Our Birth Story: Maureya

When I say I was at the hospital for less than an hour before I had her, people might think Maureya's birth was easy. That's not how I would describe it exactly. However, I am so thankful that after much prayer and preparation, this birth story was more of what I was hoping for.

(Quick recap... Maureya is my second child. Ansel was my first. You can read his whole birth story here, but for now, let me go over the highlights. I had back labor for 24 hours from one afternoon to the next. I dealt with contractions by natural pain management methods except for a few hours of morphine to help me rest in the morning. My water broke after that and I pushed for 2 1/2 hours until I delivered Ansel.)

With Maureya, I woke up around 5:30 am with contractions about ten minutes apart. Back labor again! This time around, I had been practicing yoga positions and breathing methods to use, and was able to employ those. I hung out with a friend in the morning since we had that planned and it got my mind off of things. After lunch, I tried to take a nap and got some rest, though I was still feeling the contractions. When I got up and actually timed contractions again around dinner, they were about 5 minutes apart and getting more intense, but I just stayed active. I would pause to squat or do another position to get through. Around 6 pm I was getting rather annoyed the contractions hadn't picked up in time or intensity since it had been going on 12 hours, so I went for a walk (in the drizzling rain). Mentally I was trying to prepare myself or another long night similar to what I labored with Ansel, and emotionally I was feeling worried but trying to trust my body.

I vacillated on calling my friend to take Ansel over to her house in case we needed to go to the hospital. Finally around 8 pm or so I started needing Justin to give me counter pressure in my lower back for the back labor and went ahead and called my friend to get Ansel. They left after 9 pm, and I kept pushing back leaving for the hospital until about 10 pm, trying to labor at home as much as possible and dreading the contractions I would have in the car on the way. It is very difficult to relax or do any type of yoga position in the car!!

We got to Miami Valley at 10:30 pm and parked, and walking in was tough. It was cold but I wasn't sure if I was shaking from that or trying to get through the back labor. We checked and got to our room (#3- same exact room I had Ansel in because we asked if it was open in Family Beginnings). When the nursed checked my and said I was a 5-6 but very effaced, I tried to stay positive. I really felt like I was farther along. Justin continued to give me counter pressure- really, I only felt the contractions in my back-for a half hour or so. I was in child's pose on the floor of the bathroom when my water broke and I HAD TO PUSH. It was basically instantaneous.

The nurse wanted to check me again before I started pushing and said I was only at an 8; but I really could not resist the urge. Missy, the midwife, just said, "Listen to your body." My body was screaming at me so there was no way to ignore it! :) Hands and knees on the bed, I pushed, rather loudly, I'm sure, for a couple of contractions before they told me she was crowning already. (Woah! Ansel took over an hour to crown, then crowned for another hour!) On the next push or two, her head was out. Then, somehow I didn't have an urge to push, but she was so close. So I took a deep breath and tried to focus on pushing again and she slipped out at 11:21 pm. What a relief. There is really nothing like that moment! I had been at the hospital less than an hour.

With her cord still attached, I was able to move back and sit against the headboard and put Maureya skin-to-skin right away. After the cord stopped pulsing, Justin cut it. The placenta came easily after that and I was able to look at it. Fascinating and gross at the same time, but amazing to see the life-force that God made to sustain her those 39 weeks in the womb.

Recovery has been so much easier this time, I think because of the timing of the labor. It ended up being about 18 hours, but since it fell during the day and I pushed for maybe 20 minutes, the exhaustion wasn't as great. I didn't have a tear to the perineum (last time I had a small one but no stitches). The lochia discharge reduced very quickly and I was able to move from a Depends to a large pad the second day postpartum, and it continues to reduce. The after-pains of the uterus returning to normal size are more intense than I remember with Ansel, but compared to labor pains they are manageable. I'm on 800 mg of ibuprofen every 8 hours and that has kept other soreness in check. Maureya  slept well at home last night between her feedings  at 11, 2, and 5:30, and I slept in after that until 8 or so. I got an hour nap this afternoon and will go to bed soon, but it's nowhere near the exhaustion I felt from last time. It will be interesting to see how things continue to play out, but this birth experience was just overall so much better than last time.

I'm so thankful to my husband for being so supportive. He was just perfect, giving me everything I needed to make it through. The yoga really helped too. And of course, I know I had people praying for me throughout pregnancy and I had also prayed that God would give me the strength to make it through. He is good.

2nd Baby, 3rd Trimester Update

Oh, geez. I'm already 33 weeks. Time is definitely getting away from me, and I don't think it's just because I have a toddler too. It's just keeps ticking away... Still, I wanted to take the time to write some updates on the pregnancy for the sake of remembering it.

