My bright-eyed girl:
The bubble grin:
Solemn expression:
Sleepy Grin:
Saturday, March 21, 2009
Picking the perfect photo
During the past two days/nights I have been taking many photos of Anna Jaye. I'm trying to capture the perfect image to send out in her birth announcements. Out of the near 40 pics I have taken, I have narrowed it down to 6. She is just too darn precious to make this easy on me. I've put the first four choices in this post, the other 2 will have to go in the next one as there is not enough room in one post for them all.
My bright-eyed girl:
The bubble grin:
Solemn expression:
Sleepy Grin:
My bright-eyed girl:
The bubble grin:Solemn expression:
Sleepy Grin:
Sunday, March 15, 2009
Anna Jaye's Birth Story
As promised, here is Anna's birth story:
My water first started to leak on Sunday, March 8th at about 4:40 in the morning. I was very excited thinking it wouldn’t be long now. All three of my other kids were born within 1.5 hours of my water breaking. However, I didn’t take into account that Little Miss had been stubborn so far in that I had carried her longer already than her siblings and that with them I had a great big gush of water. This time around all I had were little trickles and only when I changed positions. I called my midwife around 9:30AM to let her know that my water had broken, but that I wasn’t having very strong contractions. She told me to call back if things started to get going.
By that night I was getting optimistic that real labor had begun. Unfortunately, I was proven wrong once again. As March 8th left and March 9th began, the 20 hour mark for my water leaking had come and gone. At this point I was seriously beginning to worry. I had heard and read that a baby needs to be delivered within 24 hours of the sack breaking. My midwife however, was not concerned. It was hard to trust her and not rush to the hospital. I have always had OB care before and with it a sense of urgency. Approximately 24 hours after my water began to leak, it really broke in two big gushes. So there I was in the wee hours of March 9th knowing it couldn’t be long now! Or so I thought….
I called my midwife again that morning, still with very few contractions. She wanted to see me at 3, but we didn’t make it until almost 4. When we got there, she checked me and said I was 4 cm dilated. She also said she could still feel a bag of waters! I couldn’t believe I had lost so much water and still had a bag full! I had weighed myself when I got to her office and I had already lost 7 lbs! A gallon of water weighs 8 lbs. We discussed a plan of action and I knew now I had until 3 or 4 AM to have this baby or I would need to go to the hospital. She started the “clock” from my second breakage because the first was a slow leak.
The plan was for me to take a liquid herbal supplement once an hour, for Mark to take me to eat and then to walk in the local park. We followed her instructions and headed to Ruby Tuesdays for an early supper. I had a Swiss and mushroom burger. I took my second dose of the herbs and we went walking until the park closed at 9PM. We took the van through a carwash, went to Baskin Robins and headed to the birth center about 9:45PM.
When we arrived I was having some contractions and they were regular, but certainly not strong enough to have a baby. At my last appointment, there was an apprentice midwife named Karen observing. I felt a connection to her so I had asked if she could be there and she was! Karen is also a doula and she acted as one throughout my labor and delivery. She was a great big help and allowed Mark to focus on me and not on getting the baby out.
I forget at what times things happened now, only the order. Mark, Karen and I went walking again in the halls. Then I used the squatting bar and the birthing ball to try and get things going. These things combined made my contractions more intense, which means they were definitely painful. For the most part I was able to deal with them fairly well. I know at one point I said something about not wanting to this anymore and that my body wanted to run away from the pain. Karen reminded me that I could do this. It was then that I made a comment about being Yoda and that the force was with me.
I knew I was getting very close to the end and I asked my midwife to check me. She was hesitant at first thinking I wasn’t in transition because I don’t get silent like most women do. She did check me though and I was 7cm! In about 2 hours I had dilated 3cm and was moving ahead fairly quickly. She hopped into fast gear at that point and I was getting excited. Mom showed up about this time and I asked her to wait in the front until it was time for delivery.
I went back to the birthing room to continue with the contractions from hell. My midwife filled the tub while I paced, contracted and tried to use the bathroom. Finally the tub was filled and I was allowed to get in. Mom came into the room and Karen and Mark gathered around the outside of the tub. The good thing about the tub and water was that it slowed my contractions. They were as intense as ever, but I had a short break in between them now.
Then during the second push, I heard them exclaim that they could see the head so I backed off the push. That’s when they told me her head went back in! I said, “Don’t tell me that!” Two more pushes and out her head came with me trying to breathe through the rest of the contraction before pushing out her body with the next one. Anna Jaye was born at 1:55AM in the water and with a piece of the caul (water sack) still on her head. Most surprising was that she was born with red hair, like me!
