Posted in Pregnancy and Childbirth
While
I was pregnant, I appreciated reading other women's birth
accounts. Probably reading about other home births helped me to
consider it as a valid option. I know that other women would like
to read my birth story as well.
If reading my story
would be of benefit to you, please continue. If you are of the
male persuasion, or are squeamish, or consider such accounts TOO MUCH INFORMATION, please spare yourself and me and just. stop. now. Thank You!
Saturday night, July 15th (my due date), I felt miserable. My hands and feet were swollen. My legs were turning interesting colors from the weight of my womb interfering with the circulation. I slept for a half an hour, then spent the rest of the night tossing and turning, moaning and groaning, and telling God that I didn't think I could handle another day being pregnant!
At 3: 30 in the morning, I started having contractions 15 minutes apart. James happened to wake up at 4 a.m. and ask me how I was doing. After realizing that my contractions were continuing at even intervals, he started getting last minute preparations done.
By 5 a.m., my contractions were 5 minutes apart and 1 minute long. James called Jean, our primary midwife. She asked if she should come and James told her that it would be a good idea based on how fast my previous labors progressed. By the time Jean arrived, I was camped out in my bathtub, handling the contractions by breathing through them. Jean bustled around setting up her equipment in the bedroom. Lauren, the assistant midwife, arrived at some point later.
After a little while, my contractions became more intense and I had to begin groaning through them to try to "drown out" the pain. With my previous two unmedicated births, since the pain of first stage labor was easily manageable by merely breathing through the contractions, the level of pain in this labor was a new experience. The midwives suggested to James that I might appreciate pressure on my back during the contractions, but I found it just focused my attention more on the pain. I asked him to just rub my back between contractions (the baby was not posterior).
This type of contraction continued for a long time. Jean checked my progress and found that I was dilated to 6 centimeters. After awhile, she told me that she wanted me to try some different positions to help labor to progress. She had me move to the bed and found that I was still at 6 centimeters due to a section of my cervix that was thin and tight and not dilating. She speculated that some scar tissue from a previous birth might be causing the problem. She had me move to the floor at the base of the bed and put my knees as far apart as possible while leaning with my arms on the bed. The contractions became even more painful and my knees and arms grew sore from holding myself in that position.
The midwives then moved me to a labor stool which intensified my contractions even more. Jean checked my progress and found that I was still at 6 cm. She could tell in that position that Logan's head was forward in the womb and that the cervix was posterior. During one horrible contraction, she actually pulled the cervix forward so that it was under the baby's head. Then she mercifully let me move back to the tub. Though I was in more pain using different positions and due to Jean's actions, I appreciated that she took hands-on measures to "troubleshoot" the stalling of my labor.
I prayed aloud, asking the Lord to be merciful to me, because of His love. I asked him to cause my cervix to dilate and allow the baby to be born. I cried out to Him for deliverance. The midwife told me that I might be in for a lot longer labor and that I needed to depend on God's strength to get me through. She told me that she was going to leave James and I to labor alone for awhile and come to terms with the fact that my labor might be longer, even though I was tired.
Jean didn't have a chance to leave the room... God heard and answered me. My water broke and in several contractions, I went from 6 to 10 cm. Immediately the baby's head moved down onto the perineum. The suddenness of his descent was quite traumatic. In the next contraction, his head was out. After the next, his body was born and I was holding him. I didn't push at all.
When Logan was born, he was blue. The midwives are certified in neonatal resuscitation and Lauren used a bag to start his breathing. He continued to be blue for several minutes. The midwives reassuringly stated that his heart rate was normal and his respiration was normal. James went into the other room and prayed for Logan. He pinked completely up in about ten minutes. (The midwives were a bit surprised that he was blue as he was born so fast, his heart rate was normal throughout labor, and he did not have the cord around his neck.)
My labor and delivery lasted from 3:30 am to 9:04 am.
