Haze's third birthday

 Hazel turned three two weeks ago.  Her party was really fun, and it was the first time I've really gone all out with a theme.  She loves ocean animals, so that's what I went with.  I got on pinterest to find ideas.  Basically all of the decorations were copied from this post.  I was really happy with how it turned out!

Crab plates.  Hazel loves crabs.  For about a month, she went around saying she had pincers, and if we wanted to get her to hold hands to cross the street and so forth, we'd have to say we were holding pincers.  She is so cute!

We saw this at the party store.  Isn't it hilarious?  It has become Hazel's potty pal.  Sometimes the only way to convince her to come sit on the potty is if this guy comes in and watches her from the counter.  Seriously, she loves an audience...

The jellyfish Hazel made on J week.  I made one too.  It was a fun, easy craft to do together.  It involved painting and stapling.  So, of course, it was a hit. 

 Crab cupcakes.  These were easy to make, and (this is becoming a theme) Hazel loved them!  She actually didn't want to eat the cupcake, just the crab.  That was especially funny because the cupcake was really yummy, way, way better than the crab.  Oh, well.

 And for lunch, what else but...crab croissant sandwiches!  I didn't assemble one for everyone, just Hazel.

 Gorgeous birthday girl.

 Gorgeous birthday girl on her actual birthday.  She is so beautiful and fun! 

Can't have a whole blog post without any of this!  Joel didn't get any cake, but he sure wanted some.  Remember how I said he was breaking thresholds of cuteness every day?  Here's the proof.

And, finally, did she like her presents?  Yes she did!  Here you can see that she is not an unsafe fairy, flying around without any head protection.  No, sir!  No head injuries for this flier!

I'm not dead.

In fact, I am the possessor of many proud new accomplishments, including, but not limited to:
~ chicken cooking in the crockpot (right NOW)
~ children napping in the same room together (again, NOW)
~ a beautiful ocean party decoration scheme, which is still up, even though the party was over two weeks ago
~ cantaloupes growing outside on my balcony (!!!)
~ the ability to wash poopy crib sheets several days in a row
~ a child who has survived to the thrilling, gorgeous age of three.
~ another child who is surpassing all standards of cuteness and adorability.

Life is pretty good right now.  So I'm going to put a smiley face here:  :)

I have beautiful, amazing children. Also, I am learning how to French braid.

Now I must go feed a baby who is not sleeping well tonight.

Joel's Birth Story

So, this is a very lengthy post. I'm not apologizing for that, because I, personally, love it when people share every detail of a birth story. If you don't love that, I guess you'll have to skim it! Wish I had more pictures, though. :)

Journal entry excerpt from Sunday, October 9, 2011:

Our baby was born today at 3:40. He’s 7 lbs 14 oz and 19 inches. He is beautiful and perfect.

On Saturday, I began noticing contractions in the morning. They were crampy and low in my back; they didn’t feel like the Braxton-Hicks I’d been having for weeks. I tried not to get excited, since it was only three days after my due date, but yeah, right. Of course I was excited! I did everything I could think of (within reason) to keep those contractions coming. I timed a few, but they really weren’t very close together or regular. However, they didn’t ever stop completely.

Anthony called his mom to let her know something might be happening (she was our plan for watching Hazel, and since she lives an hour away, she’d need some advance warning). I called my mom, too. We decided to do the things we’d planned for the day, which was mostly errands. In Costco I had a couple of contractions that made me want to stop walking and lean on Anthony, so I did. After that, I just wanted to get out of there, go home and rest.

That evening, it seemed like probably nothing was happening that day, but we remained optimistic. We took advantage of the nice weather and took Hazel out to our apartment complex’s playground, figuring it might be her last evening as an only child. We had lots of fun together.

