Why I Gave Birth Naturally

I have really enjoyed other mom's birth stories, but never got around to writing out my experience with Dexter.  I was probably distracted by reflux and all the new challenges a first time mom faces.  But, this time around, I want to share Maxwell's birth story.  For both Dexter and Maxwell I gave birth with midwives without any interventions.  This really effected how the births progressed and my experience (obviously!), so I thought I would let you know how I got to this place.

I didn't just wake up and think, "today I want to feel as much pain as possible when I give birth".  In fact, it was really a gradual process that led me to the midwives and then to embracing an intervention-free (well, as much as possible) labor.

I had my regular appointment with my OB/GYN before I got pregnant with Dexter and began to feel uneasy with his office and bedside manner.  He moved to a new office building and the exam rooms we filled with posters of elective, cosmetic procedures.  Hmmm.  This is not the time I want to feel bad about my appearance.  Then, as I began to ask him questions about areas of concern, he brushed me aside totally telling me I couldn't believe everything the internet said.  Totally agreed, that's why I was there asking him to clarify.  Instead of answering, he just tried to make me feel uninformed and unintelligent.  His manner was so off-putting, I knew I never wanted to deliver a baby with him and began my search for a new OB.

I began to ask around, but most women I knew hadn't had babies yet or had pretty bad birth experiences.  I found it difficult as you had to basically choose a doctor based on someone elses recommendation.  By the time you saw the doctor yourself, you weren't really in a place to try them and then move on if you didn't like them.  You either were pregnant and needed consistent care, or you only went in once a year.

This is when I began to think I wanted to find an OB who was at least open to the idea of a natural birth.  I was by no means sold that I wanted to give birth that way, but I figured if I found someone open to it they would be slower to perform some of the harsher interventions my friends experienced.  At the time my friends had experienced rushed inducements that led to fetal distress and emergency c-sections, fourth degree episiotomies (yes...I said FOURTH) because the doctor on call wanted to go home for Thanksgiving lunch, and other unpleasant birth experiences.

All of this led me to fear interventions more than the pain of labor.  I figured labor has a set beginning and end, but the harm from interventions that go wrong could be much more far reaching.

So, here I was calling OBs and speaking to their nurses.  When I asked if they supported natural birth the nurses all said "no".  I thought this was telling.  I could go in and the doctor may say yes to me, figuring I'd change my mind, but the nurses know if anyone actually ends up giving birth that way.  I called the one OB I found online who had great reviews and the nurses said yes, she supported natural birth, but no, she wasn't taking new patients.  What to do...well, they recommended the midwives who worked in the same office as this OB. 

Midwives?  That freaked me out.  I didn't know anything about them.  I was at the end of the line though, so decided to check them out for that year's exam.  This time the exam room wasn't papered with cosmetic procedures, but instead pictures of moms and new babies and thank you notes to the midwives raving about how wonderful their birth experience was.  I saw Theodora and she spent an HOUR with me telling me about their philosophy of care, what to expect, and answering all of my questions with respect.  It was just what I wanted, I felt loved, safe, and respected in mind and body.

So, now I began to research what this natural labor was all about.  I watched the Business of Being Born on netflix a few times and the best thing about that movie was I realized there was more to natural birth than just pain and horror.  Now, I am not the bravest of people when it comes to pain (ask any of my family members how much I complain about paper cuts or other minor pain), but the more I learned through books, classes, and other women, I began to think I might actually be able to do this.

We hit a snag with pre-term labor at 24 weeks (my body didn't do what I had hoped it would), but that was when the beauty of this midwife practice really kicked in.  I was under the more conservative care of the midwives, but was admitted to Texas Childrens/St. Lukes and had all the wonderful care there when my body stepped out of what was "normal".  Thankfully all went well and I was able to give birth with both Dexter and Maxwell without interventions. I wanted to give birth with women I trusted 100%, in a calm atmosphere, with the support of OBs and others should I need them.

I know and fully believe that there are real and good reasons to be induced, to have a c-section, or other interventions...but for me the fear of having these forced on me when they weren't really needed was more frightening than the temporary pain of labor.  This isn't the case for all women.  The way we give birth is often out of our control and one particular way of giving birth doesn't make you a "better" mom in any shape or form!  This was the way I chose, due to several small steps along the way, but it isn't everyone's cup of tea.

