NOTE: If you gave birth to me or my husband, you might not want to read this post. Just a suggestion.
You know that thing I did to get pregnant in the first place? That's what I'm here to talk about. Seriously, Mom, stop reading.
I just went in for my 6 week post-partum follow-up. My weight is good - 7 pounds below my pre-pregnancy weight! - my blood pressure is stellar and my uterus is small and firm like it's supposed to be. Lucy gave me a pelvic exam to see how my tears have healed. There was a spot that was still a smidge not healed, but for the most part everything looked good.
The good new is I can have sex whenever I want to.
The bad news is I can have sex whenever I want to. This TERRIFIES me.
What if it hurts like hell? What if I make him stop and all I can offer is some awkward hand action? What if I'm all stretched out from GIANT BABY HEAD and we have that whole hot dog in a hallway situation? What if the baby's making adorable sleeping noises over the monitor and that's all I can focus on?
Clearly couples overcome this - I'm sure the dads of the world aren't nearly as neurotic as the moms and are all 'Get over yourself' - because of the low percentage of only children. But that doesn't make the prospect seem any less scary to me now.
Also on the agenda at my appointment was addressing my birth control needs. Since Steven and I want our kids fairly close together Lucy recommended we skip any long term methods. We settled on birth control pills, but they have to be the progesterone-only pills until I stop nursing. After reading the informational pamphlet, these pills are a little scary. We have to use a physical barrier (condoms, diaphragm, etc) until I have been on the pills for a month. I have to take my pill at the exact same time everyday, and if I miss a pill - and by miss a pill, they mean take it more than 3 hours after my scheduled time - we have to supplement with a physical barrier for a week. This is not the lazy woman's pill like I was on when we first got married. I have to be a pill taking Nazi unless I want a set of Irish twins. Luke is adorable; pregnancy and childbirth were magical, life affirming, blah blah blah, but I'm not ready for an encore yet. So I set an alarm on my phone to tell me to take my pill everyday.
Just so you know, there will not be a follow-up post wherein I share just how scary post-baby sex is or is not. As much as I love to over share with you guys, I have to draw the line somewhere, and that line is just short of my sex life.
A Busy Mom's Best Friend
Do you know how hard it is to paint your fingernails when you may have to bounce a baby or pop in a paci at a moment's notice? Very hard.
Enter my new nail polish.
Enter my new nail polish.
I grabbed this bottle of Express Finish - 50 Second polish and it lives up to its name. I was able to get two coats on and dried in plenty of time to scoop up my little man for a diaper change. It gets bonus points for being fall's super trendy gray.
Just so ya know, no one paid me or perked me for mentioning this product. It's just something I picked up at the drugstore and fell in love with.
Birth Story - Part 4
Birth Story - Part 3
THE AFTERMATH
Everything after the birth is mostly a blur for me - between the meds and the exhaustion I don't remember a lot of what happened. Steven cut the umbilical cord and I delivered the placenta shortly afterward.
I feel like the repair was the worst part of the whole thing. Luke came out elbow first, with his arm over his head, and because of this I tore pretty badly - a first degree labial tear and a second degree internal vaginal tear. As Lucy started the stitches I wanted to scream "Stop touching me!" I was so tired of being handled that I could hardly stand it. She got halfway through my repair and decided she needed help, so she paged the OB on call. He re-stitched what she had done and then stitched some more. They were stitching so much it felt like they were doing embroidery down there!
As bad as the needles were, that wasn't the worst part. That whole region was raw, sore and starting to swell. When the dry latex gloves touched my raw skin it felt like sandpaper and I would scream out it pain. Lucy couldn't figure out why I was screaming and Steven was overwhelmed. He never expected the post-birth phase to be so rough. To make matters worse, my leg muscles were shot and I couldn't hold my legs open to allow for the repair. Lucy and a nurse had to hold my legs for me.
I had been holding Luke the whole time, supposedly to distract me from the stitching. It worked up to a point, but nothing is cute enough to keep me from noticing a needle in my lady business. When Lucy was finished the nurse took Luke from me to wipe him off; I immediately started shaking. To clean me off a second nurse poured a tub of cold water over my crotch, which sent the shaking into overdrive. I didn't know what was going on and the harder I shook the more I panicked, which made me hyperventilate. I couldn't breathe and couldn't control the shaking so I thought I was going into shock! I kept telling the nurses I was cold but they said I couldn't have a blanket until they had cleaned me up. The nurse handed Luke back to me and, like magic, the shaking stopped. Only at this point did the nurse tell me that she shaking was normal - my blood and hormone levels were in major flux after delivery.
AFTERTHOUGHTS
I want to share with you some questions I have been asked, and my answers.
What does a contraction feel like?
Someone told me a contraction feels like the cramps you get when you have diarrhea. Yeah, it's like that, only imagine someone is stabbing your uterus and giving it an Indian rope burn at the same time. I apologize for the non-PC term, but that's the only name I know for it.
Did you poop when you pushed?
