Maternity Pictures

Pregnancy, though stressful and unpredictable, is a special time. I wanted to have some pictures done to document this time, and luckily I have an amazing photographer friend who could do some for me. I thought I would share these, especially for my grandma and grandpa M, who read my blog but haven't seen them on Facebook.

 

Breastfeeding Reading List

We have chosen to breastfeed. There are many great reasons to breastfeed, which I'm sure have been fully expounded upon before, so I won't go into those here. I feel extremely lucky to have a sister who I can call and ask questions to, as well as my mom. My mom breastfed all four of us kids, and I am really glad that I will be able to ask her questions if I have trouble. Still, I'm one that likes to prepare. As usual, I headed to the library and picked up a few books that I thought would be helpful. Most pregnancy books include a short chapter or two on breastfeeding, but I found a few that dealt completely with breastfeeding. Here's the rundown:

Breastfeeding Made Simple: Seven Natural Laws for Nursing Mothers by Nancy Mohrbacher and Kathleen Kendall-Tackett- I liked how this book really went into the scientific dynamics of breastfeeding but in a simple way. It has several very helpful charts about what a baby needs, how many diapers to expect, etc.  Also helpful were sections at the end of each chapter called "When the System Breaks Down" that troubleshoot problems. In some ways it got repetitive, but I actually didn't mind because I'm still learning, and the more things are repeated, the better you know them. The only other thing I didn't like was that it kept comparing humans to animal nursing practices. I know of course there are similarities to point out, but it seemed very evolutionary. Still, it was a thorough book on the topic.

New Mother's Guide to Breastfeeding by Joan Younger Meek- This book is put out by the American Academy of Pediatrics. It wove throughout the how-to chapters stories of mothers and breastfeeding, which was an interesting feature (not sure if those were just example scenarios or true stories, but still helpful). I liked that it had many black-and-white sketches to illustrate various ideas, and Q & A sections for common questions in each chapter. Basically the same ideas as the previous book, so reading either/or would cover the same ideas.

Ina May's Guide to Breastfeeding by Ina May Gaskin- Just like her Guide to Childbirth, this book is excellent! I love how the author focuses on how natural breastfeeding is meant to be, although it can have rough starts and sometimes complications. She mentions that some of these complications can come from birth choices- medications at birth, not enough skin-to-skin time or rooming in, stress of the mother from a room full of people, etc. Not that any of these factors will make a mom unable to breastfeed, but just that it can be more difficult. Especially interesting were the chapters on Shared Nursing, Wet Nursing, and Forgotten Lore and Nipplephobia. An excellent choice if you only have time to read one.

On Becoming Babywise by Gary Ezzo and Robert Buckman- This book focused on developing good nursing routines that can lead to the baby sleeping through the night. Contrary to what I have heard many people say, I do not feel that it is cruel to the baby at all. One of the strongest points in this book is that the baby needs to get the rich hind milk when he empties the breast for the nutritional value. While the other books mention it, Babywise explains why it is so important. So, the idea is that the baby is full at eat feeding, and thus eventually is able to spread out the feedings, and drop the nighttime feeding (more rest for mommy sounds good to me!) The book does not advocate starting a routine in the first few weeks, but letting the baby feed when they are hungry, which was another concern I heard with this book, but did not find to be true. I also hear concerns that this method would leave you unable to produce enough milk, but the book is pretty clear on how to troubleshoot that problem if it does occur (probably trying to spread out feedings too soon).

All of these books were helpful, but I am sure that in real life things will be different! I will have to figure out what works for me and my baby, as each mother does. Hopefully we get off to a good start and he is feeding well through the summer. The next challenge will be transitioning to pumping when I go back to work in the fall. Not looking forward to that... I'll tackle that when I get there. Right now, my goal is to get started and breastfeed at least through six months, at which point we can hopefully introduce solid foods to supplement breast milk. I think it will just depend on how everything is going if I continue to nurse after the six months, so we will see. Hope this list was helpful to someone out there! I'm sure there are other great books too.

Our Ideal Birth Essay

For our Bradley Method birthing class, one of the exercises was to write your ideal birth story. I thought I would share it here, for the sake of memory, and in case anyone else was interested in it as a reference for their ideal birth story essay. Of course, I'm completely sure the REAL birth story won't be the same- the time of day, pace of contractions, ect... But it will be interesting to look back and see after the fact. So I'm putting it up here. Please, no birth horror story comments. This is just the best way that it could happen for us, though we know things will turn out in their own unique way. Three and a half weeks to go before we can write the REAL birth story.

