Family Musings

Unlike the first half of my labor story , this was not written in real time. I was too busy trying to finish up the hard part so that I could hold our new baby girl! (Plus, laptops and water tubs aren't very compatible.) Warning: My biggest purpose in writing this is to have a record of what happened, even the not so pretty stuff. So, if you don't want to know details (I'm talking to you Dad and you Brother), then just skip ahead to the next post. :) *** 5:15 pm - Arrived at the birth center and continued laboring on a birthing ball and the floor. It turned out, for this phase of labor, kneeling at the coffee table during contractions was the most comfortable. In between contractions I remember resting my head on the table or falling back to sit on my feet with my head and arms completely relaxed. I did try sitting on the birth ball again, but it was too hard to relax the right muscles, so I used it in the same way as the coffee table. *** 7:00 pm - I asked Melissa...

Here are a few pictures of our newly expanded family. Yes, she was born in a tub... I'll finish writing up that story soon. Charlotte is experiencing pure joy at the site and sound of her little sister. She can't go to the park or to take a nap without making sure she gives Mary a hug and a kiss. And Charlotte was adamant yesterday that Mary keep her hat on. I hope this sisterly love stays so nice.

How we chose the name for our daughter: Mary Mitchell Slessor was born in 1848, the second of seven children in a poor Scottish family. Because of her poverty, she began working in a mill at the age of 11; when her father died, she became the primary financial support for her family—a family that continued becoming smaller because of tuberculosis. When Mary heard of the missionary David Livingstone’s death in 1873, she immediately volunteered to serve in Nigeria. She began her ministry in the port city of Duke Town, learning the local language and customs, and teaching in a school. Mary lived frugally, sending half her salary home to care for her ill family members. But all the while, she longed to move inland where there were no missionaries. When the last of Mary’s family died, she wrote, “Heaven is now nearer to me than Britain, and no one will be anxious about me if I go up-country.” For the rest of her life, Mary moved further inland into areas thought impenetrable by Brit...

Written in real time on Saturday, September 5th. *** As I write this, I am in labor. I am 40 weeks and 5 days pregnant, though we all know due dates aren't an exact science. I'm going to try and keep a log of what happens before we leave for the birthing center (hence the 'Part 1' of the title) and will hopefully be able to post 'Part 2' sometime in the next couple of days. No promises though, I hope to be staring in the beautiful eyes of a brand new baby girl. :) Last night (Friday), Bruce and I went to a new restaurant and I hoped to try some spicy foods to encourage Babin to leave her comfy nest. I ate N'Awlins style red beans and rice with extra hot sauce. I'd say we went for a walk after dinner, but really it was just the hike up to the car in the parking garage. More activity than I'd had in 2 days since I was resting a lot to be ready and fueled with energy. We came home and had a light snack before going to bed at 10 pm. I think I fell ...

I wasn't able to say that last time I got pregnant. Charlotte came 5 days early. But not Babin. She seems very happy to hang out in my uterus a little while longer. So far, there are no signs of labor. And I am okay with that. I understand how much easier it is to take care of her while she is inside of me. There are no diapers, midnight feedings, or swaddling blankets to untangle right now. But soon all of that will change. It is hard, if not impossible, for me to imagine what life will be like with 2 children. I just can't get my brain around it right now. I promise that there will be a blog post just as soon as I either go into labor, or have the baby. I'm not sure how the timing will all work out yet since Bruce is working and my mom is going to be 2 hours away most likely when I finally need to call my midwife. But, I'll be asking for your prayers when it comes time for labor... I am planning a water birth to ease the pain and will be again using some hypnoth...

I am usually a high-energy, let's do lots of stuff every day kind of mom. I dance in the living room to made-up songs. I take Charlotte to the museum 1-2 times a week. We do fun art projects on a regular basis. Or maybe I should say, I used to be like that. Until about a week ago when I just hit a brick wall. For some reason, I just keep forgetting that I am almost ready to deliver a new baby into the world. Why is that so hard for me to remember? Why do I have to hit 2 pm and then feel like I am crashing into a wall? It has really been wearing on me that Charlotte has watched so much television in the last week. I feel bad. I always thought I'd be the mom who wouldn't let her toddler watch any (except for Signing Time), and then I became the mom who said okay, but no more than 2 hours a day. Then yesterday, Charlotte watched at least 6 hours of tv. Granted, she was not sitting in front of it like a zombie, but running around and dancing to the kids songs, but still... ...

I did try to dig out whatever photos I could find of me during my 2 pregnancies, just because I thought it would be fun to compare. But before I show them to you, just remember, we are only comparing the size of my belly... nothing else. I already know it is all bigger! :) It really struck me as sad the limited number of pictures of myself I have to show you. I guess that is what happens when I am always the one behind the camera. So, here are two sets to compare. 31 weeks with Charlotte and 31 weeks with Babin 37 weeks with Charlotte (in red top) 39 weeks with Babin (in floral top) I think I am about the same belly-wise for both pregnancies. What do you think?