Before I answer, you should know this was one of my worst fears. I am extremely shy when it comes to this particular act and I was not prepared to do it in front of my husband and a room full of strangers. That being said... yes, I pooped on the table and I didn't care in the slightest. BUT, it's not like a normal bowel movement. Only a little bit comes out and the nurse gets rid of it very quickly. I even told Steven that I did it and he said he wasn't even aware that I had. So there. It's not so scary.
Do you think you'll have another baby?
Steven and I both want more kids. The decision to expand our family will be based on our parenting capabilities and financial situation. My experience with pregnancy, labor and birth was not bad enough to make me say "never again." During my discharge exam Lucy told me something encouraging: the reason I was stuck at 5 cm for so long was because Luke was positioned elbow first so his head couldn't apply pressure to my cervix like it was supposed to. Now I know my long, hard labor was not because my body was ill prepared. If I have another baby I am confident my body will handle it well.
Even with all the interventions I had, I am not disappointed with my labor. I never felt pressured and Lucy always seemed concerned but never pushy. I am proud of myself for persevering through Pitocin without an epidural. Even though I accepted pain medication, I am proud of myself for not asking for it sooner. It was recommended to lower my stress and it worked.
If there is a lesson to be learned from my labor, it is that every intervention has a time and place. All of these things are not horrible if administered properly.
THE AFTERMATH
Everything after the birth is mostly a blur for me - between the meds and the exhaustion I don't remember a lot of what happened. Steven cut the umbilical cord and I delivered the placenta shortly afterward.
I feel like the repair was the worst part of the whole thing. Luke came out elbow first, with his arm over his head, and because of this I tore pretty badly - a first degree labial tear and a second degree internal vaginal tear. As Lucy started the stitches I wanted to scream "Stop touching me!" I was so tired of being handled that I could hardly stand it. She got halfway through my repair and decided she needed help, so she paged the OB on call. He re-stitched what she had done and then stitched some more. They were stitching so much it felt like they were doing embroidery down there!
As bad as the needles were, that wasn't the worst part. That whole region was raw, sore and starting to swell. When the dry latex gloves touched my raw skin it felt like sandpaper and I would scream out it pain. Lucy couldn't figure out why I was screaming and Steven was overwhelmed. He never expected the post-birth phase to be so rough. To make matters worse, my leg muscles were shot and I couldn't hold my legs open to allow for the repair. Lucy and a nurse had to hold my legs for me.
I had been holding Luke the whole time, supposedly to distract me from the stitching. It worked up to a point, but nothing is cute enough to keep me from noticing a needle in my lady business. When Lucy was finished the nurse took Luke from me to wipe him off; I immediately started shaking. To clean me off a second nurse poured a tub of cold water over my crotch, which sent the shaking into overdrive. I didn't know what was going on and the harder I shook the more I panicked, which made me hyperventilate. I couldn't breathe and couldn't control the shaking so I thought I was going into shock! I kept telling the nurses I was cold but they said I couldn't have a blanket until they had cleaned me up. The nurse handed Luke back to me and, like magic, the shaking stopped. Only at this point did the nurse tell me that she shaking was normal - my blood and hormone levels were in major flux after delivery.
AFTERTHOUGHTS
I want to share with you some questions I have been asked, and my answers.
What does a contraction feel like?
Someone told me a contraction feels like the cramps you get when you have diarrhea. Yeah, it's like that, only imagine someone is stabbing your uterus and giving it an Indian rope burn at the same time. I apologize for the non-PC term, but that's the only name I know for it.
Did you poop when you pushed?
Before I answer, you should know this was one of my worst fears. I am extremely shy when it comes to this particular act and I was not prepared to do it in front of my husband and a room full of strangers. That being said... yes, I pooped on the table and I didn't care in the slightest. BUT, it's not like a normal bowel movement. Only a little bit comes out and the nurse gets rid of it very quickly. I even told Steven that I did it and he said he wasn't even aware that I had. So there. It's not so scary.
Do you think you'll have another baby?
Steven and I both want more kids. The decision to expand our family will be based on our parenting capabilities and financial situation. My experience with pregnancy, labor and birth was not bad enough to make me say "never again." During my discharge exam Lucy told me something encouraging: the reason I was stuck at 5 cm for so long was because Luke was positioned elbow first so his head couldn't apply pressure to my cervix like it was supposed to. Now I know my long, hard labor was not because my body was ill prepared. If I have another baby I am confident my body will handle it well.
---------------------------------------------
Even with all the interventions I had, I am not disappointed with my labor. I never felt pressured and Lucy always seemed concerned but never pushy. I am proud of myself for persevering through Pitocin without an epidural. Even though I accepted pain medication, I am proud of myself for not asking for it sooner. It was recommended to lower my stress and it worked.
If there is a lesson to be learned from my labor, it is that every intervention has a time and place. All of these things are not horrible if administered properly.