As far as pregnancy symptoms go, I know I am lucky. (But I still don't like being pregnant, sorry). I am tired and never really sleep through the night without getting up to use the restroom or just toss and turn. Which, by the way, turning over is getting to be quite the ordeal. Justin laughs at me, but it really is so much harder the bigger my belly gets! I don't have heartburn, or back pain, or things like that. I have been experiencing a decent amount of Braxton-Hicks contractions, without much rhyme or reason to them, which I read is pretty normal to have this early on in the second pregnancy. They been going on since early December.  (With Ansel, I had them every 5-10 minutes the last two weeks of pregnancy. Talk about annoying and uncomfortable.) I've gained about 22 pounds already, which is less that my first pregnancy, but I'm just not a hungry. I'm hoping this helps in the long run.

One of my concerns is that baby girl will be aligned correctly, since Ansel was a little off and I believe it caused a longer labor, pushing, and his eventual torticollis and plagiocephaly. Because of this, I've invested significant time and money in yoga. I go once a week with a few friends, and then do some pregnancy yoga videos at home at least one more time a week. I also have visited the chiropractor twice. On the first visit, she confirmed that my hips were a little off-perhaps one leg is longer/shorter- and that the baby was also slightly to the right side. This was just like with Ansel. When I lay on my back I can seriously tell that my belly is lopsided. The good news is that on the second chiropractor visit, she said the baby was more in line like she should be. So, I will just continue with yoga and have at least one more chiropractor visit before birth. Then I'm just trusting that God sustains me through whatever the final position is.

We are going to Family Beginnings at Miami Valley again since our experience with the nursing staff and my midwife was so good last time. Any interventions really make me anxious, and therefore a natural delivery is the route that is best for me. One thing that I'm still fretting about is that I tested positive for GBS in a urine sample at the beginning of the pregnancy. GBS is a bacteria that can come and go, but if it present at all during the pregnancy they want to pump you (and therefore the baby) with antibiotics during labor. I'd really rather avoid an IV altogether, besides the fact that the chance of passing to the baby is very small- about 2%. I'm not really sure I like the baby being given all those antibiotics right away anyway, unless it really is needed. If I decline this, they will want to keep us at the hospital at least two nights to monitor. While this is how long we stayed last time, I'd much rather come sooner if I feel up to it, especially since we don't have to wait around for the Doc to do a circumcision. Less time at the hospital sounds very good to me! I am having a GBS swab test done in a few weeks, and if I test negative then, I feel like I have a good basis for declining the antibiotics. I've being taking garlic and probiotics as my midwife suggested to help in this.

Everyone is different, but we don't announce when we are going to the hospital. Shoot, last time it was in the middle of the night anyways, and I still have 18 hours of labor to go. I don't want people waiting around because that just stresses me and I have enough to deal with. Some people like the endless birth party, but in all honesty, I just want to be alone. Let me labor alone (besides my hubby), and once the baby comes I don't want a bunch of visitors. Heck, even when I get home I don't want visitors. Birth is tiring and all I want to do is rest and enjoy the new addition without added stress of company. I know, everyone is different, but that's just how I personally feel about it. So, a few more weeks, but the end is in sight. I can't wait to meet baby girl!!

Survey says.... (Baby girl name edition)

Well, I know everyone is dying to know what name we have chosen, but you won't get that from this post. Sorry. That's one little tidbit we like to keep to ourselves, plus, I'm not 100% sure yet either. I think I will have to hold her first to know that it fits. With that said, the survey was very interesting and quite amusing to read some of the responses. It's so fascinating how we each have personal baggage with certain names, whether that's love or hate. I definitely have this with former students' names, or historical figures or celebrity figures.

Let me break down some of the highlights for you.

What's the first thing you think of when you hear the name.... 
Amelia- Earhart, airplane flyer lady, goes nicely with Ansel, Bedelia, sophisticted, Grey's anatomy, no, flower, adventurous
Denna- Jersey shore, my friend, Jenna, not sure, smart, dinner, weird, Dennis, denim jeans, Denny's restaurant, and old person
Elionwy (ay-lon-wee)- an elf, Welsh fairy, can't know for sure how to pronounce, unique, why would anyone name a kid that?, Ellen-we?, exotic, oh heck no, can you pronounce that again?, Africa
Estella- princess, witch, Marlin Brando, fat lady, rich, stately, classic, clothing, Mexican, stars, old
Freya (fray-uh)- another elf, yogurt, fry a hamburger, muppet, foreign, bewitching, a hobbit movie, Fritos, interesting, sounds like a foreign food, frayed material, lingerie, African, no
Mabel- makeup, cutesy tooties, fabel, solid, older, grandma, old woman, elderly, a housekeeper, granny, sweet, my alter ego in a skit, old lady
Marlowe- business, Psych, Raymond Chandler's novel, energetic, determined, gangsters, old man, Trump, cute, different, drunk, Barlow girls, Merlot, a boy's name
Maureya (muh-ray-uh)- Povich, maria spelled wrong, how do you pronounce this?, Indian princess, delicate, why?, new spelling?, never heard of it, unfamiliar, Go Murrary!, Maureen Ohara, one of my students, who was adorable
Mia- Fast and Furious, a dog, cats, Princess Diaries, nice, happiness, Sophia, Anne Hathaway, mamma mia, Farrow,
Sadie- Duck Dynasty, another dog, Hawkins, aunt, happy, homely, peppy, cute, dog, blonde ponytail, Love!, my dog, my cat, like
Waverly- Old Disney show, a town in MI that is ghetto, Ohio, fabric, snooty, precious, TB hospital in Kentucky, curtains, bedspreads, seductive, Wizards of Waverly Place, like the crackers

