My Ramblings

Look Alikes!!!!

2012-01-21T13:28:00.004-05:00

I found a picture of Septtro's dad, mom, and two older sisters. As soon as I saw it, I thought both my girls looked A LOT like each of his sisters.

I think Kaylee looks like Shirley (the younger one towards the middle of the picture)

I think Rilynn looks like Sheivon (oldest sister towards the far right of the picture)

What do you think??

My Favorite View of the Day (so far)

2011-12-28T11:31:00.002-05:00

Serving at The Nursing Home

2011-12-09T21:46:00.001-05:00

If I've learned one positive thing from watching TV (no, no hear me out - I'm serious), it's that I could sure do a better job at serving others. And it doesn't even have to be expensive or take a lot of time. That's what I've learned from TLC's "19 Kids and Counting". They're constantly looking for ways to serve others and they've instilled that in their children.

So, takin a chapter from their book, we decided it'd be good to have Ri pass out candy at my grandma's nursing home. As much as the Christmas season has become all about receiving, we'd like to at least try to help our kids see it's not all about them.

My mom brought Santa hats and bells and my nephews came along too with peppermints in tow! I helped Ri practice saying "Merry Christmas!" - she did pretty good and she didn't even try to take the candy for herself! A few of the residents were beyond thrilled - one even asking for Ri to hop on the bed with her (bless her heart) but Ri wasn't down with that so she settled for blowing kisses.

Afterwards, we headed to the nearby town's downtown to see the horse-pulled carriage rides and discovered a train shop and a place that had all kinds of free kid-friendly activities.

I'm hoping to continue to find ways to serve others throughout the year - especially ones we can do as a family! Not only did we get to serve others, but we made some great memories!!

Sisters!!!!

2011-11-19T10:49:00.002-05:00

I hope these two become the best of friends!

Our Christmas Card!

2011-11-12T13:36:00.002-05:00

Shutterfly has some awesome designs for a Christmas card - here is ours (it's a folded card so there's more inside and on the back). They're doing a special now for 40% off and free shipping on orders over $30!

Of course, I HAD to use pictures by Naisang Photography!! :)

Picture This Christmas Card

Custom Christmas cards are always available at Shutterfly.com.

View the entire collection of cards.

Prefolds and Cloth Diapering

2011-10-28T20:58:00.012-04:00

So I admit. When I was first looking at doing cloth diapers, I was terrified of the traditional prefolds with covers. You know..the ones where you wrapped the cloth around the baby, pinned, and put on rubber pants?

And so I went with pocket diapers. We had a good relationship even though it took a while for me to figure out how to correctly stuff and snap on the diaper without leaks - as well as figuring out a good wash routine. I started using cloth diapers on Rilynn when she was just over a year old. Once I figured it out, I wished I would have started sooner!

I knew I wanted to use cloth diapers when Kaylee was born but I held off until she was about 2 1/2 months old. But when I tried to put her in my pocket diapers, I realized they weren't fitting her well. Perhaps part of it was because of the snaps (velcro gives a better fit - simliar to a disposable but it also wears faster). Perhaps it was the brand. But I found I no longer liked my pocket diapers.

After doing research, I decided to try prefolds. *GASP!* Yes, I know. But turns out, they're actually not as scary as I originally thought. And they're A LOT cheaper!!

Here's what I'm doing now:

There are different sizes of prefolds -therefore giving a better fit depending on the size and age of your baby. I use "small" prefolds and simply fold over into thirds, place in a Thirsties Duo cover, and you're good to go!

At this point, you would just put the diaper on like you would a disposable. They do have the covers with snaps but like I said before, I feel velcro gives the best fit because you don't have to rely on where the snaps are located to fasten the diaper.

This is great for smaller babies that aren't moving around much or crawling. Once they get a little mobile, the prefold may move around too much inside the cover so then it's good to do some types of folds and fasten with a Snappi (no more safety pins!).

Currently, I am practicing the angel wing fold. It does take some practice but I haven't had any leaks even while learning.

Now I feel like prefolds and covers are actually easier than my pocket diapers!
With Cotton Babies' Econobum system, you can buy enough covers and prefolds to use from newborn to potty training for just under $100! Their covers have snaps which aren't my preference, but one of my friends let me borrow one of the covers and I found there were more snaps so I was able to get a good fit on Kaylee.

So then what else would you need if you used the prefold system? If you're really trying to save on cost, the only other thing you'd need is some type of wetbag. You could get a 13 gallon trashcan with a lid and line it with a pail liner like this one. Also, to save on the cost of wipes, just buy some baby washcloths and either run under warm water before changing or you can make your own solution with some baby soap and water, pour over a stack in an empty wipes case, and they're already ready to go. This way, everything goes in the pail liner instead of having to separate disposable wipes from your cloth diaper laundry.

Everybody always seems to ask - with disgusted looks on their faces - "But what do you do with the, ya know, poop?" :) The great part about cloth diapering a newborn who is breastfed is that there is no rinsing needed. It's water soluable so everything comes out fine in the rinse cycle. Once the child is on solids, you can dunk the old fashioned way or use a diaper sprayer (I have the Mini-Shower Spray Wand and love it). For me, a diaper sprayer was well worth the investment. If you have a bathroom set up where the toilet is near the tub, you can just get an extra long, detachable shower head.