Birth Story - Part 3
Birth Story - Part 2
THE BIRTH
Up until this point, I could feel the contractions up in my belly. After an hour of Pitocin/Stadol the contractions began to feel different. Now they had moved lower and I could feel them in my cervix. The only way I can describe them is they felt like an orgasm, but painful. I needed to pee so Steven helped me to the bathroom. While I was there I had two more contractions and they felt very expulsive. I felt like I had to push and then my body started pushing all on its own. I panicked and pulled the cord for nurse assistance. Suddenly 3 nurses rushed to my room and helped me back to the bed.
I told them I needed to push but they didn't really believe me since I was only at 5 cm an hour ago. As my nurse was getting prepped for my exam I had another contraction. She could tell by my noises and body language that I was pushing and told me to stop. Yeah, right! There was nothing I could do to control it. My body was in charge now. Not to be crude, but it's like trying not to have explosive diarrhea.
The nurse checked me and - surprise! - I had gone from 5 cm to 10 cm in just an hour, and she said I was ready to push. I didn't even wait for Lucy to come in before I got in position and started pushing. After hours and hours of labor pushing felt good. Don't get me wrong - it was hard and it hurt, but it still felt good.
In class I had been told that pushing felt like having a bowel movement. Yeah, kind of. There's that type of pushing and then there's a whole other level of pushing that is lower and more intense. Apparently I was good at pushing because there was very little coaching from Lucy and lots of "you're doing good." After feeling like a failure all day, it was wonderful to finally be getting some praise. To be fair, Steven had been praising me all day, but it was nice for Lucy to not be disappointed in my progress.
As Luke was crowning Lucy asked me to hold back and do several little pushes in a row. I remember having no idea how to do that. Imagine you're holding a car over your head, straining to keep it from crushing you, and then someone asks you to lower it just a little. In my opinion, there's doing it and there's not doing it, with nothing in between. Whatever I did worked because Lucy told me to keep doing it. Even though he never thought he would want to, Steven ended up watching the baby come out. He admitted it wasn't pretty, but curiosity got the better of him.
With only a few more pushes, the baby was born. After laboring for 21 hours, it only took me around 35 minutes to deliver. Lucy showed the baby to Steven and he told me "It's a boy!" They placed him in my arms and I spoke my first words to him,
"Hi, Luke!"
Birth Story - Part 4
THE BIRTH
Up until this point, I could feel the contractions up in my belly. After an hour of Pitocin/Stadol the contractions began to feel different. Now they had moved lower and I could feel them in my cervix. The only way I can describe them is they felt like an orgasm, but painful. I needed to pee so Steven helped me to the bathroom. While I was there I had two more contractions and they felt very expulsive. I felt like I had to push and then my body started pushing all on its own. I panicked and pulled the cord for nurse assistance. Suddenly 3 nurses rushed to my room and helped me back to the bed.
I told them I needed to push but they didn't really believe me since I was only at 5 cm an hour ago. As my nurse was getting prepped for my exam I had another contraction. She could tell by my noises and body language that I was pushing and told me to stop. Yeah, right! There was nothing I could do to control it. My body was in charge now. Not to be crude, but it's like trying not to have explosive diarrhea.
The nurse checked me and - surprise! - I had gone from 5 cm to 10 cm in just an hour, and she said I was ready to push. I didn't even wait for Lucy to come in before I got in position and started pushing. After hours and hours of labor pushing felt good. Don't get me wrong - it was hard and it hurt, but it still felt good.
In class I had been told that pushing felt like having a bowel movement. Yeah, kind of. There's that type of pushing and then there's a whole other level of pushing that is lower and more intense. Apparently I was good at pushing because there was very little coaching from Lucy and lots of "you're doing good." After feeling like a failure all day, it was wonderful to finally be getting some praise. To be fair, Steven had been praising me all day, but it was nice for Lucy to not be disappointed in my progress.
As Luke was crowning Lucy asked me to hold back and do several little pushes in a row. I remember having no idea how to do that. Imagine you're holding a car over your head, straining to keep it from crushing you, and then someone asks you to lower it just a little. In my opinion, there's doing it and there's not doing it, with nothing in between. Whatever I did worked because Lucy told me to keep doing it. Even though he never thought he would want to, Steven ended up watching the baby come out. He admitted it wasn't pretty, but curiosity got the better of him.
With only a few more pushes, the baby was born. After laboring for 21 hours, it only took me around 35 minutes to deliver. Lucy showed the baby to Steven and he told me "It's a boy!" They placed him in my arms and I spoke my first words to him,
"Hi, Luke!"
Birth Story - Part 4
Birth Story - Part 2
Birth Story - Part 1
THE LABORING
As I started writing this part it seemed to drag on and on. I figured if I couldn't stand to write it no one would want to read it either. So here's the less boring amended version.
All afternoon I was walking as much as I could and my contractions were progressing to be stronger, longer and closer together. Lucy couldn't get a sense of what they were doing because we could never get the fetal monitor to give a good reading. She kept checking me and I never pushed past 5 cm of dilation and because of this she kept recommending Pitocin. She knew I didn't want to go that route so she wasn't forceful about it, but the later it got the more concerned she got.