Sunday morning I continued to have the same kind of contractions as the day before. (I think they slacked off a lot overnight; I actually got to sleep pretty well (minus trips to the bathroom, of course)). They were hurting a bit more, though, and were a bit closer together and longer. I started recording after breakfast, and they were 3-5 minutes apart. Even before that, while I was getting ready for the day, I realized I wouldn’t be able to go to church—I couldn’t sit still and pay attention, no way!

After an hour of recording these contractions (which I was mostly dealing with by leaning over and swaying), I called the midwife. While I was waiting for my call back, I got a couple of big gaps in contractions, so she suggested I wait for a while of closer ones to come back before coming in. They picked up again (for another hour), I called again, and at noon-ish, we left for the hospital.

Anthony’s mom arrived very quickly, because she was working that day. She lives an hour away, but commutes to her workplace which is roughly ten minutes from our home, so this turned out really well.

Contractions slowed down again when we left, but I was glad, because that meant I only had three in the car—it was hard being in the car where I couldn’t lean and sway! I had to just close my eyes and breathe.

When we got there, I had to get monitored in triage for a bit before being admitted. I was worried about that because contractions were so much harder to deal with leaning back. My nurse (Lisa), however, very kindly put the bed all the way upright for me so I was sitting up. After a little bit, my midwife (Wendy) came in, did a cervical check, and said I was at 5-6 cm. Great! No question of being sent home. I had been a bit concerned about that as well, because although I had had several contractions just walking from the car to the hospital, I had had hardly any (or maybe none) while hooked up to the monitor.

We went to a labor room and did some paperwork and stuff. I really liked Lisa. She told me she’s had a couple of homebirths, and you can bet I loved hearing that! I was disappointed to learn that the hospital policy mandates continuous monitoring after 6 cm, since one of the things I liked about these midwives was that they usually do intermittent, but oh well. They had wireless, waterproof monitors, and I didn’t have an IV, so we were already better off than the last time. :) Also, after a bit of monitoring and the contraction belt kept flipping up, Lisa thought of something the hospital had some samples of, and brought in this knit tube that went all the way around my belly. It worked much better, and was more comfortable, too! Lisa was hilarious, joking with me about how I could take it home after and use it as a miniskirt. (Earlier, noticing the blood pressure cuff was disposable, I’d asked if that meant I could take it home. She’d never had anyone ask that before, but said that I could.) I really enjoyed Lisa’s banter throughout. Also, she and Wendy were just great about not doing stuff during a contraction.

I walked around a bit or sat on my ball, but I didn’t get in the bed. At one point, I expressed a slight worry that my contractions weren’t very close together, and Wendy advised me to walk around—I wanted the contractions, after all! She was right (sigh). I stayed in the room and walked around. Wendy and Lisa weren’t there most of the time, which was fine. I would lean over on whatever was nearby during a contraction, and after a bit, Anthony got into a routine of noticing this and coming over to do some counterpressure on my lower back, which helped a lot. During the gaps in between I felt totally fine, but the contractions were pretty intense and hard. I think being out of bed helped a lot, though—I felt like a normal person when I wasn’t actually contracting. I should note that I wasn’t wearing a hospital gown; I was wearing a pretty, dark blue nightgown that I brought specifically to labor in. I think that helped with the feeling like a normal person. We were pretty relaxed. Anthony had some of the free ice cream and chocolate milk. I had Powerade.

After a couple of hours, Wendy checked me and I was 6-7 cm. She said something about not being able to read me very well, because she wouldn’t have guessed when I first came in that I was already a 6! I guess I was pretty calm. She suggested trying the tub, and I thought that was a good idea. She got it filled, and I got in. It felt great. Anthony kept me company, and we decided that we should have brought bubble bath, and also that the hospital should market its birth center as “spa-like” instead of “home-like.” At least a spa is an institution; they might have a chance imitating that! I had a few pretty hard contractions in the tub (about four). The water didn’t seem to help much during the contractions themselves, but it did allow me to be relaxing on my back in between while flipping over during. (It was a nice deep tub.) There was also the downside that Anthony couldn’t reach my back for counterpressure.