They wrapped her in a blanket while she was still attached to me. The midwife was letting her cord finish pulsing before tying it off. My mom got to cut the cord. Then the midwife cleaned me up while I was still in the tub. This is important because it is the first time I didn’t immediately feel like I had to take a shower after a birth! My placenta came out with absolutely no problems, unlike last time when it had to be scraped out. I did have the shakes pretty bad at this point. Once I got out of the tub and into the bed though, they went away. The electric blanket may have been some help.
I only had one little tear and that was from an old scar from one of the boys. It only took a little glue to seal it again. Anna fed for just a bit and I already had milk! They weighed her after and she was 8 lbs even. She was 21.5 inches long. By 4:30 AM we were on our way home! This was so much better than being held hostage at the hospital. My midwife came over that night to check on us, so I still felt taken care of. Anna is doing well and other than a lack of sleep, so am I. The only pain I have is muscle pain in my back, legs and tummy. Of course I have the lovely after pains to deal with, but they should be disappearing pretty soon. She’s beautiful and she’s ours so a little pain is a small price to pay.
My water first started to leak on Sunday, March 8th at about 4:40 in the morning. I was very excited thinking it wouldn’t be long now. All three of my other kids were born within 1.5 hours of my water breaking. However, I didn’t take into account that Little Miss had been stubborn so far in that I had carried her longer already than her siblings and that with them I had a great big gush of water. This time around all I had were little trickles and only when I changed positions. I called my midwife around 9:30AM to let her know that my water had broken, but that I wasn’t having very strong contractions. She told me to call back if things started to get going.
By that night I was getting optimistic that real labor had begun. Unfortunately, I was proven wrong once again. As March 8th left and March 9th began, the 20 hour mark for my water leaking had come and gone. At this point I was seriously beginning to worry. I had heard and read that a baby needs to be delivered within 24 hours of the sack breaking. My midwife however, was not concerned. It was hard to trust her and not rush to the hospital. I have always had OB care before and with it a sense of urgency. Approximately 24 hours after my water began to leak, it really broke in two big gushes. So there I was in the wee hours of March 9th knowing it couldn’t be long now! Or so I thought….
I called my midwife again that morning, still with very few contractions. She wanted to see me at 3, but we didn’t make it until almost 4. When we got there, she checked me and said I was 4 cm dilated. She also said she could still feel a bag of waters! I couldn’t believe I had lost so much water and still had a bag full! I had weighed myself when I got to her office and I had already lost 7 lbs! A gallon of water weighs 8 lbs. We discussed a plan of action and I knew now I had until 3 or 4 AM to have this baby or I would need to go to the hospital. She started the “clock” from my second breakage because the first was a slow leak.
The plan was for me to take a liquid herbal supplement once an hour, for Mark to take me to eat and then to walk in the local park. We followed her instructions and headed to Ruby Tuesdays for an early supper. I had a Swiss and mushroom burger. I took my second dose of the herbs and we went walking until the park closed at 9PM. We took the van through a carwash, went to Baskin Robins and headed to the birth center about 9:45PM.
When we arrived I was having some contractions and they were regular, but certainly not strong enough to have a baby. At my last appointment, there was an apprentice midwife named Karen observing. I felt a connection to her so I had asked if she could be there and she was! Karen is also a doula and she acted as one throughout my labor and delivery. She was a great big help and allowed Mark to focus on me and not on getting the baby out.
I forget at what times things happened now, only the order. Mark, Karen and I went walking again in the halls. Then I used the squatting bar and the birthing ball to try and get things going. These things combined made my contractions more intense, which means they were definitely painful. For the most part I was able to deal with them fairly well. I know at one point I said something about not wanting to this anymore and that my body wanted to run away from the pain. Karen reminded me that I could do this. It was then that I made a comment about being Yoda and that the force was with me.
I knew I was getting very close to the end and I asked my midwife to check me. She was hesitant at first thinking I wasn’t in transition because I don’t get silent like most women do. She did check me though and I was 7cm! In about 2 hours I had dilated 3cm and was moving ahead fairly quickly. She hopped into fast gear at that point and I was getting excited. Mom showed up about this time and I asked her to wait in the front until it was time for delivery.