Through giving birth naturally I have learned so much about myself and it has even effected other areas of my life.  But, more on that after I share my birth story...

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Baby Ray #2 Has Arrived!

At 1:45pm this Thursday afternoon, Baby Ray #2 made his entrance into the world (after 9 hours of active labor)! He is a whopping 8lbs 110z and 19in long...!  Quite a surprise to us all as Dexter was only 6lbs 7oz.  He has just a little fuzz for hair, but it looks to be red like his brother's.

We are still working on a name, so stay tuned.

Getting weighed.

Meeting new baby brother for the first time.  It was a really sweet time!  Dexter seemed in awe of him and gave him a few kisses and asked to help feed him.  If only he could help there...= )

Proud daddy!

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Labor...oh wait, no...

**UPDATE: My good friend who is also seeing the midwives in the med center had her baby this morning! I told Sander last night, "wouldn't it be cool if Sue and I had our baby at the same time?" Boo hoo for me. It would be so fun to roll over to her room and share baby birthday celebrations together. I guess I have a few hours to go, but I don't feel a twinge in that direction...**

I thought this would be me today.  A sweet 7/11/11 baby hand clasped in mine.  But no.  At least, not yet...

Last night around 10pm I started having contractions that reminded me a lot of the ones I had the morning I went into labor with Dexter.  They were long and forced me to really relax and breathe deeply.  I waited an hour before calling the midwife, and guess who was on call?  My FAVORITE midwife that I have been praying would be on call when I went into labor.  (In case you don't know, I see a group of 5 midwives, all of whom are very capable and great, but I do have my favorites.  You deliver with whoever is on call the day you go into labor)

Well, almost as soon as I talked to her, the contractions began to decrease.  I didn't want to believe it.  I had already lost a lot of sleep for the night and didn't want to take a sleeping pill in case I really did end up in labor.  So, I ended up not really sleeping at all last night.

And for those who have gone through natural labor...it is a mind game and an entire body and soul process.  So, to get my head and heart ready for what lay ahead and THEN find out it was all a false alarm...ugh.  I am all about sprinting too.  Once I see the goal, I can run for it with everything I have.  But when something drags on and I can't see the end, I tend to loose steam and get discouraged.   

I do believe this baby will come at the right time, with the right midwife on duty.  But, I am disappointed today...

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Amazon: A Pregnant Woman's Best Friend

My massive weekend shopping spree on amazon arrived today. Ok, when I say shopping spree, I mean items like: 2 year old birthday party presents, a sitz bath (oh...the glamour!), and a business book for Sander. BUT, the best thing is I was able to buy each item as it came to mind without one single stop in a store. No packing up my toddler, loading him in and out of the car in the heat, and no lugging my very pregnant self around to multiple stores that may or may not have what I want.

Oh Amazon...I love thee and prime shipping!

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Belly Picture and Tootsie Visit

Here is a "belly picture" from 36 weeks.  It was hot...

I love this picture, taken after a great dinner from Tootsie at Ruggle's Green.  I asked Dexter to say "cheese", which he did while grinning.  I love it!

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Thinking About What is True

First, how cute is this picture?  This is during the chunkiest phase of Dexter's life...still putting on the baby weight, but not crawling and getting his boy muscle yet.

I'm starting off this post (that will be a tad more serious) to remind myself more than anything, that things will go back to almost normal after birth.  My project this week, besides the pregnancy-mania induced house projects, has been to think about whatever is true, whatever is noble, whatever is right, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is admirable—anything excellent or praiseworthy (Phil 4:8).

This was the challenge we were given in my young families class Sunday.  The point was made that we have emotions, and they can be good and valid, but we also have a mind that can take every thought captive (2 Cor 10:5).  It was recommended to stop, recognize the emotion, and let it spur you to think honestly about what you feel.  So, I am already a big fan of not stuffing your emotions down...in fact, I tend to be a little too open with how I feel at times (why does my face betray every thought I have!?!).  And these emotions were starting to get a little ground in my thought life as it pertains to birth.

