Bringing you here - Part II

Just as I anticipated, contractions started coming regularly about an hour after my water broke. It felt just like your sister Allison's birth, with one really strong wave followed by one not so strong (her water was broken for me and labor started within an hour). Your Dad stayed with me the whole time, rubbing my back, talking to me - wanting me to treasure this last labor and birth. His presence meant so much to me this time. Everytime he left the room, my contractions would lighten up and when he was holding my hand they felt like we were making good progress. The birth ball was the most comfortable place to be, although I knew I wanted to try for another water birth. So after a few hours of bouncing on the ball and relaxing through the contractions with my hypnobirthing, we called the midwives to say I was starting to get uncomfortable and wanted to get into the tub. Your Dad ran the tub for me, but then I just wanted to stay on the birthing ball. Amber (one of our midwives) arrived quickly (she's been present for my last three births) and checked on your heartbeat. It was much lower than our last appointment and I could tell that you were moving much lower. Hurray - we were making progress!

I finally decided to try the water and it felt so good to get in the tub. I moved around, trying to get in a good position to help you move down. The hypnobirthing cd played in the background and I giggled every time it said " you are a beautiful woman"..because your Dad was right by my side listening with me. The midwives left us to labor on our own, only coming in to check periodically on your heart beat - which stayed strong throughout labor. I'm not sure how much time had passed at this point, but it finally felt really good to bear down a little with each contraction so I knew it was close or I was almost dilated fully. Amber checked me per my request and I was at a 9 with a lip...this is where I always get before asking her to check! She tried to hold the lip back so I could push through it, but my contractions were too far apart to hold down to keep you from slipping back upwards. You would just rise back up between them. So Joani (my other wonderful midwife), gave me some herbs to pick up the pace. It worked, but I just couldn't position myself right in the tub and so I wanted to get out thinking if I was more vertical, then gravity might help me.

As soon as I got out of the tub, the herbs kicked in and I could hardly move through the contractions. I lost all my focus from the hypnobirthing and couldn't get it back as hard as I tried. With every contraction I just fell to my knees in pain and I couldn't get back on top of them. The hypnobirthing was out the window at this point. I made it to the side of my bed and just leaned over the mattress with each contraction, pushing with each one as my body took over. My mind said, no more, make it stop...and please just call the hospital to arrange for a c-section..and I'm too old for this!

But it didn't stop and my encouraging team of Amber, Joani and your Dad said I could do it....I didn't believe them at the time. The fact that you were probably very big, likely bigger than your sister Abbey (10.3lbs) was holding me back and I just couldn't seem to let go. Joani pushed on the side of my hips with each contraction and that seemed to help me make progress a little. Finally, Amber suggested that I lay down on the bed, flat on my back...I thought she must be out of her mind to suggest that, but I was willing to try anything to make the hurting stop. Sure enough, with the help of everyone (literally), your Dad on one leg, Joani on the other and Amber coaxing from within, your head was visible. Your Dad said you had lots of hair! I pushed with all my might and finally felt the ring of fire...yay! We were almost there. They asked me to stop pushing so I could stretch and it was so hard not to push. They said, your head would slide out by itself if I just stopped pushing so I did and it did. The shoulders were a little tricky, but nothing like how Abbey was stuck.

Baby Boy, you entered the world at 2:26pm and were put on my chest. All blue and gray, you took a while to take your first breath as I rubbed your back and talked to you - welcoming you into the world and our family. Finally, that precious moment arrived and you breathed in life, let out the tiniest of a cry and started to pink up. What a happy moment and I was so relieved that it was finally over - or so I hoped.

Bringing you here - Part I

As I write this you are now three months old and sleeping soundly on my chest - my sweet baby boy - Brett Henry. It has taken me this long to put into words the day of your birth, but if I wait much longer I am afraid the memory of the day you were born will fade and I don't want to lose a single minute of it even though much of the day was spent in a laboring haze. It was quite a day and we went through it together, you and me, with your Daddy by our side.

The anticipation of your birthday was almost too much for this mama to take. The physical discomforts from my body and the migraine headaches, the waiting, the noticing of every little thing leading up to a body about to give birth, the tenseness of having five other children who needed me...made me a little stressed those last few weeks and days. On the advice of your Daddy, who declared me too tense to give birth and told me to relax, I set out to relax the week before your due date.

Your sisters and I started out the week by putting school work aside and meeting friends for coffee. Just hanging out, relaxing on a beautiful spring day. We walked (of course to help get labor going), window shopped and took pictures of the girls and myself - big and pregnant with you. The day before, I lost my mucous plug so I knew if I could only relax, then maybe labor would get going and stay. I had days where contractions would come ALL DAY LONG, only to go away when I went to bed. Very, very frustrating....I just wanted to hold you in my arms and kiss your sweet cheeks.

The next day, Melissa and I went to a movie and ate huge cookies that were so yummy. The movie made me laugh and cry and that was actually a really good emotional release. Every day we tried to make it a relaxing day and I tried to enjoy the last days of being pregnant with you - although the day we planned to spend at the park, it rained - so instead we went for cupcakes! I was super good about not eating sweets all through my pregnancy hoping for a smaller baby this time around. I hardly had a mouthful the whole time and most of the time when I did try something sweet, it tasted terrible and I couldn't finish it. So to have a few sweets at the end, was really a treat and they finally tasted good!