Over 90% of you didn't know anyone personally with these names:
Elionwy, Freya, Marlowe, Maureya, or Waverly

Over 75% of you knew someone personally with the name of Mia.

Around 50% of you knew someone personally with these names:
Amelia, Mabel, and Sadie 

Over 75% of you knew someone from pop culture with these names:
Amelia, Mia, and Sadie

The names that gave a creative, artsy vibe were: 
Waverly (50%), Maureya and Elionwy (38%) and Freya, Marlowe and Amelia (around 30%)

The names with a girly, princess feel were Amelia and Mia.

The trendiest names were Mia and Sadie.

The classic and timeless names were Amelia and Estella.

In rank order, with your favorite choices listed first: 
Amelia- 24%
Waverly-18%
Mia- 15%

Below 10% of you favored....
Denna 
Sadie
Elionwy 
Estella
Marlowe
Freya
Maureya 
Mabel

So there you have it! Now you have to wait another few months to hear the name announced when she's born. :) Thanks for participating; I enjoyed reading your responses!!

2nd baby, 2nd trimester update!

Time is certainly getting away from me. I'm already 22 weeks and definitely on the countdown. As I'm sure I've said before, pregnancy is not my favorite season. It is definitely worth it though, and I'm thankful to God for His blessings. We are expecting a girl this time, and I'm so excited! I'm definitely one to plan, and too often I make my own plans without seeking God's guidance. Our first, Ansel, was a boy, and I REALLY wanted a boy first. Then when we made the decision to go for #2, I REALLY wanted a girl. I'm so ready for frills, bows, lace, and lots of pink! Of course I have no control over the gender, so I was just delighted when we found out at the ultrasound a few weeks ago.

Let me be honest for a minute. I used to think I wanted four kids. Well, I still do. But, after my first birth, I just don't honestly think I could do it four times. They say you forget it, the pain. Let me tell you, I don't forget it. We almost didn't try for another just because of the first birth. But I keep telling myself the second had to be better...  Anyway, we have had so many people in our lives adopt children. An aunt and uncle, good friends from our time in Cali, and others. I see students at school who are products of the foster care system and need love. Adopting has always been in the back of  my mind. Going into this pregnancy, I was sorta bargaining with God. "Lord, if you give me a girl, I'll feel like I can stop having kids biologically and start adopting..." Yet, I came to the place where I finally said, "Ok, God, two is it for us. We'll look into adoption no matter the gender." Then to find out it was a girl- well, it was confirmation somehow. Maybe that sounds crazy and weird. Whatever the case, I still feel so blessed that God would give me a little girl this pregnancy. We probably won't adopt for another 4-5 years, since many times they recommend that your biological children be older than the adopted children, but it's so exciting to think about and prepare for.

We waited longer to tell everyone this time- I was already in second trimester. Everyone has their reasons on when to tell, and waiting was what we wanted to do. One reason was just that as a teacher, I wanted to get through first quarter without being the "crazy pregnant teacher." It was important to me to establish those relationships with students first before throwing something else into the  mix. Students certainly have lots of comments... thankfully, this time around they aren't quite so obnoxious. Pregnancy is just so public for me, and everyone wants to know every detail. And yes, it's exciting, it really is, but nine months worth of bad sleep can wear on me, and I guess I just get grouchy. So, we waited. I'm glad we did. It worked for us.

Pregnancy #2 has been a little different, at least in the first trimester. I definitely had a lot more nausea than I remember with Ansel. Thankfully no actual vomiting, and after I figured out that I just constantly have to eat (every 3 hours or so), it seemed to go away. As I entered second trimester, even if I skipped my evening snack for some reason, it wasn't too bad. Another thing that was similar was headaches in late first trimester/early second trimester, but they weren't as bad as with Ansel.