At one point I got into the bath tub - I was willing to try anything - but I was not a fan. The water wasn't deep enough to cover my breasts or my belly so it wasn't particularly soothing. The warm water made me have to pee almost immediately and when I got out the shock of temperature change made me start shivering violently. Steven tried to help me get warm but the itty-bitty hospital towels were useless. I decided the shock of getting out wasn't worth being in the tub so I never got back in.
As afternoon turned into evening I was too tired and in too much pain to do any walking so I labored in bed, on my side. We were still having trouble getting a reading with the fetal monitor so they decided to monitor me continuously, instead of intermittently, and asked that I keep my movements to a minimum. Based on my birth plan I should have fought this but I was too tired to mind.
At 10:00 pm I still wasn't dilated more than 5 cm so Lucy decided I needed Pitocin. At this point I had a mini-meltdown. I wasn't upset at the deviation from my ideal birth, I was just worried that I wouldn't be able to handle Pitocin contractions. My labor already seemed intense and painful and I was afraid that if it got much worse I would cave and ask for an epidural. Steven was able to calm me down and I accepted the Pitocin. The external monitor was still unreliable for me so they put me and the baby on an internal monitor when they started the Pitocin. My birth plan would have me fighting this but I had to know that the baby would handle the Pitocin, so I didn't say a word.
I was on Pitocin for 2 hours with the nurse upping the dosage every 15 minutes. I don't really remember the pain escalating, but my stress level kept going up. I remember frequently saying "I can't do this." More than anything I was tired and frustrated with my body. No one ever mentioned a C-Section, but I could see it in their eyes. I was getting closer and closer to being 24 hours past my water breaking and I knew they wouldn't let the baby stay in much longer.
Around midnight, after 2 hours of Pitocin, Lucy checked me and I was still at 5 cm. I had another meltdown. I had no idea why my body seemed to be failing me when it had sailed through my pregnancy. Later, Steven told me he started to doubt himself as a coach at this point. He had learned all sorts of encouraging things to say during labor, but there is nothing in the handbook for "you're having tough contractions, but they aren't doing anything - sorry."
After she checked me she recommended I have something "to take the edge off." I had been warned of this phrase in class. "Take the edge off" is code for narcotics. I really didn't want that but I was beyond the point of arguing. Lucy really didn't give me a choice. She matter of factly told me I needed it to help me relax so I accepted the Stadol, which was given along with more Pitocin. The meds hit me immediately and I was in deep sleep between contractions. By watching the monitor Steven woke me in time for each contraction, I breathed through it and went right back to sleeping - and snoring!
Birth Story - Part 3
THE LABORING
As I started writing this part it seemed to drag on and on. I figured if I couldn't stand to write it no one would want to read it either. So here's the less boring amended version.
All afternoon I was walking as much as I could and my contractions were progressing to be stronger, longer and closer together. Lucy couldn't get a sense of what they were doing because we could never get the fetal monitor to give a good reading. She kept checking me and I never pushed past 5 cm of dilation and because of this she kept recommending Pitocin. She knew I didn't want to go that route so she wasn't forceful about it, but the later it got the more concerned she got.
At one point I got into the bath tub - I was willing to try anything - but I was not a fan. The water wasn't deep enough to cover my breasts or my belly so it wasn't particularly soothing. The warm water made me have to pee almost immediately and when I got out the shock of temperature change made me start shivering violently. Steven tried to help me get warm but the itty-bitty hospital towels were useless. I decided the shock of getting out wasn't worth being in the tub so I never got back in.
As afternoon turned into evening I was too tired and in too much pain to do any walking so I labored in bed, on my side. We were still having trouble getting a reading with the fetal monitor so they decided to monitor me continuously, instead of intermittently, and asked that I keep my movements to a minimum. Based on my birth plan I should have fought this but I was too tired to mind.
At 10:00 pm I still wasn't dilated more than 5 cm so Lucy decided I needed Pitocin. At this point I had a mini-meltdown. I wasn't upset at the deviation from my ideal birth, I was just worried that I wouldn't be able to handle Pitocin contractions. My labor already seemed intense and painful and I was afraid that if it got much worse I would cave and ask for an epidural. Steven was able to calm me down and I accepted the Pitocin. The external monitor was still unreliable for me so they put me and the baby on an internal monitor when they started the Pitocin. My birth plan would have me fighting this but I had to know that the baby would handle the Pitocin, so I didn't say a word.
I was on Pitocin for 2 hours with the nurse upping the dosage every 15 minutes. I don't really remember the pain escalating, but my stress level kept going up. I remember frequently saying "I can't do this." More than anything I was tired and frustrated with my body. No one ever mentioned a C-Section, but I could see it in their eyes. I was getting closer and closer to being 24 hours past my water breaking and I knew they wouldn't let the baby stay in much longer.
Around midnight, after 2 hours of Pitocin, Lucy checked me and I was still at 5 cm. I had another meltdown. I had no idea why my body seemed to be failing me when it had sailed through my pregnancy. Later, Steven told me he started to doubt himself as a coach at this point. He had learned all sorts of encouraging things to say during labor, but there is nothing in the handbook for "you're having tough contractions, but they aren't doing anything - sorry."