Of course, any of these expenses could be a baby shower gift - so keep that in mind. And also remember, cloth diapering is a business and like anything - especially having to do with babies - you can get a little carried away. There are luxuries and there are necessities.

I absolutely LOVE cloth diapering and I honestly haven't met anyone who does it who doesn't love it; which is what made me curious enough to try it. It's really not scary and icky and difficult. There might be a learning curve, but I think it's well worth it! So c'mon, just give it a try!!

Mission Accomplished!

2011-10-17T19:43:00.001-04:00

So this is what my house looked like all day. I couldn't seem to ever get it looking anywhere close to clean. And then I began to think to myself, "I've done nothing productive all day!"

But alas, I HAVE been produtive. Because my first job and responsibility is training and caring for my children, and I've been doing that all day!

I'm in the midst of potty training; this is our second week. Ri is improving. But it's definitely taking longer than I had hoped. And if you've ever potty trained, you know that's a job in itself. This is hard stuff!

So my house may still be dirty. But my kids are fed, clean (ok, for the most part they're clean), safe, happy, and loved. Plus, Ri actually used the potty a few times! I've had a very busy, productive day!

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Happy Fall!!!

2011-10-09T08:32:00.001-04:00

My friend Kelli recently took some great pictures of my lil punkins in some pretty cute hats.

Check out more of Kelli's photos on her blog and check out some more of Ellie's creations at Magpie Boutique - both also on Facebook! :)

Apple Picking!!

2011-10-07T16:16:00.010-04:00

We went apple picking at Justus Apple Orchard in Hendersonville, NC last weekend. Here are a few pictures:

This is how Ri spent a good bit of her time at the orchard.

Gettin an apple!

Ri annointing Evan with holy hay.

We had to end the day with a fire in our backyard - complete with smores!

The Progression of a Smile

2011-10-03T16:25:00.001-04:00

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Birth Junkie

2011-09-28T15:28:00.006-04:00

So yes, I've come to realize that I'm a birth junkie. What, you may ask, is a birth junkie? Well according to my definition, it's someone who is passionate about anything and everything having to do with birth - including pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum. I've found myself continuing to read articles and research even after Kaylee was born. But why? Who cares? Kaylee is here and I got the birth I wanted right? At first I wasn't sure. What in the world was making me want to continue reading about the history of labor and delivery in our country, how drugs could affect labor, the "sphincter law", what the placenta does and how it changes and its benefits postpartum, delayed cord clamping...I could go on and on. But I think I realized what's driving me to continue to learn. The more I learn about how the aforementioned works - or rather, was designed to work - the more amazed I am at our Creator!! Seriously, it's BEYOND amazing what our bodies are capable of doing both when interferred with as well as when not.

I understand this tends to be a sensative subject that can spark much debate. That's not my intention. Here's my point of this post. If there's any woman out there who's interested and open to learning more about pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum, I'd love to help! If I could, I think I'd become a doula. But I just don't have the time to sacrifice with having a family right now. Maybe I can be more of a birth consultant. :)

So, if you can't afford a doula (and I highly recommend having one) but you at least want someone to bounce things off of as you read or have appointments or become concerned or are told things by family that you're just not sure of, I'll do everything I can to help as long as it doesn't interfere with my family responsibilities!

If you're not a birth junkie, may I recommend at least getting your feet wet - perhaps reading Ina May Gaskin's "Guide to Childbirth" (very informative!) or just start Googling and read away! It doesn't mean you have to have a natural, drug-free birth at home and consume your placenta afterwards. But how cool to learn about God's design!!

My Ray of Sunshine!

2011-09-13T17:06:00.001-04:00

I didn't think it was possible but it seems Kaylee is an easier baby than Rilynn was. From the time we came home from the hospital, she was sleeping 4-5 hours. She's been sleeping through the night (about 11-7) since she was a month old and as long as she's being held or she's on her belly with her paci, she's a happy camper.

I can't believe how big she's gotten already! I've tried to cuddle her as much as possible because those moments are so fleeting! She's getting some good, chunky legs like her sister had (errr, has) and she interacts so well - loves to smile and coo!

It seems her hair is thinning out a bit but I'm hoping it won't completely fall out. It's still silky soft, which I LOVE. It's gotten a little bit lighter...not as jet black as it was when she was born.

I'm so curious how her and Ri will interact when Kaylee is older and how many ways they'll be different. Who's gonna be the bossy one, who's gonna be into sports (both please???), who's gonna be the comedian, who's gonna love school, who's gonna be prissy, who's gonna be a leader, who's gonna be sensitive....

I know one thing...both my girls are precious gifts from the Lord and I'm so thankful to Him for allowing them to be a part of my life!!! May He grab ahold of their sinful little hearts early and use me to point them towards Christ!

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Future Volleyball Player

2011-08-27T13:24:00.001-04:00

Can't start em too early right??

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GiGi's Apron

2011-08-20T16:47:00.006-04:00

My grandma made my mom and my aunt aprons when they were younger and while cleaning up, my mom found them. So, of course, we let Ri try it on. She immediately woke up her Daddy from his nap to show him. And I thought it was too cute not to get a picture. But it's kinda hard to get a toddler to cooperate with pictures so it turned into quite an adventure.

At first, she sat down. But the apron just looked like a dress.

Then we tried holding something above her head so she'd at least stay still but the picture didn't turn out very good because her head was tilted up and her hands were in front of her face.