I went back to the birthing room to continue with the contractions from hell. My midwife filled the tub while I paced, contracted and tried to use the bathroom. Finally the tub was filled and I was allowed to get in. Mom came into the room and Karen and Mark gathered around the outside of the tub. The good thing about the tub and water was that it slowed my contractions. They were as intense as ever, but I had a short break in between them now.
(I'm looking at my great, big marshmallow feet here)
Sometime around 1:30AM I felt the first urges to push. The first push was a hurdle. To me it is a little unnatural to push in water. It’s like telling someone to pee in the pool. I got over it pretty quick though with Mark and Karen’s help. I should pause here for a minute and admit that at times during the pushing phase I wasn’t very nice. I distinctly remember alternately telling those with cameras to stop taking pictures and then changing my mind and telling them to take pics. My eyes were closed most of the time and the flashes were taking my focus away, but then I wanted the moments captured. I also remember telling everyone in the room to hush. I don’t think I did, but I may have also used the words, “shut up”.
Then during the second push, I heard them exclaim that they could see the head so I backed off the push. That’s when they told me her head went back in! I said, “Don’t tell me that!” Two more pushes and out her head came with me trying to breathe through the rest of the contraction before pushing out her body with the next one. Anna Jaye was born at 1:55AM in the water and with a piece of the caul (water sack) still on her head. Most surprising was that she was born with red hair, like me!
They wrapped her in a blanket while she was still attached to me. The midwife was letting her cord finish pulsing before tying it off. My mom got to cut the cord. Then the midwife cleaned me up while I was still in the tub. This is important because it is the first time I didn’t immediately feel like I had to take a shower after a birth! My placenta came out with absolutely no problems, unlike last time when it had to be scraped out. I did have the shakes pretty bad at this point. Once I got out of the tub and into the bed though, they went away. The electric blanket may have been some help.
I only had one little tear and that was from an old scar from one of the boys. It only took a little glue to seal it again. Anna fed for just a bit and I already had milk! They weighed her after and she was 8 lbs even. She was 21.5 inches long. By 4:30 AM we were on our way home! This was so much better than being held hostage at the hospital. My midwife came over that night to check on us, so I still felt taken care of. Anna is doing well and other than a lack of sleep, so am I. The only pain I have is muscle pain in my back, legs and tummy. Of course I have the lovely after pains to deal with, but they should be disappearing pretty soon. She’s beautiful and she’s ours so a little pain is a small price to pay.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
She's Here!
Welcome to the World, Anna Jaye!!!
Date: March 10, 2009
Time: 1:55 AM
Weight: 8 pounds even.
Length: 21.5 inches
Hair color: RED!
I'll have to post her Birth Story later. Until then, here are a few pics!
Date: March 10, 2009
Time: 1:55 AM
Weight: 8 pounds even.
Length: 21.5 inches
Hair color: RED!
I'll have to post her Birth Story later. Until then, here are a few pics!
Monday, March 2, 2009
Snow!!!
How we started the day.
Sunrise over the snow.
Emily very happy about the snow.
Garrett's first real snow. Took over three years, but it finally came!
Austin didn't quite know what to make of all that white stuff.
Sunrise over the snow.
Emily very happy about the snow.
Garrett's first real snow. Took over three years, but it finally came!
Austin didn't quite know what to make of all that white stuff.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
I'm making Birth Announcements!
I've narrowed the announcements down to two designs.
The first is what I call "The Star Card". The star is really a gold foil sticker, but it doesn't photograph well.
This is the front:
This is the inside:
The second choice is what I call "The Addition Card"
The first is what I call "The Star Card". The star is really a gold foil sticker, but it doesn't photograph well.
This is the front:
This is the inside:
The second choice is what I call "The Addition Card"
Monday, February 9, 2009
I'm making some things for the baby!
This is my first attempt at a cute baby hat:
And here is Emily's bear being my model:
And here is Emily's bear being my model:
Tuesday, February 3, 2009
Baby Names
I am approaching the 35th week of pregnancy and we still don't have a name for this little girl. I know many parents wait until the baby is born before deciding on a name, but that has never been us. With the other three we have had a name picked out from the time we knew it was a boy or a girl. In fact Mark and I picked out Austin's name when were dating! For some reason it didn't feel "right" to use the name for our first son and that's how he became Garrett. I can't imagine him as Austin because his name fits him so well.