After she checked me she recommended I have something "to take the edge off." I had been warned of this phrase in class. "Take the edge off" is code for narcotics. I really didn't want that but I was beyond the point of arguing. Lucy really didn't give me a choice. She matter of factly told me I needed it to help me relax so I accepted the Stadol, which was given along with more Pitocin. The meds hit me immediately and I was in deep sleep between contractions. By watching the monitor Steven woke me in time for each contraction, I breathed through it and went right back to sleeping - and snoring!
Birth Story - Part 3
Birth Story - Part 1
If you're a birth story junkie, like me, this post has been a long time coming. But if you have no interest in the nitty gritty details, you can take it or leave it.
THE BEGINNING
In a lot of ways I feel like my labor started long before Luke's birth day. As you may remember, I had intermittent contractions for three weeks leading up to my actual labor. During this time the contractions varied in spacing and intensity. Several times they even seemed to be "the real thing" for an hour or two before they would stop. I never saw any sign of my mucous plug or my water breaking. I tried massage therapy, walking, spicy food and even my breast pump to try to get my labor started.
Friday morning, 8 days past my due date, I suddenly awoke at 4:00 am. I had been sleeping with a pillow between my legs and when I woke up it, and my underwear, were wet. Because I was asleep when it happened I couldn't be sure my water had broken. It didn't smell like urine - yes, I sniffed it - and I wasn't sweaty anywhere else - yes, another joy of pregnancy is abundant night sweats - so it must have been my water. I went to the bathroom to clean up and hello, mucous plug! I woke Steven and I called the after hours desk to have my OB practice paged. I sat on the bed waiting for contractions to start, but they never did. I'd have one here and there but nothing more than I'd been having for weeks.
While waiting to hear back from a midwife, we got dressed and ate breakfast. I finally got a call at 6:00 am and she agreed it sounded like my water had broken and that I should come to the hospital within an hour, contractions or not. Since we had a bit of time we took a walk around the neighborhood. This brought on a few contractions but nothing particularly intense or close together.
As we loaded the car and drove to the hospital I was amazed at how calm I was. Our plan was to have me labor at home as long as possible but having my water break early threw a wrench in that plan. I was aware that we were headed to the hospital and that what was about to happen would change my life, but it was not the frantic, screaming ride to the hospital that most women talk about.
We arrived at the hospital around 8:00 am. Since my water had likely broken, I bypassed triage and was admitted right away. After we settled into my room a nurse examined me - 4 cm dilated, 80% effaced - and she confirmed that my water had broken. She put me on the monitor for about 15 minutes to confirm that the baby was still OK, then she left us alone.
I must say I NEVER expected to be bored while at the hospital. We walked lots of laps around the birth wing and I logged some quality time on the birth ball, but my contractions really weren't picking up. We played a little rummy in our downtime then our moms showed up and we had social hour. Lucy, the midwife, came in and said she wasn't pleased that I seemed so cheerful. In her words it "didn't look like labor." Of course it didn't. I wasn't really having contractions, so if my water hadn't broken I wouldn't even be at the hospital yet.
More walking, more walking.
Around noon I started having more regular contractions and I started getting to a quiet place. Lucy was pleased with my shift in demeanor and when she checked me I had progressed, but not much.
Birth Story - Part 2
THE BEGINNING
In a lot of ways I feel like my labor started long before Luke's birth day. As you may remember, I had intermittent contractions for three weeks leading up to my actual labor. During this time the contractions varied in spacing and intensity. Several times they even seemed to be "the real thing" for an hour or two before they would stop. I never saw any sign of my mucous plug or my water breaking. I tried massage therapy, walking, spicy food and even my breast pump to try to get my labor started.
Friday morning, 8 days past my due date, I suddenly awoke at 4:00 am. I had been sleeping with a pillow between my legs and when I woke up it, and my underwear, were wet. Because I was asleep when it happened I couldn't be sure my water had broken. It didn't smell like urine - yes, I sniffed it - and I wasn't sweaty anywhere else - yes, another joy of pregnancy is abundant night sweats - so it must have been my water. I went to the bathroom to clean up and hello, mucous plug! I woke Steven and I called the after hours desk to have my OB practice paged. I sat on the bed waiting for contractions to start, but they never did. I'd have one here and there but nothing more than I'd been having for weeks.
While waiting to hear back from a midwife, we got dressed and ate breakfast. I finally got a call at 6:00 am and she agreed it sounded like my water had broken and that I should come to the hospital within an hour, contractions or not. Since we had a bit of time we took a walk around the neighborhood. This brought on a few contractions but nothing particularly intense or close together.
As we loaded the car and drove to the hospital I was amazed at how calm I was. Our plan was to have me labor at home as long as possible but having my water break early threw a wrench in that plan. I was aware that we were headed to the hospital and that what was about to happen would change my life, but it was not the frantic, screaming ride to the hospital that most women talk about.
We arrived at the hospital around 8:00 am. Since my water had likely broken, I bypassed triage and was admitted right away. After we settled into my room a nurse examined me - 4 cm dilated, 80% effaced - and she confirmed that my water had broken. She put me on the monitor for about 15 minutes to confirm that the baby was still OK, then she left us alone.