My family came into the room to see the newborn exam (pictures posted on Logan's Log). I asked the midwives to show the kids the placenta. Lauren showed the kids the umbilical cord with the artery and two blood vessels inside. She told them the smooth, shiny side faced the baby in the womb and she lifted up the membrane to show them the amniotic sac and the place where it ruptured. She turned the placenta over to show the folds which faced the maternal side in the uterus. She explained how the organ sustained the baby through gestation. The kids had already learned some about the placenta by viewing the video "Fearfully and Wonderfully Made" and were very interested in seeing the "real thing".
Following the newborn exam, James led all of us in prayer accompanied with some tears, thanking God for safely bringing Logan into the world.
Psalm 40:1-3 (ESV)
"I waited patiently for the LORD;
He drew me up from the pit of destruction,
out of the miry bog,
and set my feet upon a rock,
making my steps secure.
He put a new song in my mouth,
a song of praise to our God.
Many will see and fear,
and put their trust in the LORD."
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Posted in Pregnancy and Childbirth
"Anonymous"
asked me in the comment section to give more details about our baby
hammock. Not long after finding out that I was pregnant with
Logan, I was Googling to find some answers to some questions that I had
about prenatal care (can't remember what my questions were). On a
Dr. Sears site, I saw an ad about the Amby baby hammock and read
about it on the product site. The concept of a hammock intrigued
me, mainly because it is not a flat surface for sleeping and because it
would be portable. I ended up buying one off of eBay. It
was a new hammock, but had been returned to the company which sold it
on eBay at a discount.
Logan seems right at home in his hammock and sleeps well so far.
I will be interested to observe how long the hammock can serve as his
main bed. The company claims that a baby can sleep in it up to 24
months and has many pictures of older babies asleep in it in their
customer testimonial section.
Click HERE to read about the hammock.
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Thank you to all who left such nice comments about the birth of Logan! It is wonderful that so many share in our joy!
Logan, so far, is very easy to take care of. He caught on to
nursing very quickly. At night he goes right to sleep when we
put him in his hammock after each feeding. Last night he nursed
at 9:30 pm and then not again until 3:30 am. I can handle a
schedule like that!
I was wrong to doubt his 8# 15 oz.
weight at birth. He was 8# 5 oz. at the pediatrician's office on
Monday, but when we took him back for his one week visit on Friday, he
was already back up to 8# 10 oz. However, I was right to doubt
his 22 3/4 inches length measurement at birth. A soft mattress is
not an ideal surface for obtaining an accurate measurement!! At
the doctor's office, Logan measured 21 1/4 inches.
The
pediatrician told us not to worry about his blueness, either at birth,
or in his legs for awhile afterwards when they hung below the level of
his heart. He took Logan's pulse ox in both legs and it showed
96% in both. The doc said that he is a normal, healthy boy.
Thank the Lord!
I began to feel better Saturday
afternoon. I was surprised by how long I felt worn out and sore
after Logan's delivery. My labor and delivery with him was more
difficult than with my other children.
I decided that I felt
up to attending church on Sunday, and especially wanted to hear my dad
preach (guest preacher). It is so much easier getting ready for
church in the morning with older kids to help out!! I had time to
troubleshoot my bad hair (my hair wilted as soon as Logan was born and
I'm in dire need of a haircut!) while Evan held Logan in the rocking
chair.
When we arrived at church, I popped Logan into
his Hotsling and he
slept through the service! I'm already impressed with how
comfortable the Hotsling
is! I've attempted to use a NoJo sling before, both when I was a
nanny and with my previous kids. I never liked it or any other
carrier for that matter, because my neck and shoulders got sore too
fast. The Hotsling has no ring and fits tighter and higher on the
body. I haven't gotten sore from it yet!
My
parents left this morning to fly back home. They both did so much
to help out while they were here! My mom took
over running the household: cooking, dishes, laundry, cleaning
etc. while enjoying some of the babycare. My dad spent a lot of
time with the older kids: going on a long bike ride or walk most every
morning, helping Evan build a bird feeder, taking them to "Nickel a
Play" (a library reading program award) and to the movie "Cars"
etc. He sanded down our kitchen table top and finished it
with five coats of polyurethane (looks nicer than brand new!) He
also tackled an overgrown corner of our back yard, and with Evan's
help, put in a river rock border around our little blue spruce and
aspens. They added two boulders under the aspens that the kids
can sit under. We will miss their company and help!