After chasing her around for a while, my mom bribed her with some sweet tea (hey, don't judge). If she would take a picture for me, she could have some tea. But she got confused and started crying because she didn't get tea right away. Bless her heart.

So then I just took a picture of the apron while she was having her tea. :)

Who's Who?????

2011-08-14T09:30:00.001-04:00

****Ok, you all got it right! Rilynn's picture is on top and Kaylee's is on the bottom. I don't know that I could tell a difference between my friends' children's baby pictures so I'm impressed!****

Let's have a little contest: can you tell which picture is Rilynn and which picture is Kaylee???

Mom and Kelli - you're disqualified. ;)

Check out www.naisang.com to book your photo shoot! Kelli does an AWESOME job! Also check out their newest company - Monkey Deez!!!

Kaylee's Birth Story - A Successful VBAC!

2011-08-04T20:17:00.033-04:00

I don't know that there's been a day where I haven't thought about Kaylee's birth...and how incredibly grateful to the Lord I am that I was able to have the natural vbac that I desired. It was certainly a healing experience for me. If you don't know how my first birth went, you can read it here.

Wednesday, July 20th, Septtro suggested we head to the mall to walk. It was too hot to walk outside. So, off to the mall we went. We did a couple laps and headed to my check-up appointment. I was 4 days past my due date. The doctor wanted to do an ultrasound to check fluid levels (everything else looked great). Once I heard, "If there's not enough fluid, we need to have the baby", I declined the ultrasound. I wanted no reason for them to push for induction and since I was only 4 days past my due date, I didn't see a risk in waiting a little bit longer. I don't think the doctor understood at all why I would refuse. But I was just trying to protect myself and my baby girl from any possible unnecessary interventions - or pressure to have any.

Before going home, I went by the natural health store and picked up some red raspberry tea and a bottle of evening primrose oil. My doula mentioned this may help get things going. I've always said I wonder if these "natural induction methods" aren't a bit more mental than anything. As in, "If I take this, I'll go into labor" and because your mind can be so powerful, you start labor. I drank a cup of the tea before bed and took one dose of the evening primrose oil. Rilynn stayed with my mom at her house so we could go enjoy our church's care group toddler-free. She also had our dog, Suka. I joked with her that this would be a good night for me to go into labor since she already had Ri and Suka with her.

Early Thursday morning at about 2:30am, I woke up, as usual, to use the restroom. I was unusually hot. So I went to get an extra fan and had it blowing directly on me. At about 5:00am, I woke up to a sort of popping feeling. I remembered my friend Kelli describing her water breaking feeling like that. I lied there for a second, wondering if that's what it was. Then I felt like I was about to wet my pants. I quickly got up to head to the bathroom and barely made it to the potty before a bigger gush came. I must say, I still wasn't sure. I figured I wouldn't have peed myself that much, but still, I wasn't sure. I immediately called Septtro into the bathroom and we started wondering together if my water had really broken.

After sitting there for a while, it became apparent, it was my water. I debated whether to call my doula right away and whether to alert my mom. I waited until about 6:00am until I called my doula. She was actually at her other client's birth at the time. What are the chances?? She said she'd come to our house after her client delivered, which appeared to be soon. I wanted her to be at the house so she could help me with pain management and help us know when to head the hospital. I most certainly didn't want to arrive at the hospital too early and have labor slow down.

Close to 6:30, I decided to call my friend, Holly. She had a home birth last August and had attended a few other births and I thought she might be a good fill-in doula. :) Of course, she didn't answer her phone as it was early in the morning. I left her a message. My doula had suggested I try to lie down and rest and that this would probably be a long process. But my contractions were already starting to get pretty intense. There was no way I was going to be able to rest.

Septtro and I continued to time the contractions. They went from about 7 minutes apart to 4 minutes to 3 minutes in the span of about 45 minutes. Septtro was keeping in contact with my doula via phone and she suggested we get in our tub at home. By the time I was in the tub, my contractions were extremely intense. We tried to keep timing the contractions but I was afraid I'd drop my phone in the water (we used an application I downloaded on my cell phone - thanks for the tip, Shawna!) so we stopped. This was obviously the real thing.

Septtro reminded me that I needed to eat and drink. I was going to need energy for sure! So he made me a glass of Innergize and got me a stick of cheese. He had to keep reminding me to eat and drink, which was good because I certainly wasn't thinking about it.

My doula asked to speak to me (although Septtro had to put me on speaker at this point because my contractions were so intense) and reminded me to be in control of the contractions and not to allow them to control me. I was continually humming through every contraction, making sure my throat stayed good and open - almost like a deep yawn (as I had read this is directly connected to opening the cervix).

At this point, my body began pushing on its own. I know that sounds weird. But it's what happened. When there would be a very strong contraction, my body would push.

I started to wonder if maybe we shouldn't head to the hospital. And I started to get a little nervous that we might have a unassisted home birth. As much as I wanted a home birth, I wasn't mentally prepared for one at this point. Septtro called my doula again and she said things were still in the early stage and she didn't want us to get to the hospital too soon. When there was bloody show, then maybe we should head to the hospital.

Septtro got in the tub with me. I had my eyes closed pretty much the whole time and I would squeeze Septtro's hand through a contraction. I later realized that neither of those things were helpful in managing the contractions. I needed a focal point and I needed to work with my body and not be tense.