I must say I NEVER expected to be bored while at the hospital. We walked lots of laps around the birth wing and I logged some quality time on the birth ball, but my contractions really weren't picking up. We played a little rummy in our downtime then our moms showed up and we had social hour. Lucy, the midwife, came in and said she wasn't pleased that I seemed so cheerful. In her words it "didn't look like labor." Of course it didn't. I wasn't really having contractions, so if my water hadn't broken I wouldn't even be at the hospital yet.
More walking, more walking.
Around noon I started having more regular contractions and I started getting to a quiet place. Lucy was pleased with my shift in demeanor and when she checked me I had progressed, but not much.
Birth Story - Part 2
A New Critter
Last weekend my dear friend Libby stopped by the house to bring us dinner, meet Luke and do some quality catching up. I hadn't seen her in a while so it was wonderful to spend some time with her.
In addition to some yummy food, she brought a surprise for Luke.
In addition to some yummy food, she brought a surprise for Luke.
Because I read her blog, I instantly recognized this little fella as one of her handmade plush monster toys. She plans to set up an Etsy shop to sell them. It's not up yet, but you can follow her for more information.
He is made of soft shearling so he is more than ready to be cuddled! His paws are a classic green and aqua plaid, which just happens to match the nursery. I love happy accidents like that! How can I not notice her iconic 'L' signature. That's been her trademark for as long as I can remember.
For lack of a better place to put him, I sat him on my entry table. But he matches the mail caddy so well he might just stay there until Luke is big enough to play with him!
Pop over to Libby's blog and show her some love!
Happy, Happy, Joy, Joy
Today feels like Christmas, my birthday and free doughnut day all rolled into one! It was supposed to be my first day back at work, but Steven re-evaluated our finances and told me I could take another two (unpaid) weeks off! After I cleared it with my boss, it was a done deal.
Getting two extra weeks with my little man is the best gift I could ever ask for!
Getting two extra weeks with my little man is the best gift I could ever ask for!
What's better than cheap ad space? Free ad space, that's what!
Do you run a small business from home so you can be with your kids? Do you have a new kid-friendly Etsy shop? Promote your business here, for free!
That's right, free.
I have decided to offer advertising space here at The Peanut Stand, but since I'm new to the ad game I want to ease into it. While I'm learning the ropes I am going to give free ad space to any qualifying business.
Do I qualify?
I am looking for small businesses run by and for moms. I want to support you!
What do I get?
A 150 x 150 ad - of your own design - at the top of my sidebar for 3 weeks. Ads will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.
What's the catch?
No catch. The ad is absolutely free. All I ask for in return is a little blog love. If you like something I post, please share it on your blog, Facebook or Twitter. If you don't like it, then don't post it. There are no minimum linkbacks required. It's that simple.
Where do I sign up?
E-mail me at gimmeakiss dot blog at gmail dot com and tell me a little bit about yourself and your business. If you have the type of business I'm looking for (don't worry, I'm not too picky) all you have to do is send me a jpg and - BOOM! - you have yourself a free ad.
Feel free to share this opportunity with your friends and readers!
That's right, free.
I have decided to offer advertising space here at The Peanut Stand, but since I'm new to the ad game I want to ease into it. While I'm learning the ropes I am going to give free ad space to any qualifying business.
Do I qualify?
I am looking for small businesses run by and for moms. I want to support you!
What do I get?
A 150 x 150 ad - of your own design - at the top of my sidebar for 3 weeks. Ads will be distributed on a first come, first served basis.
What's the catch?
No catch. The ad is absolutely free. All I ask for in return is a little blog love. If you like something I post, please share it on your blog, Facebook or Twitter. If you don't like it, then don't post it. There are no minimum linkbacks required. It's that simple.
Where do I sign up?
E-mail me at gimmeakiss dot blog at gmail dot com and tell me a little bit about yourself and your business. If you have the type of business I'm looking for (don't worry, I'm not too picky) all you have to do is send me a jpg and - BOOM! - you have yourself a free ad.
Feel free to share this opportunity with your friends and readers!
2 Cats and a Baby
When I found out I was pregnant and the initial "ohmygodohmygodohmygod" excitement wore off, my first fear set in. Not a weird fear like "what if the baby has webbed feet?" but an actual concern.
How will the cats behave around a baby?
The logical part of my brain thought my (already mischievous) cats might act out and wreak (more) havoc to get attention.
The irrational, crazy part spiraled into something like this: What if they get jealous and aggressive? And they try to hurt the baby? And we can't keep them and have to give them away? And their new owner doesn't love and understand them like I do? And the new owner gets frustrated and takes them to the pound? And they're too old to get adopted and so they get put down? Oh god, what will we do?
I'm pretty sure, at some point, I looked at Steven and said "I can't let the cats get put down!" and he, not being privy to my crazy stream of conscience, just stared at me like I had webbed feet.