It is nice that James still has some time off from work.
I've
added more pictures to Logan's Log (click
here). Forgive me if the amount of pictures seems to be
overkill. Maybe I'm not very discerning as a proud parent.
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Join
us in thanking God for the arrival of baby Logan Ray on Sunday morning,
July 16th around 9 a.m. According to the midwives' measurements,
he was 8 pounds 15 oz. and 22 3/4 inches long. (The next day, at
the pediatrician's office, he weighed 8 pounds 5 oz. on a more accurate
scale, and while he probably lost some weight since birth, probably not
10 oz.)
Thank you to all who kept us in your prayers! Thank you to those
who commiserated with me in the comments section about the wait.
I will post more later when I have more energy. Please keep Logan
in your prayers. He has been turning slightly blue around his
mouth and in his legs when they are below the level of his heart.
His heart rate and respirations are normal and he is alert and nursing
well. He is getting some physiological jaundice. The
pediatrician tested his blood pressure in his arms and legs and found
it to be normal. He said that maybe the blueness is a "newborn
positional thing", whatever that means. Logan has another
appointment this week.
Click HERE to view pictures!
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I'm not used to waiting so long for a baby to arrive. My other kids spoiled me by showing up at 38 and 39 weeks. They came so soon that I never experienced the pitying looks from people and the constant questions: "Are you still here?" "Haven't you had the baby yet?" etc. etc.
The funniest question that I got asked three times at church last week was: "Do you have any signs that the baby will be born soon?" One time I replied: "Well, I am pregnant and I know that it has to end sometime."
I didn't realize before how wearing, both physically and mentally, it is to get clear to 40 weeks. I especially can't help wondering if this baby is going to arrive before my parents' two week visit ends. They aren't putting any pressure on me, though, and are helping out around the house a lot and having fun with the grandkids.
If I can help it, I don't answer the phone. When James or the kids or my parents answer the phone, the first thing that I hear them say is, "No, not yet." Many people have asked me to call them when I go into labor. Now I've started saying no to that, because by the time I would get through the list of people to call, the baby would be crowning!
Two days ago, one of my sisters called to
When I got off the phone with her, I poured a glass of milk and looked at my pictures on the refrigerator while I drank it. One drink went down the wrong way and I involuntarily and violently spewed milk all over all of my pictures!
I called my sister back and asked her, "How did you know that I was going to choke?! Would you also predict that I'm going into labor?" She quipped, "I don't know. I'm not feeling that!" I retorted, "Just SAY it!"
(Incidentally, I had another choking incident the next morning in which I spewed water all over my bathroom mirror. I'm wondering if pregnancy hormones have loosened up that little flap that goes over the windpipe so that it is failing me at times. I hope I live to deliver this baby.)
My mom, seeing my pitiful state, has suggested that I try castor oil to induce labor. I declined the suggestion. My midwives told me that one of their clients tried that method, and while it worked, let's just say that it also added an hour of clean-up to their time.
So I must continue to wait, trying not to wonder or worry about when the baby arrives, while sipping my bottomless supply of iced raspberry leaf tea.
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No
baby yet! My parents flew in earlier this week to help with the
new baby. They had to decide ahead of time when to travel in
order to get a decent price on flights. My other babies arrived
at 38 or 39 weeks, but this baby so far is holding us all in
suspense. I hope he makes his appearance soon so that my parents
can help postpartum! God knows the right time, though.
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Posted in Pregnancy and Childbirth
Elijah James
Message from his father:
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Because
my cold took a turn for the worse today, I made an appointment with an
available doctor at my general practitioner's office. I just
wanted to get someone to listen to my lungs since I'm nearing
delivery. I wasn't surprised that the doc told me it was just a
virus that I'd have to wait out.
When the nurse called me from the waiting room, she proceeded to have
me step on the scale. Whatever! It has been over a
year since I've been to the doctor. I jokingly said to her, "I've
gained a lot of weight since my last visit, but I'm sure that I'll lose it quickly very soon!" She laughed.