Other things are just like last time. I don't sleep well, partially because I have to get up to use the restroom, and partly because I just seem to toss and turn more. I bought one of those ginormous $50 pregnancy pillows, and it helped for a few weeks, then I ditched it. Maybe it will be of use in third trimester. I have kept up running, even about 2 miles at 20 weeks, with short walk breaks. I think I even felt better than last time, but it could be partly due to being earlier in the season. That is, it is warmer outside so it prolongs the running season. Last time I had to go to a gym to run by 15 weeks and that was a total drag to be indoors. However, I've definitely been slowing down in the last two weeks and am just hoping to make it to Thanksgiving time before I switch over to walking and strength training. As far as weight gain goes, I have gained 10-12 pounds (it fluctuates), but almost all of that is since second trimester started. I feel like it might be a little faster than last time, but I also popped out sooner, so my guess is that they are connected. I know I'm not quite as diligent and strict as I was with the first pregnancy, but my blood counts are almost identical, so maybe I'm just being hard on myself. :) That's my justification anyway. I would really like to stay closer to 25 pounds instead of 35 this time around. We'll see.

I'm trying to be really proactive about labor this time. I mean, I certainly was last time too. We did Bradley Method classes, stretching, exercise, all that. But Ansel was turned and I really think that's the reason I had back labor and 2 1/2 hours of pushing. So I asked the midwife what I could do. She recommended a chiropractor and also prenatal  yoga, so I am going to explore those options. I'm really watching my posture too, to try to give the baby all the advantages to being in the right position once labor comes. I just keep praying that God gives me peace through it because to be honest, it very nerve-wracking to me.

Well, I'm just a month from third trimester already. In some ways this pregnancy is going really fast. The next two months of holidays will fly by I'm sure, and then just two more months till March comes. I'm definitely going to be happy to meet her!

Post-Pregnancy Weight Loss: 25 pounds!

During the course of my pregnancy, I gained 35 pounds. They say a good typical gain is 25-35, so I felt pretty good about it as I progressed through the pregnancy. I didn't gain anything first trimester, and really only saw significant jumps after 5 months. For me, it was hard to see the scale go up, even though I knew I was eating right and exercising. I have always been conscious of my weight and had to work to stay in shape. (Not like my sister, who got the high metabolism...grrrr). So, once I had the baby, I was eager to see changes and lose the weight.

When I can home from the hospital, 10 pounds were off (8 lb 13 oz was baby) and I lost 4 inches from my waist. I was surprised that it wasn't more though, when I thought about the placenta, amniotic fluid, etc. that I lost during the birth. So that was a little discouraging. The first few days after the birth, my weight stayed pretty much the same. I think that was because I had swelling and extra fluid from my 3 hour stint on the morphine/fluid IV. By the end of the first week though, I started to see the pounds come off. By 9 days after birth, I was down 18 pounds and had lost another inch from my waist. By today, 15 days after birth, I has lost 25 pounds and another inch from my waist (6 total). Only 10 pounds to go to lose the baby weight!YES!

The thing that is so encouraging to me about all this, is that I have just continued to eat healthy, and have not been doing anything different. Well, I think that breastfeeding is a major factor in helping everything return to normal. I'm drinking a ton of water- maybe breastfeeding makes me thirsty or something! The soreness of birth has greatly reduced, and I'm walking about every other day. Nothing big, maybe a mile or so, with Ansel in the carrier. It feels so good to get out and walk!! I really want to be able to run again, but honestly, with nursing, it's just too soon for my breasts to be able to handle it. Even with a really supportive bra. Hopefully the tenderness of breastfeeding reduces soon though; I would really like to be able to run in another few weeks. Not because I want to push myself, but just because I miss running!

So, I have 10 pounds left to go. At this rate, let's hope it's gone in another week. But I have a feeling that it will take a little longer. Also, I really have another 10 on top of that to lose to return to where I would be content. Last spring, before we started trying to get pregnant, my insurance changed and I got a higher hormone dosage of birth control. Bad, bad idea. I gain 10 pounds in three months, and I think it was because of this. Even with training for the half marathon during the summer, and running in the fall, it never came off! This was so frustrating, because that stupid 10 pounds would not budge. I had been the same weight since graduating high school, and was healthy and comfortable there.

All in all, then, I have 20 pounds I would really like to lose. I know that it is going to be tough, but I am committed! It's about being healthy. Justin has a few extra he needs to lose too, and he likes going to the gym. I think we are going to try to get to the gym at least twice a week, and go on walks besides that. Hopefully in a couple of months we get it off!!

I'm excited at what has come off already, and determined to see the rest shed! I hope that I can look back on this post and see a goal met!

Breastfeeding and Babywise

Looking back, I thought breastfeeding would be easy. It's one of the most natural things in the world, right? Babies crawl right up to the breast after being born, and already know how to suckle. Mom's milk is the  most complete and easy nutrition available. 

If only it were really that easy.