After half an hour, I felt like I needed to poop, so I got out. I’ve read enough birth stories that I knew things were probably pretty far along. But on the off chance that I really did just need to use the bathroom, I wanted to be able to get back in the tub after! (As I sat on the toilet, Anthony was a bit worried—I suppose I’ve told him too many stories about women who think they need to poop and then they realize the baby is coming out…) Sure enough, I didn’t actually need to have a bowel movement (but no baby was falling out, either (unfortunately, sigh…)). I did notice some blood when I wiped, though, and even thought I wasn’t alarmed, asked Anthony to call for the nurse. Lisa came, and said it was the mucous plug. I hadn’t thought it would be so big, or so deep red (since I never saw Hazel’s), but now I know. :)

I let Lisa know that I was feeling some rectal pressure but there was no actual bowel movement. She got Wendy, and I stayed out of the tub. Now I was wearing just my sports bra, monitors/sleeve, and a slightly wet blanket draped over the rest of me.

Anthony was still giving me counterpressure, and I asked him to leave his hands there between contractions, because the back pain wasn’t really letting up between them. Wendy wanted to check me, so I climbed onto the bed. I tried to wait until after a contraction, but had one during the check anyway. It was so hard to be on my back for contractions! I was a nine. When I started getting off the bed, I ended up on my hands and knees, facing the foot of the bed. Wendy asked if I’d like to push on hands and knees (we’d discussed my wish to push not on my back at a prenatal appointment). It seemed like a good idea, and I knew I’d be pushing very soon. She requested that I turn around so she’d have better access. I managed to do that. There was no break in the contractions now. They adjusted the bed so that the head was higher than the foot, to be helpful, but I just didn’t care. This way was no better or worse than flat.

After a little bit, I shifted onto my (right) side. I can’t really remember why, except maybe I was just trying to find a position that didn’t hurt. (It didn’t work.) I remember they were asking if I’d like the bed flat now, but I really didn’t. The incline was nice.

Wendy checked me and said there was no cervix left. Then there was a little discussion about delivering on my side. (It didn’t really seem like I was part of it—I felt really far away.) I could, but Anthony would have to stop counterpressure in favor of holding up my upper leg. I decided to go back on my hands and knees, because I did not want to give up that counterpressure! I was trying really hard to stay relaxed, particularly in my jaw and hips area. (I had been trying to do this during contractions all along, whenever I thought of it, but really focused on it now.)

My memory is a little hazy after this point. Pushing began, and I remember that it felt like it was taking forever. It hurt like crazy. I was making a lot of noise. I tried to make some of my noises low-pitched (I’ve read something about deep noises being helpful), but mostly was just (in Anthony’s words) moaning and wailing. There was no relief. I remember pushing being satisfying with Hazel—that didn’t happen this time. Wendy was using warm compresses down below and encouraging me to “push toward the heat.” Anthony was still pressing on my back. The pain I was feeling was overwhelming. People were saying nice, encouraging things, but I was not really listening. I had turned very inward and was concentrating so hard on getting this over, getting him out. I was pushing as hard as I could with every urge, and it felt like I wasn’t making any progress. At one point I felt his head come out what seemed like most of the way, but I couldn’t get it out on that push, so it slipped back in, and I felt something like despair.

I guess it must have been on the next push that I pushed even harder—I felt like I was tearing all over the place down there and was a bit disappointed in the back of my mind (I’d had a fantasy that I wouldn’t tear at all). I felt the head come out. Anthony started telling me he could see parts of the baby (“I can see his ear!” et cetera). I was momentarily disappointed to hear his assessment of the progress, because I thought the whole head was out, but I just kept pushing. (Later, Anthony explained that the whole head was out, but since he was still pressing on my back, he didn’t have the best view, what with my bottom being in the way and all.) Then I had to push his body out, and it was so hard, and then the rest of him slid out, and I felt so much better!