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I've
got to admit it. It is so nice to be done with school for
awhile! We didn't have a spring break this year, unless you want
to count all of us getting sick close together as a
"break".
I'm not the greatest multi-tasker
in the world: If I am content with the way school is going,
usually I'm unhappy about the state of my house or vice versa.
This week, now that I'm able to take my focus off of school, my house
is satisfyingly clean and peaceful. The kids and I have continued
working together to tame some hot spots in the house. They even
decided without being asked to
clean up the big toy mess in our unfinished basement (I had not set
foot down there in a long time ~ ignorance is bliss.) Now
the check-out system that I set up for toys can actually work! I
was impressed with the pride that they took in their work. I'm
thankful that Evan is such a good big brother. He has a gift for
leading and organizing the younger two to get a job accomplished without being bossy!
They also moved their school desks (now that we no longer have a school
room) which were cluttering up their bedrooms down to their "office" in
the basement. Their office is the wedge-shaped space under the
stairs. They already had an old desk in that space with their
Grandma's old computer. I'm not sure exactly what sort of "play
work" they are accomplishing there, but they consider it great
fun. Evan marked each of their hands with a colored X, the only
way of gaining admittance. Sophie keeps enthusing, "We have the
best office in the world!"
Usually, reading is my
favorite past time, but lately my mind has been too fuzzy to focus on
much. I just checked out some baby care books from the library,
though, to glean some practical hints about dealing with a newborn
again. I'm taking the books with a grain of salt, because of the
worldviews of the authors, but it still is fun reading.
Yesterday, I read a good deal of the book The Happiest Baby on the Block
by Harvey Karp which talks about techniques for calming fussy
babies. I've had one really fussy baby so far and don't know what
this baby will be like, but it is nice to get some ideas just in
case. Other than all the evolutionary gibberish in the book which
I roll my eyes about and skim past, I like the practical advice.
He presents five techniques for activating the calming reflex of babies
which he labels the 5 S's: swaddling, side/stomach lying (though
of course he doesn't recommend for nighttime sleeping), shhhing,
swinging, and sucking. That list might seem like a no-brainer,
but he points out that it is usually a combination of all these
techniques that will cause a baby to calm, while parents usually
utilize them in hit-or-miss fashion. I found the fine points to
be helpful advice which I'll try out if needed.
My
midwife and her assistant came to our house for a home-visit yesterday
afternoon and spent two hours talking about the homebirth and doing my
check-up. They spend extra time with me, because I came to them
so late in the game and we are paying their full fee. The midwife
noted that the baby has moved from lying on the left side of my abdomen
to the right side. Left on abdomen is the best position for the
baby for delivery. Last night, I tried to stay on my left side
all night, but it makes me sore to stay on one side for that long!
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After
church, as I sat on the couch, Sophie began singing into my belly to
the baby. The baby responded, sending my abdomen into
contortions. The kids then talked to the baby, but ran out of
things to say. I suggested that they tell the baby what it is
like to be in our family. Sophie told the baby,"We are all very skinny, except Mom, and she is HUGE, but she'll get skinnier later!" My belly then shook with my own loud laughter.
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I
woke up at 5:30 am this morning from the recurring dream I dislike the
most: In my dream, I was back in college, only at some
mind-fabricated campus that I've never seen in real life. I had a
paper to write and for once, I was going to buckle down and get it done
early. I entered my dorm to go to my room and get started, but I
could not find my room! I wandered hallway after hallway,
travelling in elevators, and climbing up and down stairs to no
avail. I never could find my room and the frustration level built
up, up, up...until I woke up with the same feeling hanging over my
head.
I know where this is coming from. I have
ideas in my head of everything that I'd like done before the baby
arrives, but my energy level to accomplish my goals wanes daily.
I don't think I've ever been so tired in my life! (By the way,
don't even tell me how much more tired I'll be when the baby gets here
and interrupts my sleep. I've been there and done that, and that
kind of sleeplessness is nothing compared to the tiredness my own
hormones inflict on me!) I just have to tell myself: This
too shall pass. (I hope.)