With Dexter I spent a lot more time preparing for labor, and, to be honest, had a healthy dose of naive optimism.  Now, I am still optimistic and remember that it really wasn't that bad, but I still KNOW what it will generally be like.

Here are the questions I finally realized I needed to affirm in my mind:  Do I believe birth is a natural process that is no surprise or medical emergency?  Yes.  Do I believe that a God who could make a human being and soul, complete with fingerprints, a brain, and every other little tiny part of his body, could also provide a way in how He made ME to then let the baby out into this world?  Yes.

So here is where I came to last night as I thought through it.  Can I sit around today and worry that tomorrow I won't be able to breathe?  Or that my heart will stop beating?  Or that all of a sudden my muscles won't work?  Yes, I could...and be a little like Bob from What About Bob (!!).  And yes, for some people these things may happen and they will need medical intervention.  But, for the vast majority of us, our lungs will keep taking in breaths, our heart will keep beating (whether we tell it to or not), and we will have some control over our muscles.  We will do this because it is a natural part of life and we were designed to, just like birth is a natural part of life and I was designed to give birth.

It might be tomorrow, or it might be in a few weeks, but soon this baby will be coming.  Today I am choosing to think about what is right, true, and not some fairy tale I have created.  Why?  Because I want to take a vacation from my problems.  ; )

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Labor...preperation

Well, as I said in an earlier post, I am re-reading Ina May Gaskin's book about childbirth.  It has been so good for me to remember what capabilities my body  has and share in the birth stories of so many women who have gone before me.  I am one of those women with a positive, natural birth experience...but honestly you forget so much.  I am thankful in some ways you do forget, but it is easy for the fear to come back. 

Just because I have done it once doesn't mean I am nonchalant about this birth.  It was work, mental and physical, and I spent the months before dealing with the fears and uncertainty.  I am finding it is the same, just to a lesser degree this time.  Is it just me, but do all pregnant women have more fear than other women?  Maybe it is just the inevitability of birth and raising a new child that brings the fear to the surface -- can't really avoid it like you can with other fears. 

So, I have started a list of verses to remember speaking of God's promises.  I am reliving what memories I do have of labor to remember how each contraction did have an end and how immediately after the baby was born, the pain ended.  (On a semi-side note, I had some serious leg cramps a few nights ago and they were so much worse than labor in a weird way.  They were un-ending, I didn't know what would ever stop them, and the pain was intense and not producing anything good.  I freaked out.  Sander and I talked the next morning that it was amazing I could stay so calm in labor, yet was screaming because of leg cramps.  The pain is really and truly different...I have to remember that and relax and let each contraction do its job as fast as it can).
I am also thinking of bringing a copy of this picture to the birth of this baby.  It was taken literally a minute or two after Dexter was born.  I love it because it shows the joy and lack of pain I had.  This is what natural labor produces -- joy, love, and a type of euphoria from the endorphins (I couldn't sleep for days I was so excited and energized by the birth!).

So, here I am planning for another natural birth. Anyone else out there doing the same? Or has in the past? I'd love to hear your stories and ways you labored.

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30 Weeks Pregnant

30 Weeks pregnant. This is when it gets real. Thankfully this pregnancy has been so different than my previous one -- I've been mobile the whole time (no bedrest!) and I have had a toddler to distract me from all the weekly changes. Now I'm on the downhill stretch. I see labor before me...and this time I know what to expect.
In a way it is good that I know what labor will be like. In some ways that makes it less scary and gives me courage. I think, "if I made it through once, I can do it again." But on the other hand, it wasn't as though labor was this easy thing. The innocence is lost as I remember why it is called labor.

So, I have ordered another copy of Ina May's Guide to Childbirth. I don't know if I've lost it in packing for the move, or if I gave it to someone...but I really need to read this book again. It is full of stories of people who made it through natural labor, or some part of it, and the ways they coped and the joy they had through the process. I read it twice before I gave birth to Dexter and it gave me so much courage to embrace the way I am made and to believe it is possible for a baby to be born naturally. I think most women would agree that it is hard, especially with the first baby, to comprehend that a baby THIS big can make it out in a natural way. Yes, complications come up and interventions are needed (why I am giving birth with the midwives at Texas Childrens' Hospital), but to think these are exceptions and that babies are able to come without a whole lot of assistance in the majority of cases seems hard to grasp.