Someone told me to turn on my back so I could hold my baby. Shockingly, I had forgotten all about the baby. I had been so focused on getting the head out that I hadn’t been thinking about the fact that the head in fact belonged to a baby. But I was happy to find being on my back seemed like a great idea, and I flipped over and Wendy handed me my baby, with the cord stretching uncomfortably between my legs (it was kind of a short one).

Then he was in my arms. People were tucking blankets around us and adjusting the bed. I held him close to keep him warm. He had a lot of dark hair, which I felt an irresistible impulse to kiss over and over. I decided to see if he wanted to nurse. He didn’t seem interested yet (and it was hard to pull my tight sports bra out of the way), so we just cuddled a bit more. I couldn’t get enough of my baby. At some point, Wendy told me she thought the placenta was detached and asked me to bear down to push it out. It was weird to try pushing without any urge, but I got it out after a couple of tries. Anthony wasn’t interested in cutting the cord, and I wasn’t paying any attention, but I know they delayed at least a bit.

(I found out that my water broke while I was pushing. Also, that feeling like everything was ripping as I pushed him out? I had no tears at all. Just three small scrapes. An intact perineum. Wow. Pushing, that seemingly endless agony, took six minutes. Dang.)

I’m not sure how long we stayed like this, but after a while, a nurse asked if I was ready for him to be weighed. I considered it and decided I was. I handed him over, and Anthony went with him (it was just across the room, but still). Lisa helped me take off my bra and get a gown on, and she and another nurse changed the bloody/wet stuff under me. The baby was 7 lbs, 14.2 oz, the exact same weight, down to the decimal point, as Hazel. When they brought him back, we were ready to be skin to skin. They gave him a Vitamin K shot and eye ointment. At some point, Wendy had given me a shot of Pitocin in my leg to prevent bleeding.

Everyone cleared out and it was just me, Anthony, and the baby. I tried out nursing again, and he latched.

I am so happy with how this birth went. It was, in my opinion, a perfect (realistic) birth. Labor started on its own (and on a three-day weekend during which my mother-in-law was closer than usual (to watch Hazel)). Anthony was with me for my entire labor (see: three-day weekend). Our timing on getting to the hospital was good (no transition in the car, no getting sent home for being in too early of labor). Contractions were manageable until the very end (I think transition (defining transition as nonstop contractions) and pushing took no more than thirty minutes total). I had a midwife and nurse who I trusted and who treated me with respect. I had practically no interventions. I pushed on my hands and knees, the position that seemed best to me at the time. I didn’t tear! I held my baby right away, and no one acted like they had a right to take him from me. And along with this amazing experience, Joel and I were both totally healthy at the end. Every time I think about Joel’s birth, I feel so grateful.

My recovery was lots better than the first one; no induction, no narcotics, no tearing, and giving birth in the afternoon instead of midnight really helped a lot. And I’d like to note that while I still had a pretty sizable belly afterward, I didn’t feel as negative about it this time. I just kind of wanted to pamper it. I mean, wow! My body is so amazing! I can do wonderful things.

Hi again

So, most of my posts on this blog seem to consist of me writing about how long it's been since I blogged, here's an update, et cetera. Well, I think I'm just going to quit doing that. I'll write if I have time/something to write about/I think of it. Just expect the long gaps in between! (I'm sure you already do anyway!)

Aaaanyway. I had a baby (on Sunday, October 9 at 3:40 PM, weighing 7lbs 14oz). His name is Joel Alexander, and he is adorable. I'm going to post his birth story sometime. I have it written down, and I don't know when I'll get to typing it!

On to pictures.

Hazel meeting Joel for the first time.

Hazel loves her little brother. She is very gentle and sweet with him. One thing I love is that she always gives him a kiss on the head and a "'il hug" at bedtime.

Joel before his bath at the hospital.

Not a day old yet, and so cute. :)

Going home from the hospital.

It took so long to leave that hospital. I'm so glad we managed not to spend more than one night there! It was impossible to sleep in that place.