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I asked each of the guests to bring a baby picture of herself which I placed in numbered ziplock bags pinned to a large bulletin board. The guests numbered a piece of paper and wrote down their guesses as to the indentities of the babies. Michelle M, a teenager in our church, won the game, guessing 17 of the pictures correctly!
Sophie cracked me up! I told her that she could choose any baby picture of herself from her baby photo album to bring. I figured she would choose the prettiest, girliest picture that she could find. This is the picture that she brought to me:
The guests also wrote down their guesses as to the birthdate, weight, length, time of birth, and name of Julie's baby. We have a prize to award the person with the most accurate guesses ~after the baby is born, of course!
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The delivery of our fourth child may be a very different sort of adventure than my previous experiences.
My first son's birth was a typical hospital experience which I could rant on and on about, but I will spare you.
My next two were born with midwives in a different hospital. A
nurse that smiled (same nurse for both births) and attentive midwives
made all the difference towards positive experiences. These two
labors were almost identical. The first stage of labor involved
very manageable pain. I could not even distinguish when
transition occurred! However, the second stage of labor was
sheer torture. With my second son, I compared it to being kicked
with a steel-toed boot. The pain was so severe that I could feel
no urge to push and had to be coached through pushing for the next
twenty minutes. I thought the pain was due to the fact that my
son was born with his elbow up beside his head... During the
birth of my daughter, I learned the inescapable truth that a compound
presentation had nothing to do with the pain level of the second stage
for me. The pain that I felt with her was exactly the same.
The midwife, nurse and my husband helped me to try some different
positions to no avail in relieving the pain. With their coaching,
I pushed her out in fifteen minutes.
Six years later, I would
have liked to have used the same midwife practice as previously, but
they moved to a different hospital which does not have a good
reputation as far as I'm concerned.
I decided at the
end of my first trimester to go to a doctor with a good reputation at
an excellent hospital 20 minutes away. I figured that this time,
I wouldn't be opposed to an epidural. However, in talking to the
doctor, I realized that pain meds would not be a good option for me due
to my sensitivity. I asked the doc to give me alternate advice on
how to handle the pain of second stage labor. Her response was,
"Childbirth stinks" (only the word she used wasn't exactly "stinks")
and she actually suggested inducing labor early so that the baby
wouldn't be as large, possibly reducing pain. I could not believe
that she would suggest something like that, because #1. How would
inducing labor artificially do anything to reduce labor pain? and
#2. How in the world could an early birth for convenience sake be
a good thing for any baby?!
I began to feel uncomfortable with
the thought of delivering at a hospital with unknown nurses and a
doctor that would just sail in only when absolutely necessary to
deliver the baby.
I visited a homebirth midwife initially just
to get practical advice on positioning or other natural means for
proactively dealing with second stage of labor. In thinking more
and more of the homebirth possibility, I began to wish I could go that
route myself.
About the same time, a woman in our congregation
was scheduled for an induction due to high blood pressure. James
and I earnestly prayed that our friend would go into labor naturally
and not have to be induced. The next day she gave birth and the
news came that she had indeed gone into labor on her own!! We
praised God for this answer to prayer and His care for the woman.
I also took to heart that God cares for me too and prayed for His
guidance in my own situation.
When I discussed my thoughts
about a homebirth with my husband, his first response was, "Are you
crazy!? and "What if? What if? What if?" He actually
teared up out of fear of what might go wrong to my harm in a homebirth
situation. However, he agreed to meet with a nearby midwife to
discuss all the ins-and-outs of a homebirth scenario and prayed along
with me.
A month ago, we met for hours with a midwife and her
assistant, and by the end of our lengthy discussion, James felt vastly
more comfortable with homebirth as an option. He told me that he
would be okay with choosing to go the homebirth route.
The
same week, I came across a blog where a woman had recorded her
experience with painful second stage labor. She had come across
some childbirth training dvd's called The Pink Kit
which she utilized before her most recent delivery. The Kit
helped her and her husand to map out her particular pelvic
structure and gave advice about breathing, and positioning to help
maximize the opening of the pelvis. She then told of her latest birth experience and credited the training using The Pink Kit
with helping to reduce the pain of the pushing stage. I thanked
God for bringing this to my attention and James and I agreed to order
the kit.