I'm happy to report that my tricks for reducing leg cramps and my restless legs symptoms are working. The extra milk and iron make big difference. I just don't take them at the same time since calcium affects the iron absorbtion. Thanks for all the concerned comments and emails. We are now in the home stretch of this pregnancy and I wake up each morning wondering if this is the day we will get to introduce the world to Babin. It is an exciting time, but as a friend reminded me this morning... it is a lot easier to care for a baby in the womb than outside of the womb! Like my old friend Stephanie , I've been wondering how I compare in this pregnancy to my first one. But, it seems I have not take enough pregnancy pictures this time around to do that sort of comparison justice. Here is a picture of my belly as of tonight. If this time around is anything like last time and Babin comes 5 days early, then we should have her in our arms by Thursday or Friday afternoon! But i...

I really should post a picture, but my computer is in the shop being repaired... I just wanted to let you all know that I am not crazy. I know. You don't believe me. Only crazy people would tell the world on a blog that they aren't crazy. But let me explain. I have been horribly fatigued for the last couple of weeks and while, Bruce has been kind enough to let me sleep until 9 am several mornings, I just can't get make it through most days without an extra cat nap. When I got pregnant, I expected to wake up to go to the bathroom and I knew there would be leg cramps. What I never counted on this time was getting pregnancy-induced restless leg syndrome . I would lay in bed everynight thinking I was nuts because I needed to move my legs. It seemed nuts to me and no matter how active I tried to be, to wear my legs out, they still wanted to move when I hit the sack. So now, I am going to increase my folate and iron and see if that offers any relief. Let's pray it do...

I've put off writing this post for a long time and finally, now that Charlotte is almost 2, I feel an urgency to get it written before I forget the details. Our weaning from breastfeeding was mostly Charlotte led, but with a strong dose of encouragement from Momma. I was, and still am, comfortable with the idea of tandem nursing, but didn't feel like it would be a mark of motherhood excellence if I did tandem nurse. Or that it would be a mark of shame if I didn't. My pregnancy probably played the biggest role in Charlotte's weaning. As I progressed, the milk began to change and it was more work for her to get it. Apart from that though, when I saw signs she was frustrated, I decided to encourage her in a direction that didn't involve nursing at all. The other thing that helped was Charlotte began sleeping through the night right around 18 months old. And since most of her nursing was overnight, I got off easy for those few feedings. Once I reached the decisi...

It is hard for me to believe that I will most likely be holding a brand new baby girl in my arms in just less than 6 weeks! I keep looking around the house and wondering what I need to do, and waiting for that nesting instinct to set in so I can get it done. Instead, I feel like taking 2 naps a day! Thank goodness Bruce is home and I have that luxury as needed. Babin (just the pre-natal name for our little girl) is a very active baby. She moves around a lot and has recently been getting the hiccups on a daily basis. It feels kind of funny since they are way down low. That is a good sign though, that the baby is in a heads down position. For a couple of days, I've had some lower pelvic pain towards the end of the day. It isn't round ligament pain, but if it keeps up, I'll be sure to ask my midwife about it at our next visit (in 2 weeks). Speaking of midwife visits, I met with another midwife at my birthing center this week. Her name is Liz and she is British. At my app...

This post is for people who have been, currently are, or who might be pregnant some day. And it might also be for the people who are close to someone who falls into one of those categories. If you aren't represented in any of those groups, well then, you just won't get what I'm about to share. And if you are my Dad or Brother, well, read at your own risk. :) Of all the pregnancy symptoms I have experienced, admittedly very few, hemorrhoids have to be the very worst. See, everyone gets morning sickness. Vomiting might be gross, but well, we know that happens to some pregnant ladies. But hemorrhoids, those are taboo. So taboo in fact, I didn't even really know what they were until I was pregnant with Charlotte. And I certainly didn't blog about it during my 1st pregnancy ! Being a mom now, I am almost completely over my initial hesitation to talk about all things body related. I mean, I have to look at poopy diapers at least once a day, so I can talk about hemorrh...

In pregnancy news... today I am 27 weeks pregnant with our second daughter. I have only gained 3 pounds in the last month, but don't know what my overall gain has been. I had an appointment with my midwife this morning and had to take the Glucose Challenge Test (GCT). The GCT is a 1-hour post-prandial blood test to see how my body processes sugars. In an unexpected twist, the birthing center does not require this be a fasting test. Instead, I was advised to eat a high protein dinner the night before and then given a specific menu for breakfast the day of the test - 2 eggs, 2 slices whole wheat toast, 2 pats of butter, unsweetened coffee or tea, and water. After eating this breakfast, I was supposed to wait 45-60 minutes, then drink a sugar solution. I was given the orange flavor and in order to make the 10 ounces go down faster, I poured it on the rocks and stuck a straw in it. I was told to finish the drink in 5 minutes or less. This was tough, but I made it. Afterwards, I fel...