Now that Luke is here and (sob!) a month old, I'm happy to report none of that came to pass. Not even the webbed feet. His feet are perfect.
For the most part the cats pay him no attention and live their lives like normal. You know, napping, bird watching, trying to trip me, etc. Every now and then one of then will sniff him or sit near him, but that's it. I'm guessing they will have more of an interest once he gets bigger and squirmier. They also are good about not sitting in his (soft and cat-sized) car seat, bassinet or bouncy chair. I think now that it smells like him they stay away.
Crisis averted.
P.S. I am LOVING the blogging app for my phone! I only wanted it so I could blog my labor, but it is so handy to be able to write a post while nursing.
How will the cats behave around a baby?
The logical part of my brain thought my (already mischievous) cats might act out and wreak (more) havoc to get attention.
The irrational, crazy part spiraled into something like this: What if they get jealous and aggressive? And they try to hurt the baby? And we can't keep them and have to give them away? And their new owner doesn't love and understand them like I do? And the new owner gets frustrated and takes them to the pound? And they're too old to get adopted and so they get put down? Oh god, what will we do?
I'm pretty sure, at some point, I looked at Steven and said "I can't let the cats get put down!" and he, not being privy to my crazy stream of conscience, just stared at me like I had webbed feet.
Now that Luke is here and (sob!) a month old, I'm happy to report none of that came to pass. Not even the webbed feet. His feet are perfect.
For the most part the cats pay him no attention and live their lives like normal. You know, napping, bird watching, trying to trip me, etc. Every now and then one of then will sniff him or sit near him, but that's it. I'm guessing they will have more of an interest once he gets bigger and squirmier. They also are good about not sitting in his (soft and cat-sized) car seat, bassinet or bouncy chair. I think now that it smells like him they stay away.
Crisis averted.
P.S. I am LOVING the blogging app for my phone! I only wanted it so I could blog my labor, but it is so handy to be able to write a post while nursing.
One Month Check-Up
Luke had his one month doctor visit today. I felt like he'd been getting bigger, but I was pleasantly surprised by how much he'd grown!
He now weighs 10 pounds, 8 ounces - up from 8 pounds, 9 ounces. At birth he was 19.5 inches long and now he is 22.5 inches. He's growing like a weed!
In other news, he is more awake and alert every day. He will sit and stare at me and just make all sorts of adorable faces. He also likes it when I sing to him - I'm not the best singer, but he doesn't know that! He seems to prefer bluegrass, so we know he gets that from me. Love him so much!
He now weighs 10 pounds, 8 ounces - up from 8 pounds, 9 ounces. At birth he was 19.5 inches long and now he is 22.5 inches. He's growing like a weed!
In other news, he is more awake and alert every day. He will sit and stare at me and just make all sorts of adorable faces. He also likes it when I sing to him - I'm not the best singer, but he doesn't know that! He seems to prefer bluegrass, so we know he gets that from me. Love him so much!
Bump Photo - The Aftermath
Alternate Title: Birthday Milestones
Yesterday Luke turned 4 weeks old and Steven turned 26! To celebrate, we took a few pictures in the backyard, bump photo style.
Here's me and my little man. I have to admit, I have an agenda for this post. The main reason I wanted to show a picture of myself is so I can show you my post-baby body. That's right folks, I have lost all my baby weight and then some! That doesn't mean you'll see me in a bikini anytime soon, because 1) I was fat before I got pregnant, so that means I'm still fat now and 2) the weight is gone but things have shifted. I now have, how do you say it, extra skin in places.
On Me
Tank: Old Navy
Skirt: thrifted
Cardigan: Target
Sandals: Old Navy
Jewelry: made by me
On Luke
Polo: Oshkosh B'Gosh
Notice how I held the distractingly cute baby in front of my mommy pooch. Clever Mama.
Now, here are the birthday boys. Aren't they handsome? Yes, they are both wearing brown polos. Yes, I made them dress alike. I am that mom.
Yesterday Luke turned 4 weeks old and Steven turned 26! To celebrate, we took a few pictures in the backyard, bump photo style.
Here's me and my little man. I have to admit, I have an agenda for this post. The main reason I wanted to show a picture of myself is so I can show you my post-baby body. That's right folks, I have lost all my baby weight and then some! That doesn't mean you'll see me in a bikini anytime soon, because 1) I was fat before I got pregnant, so that means I'm still fat now and 2) the weight is gone but things have shifted. I now have, how do you say it, extra skin in places.
On Me
Tank: Old Navy
Skirt: thrifted
Cardigan: Target
Sandals: Old Navy
Jewelry: made by me
On Luke
Polo: Oshkosh B'Gosh
Notice how I held the distractingly cute baby in front of my mommy pooch. Clever Mama.
Now, here are the birthday boys. Aren't they handsome? Yes, they are both wearing brown polos. Yes, I made them dress alike. I am that mom.
Nursery Closet
Luke has gotten so many cute clothes! In order to keep them organized I whipped up this simple project during his morning nap.