The relaxing must have done the trick, as I woke up to my water breaking in bed on Friday, April 23rd, just 3 days before your due date. It was about 8am and I could hear the girls in the kitchen stirring around so I yelled for one of them to come help me as my pj bottoms were wet, but I hadn't felt a gush. I didn't want to get up and get my bed all wet if it did. Melissa heard me and came running in (there must have been some urgency in my voice!) - she grabbed me a pad and I was able to get up and save the bed. I called your Dad right after I got myself changed and told him he had to come home that my water had broke - he said he was on his way. I was so nervous and excited to finally be in labor although I wasn't having any contractions yet. I called my midwife, my friends Angie and Lynn, then I got settled on the birth ball in my room as the contractions started coming. My water has never broken on its own before so I knew you were a very strong baby!

Anticipation

This Spring is full of anticipation for our family as we wait (and wait some more) for our new baby boy to be born. Such a hard time for an expectant mother these last few days.... How is it that time flys once they are here, but the time leading up to the moment of their birth seems to go by minute by minute. My mind is consummed with every change my body makes and wondering if today when I woke up will be my last day pregnant. Will today end with my holding my new baby in my arms?

This week has been named the "relaxing week" by myself and my girls as we look for anything and everything to do to relax before the baby comes. In doing so, you know I'm secretely hoping that the relaxing will bring about labor and end in a new baby in my arms. Yesterday, we met friends for coffee and smoothies, a little shopping (for the girls), a walk (of course!) and some picture taking in a quaint town near by. Thus the new blog header! My Melissa took the picture of my baby belly. We ended our morning outing at the newest bakery in town - the Cupcakery! Mmmmmmm....really, really good cupcakes. I have been so good about my sugar intake this pregnancy but with just a few days to go here, I think a cupcake splurge is perfectly okay.

As I fill my days with relaxing, I'm reminded in this space how much I like to write down what is happening in our lives. So I'm hoping to be back again this week, writing and waiting. Baby Boy's room is all done...want a sneek peak? Maybe another idea on how to spend a relaxing Spring day waiting for baby?

Happy Earth Day too! Let's all get outside to enjoy Mother Earth and her beauty today.

~Lisa

Donut making Sunday

We made these today....I'll let the pictures do the talking.

Mmmmmm... glazed.

Shake, shake the bag filled with cinnamon sugar and donuts - a perfect job for a child.

Abbey says, "Want one?". She ate her weight in donut holes. That used to be my favorite part too. Mmmmmm....

Sunday cooking is so much fun!

~Lisa

Time to sew?

I sold my business, Full Circle Baby, today and its bittersweet. So good on many levels and exciting for the new owners yet somehow I want to eat ice cream and chocolate. Oh, and I want to sew. I had no idea when I started my natural baby product business how far it would go and grow and now here we are entering a new stage and letting it go.

Could it be I'm trading one "baby" for another "baby"? One more precious, cute and cuddly? I do hope so and that freeing myself up a little bit leads to some sewing time around here. So many ideas and always so little time - but maybe now there will be time to sew.

Stay tuned.

~Lisa

A New Year - New Schedule

It's time to get back into the swing of things around our homeschool now that the holidays are over. Our "daily schedule" needed some revamping - by "schedule" I really do mean a loosely followed schedule, but we try to make sure we get to everything each day (Mon - Thurs). Fridays are fun, stay in our pjs, watch a movie day for now, unless we get behind, then we'll have to step it up!

Here's a glimpse at my homeschooling mornings: (Mel - 8th grade, Grace and Jessica - 4th grade, and Allie is just starting more Kindergarten work).

7-8am - older girls up, dressed, beds made, brush teeth, morning chores, eat breakfast (most of the time they skip breakfast and wait until later to eat something)

8-9am - Mel (GUM/Vocab/Composition - they alternate days), Grace & Jess (Spelling/Vocab)
By this time, we're trying to get my sleeping beauty, Allie, up for the day. She's always famished and eats breakfast with Abigail at this time.

9-9:15am - Mel, Grace and Jess (Handwriting/Copy Work)

9:30-10:30 - Math for all older girls (each gets time with Mom)

10:00 - Allie does her handwriting practice for 10 min.

10:15-10:30 - SNACKS (very important!)

10:30-10:45 - Mel or I work with Allie (Read Alouds or Phonics)

10:30-11:00 - Grace and Jess (GUM)

11:00 - noon - Mel (History), Grace and Jess (Literature), Allie (Math - 15 min)

Noon - LUNCH

12:30-1:30pm - Mel (Science), Grace and Jess (Science or History) and Allie/Abbey (Quiet Play)

Melissa finishes up Literature at night when she prefers to do her nightly reading.

See! I really could be done with school work by 1:30 each day...... Like I said, it is a loosely followed schedule - some days we do finish on time, other days - well, life gets in the way and I need to have the flexibility to let things go, give a hug or kiss a boo-boo, or enjoy some fresh Texas air. It's all a learning experience anyway - for all of us.

Pizza for dinner!

~Lisa

A Year in Words

I took the blog over to typepad this year - http://www.fullcirclemother.typepad.com, but I'm coming back over to this space. I just don't see a reason to pay for a blogging space right now. I love this space to write out my ideas, inspirations and to keep track of the places I enjoy visiting as well.

Taking some time at this year end to clear out the cobwebs, start fresh and keep the happiness flowing in our lives. So much happened to wear me down this past Fall and I miss my Dad dearly. I wouldn't have traded the time I spent at his bedside for anything. I'm ready now for the new year to ring in and I can't wait until we welcome our new baby this Spring. I'm closing my store up for now as well to try and keep myself focused on my family. After five years, it's my baby as well and I can't bear to sell it to someone else, so closing is the answer. Who knows what the future holds for Full Circle Baby, but I'll always be a full circle mother - because of my children and what I have learned being their mother.

See you soon - next year! :)

~Lisa