Now we are in search of the perfect name for our second daughter. Anyone that has spoken to me in the past 10 weeks knows this has become somewhat of an obsession for me. As of Sunday night, the big decision is in Mark's hands. Before the game, I made a list of 40 potential names. Mark and I passed the list back and forth, each time taking a name off. When we were down to 6 names, we stopped. When Arizona pulled ahead, I made a bet with Mark that if the cardinals won, I got to pick the final first name from the short list. If the steelers won, Mark would get the same privilege. Needless to say, I lost the bet.
The short list is down to these 6 names: Anna, Ella, Laura, Marissa, Melissa, or Sarah. I like all of them and each has its good points and its bad ones. I just wish Mark would pick one already! I think he's having as much trouble as me in making this decision. Time will tell...........
A few weeks ago, I came up with a list of ways to name a baby. I'd like to share that list.
10 Ways to Name A Child When Pouring Over Baby Name Books And Websites Has Not Worked
1. Actually use the first suggestion by the baby name genie. http://www.babynamegenie.com/
2. Pick a year from 1880 to 2007. Pick a number from 1 to 1000. Look up the name on the Social Security website http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/ and use it. Have your spouse pick a year and number and that's the middle name.
3. Go to a bookstore or library, head to the romance novel section. Randomly pick a book off a shelf. For extra fun, get your pregnant self on the floor to reach the bottom shelf. Then call for assistance to get back up. Name your child after the hero/heroine.
4. Next time you are at the grocery store, get what you are craving the most at that very moment. Name your child after the product. There are some good names there!
5. Set up an auction on ebay for rights to name your baby. This takes the pressure off of you. Set the reserve for $1000.
6. Let your older child/children name the baby, even if they want to name him/her Diego or Barbie.
7. Join a message board. Your one and only post will be, "What should I name my baby?" Majority rules.
8. The next time a telemarketer calls, ask him/her for their opinion. Do not let them hang up until they have convinced you of the best choice.
9. Wait until delivery. Name your kid after the nurse/MW/OB/anesthesiologist/manufacturer of medical equipment
10. Find 5 perfect strangers on the street or at the mall. Ask them to write down their favorite name on a piece of paper. To make this task more interesting: Do not bathe for 4 days, wear your pajamas and have a crazed look in your eyes. Do not look at these names. When the baby is born, draw a name out of a hat.
Now we are in search of the perfect name for our second daughter. Anyone that has spoken to me in the past 10 weeks knows this has become somewhat of an obsession for me. As of Sunday night, the big decision is in Mark's hands. Before the game, I made a list of 40 potential names. Mark and I passed the list back and forth, each time taking a name off. When we were down to 6 names, we stopped. When Arizona pulled ahead, I made a bet with Mark that if the cardinals won, I got to pick the final first name from the short list. If the steelers won, Mark would get the same privilege. Needless to say, I lost the bet.
The short list is down to these 6 names: Anna, Ella, Laura, Marissa, Melissa, or Sarah. I like all of them and each has its good points and its bad ones. I just wish Mark would pick one already! I think he's having as much trouble as me in making this decision. Time will tell...........
A few weeks ago, I came up with a list of ways to name a baby. I'd like to share that list.
10 Ways to Name A Child When Pouring Over Baby Name Books And Websites Has Not Worked
1. Actually use the first suggestion by the baby name genie. http://www.babynamegenie.com/
2. Pick a year from 1880 to 2007. Pick a number from 1 to 1000. Look up the name on the Social Security website http://www.ssa.gov/OACT/babynames/ and use it. Have your spouse pick a year and number and that's the middle name.
3. Go to a bookstore or library, head to the romance novel section. Randomly pick a book off a shelf. For extra fun, get your pregnant self on the floor to reach the bottom shelf. Then call for assistance to get back up. Name your child after the hero/heroine.
4. Next time you are at the grocery store, get what you are craving the most at that very moment. Name your child after the product. There are some good names there!
5. Set up an auction on ebay for rights to name your baby. This takes the pressure off of you. Set the reserve for $1000.
6. Let your older child/children name the baby, even if they want to name him/her Diego or Barbie.
7. Join a message board. Your one and only post will be, "What should I name my baby?" Majority rules.
8. The next time a telemarketer calls, ask him/her for their opinion. Do not let them hang up until they have convinced you of the best choice.
9. Wait until delivery. Name your kid after the nurse/MW/OB/anesthesiologist/manufacturer of medical equipment
10. Find 5 perfect strangers on the street or at the mall. Ask them to write down their favorite name on a piece of paper. To make this task more interesting: Do not bathe for 4 days, wear your pajamas and have a crazed look in your eyes. Do not look at these names. When the baby is born, draw a name out of a hat.
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