I know I haven't had the toughest time, but I (and Ansel) are definitely learning. We had a few issues to work through in the beginning. Over the course of the first night, I would put him to my breast and he would eat. However, it definitely felt rather like pinching, and was not pleasant. I knew it shouldn't hurt, and we called the lactation consultant in the next morning. Ansel had certainly been sucking, and getting the colostrum, but he was indeed pinching me- and I had red marks to prove it. He was not getting a deep enough latch, the LC said, and probably needed his frenulum clipped (AKA he was tongue-tied). In combination with that, and sorry if this is TMI, apparently I have small (not inverted or flat) nipple buds, which compounded Ansel's latch problem. 

To solve the problem, the LC gave me nipple shields. I am convinced that whoever invented these should have a special place in heaven! What a huge help! They really helped Ansel latch on and saved me from feeling so pinched all the time. The LC had me use a hand pump to draw the nipple out for a minute or so, then put the nipple shield on. The nipple shield got us through the first week.

After the first week, I was starting to get annoyed at the nipple shields, just because it was an extra step. So, I started taking them off part way through the feeding a couple of times a day. Sometimes Ansel was willing, sometimes not. Sometimes, it hurt pretty bad. Finally, today, I was trying the side-lying position, which I hadn't used since the hospital, and forgot the nipple shield in the other room. I decided we would just try it without. Ansel did great! He fed 15 minutes on each side without it. I feel so good about this. Hopefully we can be almost done with using them, but I will have to see how tonight goes.

Now for Babywise. (I know not everyone agrees with the philosophy, but I just challenge people to actually read the book because it might be different that you think). The goal of the first week is to get full feedings every time I nurse. When Ansel had a full feeding, he lasted longer between feedings. Typically this was 2 1/2 to three hours, though at the end of the first week he had a few bouts of 2 hours... I felt like all I did was feed him! But he was giving me plenty of dirty diapers, both wet and poopy, so I know he was getting what he needed.

By Sunday though, I was ready to try to move him onto more of a schedule. I needed it, so I could get enough sleep, and he needed it, so that he knew what to expect. While Babywise encourages you to not really worry about the schedule in the second week (just get full feedings), I thought I would go ahead and try. I set up a 3 hour schedule, and put it at 6 am, 9 am, 12pm, 3 pm, 6pm, 9pm, 12 am, 3 am. I would feed him at those times, working to get him at least 10 minutes on each breast, and then give him "wake time," as Babywise calls it, and then put him down to sleep. Sometimes it takes Ansel longer to get a full feeding- 45 minutes or more- and his wake time is only 15 minutes or so. If I try to keep him up longer, he is actually crankier and has a harder time falling asleep. Then he will sleep for about two hours, at which point I will wake him up and feed him again, and repeat the cycle.

I really like this routine for several reasons. First, both Ansel and I know what to expect. Second, it gives me some type of sanity when I feel like all I do is feed him! I have at least an hour and a half to myself between each feeding that I can shower, take a nap, pick up the house, or something of that nature. It's helping me feel like life is returning to normal. Ansel is eating great too. He usually nurses for 10-15 minutes on each side. Then he is alert for a short time before being ready to sleep again. Now, it may take time for him to fall asleep. That is, he will cry for 5- 20 minutes sometimes. While I hate hearing him cry, I know that he has a full belly, he has had cuddle time, his diaper is clean, etc. He just has to learn to self-pacify. I do at times use a pacifier, because I think he is one of those babies that just needs to suck on something. But I try to only use it at night, when I really need to rest.

What is awesome is that over the last few nights, since I have started the 3 hour routine, Ansel has started sleeping longer. So, I feed him 9:00-9:45 pm, and he sleeps 9:45-1. That means I get a 3 hour block! So awesome. Tonight I am feeding him at 10 pm because we were a little off the 3 hour schedule, and hopefully I will only have to get up at 2 am, and then 6 am. Hopefully...... I don't want to spread feedings more than 4 hours this week because of my milk supply, but 4 hours during the night is so good for me to get rest and be a better mommy.

More updates as the weeks go by. Thank you, Babywise!

Postpartum: The First Week

I am on day 9 of my baby boy's life. We are starting to fall into a little more of a routine- eat, wake time, sleep time. (Thank you, Babywise. Another post on that later). What I would really like to write about is the emotional and physical side of the first week with Ansel.

Let's start with the physical. Everything hurts. Or just about everything! My legs had some swelling, which wasn't painful, but just uncomfortable from the fluid retention. I can deal with that. My biceps were sore...weird, I thought, but Justin kept trying to coach me to relax as I was kneeling over the birth ball, and it was just very difficult to do. But I can handle some muscle soreness too. My stomach wasn't sore, but it was a strange sensation to have my uterus contracting still as it returns to normal size. Certainly these aren't like labor contractions, not painful, but still something was happening that I could notice. My belly also felt so jiggly from the extra skin and the baby being out. Not that I had super in-shape abs before, but I certainly didn't have the tone that I had pre-pregnancy.  Most of these physical affects were greatly reduced after the first week. While I'm sure this is different for everyone, the lochia discharge greatly reduced after the first few days too. Still, it continues into the second week and is supposed to go on for several more.