Not long after we last spoke with my doula, I saw a tiny bit of blood. Septtro said it wasn't blood. Then a couple minutes later, it was pretty clear - bloody show.

I began to already dread the ride to the hospital. We were a good 25 minutes away. Septtro was very calm and began getting things into the car. He helped me out of the tub and into the car and off we went. I remember he was playing the radio and singing along on the ride there. And I remember thinking, "How can you possibly be singing at the time like this?!" :)

I continued humming through my contractions. We arrived at the hospital at about 8:30am. When I got to the triage room, the nurse said, "You sound like you have the urge to push". Um, yeah. My body had been doing that for over an hour at this point. So ya know, I figured, I'm gonna be at least dialated to 6 cm.

The nurse checked me. She said, "You're about a 2-3". WHAT??! You have GOT to be kidding me! This was obviously a blow to me mentally. I started counting in my head the standard "you should dialated a centimeter an hour" and dreading it taking that long - but at the same time, reminding myself that by dinner time, I would have a baby. This was at 8:45am. The nurse told me that I shouldn't be pushing or my cervix would swell. But I couldn't help it. I wasn't really pushing, my body was doing it on its own.

They admitted me and started monitoring the baby's heartbeat. I had to stay in the bed for this and that was very hard for me as I was in quite some bit of pain. I kept telling the nurse, "They said I could move around". They eventually got a portable monitor so I could move around. But because I was a vbac, the doctor wanted a 20 minute continuous reading on the baby. I was doing all I could to get into a position that would help me manage the pain better, but it wasn't always condusive to getting a good read on the heartbeat. So the doctor decided to come in the room to tell me how important it was to get the reading he needed - during a contraction. I specifically put in my birth plan not to speak to me during a contraction. But after ignoring him while speaking to me during one, he decided to say, "Hey I really need you to listen. This is important". I threw my head over towards his general direction and let him say what he wanted. If I had anything to throw in his general direction, I think I would have.

The nurse was great. She was nothing but encouraging. She even encouraged me to visualize my pelvis opening and the baby coming down the birth canal - things I had read in my natural child birth books. When she wasn't looking, Septtro would give me more to drink and hand me a container of blueberries to snack on. I think the nurse knew, but she didn't say anything.

My doula still wasn't with me. The birth of her other client ended up taking a lot longer than expected. I asked Septtro to call her to ask her some positions to manage the pain. That's the main thing I didn't really research for myself since I was relying on her experience to help with that. But what I did know was that I needed to be in tune with my body and work with my body. I finally found that bouncing on the birthing ball at the end of the bed, facing Septtro, and focusing on his mouth as he hummed along with me during contractions eased the pain quite a bit.

I asked the nurse to get into the tub. They had tubs at this hospital that they would let you labor in (but not give birth in). "We don't have any, honey but we'll get you one as soon as we can". Oh great. Things were really not going well so far. No doula. No tub. How in the world was I going to do this? In fact, yes, I did say, "I can't do this" to Septtro...several times. Part of me said it because I really wanted to know if he believed in me. Of course, he replied, "Yes you can".

Pretty soon, there was a knock at the door. It was my friend Holly. Apparently, she had seen my mom post on Facebook that my doula wasn't able to make it to the hospital yet and when she found out I already called her, she encouraged Holly to come up to the hospital. She told me that I should get into different positions to help the baby get in the best position for delivery. But it seemed every position I tried didn't feel good. But we still tried a few different ones for as long as I could tolerate it. She rubbed my back, fetched a warm washcloth, and hummed with Septtro and I.

Periodically through the process, I was talking to my baby. I was saying "open" and visualizing her coming down through the birth canal. I was encouraging her. And I was encouraging myself. I said a few other times that "I can't do this all day". Holly reminded me that I just needed to take one at a time.

I remember at one point, I felt like I could throw up. I remembered this was usually a sign of transition. I didn't tell anyone I felt that way. And I didn't throw up. I thought it was too early for me to be going through transition anyway. I soon learned that it felt better to go limp after each contraction. So I would roll forward and lean against the bed while on the birthing ball, and Septtro would hold my arms so I wouldn't fall to either side.

At about 12:30pm, they checked me again. The nurse said, "Oh, you're complete". I remember looking at Holly's face as she looked at Septtro with quite a surprised look. I had dialated from a 2-3 to a 10 in 4 hours. And the baby was at a plus 1 station (plus 3 station is when the baby's head is crowning).

Praise God!!

Holly leaned over and whispered, "You're about to see your baby's face". I can't tell you how powerful that was to hear.

So, here comes the pushing stage. I pushed for a while when I was in labor with Rilynn. I must say, I was nervous. Could I push out this baby when I couldn't push out my first??

When I got the green light to push, it felt AWESOME. I know that sounds crazy but it's true. I no longer felt any pain, just relief is the best way I can describe it. At first, I was pushing as soon as felt the contraction. I soon realized I needed to wait until it built up a bit so I could get some good, long pushes in.

Holly graciously excused herself at this point as Septtro preferred it to be just us when the baby was delivered. I started out pushing at the edge of the bed on my knees and used the birthing bar attached the bed as leverage when pushing. I knew I had to have gravity on my side and that was my goal.