            After a typical Friday night of relaxing with a movie and some cuddling, we crawl into bed around 10:00 PM. In the wee hours of the morning, I awaken to some light contractions, much like the Braxton-Hicks contractions I had been experiencing occasionally over the past few months. But my due date is here, so I pay attention and notice that they are definitely coming regularly, though they are still 20- 30 minutes apart. Since it’s only 3:00 AM, I change positions and try to relax and rest, hoping that the contractions pick up and today is the day to meet our baby boy! Around 6:00 AM, the contractions are coming steady at 15 minutes apart, and I go ahead and get up. Justin makes some scrambled eggs and whole wheat toast with orange juice for me.

                Since I’m still feeling good enough to move around, Justin and I go for an early morning walk around the block to help the baby get into position. We get back to the house around 7:30 AM and I decided to get in the shower. The warm water relaxes me as the contractions are now closer together, about 10 minutes apart. As I finish getting ready, Justin begins to check through the bags we are going to take to the birthing center, to make sure we have everything on the checklist, from clothes  to snacks to copies of our birth plan. I eat some fruit, and continue to time contractions, walking around the yard, and the house. Justin stays with me and rubs my back and shoulders to help me relax.

                By this time, it’s about 9:30 AM, and my contractions are about 5 minutes apart. We call the midwife to let her know, as we previously discussed, and decided to go ahead and go to the birth center and get settled. After getting checked in and situated in the room around 10:30 AM, I have to rest more between contractions, but am able to still walk some, pausing to lean on Justin and sway when the contractions come. I focus on letting my body do its work, and Justin gently reminds me to drink and use the restroom each hour. Around noon, I try to snack a little, and lay on my side to see if I can get more comfortable. Justin knows I need privacy to focus, and he asks the nurse to give us time alone to do some relaxation and snuggling while he rubs my back. My contractions are closer now, about 2 minutes apart, and Justin calls the nurse to see if we could try the tub since my contractions are well established.

                As the nurse gets the tub ready, Justin is doing such a great job at helping me focus through some of the pain as the contractions get stronger. He reminds me that we are getting close, and will be able to meet our baby soon. This really helps me focus on the end result. I think back to running the half-marathon last fall, and how those last three miles were so tough, but I pushed through and made it. I can do this too!

                When I get into the tub around 1:00 PM, I feel some tension leave right away. Justin climbs in behind me and supports my back and I try to rest in the minute between contractions. Then the pain increases, and I feel like maybe this is real progress. I realize this might be transition, and sure enough, around 1:30 PM, I begin to feel the urge to push. At this point, the midwife checks and I am indeed fully dilated. The midwife tells me to follow my body’s instinct. Justin reminds me that my body is made to do this, and that I am doing great. I push with the next contraction, and feel the baby moving down. In a few more pushes, the midwife can see the baby crowning, and I know it too because I feel a slight burning sensation as I stretch. I’m so glad I’ve been practicing my exercises and that we did perineal massage to prepare though, because I feel like I can handle it, though it is overwhelming at times. But I am so close!!

                I relax between the next contractions, but I am so excited to see my baby. I know he will come in the next few pushes. After just a few more, his head comes out, and his body soon follows. The midwife gently brings him above the water, and he takes his first breath around 2:00 PM. Though I am tired, nothing could stop me from holding my baby now, and he is put right on my stomach. In just a few minutes, he crawls right up to and finds my breast to nurse. He is a precious, wonderful gift from God. Justin is smiling behind me, and kisses me on the cheek. “You did it!” he says, but I know I needed him here the whole time- I couldn’t have done it without his support. “We did it,” I reply.

                As the cord stops pulsing, it is clamped and Justin does the honors of cutting it. He holds our baby for a moment so I can stand and get out of the tub. I walk with my little boy in my arms to the bed, and have some sweet moments of cuddle time as the uterus continues to contract and expels the placenta, about 20 minutes after my baby is born. Since our baby is breathing well, we ask for some time alone, and bask in this wonderful moment. Justin brings me some orange juice, which gives me energy. Our baby boy is already nursing and quite alert. A half hour later, around 3:00 PM, the nurse returns to weigh the baby, and we give him his first bath. We are so happy to be holding our baby boy! What a blessing.

Hostas and coffee cake

This post is about two completely unrelated items, though both happened today.