Hazel nursing her doll.

I admit, I was hoping for this! I love it. How cute to have my little girl practicing taking care of babies. Being such a big believer in breastfeeding, it's gratifying that she's learning that this is a normal, good way to feed a baby.

Hazel the ghost.

Hazel started saying "Boo!" after baths (when wrapped in a white towel, looking like a ghost) a couple of months ago. Halloween costume dilemma solved. Yay for easy costumes!

Joel's first non-sponge bath.

Just this past Friday, Joel had his first real bath. I was concerned that it would be horrible for him, because Hazel really hated baths for the first while. But he loved it. He was calm and smiling (yes, he is already a smiler!) the whole time. Until we got him out. Poor guy; it's sad to be a cold, wet baby!

Joel at four weeks.

Since we didn't like the official hospital newborn pictures, we finally did our own photoshoot this Sunday. He just keeps getting cuter. :)

I love having two babies. It's hard, of course, but we're all adjusting pretty well. Joel is usually a good nighttime sleeper, and that definitely helps. Hazel is learning to share her parents, and I'm learning...a lot of things.

Eight months pregnant, and using the potty

Yes, that's basically a description of my life right now. :) While I do occasionally do other things besides use the potty, it doesn't always seem like it.

Pregnancy is going well. I've been doing yoga along with a DVD, and I like it. I'm not sure how much exercise it really is, but it's increasing my flexibility noticeably, which is worth something, right?

My maternity wardrobe is much better than last time. I've made several new items, and modified ones I already had so that I am more likely to wear them. For example, a few of my tops are a bit too low, but I hate wearing an extra layer just to raise the neckline. So I've fixed some necklines. I may do future posts about my sewing endeavors, because I'm kind of proud of them...

The real reason to mention potty in the title is that Hazel is potty training right now. We started last Tuesday. She's seemed ready for a while, but I've been putting it off, because it seemed too stressful. Her diapers have been less and less effective (maybe because she won't stop messing with them) and on Tuesday morning, she was just standing there and her diaper (new an hour before!) leaked on the carpet. That was a catalyst for me. I realized if I have to clean the carpet even when she's wearing diapers, the diapers have ceased to be the clear easy route.

So, she's wearing thick training pants with plastic pants over, and using the potty. Only when we're at home, though, and when she's awake. I think she's about got this part down. Progress has been steady and significant. No accidents yesterday, and none so far today, though she's peed like eight times. I wonder if she's doing it on purpose for more M&Ms!

I'm planning on taking the advice of my wise mother and not worrying about naptime and nighttime potty training yet. She may not be ready to hold it while she sleeps anyway, so why stress out? Is using two diapers or pull-ups a day more expensive than washing her sheets every day? Probably not by much.

Now, a picture, to make the post worth looking at:

Tops #2 and 3

The second and third tops I made were from the same pattern, a kimono ruched-side tee that I made up based on the back piece of Butterick 5196. I liked the side-ruched T from Motherhood Maternity, but it costs about $25. I can't pay that for a T-shirt, even if it is a really big T-shirt. They do have a promotion to buy one and get one half off, but still...

I made my two for $4 and about two hours of work each. It was super easy to sew, and I really liked the way the first one turned out. I got the fabric (again) on clearance for $3 last summer. It's an extremely stretchy unknown jersey, probably cotton and/or rayon as well as spandex. I think it's cute now, but will be cuter as my tummy gets bigger.

I made the second with a few modifications because the fabric was less stretchy: I widened the bust and lengthened the back. I also narrowed the neck, since I was having a problem with bra straps showing. It didn't really work. Hm.
This fabric is a cotton (I think) jersey that I got five yards of for $5 at Wal-Mart last fall. It is very drapey where the other top was clingy, and I don't think I like it as much because of that. I may add some embellishments or something.

There you have it! I made three tops in three weeks. For about $8.50 total, may I add. Yay, me.