That is why I need to re-read Ina May's book again. I need to remember all the women who have gone before me. I need to get out my workbook from First Birth Ministries and re-read those passages that meant so much to me as I prayed through my last pregnancy and fears I had about birth. And I need to remember those labor techniques that I have forgotten. My labor may have been shorter than some, but that doesn't mean that I didn't need the preparation. Natural labor isn't something you just show up and do one day...well, not without a lot of pain.  For me it was a mind game.  More on that later.

As I re-read my books and think back over the process I will probably blog a few more entries just in case any of you moms/moms-to-be are interested.

Don't worry...I'll keep the gory bits to myself. ; )

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Introducing Baby Ray #2

With great fanfare, we are so pleased to announce the 12 week mark for baby Ray #2! We consider this a tremendous blessing and just marvel at the ability of God to create life! The little one already has a strong heartbeat, hands, and I saw it open and close it's mouth. So miraculous!!

The story behind why I even have a picture to share with you is interesting. Today I had my 12 week appointment and was thrilled to hear the heartbeat for the first time. However, while listening to the heartbeat, my midwife started to make an interesting face (you really don't want to see that during an appointment) and asked me if I had a scan at my first appointment. I told her I didn't and just wanted to have the one at 20 weeks. Her response:

Well, it doesn't sound like twins, but you are measuring larger than 12 weeks, so I'd like to do one just to be sure.

My heart just DROPPED. She was only gone a minute or two, but my mind raced through all the possibilities that twins could bring.

Then, as she started the ultrasound, the baby went in, out, and then back into focus. I said, somewhat frantically, "is that a 2nd baby!?"

Well, as you can see in the picture above, it was just one little one. I sighed in relief, but also had the tiniest bit of regret it wasn't two.

One is blessing enough for us.

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Babymoon!

Sander surprised me this weekend (yes, 12 days before my due date) with a little "Babymoon" here in Houston. For those of you who don't receive the babycenter.com propaganda on a weekly basis you may be asking...what is a babymoon? Well, according to babymoonguide.com, it is:

Babymoons are designed for optimum pampering and luxury. These “last hurrah” trips for parents-to-be provide the perfect setting to relax and reconnect as a couple before entering (or re-entering) parenthood. Pre-baby vacations are one of the hottest trends in travel today, and with good reason. Moms and dads-to-be know that luxury vacations without sippy cups and bibs may be out of reach for a while, so they’re seizing the opportunity for one last romantic getaway.

Sander planned it all and so out we headed, with our hospital bag in the trunk "just in case". We went for "drinks" at Empire Cafe, dinner at Barnaby's, then off to downtown to check into the Magnolia Hotel. For those of you that don't know, this is the best hotel in Houston. It is a boutique hotel downtown that is very affordable, has great decor, awesome staff, and free milk and cookies before bed. Milk and cookies before bed - um - YES! It was fantastic. After we checked in we walked a few blocks to the Alley Theatre where we saw Maritius. It was great to see a play that I was unfamiliar with and this one kept you on the edge of your seat.

It was super fun and a great time to chat through our thoughts about the past 3 3/4 years of marriage and the upcoming changes. On the one hand it feels like we were just married, but thining through the last few years we realized how long we really have been married. Looking back I'm glad we are having a baby now...if time goes by this quickly, we'd better get on this baby train now!

Here we are ouside our hotel - thanks Mr. Valet Parking guy!

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Things you never want to hear when your pregnant

Now that I'm 3 weeks away from my due date and actually out in public again I have begun to get lots more comments. Thankfully no one is touching the belly without asking (do I have a scary face?), but the looks and comments are increasing. A 7 or 8 year old girl at the post office kept staring at me with these big eyes, the meat counter guy at HEB had lots of questions, as did the check-out girl. They all seem to think my belly is their business. So, here is a post from my friend Christine's blog from her latest pregnancy. If you're pregnant or have ever been pregnant, you should enjoy this.