First, the hostas I planted last year are starting to come up! So excited! Plants are in investment, so I was really hoping  that would come up good this year. Looks like a great start too, and I can't wait to see what they do in the next few months.

Second, as my husband rushed out the door to go to his classes tonight, he gave me a kiss. So sweet, right? Until I feel his arm moving strangely around my back and hear a fork hitting my plate of coffee cake. Trying to be sneaky... sheesh! (I don't think he was really going to eat it; he was just getting a rise out of me). But it was too funny, so I made him take a picture with his other hand to remember to moment.

It's the small things that remind me of God's hand in my life. My humorous husband, my growing hostas. God is good.

PS. Less than 4 weeks now until baby boy comes!

Before and After: Guest Room

It's been a long time since I've blogged about house projects, and we certainly have done a few. We patched and painted the basement stairwell and stairs, put down wood floors,  put on a new roof, put up lattice to cover the basement crawlspace, revamped the utility room, converted a half bath into a full, and more I'm sure. Sometime, I'll have to blog about those projects.

For now, I thought I would post about the guest bedroom. It is a small room and was very bland, with carpet that was different from every other room in the house (all of the carpet in the house was removed before we moved in). The room itself was finished soon after we moved in. In fact, we slept in the guest room until our master bedroom was finished. This renovation was relatively simple: paint and flooring. We painted (Copen Blue by Sherwin Williams' Rustic Refined palette) when we first moved in, and flooring came about 6 months later. I already had the bed and cabinet, our neighbor contributed the picture and lamp, and my mom sewed the curtains. I really like the colors in this room and the way it turned out.

Before: Nasty carpet, no color

After: New flooring and color!

 

 

Survey Says....

A few weeks back, I put out the baby name survey for friends and family to comment on. And boy, were there some funny responses! Mostly the survey confirmed things I already had in mind, but it was just fun and interesting to read each of the responses. I thought I would summarize some of them now. Hope you get a laugh out of the first question.

What's the first thing you think of when you hear the name....
Alton: an alter, Brown (food network), Elton John, alternator, old, Walton, the movie Clueless, Altoids, Dalton, how is it pronounced?
Ansel: Adams the artist, hammers, my lake friend, Hansel and Gretel, a wicked witch and a candy house, Eisel, Hansel from Zoolander,
Brenton: is that a real name?, interesting, thought it was a little highbrow but could get used to it, Brendon, Yuck, nothing comes to mind
Carver: meat, president, knife, sandwich from Boston Market, wood, peanuts,  beef
Cooper: a dog, Bradley Cooper, spunky, mini cooper car, my dog, my mom's dog, rowdy, pooper, tire, Winey Cooper from the Wonder Years
Everett: a bird, Washington, mountain, old fashioned, I like it- the outdoors, old man, an egret, Mt. Everett, Mt. Everest, vampire, some kid I knew in school with no hair
Gareth: ehhh, earth, unusual, a warrior, good name in a Gothic novel, trying to hard, garish, Garett, nerd, he care-ith for me, shareth, knighthood/garth, too old, ...., what?!?!? lol, never heard it before
Garrow: very different, ehhh, a ditch, arrow, Celtic warrior, "Old Irish" story, Robin Hood, bone marrow, doesn't really seem like a real name, Eragon's father/uncle, wheel barrow, narrow, gallow, what in the world?, tomorrow, never heard of it, a vegetable
Matthew: classic, Bible, Matt, saintly, traditional, solid, Mark Luke John, strong
Roran: a lion, a dino, fantasy hero, ?, loin, Vikings, character from an action movie, odd, sounds like a made up name, roaring lion, hard to say, Eragon brother/cousin, Irish-ish?, roarrrr
Silas: ehh, sidekick, Marner-classic, old bald man with a cane, Bible, manly, Silas Magee, remind me of a silo, Siruis from Harry Potter, annoying kid I knew, love it, Duck Dynasty, jail
Thorin: Thor, a thorn, superhero, mythical god, roman, strong, unusual, comic book name, god of thunder, hulk, the Hobbit, Oakenshield, Norwegian god, ouch,
Trey: cute, Vahn, the third, athletic, tray, fun, poker, modern, gangster movie, DOG KILLING, Ohio State player, three, for my food, rapper

What's your favorite name based on the following choices?
Matthew and Silas tied at 16% each
Everett, Cooper, and Brenton tied at 13% each
Trey had 11% of the vote.
Other names were under 10% of respondents

Indicate how many people you know personally with the follow names:
Over 80% of respondents didn't know anyone with the name Alton, Ansel, Carver, Gareth, Garrow, Roran, or Thorin personally.
About 40% of respondents knew 6 or more people with the name Matthew personally.
Between 15% and 50% of respondents knew 1-3 people with the name Alton, Brenton, Carver, Cooper, Everett, Matthew, Silas, and Trey personally.