I want him to get as much wear out of his wardrobe as possible. To make sure nothing falls through the cracks, I sorted his clothes by size. This way I don't have to go digging through drawers and bins as he gets bigger and needs to go up a size. So, in less than an hour and with materials I already had on hand I made these clothespin markers for his closet.
All I did was cut some simple shapes out of cardstock and then labeled them with colored pencils. I chose different shades of blue and green to tie the closet into the nursery color scheme and I used my corner punch to round the edges - but I left one corner square to make things more interesting. I could have made more elaborate tags, but this project had to be quick and dirty. I had to get it done before Luke woke up wanting his mid-morning snack!
After each tag was labeled I used the broad side of the colored pencil tip to fill in the background, giving it a nice tone on tone effect. I also like how the subtle coloring brings out the texture of the cardstock. It almost looks like grass cloth!
After the paper tags were complete, all I did was add a square of magnetic tape to the back of each tag and another square to a handful of wooden clothespins. This way I can always swap out the tags to suit his wardrobe without wasting clothespins.
Here's one in action, clipped to his closet shelf.
I want him to get as much wear out of his wardrobe as possible. To make sure nothing falls through the cracks, I sorted his clothes by size. This way I don't have to go digging through drawers and bins as he gets bigger and needs to go up a size. So, in less than an hour and with materials I already had on hand I made these clothespin markers for his closet.
All I did was cut some simple shapes out of cardstock and then labeled them with colored pencils. I chose different shades of blue and green to tie the closet into the nursery color scheme and I used my corner punch to round the edges - but I left one corner square to make things more interesting. I could have made more elaborate tags, but this project had to be quick and dirty. I had to get it done before Luke woke up wanting his mid-morning snack!
After each tag was labeled I used the broad side of the colored pencil tip to fill in the background, giving it a nice tone on tone effect. I also like how the subtle coloring brings out the texture of the cardstock. It almost looks like grass cloth!
After the paper tags were complete, all I did was add a square of magnetic tape to the back of each tag and another square to a handful of wooden clothespins. This way I can always swap out the tags to suit his wardrobe without wasting clothespins.
Here's one in action, clipped to his closet shelf.
I just love simple solutions that don't take lots of time or money! It's also worth noting that I did the project, took the photos AND wrote the blog post all in one day. My mommy multi-tasking skills are improving!
You Know Your Life Has Changed...
... when you use a flask funnel to pour breast milk into a freezer storage bag.
It's Hip To Be Square*
Today I was driving out of the grocery store parking lot with the windows down, listening to some high school era Sum 41 and feeling a little bit bad ass. Then I remembered I was driving a 4-door sedan with a car seat in the back. And wearing a skort. In my defense, you can't tell it's a skort (the shorts are hidden) and it's very handy for sitting on the floor with a baby.
Also, if the 16 year old bag boy offers to help you and your baby to your car that probably means your hipness has long since peaked.
* If you get this reference you're at least as lame as me. No question.
Also, if the 16 year old bag boy offers to help you and your baby to your car that probably means your hipness has long since peaked.
* If you get this reference you're at least as lame as me. No question.
Check My Contract - I Do Nudity Now
I fully expected motherhood to change my life in many ways. The one thing I did not expect was to have the ability to whip out the girls in front of just about anybody.
In birth class we learned that one sign of active labor is the loss of modesty. Come to find out, that's true. Normally I am very shy about my body, but when it came time to push, I could have been spread eagle on that bed in front of a stadium full of people. I would not have cared.
In class, we all asked "When does the modesty return?" My answer is it doesn't - at least not right away. After Luke was born every nurse in the birth center wanted to examine my hoo-ha and grab my boobs. Not to mention the fact that I couldn't yet bend over and Steven had to help me change my (enormous, ice-pack filled, hospital issued, disposable) panties. So not sexy.
Once we got home we were in full nursing mode. In order to keep his weight up Luke had to be fed every 2 hours. Then, to increase my milk production, I had to pump after every daytime feeding. This meant the girls were out more than they were in. I quickly had to get comfortable nursing in front of my mom, my mother-in-law and a few other close relatives.
My next opportunity to share my nudity will be nursing in public. I haven't had to yet, but the day is coming. I will let you know how that goes.
In birth class we learned that one sign of active labor is the loss of modesty. Come to find out, that's true. Normally I am very shy about my body, but when it came time to push, I could have been spread eagle on that bed in front of a stadium full of people. I would not have cared.
In class, we all asked "When does the modesty return?" My answer is it doesn't - at least not right away. After Luke was born every nurse in the birth center wanted to examine my hoo-ha and grab my boobs. Not to mention the fact that I couldn't yet bend over and Steven had to help me change my (enormous, ice-pack filled, hospital issued, disposable) panties. So not sexy.
Once we got home we were in full nursing mode. In order to keep his weight up Luke had to be fed every 2 hours. Then, to increase my milk production, I had to pump after every daytime feeding. This meant the girls were out more than they were in. I quickly had to get comfortable nursing in front of my mom, my mother-in-law and a few other close relatives.
My next opportunity to share my nudity will be nursing in public. I haven't had to yet, but the day is coming. I will let you know how that goes.
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