I soon decided I wanted to stand and push. So I stood, facing the edge of the bed; and when a contraction would come and I felt it was time to push, I would hoist myself up onto the top of the birthing bar and go limp and just push. Septtro kept saying I needed to sit on the birthing ball in between contractions but when I tried, the pressure was too great. It wasn't comfortable. So I would lean up against the birthing bar and go as limp as possible in between contractions.

I was pushing for about an hour when the doctor came in and said he might have another doctor come in to help because they were very busy (yeah, I know...I'm pushing my baby out and I'm still in the triage room). He said he wanted me to be on the bed when the baby crowned because if her shoulder got stuck at all, it'd be easier to help get it free if I wasn't in the standing position. I REALLY didn't want to be in the traditional flat-on-back position because I knew this wasn't the best position to prevent tearing and help the baby descend (hello, gravity). But he said I could be on my hands and knees and hug pillows if I wanted, just as long as I was on the bed.

Around 2:00pm or just before, I started to feel a bit of a burning sensation. I recognized this as the "ring of fire". But it would come and go. So I figured her head was getting sucked back in a bit after a contraction was done. The nurse had left at this point. They later explained they assumed it would take me much longer to get to this point of pushing. She checked and said, "Yep, the baby is right there".

They started getting the warmer ready, blankets, more nurses came in. None of this happened when I was pushing with Rilynn. All I heard was "She's not really coming down". I felt like nobody felt like she could actually come out at all. But now, they were preparing for a baby to come. This gave me more confidence.

I did have a different doctor now...my favorite one out of the three in the practice. I continued to push when I felt the need. Nobody was telling me when to push. That was nice. The ring of fire got a bit more pronounced. But I wouldn't say it was the worse pain or horrible pain. I just knew I was so close to seeing my baby and wanted to badly to finally see her! The nurse reminded me to allow things to stretch and not to go too fast with my pushing. Soon after, her head was totally out. I gave about two more pushes and her shoulders weren't coming out. The doctor then said, "Ok, let's flip her". So...with the baby's head out, I was flipped over onto my back. In a couple more pushes and with the help of the doctor, out she slid - at 2:15pm. I looked down and absolutely could not believe it! I did it! We did it!

They suctioned her and kept her on the edge of the bed entirely too long for my liking. I asked to hold her. They finally gave her to me. We waited for the cord to stop pulsating before Septtro cut it (he wasn't able to do this with Rilynn's birth).

I looked in her sweet eyes and told her we did it. We did it!

She nursed right away and my placenta was delivered very quickly. I asked to see it and the doctor showed me where the sac was - pretty fascinating. What an amazing organ it is!

My doula didn't make it until shortly after she was born. Turns out, her other client's birth just went on a bit longer than everyone figured.

I did tear. They initially said it was a 2-3 degree tear. But then the nurses kept referring to it as a 4th degree. I then found out it was because it almost was. Except it somehow was like an upside down "Y" tear. Thankfully, that was better than a 4th degree. Not ideal, but hey, I'll take that any day over surgery.

They let us have some kangaroo time and then took her across the room to weigh her. The doctor guessed 8 pounds 8 ounces. I guessed 8 pounds 6 ounces. Then, the number popped up - 10 pounds 3 ounces! That couldn't be right! That's almost 2 entire pounds more than Rilynn weighed! I had pushed out a 10 pound baby?!?! She measured 21 inches long.

After I was stitched, my mom and Holly came in with Rilynn.

Rilynn did very well and was very interested in her new sister.

Soon, they brought me food. I wasn't able to eat anything after my c-section with Rilynn due to the medication (liquid diet only). So, needless to say, it was great to be able to eat right away. But the best part, honestly, was to be able to hold my baby right away; to stare at her and speak to her and just love on her.

The next couple of days, my legs were very sore and if I would be on my feet too long, my heart would race a bit and I felt like an elephant was sitting on my chest. All this because of how I pushed standing up and how I used the birthing bar. As much as it wasn't the greatest feeling, it reminded me of how hard I worked...so I was ok with it.

What I learned from the experience is that giving birth naturally is a process that starts from the first moment you find you're pregnant. You have to eat right, exercise, do some exercises to help the baby get into the right position, educate yourself, and most importantly, you have to surround yourself with POSITIVE people. I don't know how many times I thanked the doctor and nurses for their encouragement. It makes a difference, let me tell you. It wasn't just the nurses and the doctor, or Septtro and Holly, it was the community of women who supported my efforts - doulas, midwives, friends. So to those of you who encouraged me, helped educate me, prayed for me - thank you!

Would I do a natural birth again? Absolutely. Yes, there was pain. But man, there's NOTHING like working with your body and feeling your baby being born. I can't thank God enough for how He worked that day. Things didn't seem to be going as planned at all. But He allowed me to ultimately have the birth I desired.

We Have a Name!

2011-07-25T10:08:00.001-04:00

We decided on a name - about an hour before we left the hospital...

Kaylee Aveolela

I think it suits her perfectly!

Kaylee comes from a combination of family names on my side (Kay is a middle name for several female relatives and Lee is my dad's middle name). Plus, we have always liked names starting with a "K".

Aveolela is Samoan and it means rays of sun. It's pronounced "ah-veh-oh-leh-la". I LOVE the meaning for several reasons. One, she was born in the summer. Two, this birthing experience was definitely a bright spot in my emotional struggles that lingered from my first birthing experience. And lastly, I hope and pray she can be rays of sunshine for the Lord!