Indicate how many people you know in popular culture with the following names:
Over 50% of respondents didn't know anyone with the name Alton, Brenton, Carver, Everett, Gareth, Garrow, Roran, or Thorin in popular culture.
At least 50% of respondents knew 1-3 people with the name Alton, Ansel, Cooper, Silas, and Trey in popular culture.

What name has an intellectual vibe?
Matthew and Everett ranked the highest (36% of respondents each), with Alton and Silas following close behind (33%). Brenton came in close after with 30% and Ansel with 25%.

What name has an adventurous connotation?
50% of respondents said Cooper was adventurous, and 41% said Thorin was adventurous.

What name gives off a creative, artsy vibe?
Ansel won this category easily with 63% of respondents saying the name was artsy.

What name has a masculine connotation?
Matthew (54%) and Silas (45%)  topped out this list, with Everett and Roran following after (37%).

What name sounds virtuous and trustworthy?
Matthew (77%) and Silas (37%) were at the top of the list again, and I'm guessing it's from the Biblical connotation associated with the names.


So, are we any closer to picking a name? I think so! But we won't tell until he's born, sorry! I really appreciate all of the responses though, they were very helpful!! My readers are the best!!

40 days and (we're definitely) counting!

I can't believe we have just about 6 weeks (40 days) left!! We will get to meet our baby boy soon! Last week my coworkers gave me a shower and it definitely got me in the mood to get some more baby items. (I have quite the collection of adorable and thoughtful blankets). It's seemed so far away for so long, and now we can actually start counting down!

I am feeling pretty good, overall. While I haven't been sleeping very well, I am trying to take naps to catch up on what I missed. I continue to follow the Brewer diet the best I can, although I feel like I'm not as hungry lately. I've read that as my belly grows, it makes my stomach feel fuller, so I'm trying to do the 5-6 smaller meals/snacks, instead of the typical 3-meal-a-day. Although I have been doing small snacks all along, I'm becoming more deliberate in eating less at the main meals and saving what I would have ate then for healthy snacks. (I'm definitely not talking about junk food snacks).

In the realm of exercise, I am going to the gym three times a week still. I walk about a mile and a half, and do the following strength exercises: 3 sets of 15 squats, 3 sets of 20 lunges, 3 sets of 10 on the abductor/abductor machine, 3 sets of 10 on the leg extension machine, and 3 sets of 10 on the leg curl machine. I also try to do leg raises, pelvic rocks, donkey kicks off of the hands-and-knees position, and some back exercises in the hands-and-knees position almost every day. For arms a few times a week, I do curls and shoulder presses with 8 pound weights. Writing all that out seems like a lot, but really I have to go slower than normal and take it easy. (I so wish I could still run!! I really miss running and can't wait to get back into it.) Perhaps it's good genes or due to the exercise, but I haven't had any varicose veins or swelling in my legs, thank goodness. At my last appointment, I had gained about 28 pounds. Maybe a little more than I wanted, but I'm definitely still within the right range.

Emotionally, I might be feeling a bit moodier. You would have to ask my husband about that one (and hopefully he'll give you a smart answer, haha). I think the birth  process itself might contribute to my mood, but then I remind myself of all of the preparations we have done, in knowing the process, nutrition, and exercise, and I know God will get me through it. Sure it's won't be easy, but anything good never is, right? Plus, women have been giving birth for thousands of years, so I'm just the next to join the ranks. I know my husband will be by my side, supporting and encouraging me throughout. I can do it. And it will all be worth it for our little bundle of joy!!

Our Birth Plan for a Natural Delivery

Well, I assume that everyone will have opinions about this post, but let me remind you that I'm not commenting on YOUR plan to tell you what is right or wrong for you. This birth plan is what my husband and myself, after researching, reading a dozen pregnancy and delivery books, attending Bradley classes, watching birth videos, and talking with other moms, have written as our birth plan. It's highly personal, and I hope the readers of this blog will respect that. We know things don't always go according to plan, and that we have to be flexible. Still, this is our ideal. We are glad that we have a birthing center near that is in line with our plan, Family Beginnings at Miami Valley Hospital.

