to the hospital, I was 4 cm, so I was admitted and given a room.  My OB offered to break my water but I told him I wasn’t ready for that.  I felt like we needed to be more in control of the contractions we were dealing with now before doing something that would intensify them. 

Eric and I used a lot of the techniques we had learned in our birthing classes and all the books we had read.  What worked the best was the “slow dance” position where I wrapped my arms around him and swayed side to side.  We turned on some music to help and I found different focal points around the room to cope with the contractions.  We did this for about 6 hours and I was still not quite to 5 cm, but very close.  The problem was that I was soooo tired.  I hadn’t really eaten in over 12 hours and I hadn’t had any kind of good sleep in over 24 hours.  I tried to lay down between contractions but if I wasn’t up and already swaying by the time they hit, they were really hard to get through.  Because I was plugged into the IV, I found it difficult to move around and get up in time.  (Even though I was negative for GBS, my screening had been over 30 days so I had to have the antibiotics anyway, which required the IV.)  After talking it over with Eric, we decided that it would be best for me to get the epidural, simply because I wasn’t progressing as quickly as I would have liked and I was already so tired that I was afraid once we got to the pushing stage, I wouldn’t have the energy to push my baby out.  My fear was that it would result in a c section and the ultimate goal (besides a healthy baby) was to be able to have a vaginal birth.  We requested the epidural and then had them notify my OB that we were now ok with my water being broken.

We got the epidural around 11:15/11:30, before my OB made it down to break my water.  The hardest thing about it was sitting still through contractions while they were putting it in.  I did not like the way my legs felt and the fact that I couldn’t get out of bed, but I know the contractions would have been way worse than that.   It reminded me of one of those dreams where you are trying to get somewhere but your legs don’t move fast enough.  I could still move them and feel them but they were very lethargic when I tried to move them.  I could also still feel the contractions, and though I wouldn’t necessarily describe them as painful, they were certainly uncomfortable.  Eventually, my water started leaking on its own before the OB ever made it to the room; however, my bag was still bulging so he did eventually have to finish breaking it. 

While all this was going on, my contractions had slowed to 6 to 9 minutes apart, and they wanted to put me on a small dose of pitocin.  I really did not plan on being on pitocin but they explained to me that this was merely an augmentation, not an induction, and that my risk of c section was still low since my body was already doing what it was supposed to do.  They assured me that this was just to regulate the contractions a little more so that I could progress faster.  I agreed to it and after I was given the pitocin, it only took a couple of hours to get to 9 cm.  At that point, I had a really strong urge to push but was told not to just yet.  After a little while, the nurse told me to go ahead and push if I got the urge, and eventually we got to 10 cm. 

It was probably around 2:30 or 3:00 when we started actively pushing.  I had originally thought I wouldn’t care about using the mirror, but the nurse had it brought in just in case, and it really did help me to push more effectively because I could see the baby’s head moving in and out of the opening.  The nurse also did perineal massage to try to keep me from tearing.  The nurse gave me 15 minutes breaks occasionally so I could rest up for the next pushing round, but the baby actually moved further down if I just relaxed and let the contractions do their job.  By the time the nurse came back, she decided to call for the “table” which also apparently meant the birthing team, because within minutes, tons of people showed up and the room was transformed in a matter of minutes.  When the OB showed up, I asked what was going on, but she just told me that we were close enough for the doctor to be here. 

            We kept pushing and when the baby crowned, they asked if I wanted to feel her head.  I didn’t think that I would care about doing that but when they asked, I thought, “what the heck?”  So I did and it was actually kind of cool to be able to feel her before she was even officially born.  I ended up also having an episiotomy.  We had discussed this with our doctor beforehand and had already decided that we were ok with this. 

We continued to push, and as soon as her little head completely emerged, she was already crying.  Of course, she had to be suctioned because there was meconium in my water earlier that day. When she finally came out all the way, it wasn’t even from me pushing her; she just kind of slipped out randomly and ended up ducking her head and doing a forward roll onto the table, and the doctor caught her feet first.  They held her upside down for a minute to get the blood flowing, showed me that she was a girl, which is what we were expecting, and then I finally got to hold her. She was absolutely beautiful, even though her hair was a matted mess!  The nurse was able to do a lot of things she needed to do while I was holding her.  Eventually, they took her for a few minutes to do some things they couldn’t do while I was holding her (I don’t even remember what it was…) and I immediately asked Eric for a Snickers bar.  I was so hungry!  We allowed our family to come in and see her for a few minutes but they were kicked out of the room after a few minutes so that I could breastfeed her.  Lactation came and we were able to get our little girl latched on right away.  She was a natural from the very beginning, though we did have to fix her latch somewhat before leaving the hospital. I knew if it continued to be painful, it would increase my chances of giving up.

Now Anya is almost 6 and a half months old. We are still breastfeeding and she has just started solids. So far, she’s had sweet potatoes, avocado, and bananas. She loves to eat, babbles to anyone who will listen, rolls and scoots to get places, and will probably be crawling any day nowJ It is hard to believe it has already been over a half of a year, but I still remember the day she was born like it was yesterday.  Labor was labor and it was painful at times, but I really actually enjoyed the whole process.