http://hooverhousehold.blogspot.com/2007/11/youre-fat.html

You're Fat


Why is it that when you're pregnant people make comments about your size as if you didn't know you were carrying around a watermelon in your midsection? Like, surprise, did you know you're fat? Or "Let me be the first to tell you that you're pregnant!" Who, may I ask, EVER wants to hear a comment about how big they are, even if they are in the final stages of pregnancy? I think people forget that they too were once the size of a whale, couldn't see anything below their belly button, and waddled like a duck. I'm not bitter or anything.....but I'm starting to get "the comments" and just thought I'd share a little of what pregnant women hear on a daily basis. These are at least the comments I've received over 3 pregnancies. Be wise and don't go this route:

• Are you sure you're not carrying twins? (I've heard this more times than I
  can count)
• My daughter (who was pregnant at the time) asked me the other day..."Did you
  see Christine? Am I going to get that big?"
• Is your husband close by? (implying that I would need to go to the hospital
  at any point)
• From a JCPenney's clerk in front of about 10 people at the top of her lungs:
  "Whoa, girl, you're about to pop!!"
• My brother-in-law upon seeing me pregnant for the first time: "Whoa!" (with
  a very long, drawn out, very surprised tone)
• Are you close to a hospital?
• From a college boy (of course): "Is it going to get any bigger?"
• Are you going to be able to fit through that door?
• When are you due? I answer. They say, "Oh" like I should be giving birth at
  any moment but actually have months to go.
• You're getting soooo big!
• Today, huh? (nope, 6 weeks away actually)
  

I could go on and on. But I tell you that I love those people who simply say "You look great" or "You do pregnancy well". Even if it's not true....because
No
One
Wants
to Hear
They
Look
Fat! (even
if it's true)

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37 Weeks = Full term

I am full term today!!!!!!!!!!

From Babycenter.com:

Congratulations — your baby is full term! This means that if your baby
arrives now, his lungs should be fully mature and ready to adjust to life
outside the womb, even though your due date is still three weeks away.Your baby
weighs 6 1/3 pounds and measures a bit over 19 inches, head to heel (like a stalk of Swiss chard). Many babies have a full head of hair at birth, with locks from 1/2
inch to 1 1/2 inches long. But don't be surprised if your baby's hair isn't the
same color as yours. Dark-haired couples are sometimes thrown for a loop when
their children come out as blonds or redheads, and fair-haired couples have been
surprised by Elvis look-alikes. And then, of course, some babies sport only
peach fuzz.

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36 Week Check Up

We just got home from my 36 week check up with the midwives (have I mentioned how much I love them?). We had yet another ultrasound just to make sure he was growing ok. My tummy barely measures 31 weeks, but the baby is right on target for weight (6lbs) and size. I was so relived as they mentioned my tummy was measuring small at the last appointment and I’ve had a week and a half to worry about growth restriction. Of course I was comparing my belly to everyone else’s too… All I can say is I am so glad these appointments have been churning out the good news recently!

On top of the above good news, my midwife thinks once I get going I won’t be in labor long! The baby is already well engaged (i.e. locked and loaded) so my labor should be intense, but hopefully short. Her prediction is less than 8 hours in active labor. Even if that isn’t true, it should help me relax and just go with whatever pain I experience knowing that it could be over in just a few short hours. I am so encouraged!

So, it’s about time to pack my bag for the hospital and be ready for this little guy to come out and meet the world. It is an overwhelming thought that in 4 days-4 weeks I will be a mom and responsible for caring for a new life…I know I’m not ready for it. But thankfully I don’t have to be right now. Instead I just need to focus on taking each day as it comes, spend lots of time praying, and then be ready to conquer each new obstacle – one at a time.

Today’s obstacle: sewing on the bumper pad ties.

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34 weeks! What a milestone!

Babycenter.com says:

Your baby now weighs about 4 3/4 pounds (like your average cantaloupe) and is almost 18 inches long. Her fat layers — which will help regulate her body temperature once she's born — are filling her out, making her rounder. Her skin is also smoother than ever. Her central nervous system is maturing and her lungs are continuing to mature as well. If you've been nervous about preterm labor, you'll be happy to know that babies born between 34 and 37 weeks who have no other health problems generally do fine. They may need a short stay in the neonatal nursery and may have a few short-term health issues, but in the long run, they usually do as well as full-term babies.