I am recovering well and feel SO much better this time around! I promise to post my birth story soon. :)

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Introducing...

2011-07-21T20:13:00.001-04:00

I am pleased to announce the birth of our second daughter, born this afternoon at 2:15pm. She was a whopping 10 lbs and 3 oz - which was definitely a shock! Even after the doctor saw her, she guessed 8 lbs 8 oz. :) God was so good and allowed me to have the natural vbac I desired. Praise God for this precious gift! Oh, and we still haven't decided on a name. :)

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Anything for Fashion

2011-07-15T16:41:00.001-04:00

So my sweet daughter has always loved her brown Disney princess boots. My sister-in-law, Kari, and brother-in-law, Stephen, got them for her about a year ago. Since they are a size 5, she wasn't really able to wear them much this past winter. She's now currently in a size 5 shoe (some size 6) but obviously, it's a bit hot for boots.

Today has been a VERY unusual day as far as weather - overcast and barely 70 degrees (a nice break from the heat advisory 100 temps earlier this week!). Ri found her prized boots in her room before nap and got frustrated trying to put one on herself. I asked if she wanted help, to which she promptly replied, "ses sir" (yes sir...we're still working on ma'am). I tried to get it on her foot, but it was a bit small and I was afraid I'd hurt her. So I told her they were too small.

Break-down of the century!!!!

So I tried again and stuffed her foot inside. Her mood instantly changed. She never did care to find the other boot and was very quick to show her Daddy her pretty boot. She walked around with one boot on for a good 30 minutes before nap time. As soon as she got up from her nap this afternoon, can you guess what the first thing she said was - "boot, boot!!"

I think she may wear them to bed if we let her.

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What a Difference a Month Makes

2011-07-07T17:28:00.003-04:00

After "the great flood" this was my living/dining room about a month ago:

This was my living/dining room this morning:

I LOVE the new floors. They're actually laminate but look like hardwoods...so we got the look of hardwoods but the durability of laminiate. The Lord was very good to us financially through all of this. Since Septtro did the labor himself, we were able to save a significant amount of money and actually had no out-of-pocket cost. Yes, it was a huge inconvenience but we got a new floor and new washer. :)

In addition to replacing the floors, molding, etc, we had some field mice get into our house. Plus there was a lot of dust everywhere. Honestly, I was a little afraid that we wouldn't get the house put back together by the time the baby came. But just yesterday, I finished my last absolutely-must-do-before-baby-comes task (with the help of my friend Kris and my mom!). I'm so thankful to the Lord for his care for us throughout this...as well as for my parents as we stayed with them for 44 nights before moving back into our house this past Friday.

So...I'm ok if baby girl wants to come now. We're ready for you!

Coupon High

2011-06-29T13:36:00.001-04:00

Quite honestly, I haven't been couponing lately like I used to. But today I made a trip to Publix and got all of this for $11.14!! I saved $28.80! I'm pretty proud of my finds...thanks to www.southernsavers.com!

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Beach!!

2011-06-21T19:51:00.025-04:00

After the mess with our washing machine over-flowing and Septtro's annual camping trip, I wasn't sure we'd get to make the beach trip we had planned. But we went. And I'm SO glad! My friend graciously let us use her house about 5 minutes away from the beach at St. Simons Island in lower Georgia. I must say, I was kinda grumpy the day we came back - knowing I'd lose my husband again daily until our house gets put back together. My mom came along to ensure we could still have some alone time but also not be away from Rilynn for almost a week. It was a lot of fun making memories together!

Our family of 3 - soon to be 4!

One morning after a rain, it was cool enough to ride bikes. The island has GREAT sidewalks throughout the island for bikes and runners and such. It was nice to be able to really take in the scenery and admire all of the unique houses.

I love this picture. :)

On Wednesday, we let my mom take Ri to a small pool/water park that was steps from the ocean. Of course, Ri loved it!

Of course, we HAD to take watermelon down by the pier one evening. Good thing we left Ri in her bathing suit...easy clean up!

Daddy picked a pretty flower for Ri.

Ri much prefered to stay on land than play in the ocean.

One of Ri's many faces.

Walking to The Village (playground, mini-golf, pool, picnic tables, pier)

Watchin the boat with Daddy.

We put a different pair of shoes on Ri when we went out this night and she LOVED showing everybody her "new" shoes.

Last day at the beach.

Worn out after a very fun week!

Big Shoes to Fill

2011-06-10T09:24:00.001-04:00

Ri is most definitely a girl...she's VERY into shoes. :)

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Sugary Mess Part 2

2011-05-26T18:28:00.032-04:00

Ok so I've sat down several times to blog about this. I know there may be plenty of people who disagree with me, but I still feel it's ok for me to have my own opinion as well. Ready? Here goes: I am not convinced gestational diabetes is even real.

Before you totally disregard anything else I say, please allow me to elaborate. I have researched this A LOT the past couple months from various sources, including actual clinical studies. I found three links particularly interesting. They are quite lengthy, but if you're truly interested in why I feel this way, I would encourage you to take a look for yourself here, here, and here.