When it comes to the physical aspect of breastfeeding, it was definitely uncomfortable when my milk "came in." The only solution that helped was to keep pumping to help the breasts not feel so full. I don't think I experienced severe engorgement though, like I had read about, but certainly it was uncomfortable since I am large-breasted. This lasted about two days, and by the end of the week my breasts seemed to start regulating themselves, as long as I fed Ansel every 2-3 hours.

But the worst physical affect was, as I'm sure you could guess, the soreness and achy-ness around the perineum. Thankfully the swelling went down after about two days, but everything was so tender. No burning when I used the restroom, but just very tender. Finding a comfortable position to sit was a challenge, especially with a big pad in my underwear the first few days. Definitely couldn't sit in any solid chairs, and ate dinner on the couch each night. The water bottle they gave me to help clean down there felt good, and the witch hazel pads to line the large pad were very beneficial. It just sucked that they ran out. Justin tried to find more for me but they didn't have the right kind. I took 800 mg of Motrin every 8 hours to help with the pain, and continue to take it. On day 9, I am still sore, but it has definitely gotten more manageable.

Then there were other physical revelations:
-Having a bowel movement is so easy!! I'm sure a healthy diet has to do with this, but after pushing the baby out, I think any bowel movement is easy! They did give me a stool softener after birth, but I didn't have any trouble with having a movement the first day or the days after.
-I can urinate at normal intervals again! I don't have to go every 30 minutes. Amazing how much I took that for granted! However, there were times I felt like I had a little less control when the urge to go hit, and I wonder if this was part of everything inside me shifting around.
-I am losing weight and not even trying! When I came home from the hospital, I had dropped about 10 pounds (baby and placenta) but still had swelling. As the week went on, each day the scale went down. I gained 35 pounds during the pregnancy, and 19 have already come off. It is so great to see the scale go down. I think that was something that was difficult for me- to see the scale keep going up during pregnancy, even though I knew it was for the baby and I was eating healthy and still exercising. I have always had to work to maintain a healthy weight, and I do worry about being able to get it all off. But the progress so far is encouraging, especially since the only thing I am really trying to watch is how many sweets I eat. Otherwise, I just continue to keep up with lots of fruits, veggies, proteins, and grains from the Brewer diet.
-I don't have to take a shower every day. Or at least, I didn't! Hahaha... every other day was really all I could handle between feeding the baby, feeding myself, and trying to get enough sleep.
-I didn't know my breasts could get any bigger! I am not a small chested person to begin with (usually I can find my size at VS), but I went up two sizes over the course of the pregnancy, and then when my milk came in, it was even worse. I'm committed to breastfeeding, but I will be glad when it's done, and hopefully I return to my former size.

Now, emotionally is a whole different story. Of course the physical pain affects the emotions, because I was just trying to cope with everything. There were certainly crying spells, especially at the beginning of the week. When we were driving home, for some reason I just let loose. Poor Justin, I mean, he hurt for me but there is only so much he could do. He just rubbed my leg as we drove. I think that the labor was just so intense, and went longer, and I had that uncontrollable leg shaking, and I had to do the IV, and I pushed for so long, all the tears just came out at once. So of course that first week, I am so tired, from not sleeping during the night of labor, and not sleeping the night at the hospital afterwards, that I would just cry sometimes. I didn't want anyone around but Justin. Even now, I don't want to see a lot of people. The amount of time I put in to feed and care for Ansel is pretty consuming, and I don't want to think about doing my hair or makeup, and I don't really want anyone to see me like that either. So I know that people care, but I didn't want to talk to them at all. The first wonderful person that brought a meal just handed it off to Justin.

Getting the hang of breastfeeding is tough, and I think I will have to do a whole post just on that, but that is pretty emotional too. Another reason to not see anyone. I had no privacy at the hospital, and when I came home, I just wanted peace to breastfeed and not worry about who was around. Really, I still feel this way. It's really something you have to work at! And it's every three hours, so it's pretty consuming! My grandparents came up on Saturday for a few hours, which I'm glad they did, but I still had to work in a feeding while they were here. (By the way, they were the perfect visitors- they brought food, gifts, and helped with chores while they were here- just the things that I needed!) Breastfeeding is emotional because I worried that Ansel is getting everything he needed. A week later, I know he is doing well because of all his wet and poopy diapers!   