What great news considering what they prepped us for 10 weeks ago at the hospital! 10 weeks ago they were giving me steroid shots to boost the babies lungs as they were concerned I was about to go into labor. It was a scary time and one of great uncertainty, but my how things have changed.

Through everyone’s prayers (probably more than I realize), I have slowly gotten better each week. I remember how excited I was to be able to sit up and eat! Of course I had to lie back down as soon as I was done, but it was such a relief. Then, I got to sit up at the table and eat and shuffle to the fridge and back. At that point I was so excited to refill my water bottle on my own. Week by week I was able to add a little more activity.

Bad days came and I felt like all my progress was for nothing and I was just right back where I started, but then the next week would be even better than the one before. Around 30-40 days on bed rest I began to get discouraged and thought it would never end and I wouldn’t ever get to be out around people again. Around that time the midwives released me to go to one outing a week – Sunday school – and almost immediately that need was met.

What has been hard and what has been easy about these past 10 weeks on bed rest really surprised me. Ever since that first day at the hospital I have been amazed at the unexplainable peace I have felt about the outcome of this little guy’s life. In the Bible it says: And the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus (Philipians 4:7). I’ve read that and “known” it in my head for awhile, but this is the first time I have really experienced it for a long period of time. For 10 weeks now I have felt like my heart has truly been guarded from fear. There are tons of times I would have freaked out and been consumed with all the “what if’s”…those who know me know I tend to do this anyway, let alone when a serious issue comes up. All I can say is the power we have through the Holy Spirit is bigger than what we realize…maybe we don’t ever realize it until we really need it. So, as weird as it may sound, I am glad in some ways that Sander and I have been forced to deal with bed rest and the fear of pre-term labor for as long as we have. We have learned that 1)we really aren’t in control of our bodies, 2)God is and will take care of us, 3)even if we have to deal with a “bad outcome,” our hearts have the capacity to be at peace.

I don’t say all this because in our situation we’ve had a “good outcome,” making it to 24 weeks. I really think I would be saying this even if our little guy was born 10 weeks ago. This peace that has guarded my heart isn’t a state of mind or a happy place I went to because I denied the reality of the situation. Each day I was aware of what could be wrong with my little baby boy should he be born that day. Each day I was aware of what I could be doing other than sitting on the couch all day. But each day I was given the peace that passes all understanding. Its real and I am incredibly thankful for it! Without it this would have been a really different 10 weeks. For one, I wouldn’t have been able to enjoy the time it allowed me to become better friends with my awesome visitors and meal-bringers. You guys who have called, visited, facebooked, and brought meals have meant so much to us. We love you!

So now Sander and I are looking to the future and we don’t have to look far. I am due in 6 weeks, so in 5-7 weeks we should be in normal labor. My nesting instinct has certainly set in and I am trying as hard as possible to not run us both ragged trying to finish all our unfinished house and baby projects. I can’t sleep some nights because I want to re-organize a closet – who does that? I never have before, that’s for sure!

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The exhaustion has returned

I am due in a little over 6 weeks - oh My GOODNESS! Seriously - the time has flown, even on bed rest. Maybe it feels like it is coming fast because I was on bed rest...there is still so much to do! We have moved in most of the furniture to the baby's room (just have to wait for the second coat of wax to dry on the dresser). I'm almost done with the baby bedding too, so that will be nice. Then all I have to do is hang the pictures, alter the curtains, make the valence, wash and organize the clothes and the room is done. And that is just to finish the nursery. We have also re-organized all the other rooms in the house so the new guest/study will need curtains made and the drum set needs to be set up in the front room. Then there are the closets that need to be re-organized and the baseboards that need to be cleaned...

That nesting instinct is real and is sending me into overdrive! I have to have Sander's help with pretty much everything too since I can't lift more than 5lbs at a time. I had him up past 10pm last night installing door knobs and moving boxes. The ironic this is my energy level is sapped. Thankfully I am not at the coma level I was during my first trimester, but the lack of exercise these past few months probably doesn't help anything either.

Here's a pic of the nursery - phase II:

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Update II

Here is the dresser we're using in the baby's room that will double as a changing table. We forgot to get better before pictures, so here are some "mid" pictures. It was white, teal, and natural wood with cigarette burns and various scratches.

We sanded it all down and began to paint over the teal frame.