Having to get my medical records transferred
from the doctor to the midwife proved troublesome to me, because of the
finality of taking that step. Because of my personality, I'm not
ever comfortable with making big decisions!
On my mom's
suggestion, I called my Aunt Rosalie in Canada to discuss all my
thoughts with her. She has been a childbirth educator for years
and I had forgotten that she is a doula as well! She not only
gave me concrete suggestions for handling second stage labor, but she
also reassured me of her high respect for homebirth midwives and the
type of training that they undergo. She said that she prefers to
work with midwives and has been involved in transports to hospitals as
well. Her calm confidence spilled over to me and quelled my
last hesitation in transferring my care.
I am now at peace
with our decision to have a homebirth. I know that childbirth is
unpredictable and doesn't follow people's "plans", but I also know the
pros and cons of hospital births and home births and that in either
situation, God is in control. I am thankful for His guidance in
this situation and put my trust in Him. I appreciate
anyone's prayers concerning my upcoming delivery and for our baby!
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For
several weeks, I've struggled with pregnancy-induced acid reflux.
Aren't you glad I'm sharing?! A friend of mine told me about a
"digestive aid" that a naturopath recently told her about. I've
tried it for over a week now and have experienced relief. Here it
is:
2 tsp. organic apple cider vinegar
2 tsp. extra virgin olive oil
My addition: a little splash of blackstrap molasses or honey to take the edge off.
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Currently,
I have the brain capacity of a flea. This morning, Sophie told
me, "I know why you are always tired and can't remember
things...Hormones!" As if to illustrate her point, this morning
at the doctor's office, a nurse came into the room where Sophie was
having blood drawn and asked me if I needed to correct Sophie's
birthdate on a form I had filled out. I looked at the numbers and
slowly realized that I had written down my oldest son's birth month and
day with the current year. Sigh. Then I had to strain to
recall Sophie's actual birthdate.
Yes, I took Sophie to the
doctor today. She wakes up every morning complaining of her
hands, feet and legs hurting. Last night she had yet another
headache. Yesterday morning she was crawling around instead of
walking. During gym class she had to stop playing and sit down
due to the pain in her feet. She should have been done with these
symptoms by now if it were a virus, I thought. So off to the
doctor we went. Sophie was given a strep test and a flu test, but
both were negative. The doc thinks it might still be lingering
effects from a virus, but sent us off to have her blood tested just to
cover every base. We'll hear the results in a day or two.
While waiting for Sophie's blood to be drawn, I glanced to the other
end of the room and saw the registration area for the hospital.
Somehow that managed to remind me that I needed to preregister for
delivery. I was intending to bring the form that I had already
filled out (after being reminded multiple times at home) and just turn
it in, but this was the third time that I've been to appointments at
that hospital and have forgotten the form. With REGISTRATION
staring at me boldly today, I did manage to get that task accomplished.
At my Sunday School class this past Sunday, I thoroughly enjoyed the
lesson the teacher presented, but notetaking became rather
disconcerting. Normally, I'm a champion notetaker. After
all I grew up as a PK and took sermon notes from a very early age, and
I was a history major in college, taking voluminous notes in
lectures. However, on Sunday, the end of each sentence or
phrase that I attempted to write down escaped my brain while I wrote
the beginning of the thought. I think I still managed to grasp
the gist of the lesson, but all the lovely little details that I enjoy
got last in the gaps in my neural connections.
And I'm
supposed to come up with a name for this baby?! Since my husband
is highly unopinionated about baby-naming, I end up doing most of
the thinking on the topic. I have come up with two possibilities
for a boy's name (of course, James likes them!) and have even polled
people as to opinions about the two names. I've never done that
with my other three kids, and now I know why. Neither name
gets ahead in my polling, and many times people react negatively to one
of the names, but not the same one. I even posted the two names
on a homeschool discussion board, saying that I LIKE the two names, but
wanted people to vote for the one they would choose. Many people
didn't vote for a name, but instead told me why one or the other name
was a BAD choice and something that they'd not inflict on a
child. Thank You Very Much! So Very
Helpful! And what is the deal with some people naming their
little girls after an Old Testament prophet?!!!! And why do
people think that if they've heard of one or two little girls with what
is usually a boy's name, that the name is sissified forever?!!! I
taught a girl named "Ryan" once, does that mean that it is a girl's
name now?!!!!