For those of you who aren't familiar with GD, here's what the "standard of care" is: Around 24 weeks at your doctor's office, you are given a sugary drink called Glucola that contains 50 grams of glucose. After an hour, your blood is drawn. Some women are told to eat normally before this screening, others are told not to eat any sugar, while others are told not to eat at all (doesn't sound very "standard" to me). If your number is higher than 140, you are told you need to do the 3-hour test because, as mentioned before, this is just considered a screening.

For the 3-hour test, you are told not to eat or drink anything except water after midnight the night before. They bring you in first thing in the morning and test your blood sugar right away (fasting blood sugar). Then, you drink the same drink you had for the 1 hour screening again. One hour later, they draw blood again. An hour later, more blood is drawn. Then after another hour, the last blood draw happens. You can imagine how awful this makes a pregnant mom feel. I felt a bit dizzy and extremely sleepy during this test. They offered me a place to lie down and constantly asked how I felt (as I'm sure they understand many pregnant women don't tolerate going half of a day without any food).

Out of the 4 blood draws, if 2 are abnormal, you are diagnosed with gestational diabetes. Here's what's considered abnormal:

fasting: 95 or higher
1 hour: 180 or higher
2 hour: 155 or higher
3 hour: 140 or higher

Here are my numbers from my 3-hour:

fasting: 76
1 hour: 217
2 hour: 184
3 hour: 140

So, my fasting number was excellent and 3 hours after drinking the glucose drink, I was 1 point from having what's considered normal glucose levels. Considering the fact that my blood sugar jumped from 76 to 217 and was STILL able to come back down within a point of being normal in the end speaks volumes to me at my body's ability to process sugar.

Regardless, I was labeled as having gestational diabetes. I was then referred to a class (which lasted 3 hours) at a local gym where I was given a glucose monitor and a few supplies to get me started, a nurse spoke about what gestational diabetes is, and then a nutritionist gave me a meal plan to follow. I won't go into many more details but basically, the nurse informed us the way GD is being tested is already changing from a 3-hour test to a 2-hour test (I have no clue why) and the nutritionist could have summed up the entire hour and a half by saying, "Eat a variety of healthy foods, keep sugar and processed foods to a minimum, eat small meals often (3 small meals and 2 snacks or 6 small meals a day), and exercise." - all of which I was already doing even before I got pregnant.

I've been monitoring my glucose levels 4 times a day since last Wednesday evening - so almost a week. I decided that I wasn't going to change my diet as the nutritionist had recommended (her diet consisted of a very detailed, very confusing way to eat healthy - which I already felt I was doing anyway) and if my numbers were high, I'd take a look at the literature I was given and adjust accordingly.

What I've found? My numbers are absolutely normal with the food I've already been consuming. In fact, they're not even borderline to the limits of what's considered high. The only time my numbers were close to being high (5 points away) was yesterday - Memorial Day - when I had a cheeseburger with mayo and all the toppings, potato salad, and sweet tea for lunch and then a hotdog with baked beans and a lemon bar for dessert (45 minutes before I was supposed to test my levels) at dinner. I've also had a "Like-It" size ice cream from Coldstone (yummy!), homemade mochas at breakfast (Swiss Miss hot cocoa with instant coffee), and various helpings of chocolate.

My question to the doctors would be, if I would have skipped the 3-hour test and agreed to self-monitor the rest of my pregnancy and my numbers looked like they do, would they consider me as having gestational diabetes? I don't know if I'll get to ask this question...as I believe it's best not to make any more "waves" and just jump through the hoops. But still, it was hard to sit at my appointment today and hear the doctor say, "You definitely have gestational diabetes" but then say, "Your numbers look great" after I told him I hadn't changed my diet and not be able to feel safe discussing further why this all still doesn't make any sense to me. Have you ever been called something you don't feel is true? Maybe a liar, or a cheater? Well...being called a gestational diabetic when I feel it's completely not true stinks too - especially when I don't feel like my doctors care to take the time to truly consider how I feel about this.

Do I believe women may be pre-diabetic and perhaps it's caught during pregnancy? Sure. Do I believe women who eat absolutely horribly and don't exercise at all during their pregnancy can have larger babies? Of course.

Besides the research I've done on this topic as well as what my own numbers have indicated, a few things my doctors have said to me confirm my opinion. First, one of my doctors admitted to me that glucose levels may be normal at week 24, but then high at week 28 (this was his reason for telling me if I wanted to completely skip the 3-hour glucose test, he wanted me to self-monitor my levels for the entire rest of my pregnancy - which I couldn't financially do because the supplies are too expensive without insurance). If that's true, then couldn't a pregnant woman pass the 3-hour test at week 24, but if given the same test at week 28, not pass? I even asked the doctor this question and he replied yes. I asked why then, if a woman passes the first time, do they not ever test again? His reply was that something would show up in the urine sample (which they do every visit) to indicate something wasn't quite right. If that's true, then why would monitoring my levels the entire rest of the pregnancy even be necessary if something would end up indicating a problem by my urine sample? Not to mention, what if I had taken the screening and the 3-hour sooner? Due to all of the miscommunication (from my "Part 1" blog about this), I didn't do the 3-hour until I was 30 weeks. Perhaps I would have passed if I would have done it earlier...or later...if glucose levels can and do change.

Secondly, another doctor told me there have been women whose blood glucose levels, after being diagnosed as gestational diabetics, have been completely normal and he wondered to himself if they really did have it. My guess? They didn't.