I am thankful that my mom was and is around. She comes over for a few hours a day and cooks and cleans for me. It's so nice not to worry about those things. Sure, she gets to hold Ansel, but it's maybe for 15-20 minutes of her 3-4 hour stay. The rest of the time she does anything I say, which today was dusting baseboards and cleaning the ceiling fans. She's run to the store even. But I think the thing that helps me most is I can tell her when to leave, and she gets it. Sometimes I just need time alone. On one day, we had a few visitors, and I was tired and just wanted to be alone, so I just went in to feed Ansel and Justin told her it was time to go. And she understood. I really appreciate this about my mom. I know that she would have loved to be there for the birth, or to know when we went to the hospital, but that just wasn't what we wanted. I'm glad that we have been able to come to terms on it. So, to wrap this paragraph up, it has been an emotional help to have my mom as my own personal workhorse the first week! Part of me feels bad about "using" her like this, but I know that is how she shows that she cares, and as the weeks go on and I feel better, this will lessen as I can take it on.

I would be remiss not to talk about Justin during the first week postpartum. He took off the week, and did anything and everything I needed around the house. He got up with Ansel, changed his diapers, held him when I was frustrated, brought me food and medicine, wrote me cards and emails he knew I would read during the night feedings, rubbed my back, hugged me, and just told me over and over how strong I was and how proud he was of me. I needed to hear it after how tired and sore I was after the birth. He's really got the daddy thing down pat too. It's amazing how neither of us were too interested in other people's babies, but Ansel, our baby, is a different story. Justin was just everything I needed, and I am so glad I am married to him. Our bond is deep and strong, and we celebrate our 5 year anniversary next month!

So overall, the postpartum week was rough. Even looking back on it, it seems like a blur. It went fast, yet slow because of the sleep deprivation. This week is definitely improving. Even now, I am doing something while Ansel sleeps, because I was able to get more sleep last night, and did a nap earlier today. So the routine is starting to form. I still don't feel ready to entertain visitors, and want to be alone because it takes more energy to have people around. But there is a gradual improvement in my mood and my body. God is good. He's blessed me with a precious baby. It was worth it. (And I'm so glad birth and the first week is over!)

Our Birth Story: For Real

Warning: TMI ahead for sensitive readers...
I'm writing this because I think people should talk more about birth. The good and the bad.

Ansel Paul was born last Sunday, May 11 at 3:41 PM. He was 20 1/2 inches long and weighed 8 lbs 13 oz. A big boy! Man!  This is our birth story. It might contain TOO MUCH INFORMATION for some of you, but I'm not going to sugarcoat things, so here it goes...

First, I had been having Braxton-Hicks contractions every 5 minutes for two weeks before my due date (May 10-Ansel came the day after). This was so exhausting because they would definitely keep me up at night, although they were not like the intensity of "real" labor contractions. May 10 finally rolled around and about 3 in the afternoon more intense contractions woke me up from a nap. We stayed home and walked, and tried to rest again, and went into Miami Valley around 10:30 PM. While I was 4 cent. at triage, they wanted me to walk, which I did, but had to stop and go hands-and-knees every three minutes when the contractions came. This was the beginning of a long night of back labor... they admitted us before midnight to Family Beginnings.

I labored some in the tub but didn't feel a lot of relief, and tried other positions. Justin was awesome and provided counter pressure on my back for pretty much every contraction the entire night. The back labor was really, really tough. I had progressed to 6 cm in the morning, but was so exhausted from being awake all night the midwife suggested an IV with morphine and fluids. (She also suggested a type of water injections in my back that provide relief, but I hate needles so this was not my preference. Being stuck once with an IV was bad enough). This enabled me to rest between contractions, though I still felt the pain of the contractions. I wish I hadn't had to do the morphine drip, but mentally and physically I had to have some kind of break.

When I came off of this after three hours, around 1 pm, my water broke and I was ready to push. I pushed for 2 1/2 hours... so intense! I'm not sure if the long night of back labor or pushing was worse though! (Just being honest). When he started to crown, I did feel a burning sensation like they say, but they showed me his head in a mirror, and that helped me focus and know that the end was coming. It's not like seeing the head erased the pain though, let's be real. The midwife let me know that she could do an episiotomy, but I wanted to keep pushing first. Finally his head came (what a little cone head), and then his shoulders had a little trouble, but then he was out! What a relief. Worth it but super tough. I did have a small tear, but the midwife said it might be just one stitch, so I said let it be. It can heal on its own. They placed Ansel on my belly for a short time, then took him to suction out some fluid. I had him back a few minutes after. During that time, the midwife was "massaging" my stomach to help expel the placenta and watch for blood loss. I say "massage" because it didn't feel good, and quite frankly I was so sick of having people touching me that I just wanted everyone off! Looking back, I wish I had seen the placenta, but they took it away, and I wasn't even thinking about it at the time. I was just looking back at Ansel as they made sure he was doing fine.