Maybe I will have to go with my 3 yo nephew's pick.
When I asked my sister and her family for their votes, he ignored the
two choices and insisted that the baby should be named "Nail".
Why not? I doubt a girl would ever be named "Nail"!
Now
I know you are curious. My two name choices (if I'm remembering
correctly) are Logan or Micah. ...Don't even think of leaving a
negative comment!!!!!!!!
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Being
over 35 years old and pregnant, I've been tempted to worry more about
this pregnancy than my others. The nurse at my OB's office told
me that the doctor would do an ultrasound on my first visit.
However, the doctor told me that she would just wait until my 20 week
visit. I wasn't as desirous of having an ultrasound with my other
kids, in fact I didn't have one at all with Matthew, but the wait for
this ultrasound seemed excrutiatingly long.
I remember my
ultrasound with my first baby, Evan. I'll never forget looking
into his little face and watching him open his mouth as if to say
"Mom!" Viewing the grainy film brought the reality of the
presence of our baby boy home to our hearts.
With Matthew,
since we did not have an ultrasound, I wrote in my "birthplan" that we
wanted James to have the privilege of announcing whether the baby was a
boy or girl. He held Matthew right after birth, but forgot about
his particular duty. The midwife finally said, "If you are not
going to tell her if it is a boy or a girl, I will!!" Startled,
he looked, and announced "It's a boy!"
With Sophie, we were
delighted to see that we had a baby girl. The hospital wouldn't
allow us to have an ultrasound picture, though, to protect themselves
from "evidence" in case there turned out to be a problem that they
missed. Whatever.
Yesterday, we were amazed again to see
another apparently perfectly formed little baby tumbling around in my
womb. The baby's head started out on the right side, but in a
matter of moments, had flipped around to the left side. I didn't
even feel the acrobatics. It was very obvious that I am carrying
another little boy.
Sophie, of course, would have
liked a little sister, but she has been told the story of my cousin,
Julie. Julie had two brothers and longed for a sister. When
she heard that her mom had another boy baby, Julie dramatically
declared, "God must hate me." She quickly changed her tune,
however, after holding her baby brother and she became quite the second
"mommy."
Sophie, before finding out about her own new baby
brother, assured me, "I won't be like Julie. I'll like the baby
if it is a boy or a girl!" Since finding out, she seems to be
quite happy.
I told her, "We'll just have to stick together around all these boys!"
My dad demanded to see pictures, and so, here they are:
Here is a picture of "Skeletor's" top of the head and face on the left and a cross-section of the abdomen on the right. The dark area on the left is the top and forehead of the skull, below that are two dark eye sockets witht he nasal cavity between and slightly below.
The dotted line is around the abdomen, James tells me, and the little white marks to the right of it are tiny knuckles.
You are looking at our baby's bony baby butt. The two longish white lines are femurs and the pelvis is to the left.
The white dots are the baby's spinal column.
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The following post might be helpful for other pregnant or hopeful mothers, but otherwise might be TMI!
One benefit to expecting a baby again after six years, is that I can
take advantage of the latest ideas to make pregnancy a little
easier. Not that new ideas are necessarily better, but I've found
one new invention that is indeed better! My sister told my cousin
who told me about the bella
band, a handy tube of elasic cloth that fits around a
pregnant middle to make pants or skirts fit. I purchased two
bands, one in black and one in white which I wear almost every day over
my regular jeans. What would be a secret, except that I'm telling
you now, is that I can't zip up my pants over my fourth-time pregnant
belly any more. The bella band fits over the top part of my
pants, over the zipper, holding them smooth, and the top of the band
covers all of my midriff ~ way better than the rubber band over the
button trick. I can't vouch for how long this will work with my
regular pants, but it is quite handy now to keep wearing my regular
clothes. An added benefit is that if I buy any maternity pants,
and they don't quite fit yet, the band will gather in the excess
material and make them fit.