Last night, I started having second thoughts about finding out Babin's gender. And up until about halfway through the ultrasound, I still wasn't sure. But I am glad we found out. I secretly had a preference and it turns out I didn't have to worry. Those of you who are friends with my on Facebook, might already know that we found out today that Babin is a girl. And I have the ultrasound pictures to prove it (if you know how to read them that is!) First though, let's look at Babin's sweet face. It's always nice to look a lady in the eyes when meeting her and you can do that by staring near those two x's, which show roughly where her eye sockets are. Her round belly is on the right side of the image. The doctor who did the ultrasound thinks Babin is just over 1 lb and has a heart beat of about 164 bpm. And now, hoping Babin won't be embarassed some day, here is an image of her girl parts. These are the only two pictures we have, so I am showing them o...

I just wanted to say that I was able to hear Babin's heart beat again. That is always such a relief and I still hold my breath waiting to hear the thump-thump-thump coming from within my belly. Also, I have only gained 5.5 lbs so far! Yeah! I have been working on this part harder than I did last time. It is especially important since I started out about 45 lbs heavier than I did when I got pregnant with Charlotte. (Gosh, when I write it like that I feel like a whale already!) :) In the end, I think I gained about 30 lbs total with my first pregnancy and I want to keep it at or below 20 with this one. PS - I guess I do have some things to say on this here blog. Two posts in one day! Oh my!

As of this morning, I am 18 weeks and 6 days pregnant. Anyone mind if I round up and just say that I am 19 weeks pregnant? Someone was asking for a picture of my bump recently. I told them they would have to wait, as there isn't much of a baby bump to see. ( Like my 1st pregnancy .) But then yesterday, I caught a glimpse in the mirror and thought, I can fake a pretty good bump by now. So here is the obligatory 1st picture of the bump.   In truth, the upper part of my belly, really has gotten more pushed out. I can feel my abdomen muscles on either side of the bump starting to push out to make room for Babin to grow into. Tomorrow I have my next midwife appointment at which we will schedule my first, and probably only, ultrasound.

Well, technically, the baby is 15 weeks old, and I am 17 weeks pregnant... and that is not "Jennifer Math." Remember last week when I shared my excitement about feeling the creature inside of me move? The baby continued moving like that every night. It is so comforting to feel that and know our baby is doing well. Then on Saturday night I didn't feel the somersaults from the previous week. And of course, like any good pregnant woman, I got worried. Bruce prayed for me and the baby. I prayed for me and the baby. But I didn't feel anything. After a little while, I thought I felt something, but it was too late, I was already in full-worry mode. Eventually, I had to take a breath (because you know, if you hold your breath it is easier to feel the baby!) and soon I fell asleep exhausted from the worry. It didn't last long and I woke up at 3:45 just positive something was wrong. I even imagined that I felt a couple of contractions. Sleep was elusive. Eventually...

Everyone who is anyone already knows that we are expecting a new bundle of joy in our family this August. What you might not have realized though, is we have not decided on what to call this little bambino. For a while now, we have just called him or her "baby number two." And folks, that is boring. And we are not boring people. So, what should we call this little bun in the over, our budding gymnast ? I don't want anything obvious, like, you know, Baby Sabin . We've been there, done that. Bun and Bean, could never be as cute as Breadstick (which is already taken by my sister-in-law who is due in October!). And well, we did refer to Charlotte as the Belly Monster already. To come up with a good name for the munchkin in my belly, I am having a contest. There will be no prizes, other than just knowing you made my family happy. I'll take suggestions until we find one that seems just right. Bruce and I are the final judge. Naming Rules: Nothing boring. Aim ...

I am at the end of the 4th month with our next baby and was so excited last night to finally feel a little movement from the munchkin. I can't remember when I first felt Charlotte move, so I wanted to make sure I marked this day for baby number two. Then tonight, as I laid around watching American Idol, I think our new baby was practicing their gymnastics flips! It was so much fun to feel so much activity tonight!

I have always gotten a little choked up at an AT&T or Publix holiday commercial. And that was okay with me. It was something quirky about me that my husband liked. But, now, this pregnancy has taken my weepiness to a whole other level. For example, I rented Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants a couple of weeks ago and watched it during a Daddy-Daughter date. It's a good thing too. Because that is not a sad movie ya'll. Don't think that stopped me from having a really good cry right when Bridget (the soccer player) found that her "first time" didn't fill the hole in her heart like she expected. I just bawled. And I am not a pretty crier. It was an ugly scene ladies and gentlemen. Sometimes though, I cry because I am overwhelmingly happy. Remember my friend Daryl , who I shared about a year ago? Well, I just found out last night that Joy, his widow, remarried and after reading just a little bit about her husband and seeing their wedding photos, I sobbed te...