There were many times throughout the night that I felt like I just couldn't go on, but I just tried to take one contraction at a time. Mentally, it was so exhausting. I just wanted it done, and if I didn't hate needles so much, I might have ended up out of Family Beginnings and with an epidural. (Like I have said in previous posts, each mother has to do what is best for her. For me, I didn't feel like an epidural was best, especially since I heard of negative affects that can happen). There were also many times during that long two hours of pushing that I thought, "just do a c-section and get him out!" I knew the recovery from that is long though. Another very trying part of the pushing was when the midwife was providing pressure on my perineum so that I would not tear and would be able to push Ansel out. This was just a killer sharp pain, different than the pain of pushing. I know that it had to beneficial, but it really, really hurt. For pushing, I'm not sure how to describe the pain of pushing, except that it's like having the biggest bowel movement ever, and feeling like it will never come! And the intensity of the urge to push is just insane. I think I was pretty vocal during pushing... the poor other families in the two suites around mine- I probably sounded like I was dying!

Another physical and mental aspect of the birth was being checked to see if I was dilating. Nobody talks about this, and probably because it sucks! It was uncomfortable when the midwife checked me at my last appointment, but being checked during labor was horrible. Maybe I was just more sensitive, or maybe the midwife or nurses weren't as gentle. I don't know. But I was hoping only to be checked when I arrived and before I pushed, and in reality I was checked at least four times. Ugh. At the same time, I really needed to know what kind of progress I was making, so I did ask to be checked. But it just feels horrible.

Now, after the birth. I was able to rest in bed with Ansel on my chest, and began to nurse. That was a really special time. We held off calling anyone because, well, this was our time to be with our son. We had made it through 24 hours of labor, and we wanted that time to bond as a family. This is really important to us. Plus, I was just so exhausted, and so was Justin, who was up with me and supporting me the whole time! We needed to have some time without anyone else to enjoy the special wonder God gave us. We both really feel that by making the marriage commitment, we have dedicated ourselves to each other, and this bond supersedes all else as we grow our family. 

After some time, I needed to use the restroom. Wow, first time to use the restroom after birth... what can I say? It's a mess. I was still having lochia discharge, of course, and it just comes pouring out into the toilet. The nurse had me rinse off my perineum with a water bottle, they spray it with a numbing spray. Then she gave me the biggest pad ever- no lie- the thing was like 6x12 and witch hazel pads to also layer into the giant stretchy underwear. The witch hazel were a lifesaver! And I just remember how swelled everything down there was. Gosh, not pretty. Then they gave me a hospital gown to wear. (Before this, I labored buck naked. It's true that you lose your sense of modesty. But as soon as the birth was over, I got it back). But after that was all over, I laid back down with Ansel and rested. We ordered pizza and ate before we contacted anyone. I'm sure glad I did, because I didn't want to see anyone in that state.

Ansel has been very alert and active though and eating well. Justin was definitely awesome and supportive like a great coach the whole time, and I credit the good diet and exercise with getting me physically through everything. I'm still mentally processing everything with the birth, but let me tell you, I love my baby boy!! Yes, it was worth it. No, I don't know if I will ever do it again. I think I would rather run 1,000 marathons. It was a hard labor. But ask me another time. It's only been a week. :) Everyone's labor is different, but this is my birth story. I'm proud of myself, of my husband for guiding me through, and my baby for being strong through the process.

Before and After: Nursery

Problem areas in this room included: multiple textures on the walls, a horrible paint scheme, a chair rail, and flooring. To start with, we ripped off the chair rail. Then I undertook the task of completely retexturing the walls. I think I went through at least two 5-gallon buckets of mud for that project. I had to put a thin coat of mud with the trowel, then roll over it with textured sponge roller, then knock down the texture with the trowel. Yes, it took me a few days to finish. (I did try the spray-on texture, but it was no good. Too thin and runny to actually hold, and it didn't cover up the former texture enough for a unified look around the room.) Then we painted everything in Bittersweet Stem, which we also used for other rooms in the house that is from the Rustic Refined collection. Finally, the new wood laminate floor was laid, but you can't see much of it now because we have a rug.

Since this room is right next to our bedroom, it became the nursery. We had a lot of fun decorating with the Noah's Ark theme from Babies R Us. Now we just need to baby to arrive (a few more days, we hope!)

Before:

After:

Date (fruit) Brownies

I wish I could say this post about brownies was unrelated to pregnancy, but it's not. Apparently research has shown that women who eat dates in the four weeks preceding their due date seem to have a larger cervical dilation, along with other positive features (see article here). Of course I'm only two weeks out from my due date, but I thought, hey, it couldn't hurt! So I found a recipe online. Many of these date brownie recipes are from raw foodists or gluten-free, which is great if you are trying to be healthy. The recipe I tried calls for a cup of dates (processed down in a food processor) to sweeten the brownies. Easy to make and I thought they came out pretty good. More on the chewy than the fudgy side (did I overcook maybe?), but I still liked them. As a bonus, I melted down chocolate chips while the brownies were still warm for a yummy topping.

Here's the recipe. I did use regular flour because I don't have almond flour. 

I'm not in labor yet, but of course I haven't finished the pan yet either. Give me another day or so, okay? LOL....

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!

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