I've now had to purchase
some maternity tops (way earlier than any of my previous pregnancies),
but they've been on discount due to the end of the season. I've
decided that when warm weather comes, I'll just cut the sleeves shorter
and hem them to make short-sleeved shirts instead of spending more
money. (No, I don't sew much.) I'll get help with that so
that they look okay.
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When
I posted about my pregnancy on this blog, my cousin Julie's husband
called me and excitedly discussed the news with me for quite
awhile. I was suprised by how excited and interested he seemed
with the prospect of our having a new baby. I was even more
surprised, though, when he confided to me that Julie is expecting as
well (her first)~ and at the same time in July!!!
Julie and
Patrick's news certainly helped me to feel more happy about mine.
Poor Julie has had even worse morning sickness than I have. I
told her that we could be partners in misery. One funny aspect to
this is that I previously gave away some of my baby stuff to Julie who
was hoping for a new addition!
We had a little fun
with announcing our news this past Sunday in church. Some people
in the congregation knew about my pregnancy, but no one knew about
Julie's as yet. My husband James stood up and said, "I probably
should have announced this last week since Bob gave a childrens' sermon
about the joy of a new baby. We were surprised to find out
that...Patrick and Julie are expecting a new baby in July." (At
this point I'm sure people were wondering..."What?")
Patrick
stood up right away and confirmed the news and continued, "It wasn't a
surprise to us, but it was a surprise to find out that James and
Melissa are expecting as well!" Laughter and clapping broke out
around us.
We enjoyed throwing a curve in our announcement!
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"Many are the plans in the mind of a man, but it is the purpose of the Lord that will stand." Proverbs 19:21
If you read it here first, leave a comment below...
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Hi
Friends! We are staying overnight in a place with free wireless
service. I've been checking my email and my friend,
Colleen, sent me this hilarious forward (sorry about the obnoxiously large font):
PREGNANCY Q & A & more!
Q: Should I have a baby after 35?
A: No, 35 children is enough.
Q: I'm two months pregnant now. When will my baby move?
A: With any luck, right after he finishes college.
Q: What is the most reliable method to determine a baby's sex?
A: Childbirth.
Q: My wife is five months pregnant and so moody that sometimes she's borderline irrational.
A: So what's your question?
Q: My childbirth instructor says it's not pain I'll feel during labor, but pressure. Is she right?
A: Yes, in the same way that a tornado might be called an air current.
Q: When is the best time to get an epidural?
A: Right after you find out you're pregnant.
Q: Is there any reason I have to be in the delivery room while my wife is in labor?
A: Not unless the word "alimony" means anything to you.
Q: Is there anything I should avoid while recovering from childbirth?
A: Yes, pregnancy.
Q: Do I have to have a baby shower?
A: Not if you change the baby's diaper very quickly.
Q: Our baby was born last week. When will my wife begin to feel and act normal again?
A: When the kids are in college.
"ESTROGEN ISSUES"
10 WAYS TO KNOW IF YOU HAVE "ESTROGEN ISSUES"
1. Everyone around you has an attitude problem.
2. You're adding chocolate chips to your cheese omelet.
3. The dryer has shrunk every last pair of your jeans.
4. Your husband is suddenly agreeing to everything you say.
5. You're using your cellular phone to dial up every bumper sticker that says: "How's my driving-call 1- 800-".
6. Everyone's head looks like an invitation to batting practice.
7. Everyone seems to have just landed here from "outer space".
9. You're sure that everyone is scheming to drive you crazy.
10. The ibuprofen bottle is empty and you bought it yesterday..
TOP TEN THINGS ONLY WOMEN UNDERSTAND
10. Cats' facial expressions.
9. The need for the same style of shoes in different colors.
8. Why bean sprouts aren't just weeds.
7. Fat clothes.
6. Taking a car trip without trying to beat your best time.
5. The difference between beige, ecru, cream, off-white, and eggshell.
4. Cutting your hair to make it grow.
3. Eyelash curlers.
2. The inaccuracy of every bathroom scale ever made.
AND, the Number One Number One thing only women understand :
1. OTHER WOMEN