I really debated even posting it, but if it's at least a little help to a mom out there, then I'm glad that I posted. I should note that we also included (but did not post here) the names of our midwife, pediatrician, and places for them to sign. So here it is:

We are glad that you are part of this exciting birth of our baby boy. We are first-time parents and have prepared ourselves through exercise, nutrition, books, and Bradley Method classes. We hope that these preparations will help us have a smooth labor and birth. 

We desire to have a birth that is natural and free from interventions. We do not want to be induced, have artificial rupture of the membranes, or be offered pain relief such as an epidural, Pitocin to speed labor, or a routine IV or catheter. We do not want any residents or nurses in-training observing the labor and birth.

During First Stage Labor

·         Minimal vaginal exams- one when first admitted, one when the mother feels ready to push 

·         Intermittent fetal monitoring

·         Privacy for the mother and father as much as possible

·         NO Heparian lock IV

·         Freedom to walk and move into positions of comfort, including use of the tub

·         Freedom to eat and drink

·         Low lights, aromatherapy, and music of our choice

·         The mother would like to wear her own clothes

·         All guests need to be OK’ed by the coach (father)

·         Positive language used by all support persons in regards to the mother’s progress

During Second Stage Labor

·         Freedom to move to positions of comfort- tub, squatting, hands-and-knees, and so on while pushing

·         No episiotomy- the mother would rather tear; use perineal massage to avoid

·         Mirror available to see progress if desired

·         Father to catch baby and cut cord when it stops pulsing

After the Birth of Our Baby Boy

·         Immediate skin-to-skin contact with baby for holding and nursing; privacy of the family at this time is desired

·         Delay bath, testing, weighing, etc. until baby has had skin-to-skin time with mother and father

·         First bath given by mother and father

·         We decline eye drops and the Hepatitis B vaccine for our baby at birth

·         We accept the hearing test, the vitamin K shot, and PKU test

·         We would like our baby circumcised

Complications

-Please allow us time to privately discuss our options before any additional procedures

-If fetal distress requires a C-section, father is to stay with mother continually; baby is to be given to mother as soon as possible for nursing and skin-to-skin time

-If baby must be taken to NICU, please do not feed sugar water or introduce a bottle or pacifier; mother will pump or nurse to feed the baby as soon as possible

How to Make a Cardboard Castle

While it took a little time and craftiness, the castle was worth it. My niece loved it and I know she will get a lot of play out of it. So here's a few pictures of the cardboard castle and how it all came together. I hope you get a chance to make your own cardboard castle!

Estimated project time: 8-10 hours

1. Get cardboard. I chose one large box (recliner) as the central castle that connected to two smaller boxes (toilets) as wings. Then I had a flat, long piece to connect them all and provide support.
2. Trace and cut outlines of the top of the castle and windows with a box cutter- be careful!
3. Spray paint desired colors.
4. Add duck tape details to make the castle look like it has brick and mortar. Seal all cardboard edges with duck tape.
5. Finish with banners, foam stars, scrap fabric for curtains, etc. Ta-da! Your very own castle!!

Baby Name Dilemma

With a birth-day coming soon for our little boy, I thought I would make a survey of some baby names we have considered. It's so hard to pick a name! Justin and I want something that is uncommon, but not weird. The common thing comes, perhaps, from teaching so many students. Say any name in the top 100 and I've probably had a student with that name, and with that name comes its associated memories. So it's tough to pick one. It's not that it's bad to have a top 100 name, it just that I don't want to say my baby's name and have three other kids in nursery turn their head. (Justin and I both have pretty common names, although spelling mine presents a problem many times).

Speaking of spelling, it needs to be easy to spell. And pronounce. Did I mention not in the top 100?

It's difficult.

We browsed several books. Here's some of them:
Beyond Jennifer and Jason, Madison and Montana by Linda Rosenkrantz & Pamela Satran
Hello My Name is Pabst by Miek Bruno and Kerry Sparks
Off-the-Grid Baby Names: 1,000s of Names Never in the Top 1,000 by Linda Rosenkrantz & Pamela Satran

We also availed ourselves to decade of SSA info at: http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/

After all that, I made the survey. It has names we really are considering, and some that we totally aren't. I had to have those in their for quality control, right? And to keep it mysterious. But do complete the survey, whether you are friend, family, or stranger. I've already had several responses but want many more. It's so fun to read everyone's input!

Here's the link:
https://www.surveymonkey.com/s/T6397RQ