The two top drawers are curved and really make the piece unique. It has a great shape and should look really cool in the end.

We're painting it light blue with a darker blue wash. Directions found here: Romantic Home

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UPDATE

Sander picked up our most recent Craigslist purchase this afternoon! I have been looking for a dresser for several months now and nothing seemed quite right. This came up, was close to our house, and was only $100! A few weekends ago we almost broke down and bought an Ikea dresser for $250...glad we waited. We bought it from a couple where the man just moved here from Australia, dresser in tow. Turns out it didn't go with any of the girl's furniture. Yea for us!

I love craigslist...

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31 weeks

7 weeks ago I was admitted to the hospital and put on bed rest. I didn’t know at the time how long I would be down, or when this little baby would be born. Each week that has gone by though has been a better week than the one before! Today I have been able to make my own dinner, walk around the house, and even sew a curtain for the bathroom. There is still a lot I can’t do, like exercise, walk around a store, or take out the trash – but the great news is I am up and contracting less. The official test came back from the midwives this week as well and it too has confirmed I won’t deliver in the next two weeks.

YIPPIE!

The time at home has been hard at times, but looking back, I don’t feel as though I’ve been on bed rest too long. Perhaps that’s because I’ve been able to sit up to eat for a few weeks now. ; )

Last Friday I saw the first real jabs and punches everyone talks about. I was lying on my side watching Sander pack when I saw the arm/foot drag across my stomach. I yelled out for Sander to come watch and our little boy kept up the show for about 15min! He hasn’t been as visible since, but it has been fun to start to see him in action and not just feel him. And, after our early scare, it is such a comfort to know he is strong enough and big enough to make such ‘waves.’

In some ways I am grateful for the bed rest period. Overall it has made me so much more appreciative of this little life inside of me and makes the aches and pains that have begun minor in comparison to the alternative. The pain of a baby wedged under my ribs is nothing compared with the potential pain of seeing the same baby in NICU for months.

With the scary time behind me and the important benchmarks ahead (34 & 36 weeks), I have been able to start working on my registries. Could they make any more things for a baby?! I am talking to all my mom friends, but it still has been difficult to figure out what I really need v. what the world wants me to buy. Amazon has been my best friend though as they have a baby registry now and it lets me add lots of different items you can’t find at the typical baby stores. Yea internet shopping, I have always loved thee.

Onward and upward to week 34 – the week I am released from house arrest!

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Week 29

I was allowed off of "house arrest" for 2 hours today. The midwives have given me permission to start increasing my activity slowly and said one church event a week would be a good start. They want me to stay close to home the rest of the time so I can sit and lay down as needed. Since I was out and actually dressed up for once in 7 weeks, we thought it would be a great time to snag a pregnancy photo. Here I am at 29 weeks and 3 days pregant (a little over 7 months)...but who's counting?

*Note: we took a lot of pictures, but I like this one because Sander didn't make it in time and just stood there...off to the side. I was like, do you want to stand near me next time? Anyway, this one makes me laugh.

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Bed Rest Update - day 34

The midwives today had more good news - I am not progressing!! If I am not having many contractions this week, they will allow me one activity outside the house and said Church would be a great option. So, if all goes well and the contractions stay low, then I should see many of you Sunday! They still want me to keep activity to a min and definitely no lifting, or bending. I have had a few rough days Since Sunday, but this weekend was glorious with hardly any contractions. They are definitely still here and come back at off times, but as long as I head to bed as soon as they act up, they think it will keep them from starting back again in a way that will land me in the hospital.

So, as of now one activity out of the house, if I feel good, is all I am allowed. By 32 weeks they will ween me off the meds, and by 34 they want me back to full activity. 34 weeks is so close now, I can make it! Thanks mainly to your visits, prayers, and help! These past 34 days would be much gloomier if it hadn't been for y'all!

Because of this good report Sander will be heading to the country of Georgia March 6-15. I am so excited for him and feel at complete peace with the timing. **We'll post more on this soon!**

Please keep the following in your prayers:

• That I would go to 40 weeks - FULL TERM
• That in labor I would be able to relax and wouldn't worry (in practicing my relaxation techniques I realize I am having a hard time to get my mind to be quiet)
• Safety for Sander

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