I guess for me, relying on a one-time test to diagnose something such as this during pregnancy when hormones and blood volumes are constantly changing, makes no sense - ESPECIALLY when some OBs (thankfully, not mine) standard of care for women labeled with this is to induce and perform late ultrasounds to determine the size of the baby (which aren't very accurate) which leads to induction which leads to a higher chance of cesarean. Not to mention, normally the babies are pricked and prodded a lot more after they're born. This diagnosis carries many negative possibilities for both the mother and the baby. Because of this, I feel it's imperative that the way it's diagnosed is seriously reevaluated.

There's a lot more I could say...but if you're still reading, you probably don't have much longer before you give up. Congratulations on making it this far.

Watery Mess (hopefully there is no part 2)

2011-05-18T21:08:00.001-04:00

Sooo....last night, I walked into the living room to get the laundry out of the washing machine and found water covering the floors of our dining room, kitchen, laundry room, and slowly creeping into our living room. Apparently, our washer forgot to STOP filling up with water during the wash cycle - for over an hour. We didn't notice because we were in our room watching TV.

I called my parents. They have a rainbow vacuum that can suck up water. But we're talking A LOT of water here people! But, what else were we to do? We couldn't go to sleep with an inch or so of water covering our floors! My dad headed over. Then I called our friends who lived about 5 minutes away, the Barnetts. They had TWO huge shop vacs...lifesavers! So at 10:30pm, Creed graciously came over with the shop vacs and him, Septtro, and my dad did all they could to dry out the floors. We do have engineered hardwoods in our dining room and living room so that was definitely a concern.

The water ended up in our master bedroom closet and bathroom as well as a little bit in the hallway. Honestly, I found myself surprisingly calm. Perhaps all these experiences of things not going according to my plan during this pregnancy had helped prepare me for this? :)

The guys finished about 1:00am. This morning, Septtro called our insurance and they sent a restoration company over. The estimate? Well over $4,000...not including a new floor and a new washing machine - if we needed one (insurance won't cover the washing machine since it caused all the damage but should cover anything else that was damaged because of it). They will cover the hardwood flooring but it's not been determined whether or not that can be saved (the ceramic tile will be fine).

So my day today was not quite spent how I had planned. I had carpet pulled up, fans everywhere, my entire master closet emptied into my bedroom, baseboards taken off the floors - not quite the place for a toddler. Not to mention, I can't do ANYTHING in my house while this is going on. Everything is misplaced, dirty, and unorganized.

Here are the positives:

1. This could have happened while I wasn't home or even while I was by myself.
2. Tax return (not exactly how I would have liked to spend that money but God provides doesn't He?)
3. Ri slept part of the time the clean-up was going on last night and went back to bed very easily
4. After our deductible, insurance should be covering everything with the exception of our washing machine

So here's what my house looks like now. And I imagine, it can only get worse these next few days with the floor being torn out and more baseboards being taken apart. But, I keep reminding myself it's only temporary and one day, I'll have my house back. And what a blessing it is to even have a house...and insurance!

Those two huge red things are dehumidifiers.

This is the kitchen and the doorway into the laundry room (and pantry). These two rooms got the worst of it. The guy that came today had to drill holes in my kitchen cabinets at the very bottom so they could blow air in under the cabinets to dry out everything.

And this is our bedroom. Our master closet floor had to be cleared out since there was water in there. Guess it's a good reason to go through everything and do a lil spring cleaning!

Apparently the humidity level in the house was 70% - kinda high. We have fans and dehumidifiers that will run for at least 3 days - possibly more. I'm still trying to figure out how to handle Ri during the day while all of this is going on. But, as I've been learning, God is teaching me to be flexible....VERY flexible - and to trust that He's in control.

Slide!

2011-05-15T19:16:00.001-04:00

Ri loves the slides - or "side" as she says - at the park.

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Sugary Mess - Part 1

2011-05-14T15:04:00.010-04:00

So, the past couple of months have - shall we say - stressful as far as my prenatal care is concerned. I've told some people bits and pieces so here's everything that's happened:

The week before my OB was going to the 1 hour screening for gestational diabetes, I asked the doctor I saw that day about skipping it. I was told it was mandatory. I assumed that meant if I didn't get go through with it, they'd drop me as a patient and as much as I'd like to say I wouldn't have cared, from all the research and all my (limited) options for a vbac, I was at the best practice - and hospital (which is very important too) for what I wanted. I should have asked the doctor to elaborate on what they meant by "mandatory".

The next appointment came, I drank the nasty glucose drink and had to wait an hour before getting my blood drawn. In the meantime, I saw a different doctor (as they like to rotate so you can see all doctors - in my case, only 3 total - before delivering). I spoke to this doctor about how I wasn't thrilled about having my hemoglobins checked every other visit as they routinely did if there was no other concerns pointing to that need. I explained I just wanted everybody to be on the same page and didn't wanna surprise the nurse again by refusing it and could we come up with a plan to put a different schedule on my chart. I wasn't opposed to checking - but every other visit seemed a bit much; especially when I'm paying for it. The doctor agreed and said we came up with a plan. This doctor seemed very open in saying, "I don't want you to ever feel bad about refusing a test. There are very little things that are mandatory. If you refuse something, we just have to document it for our own safety (lawsuits...yeah, I knew that)." I then explained I was told the previous visit that the glucose test was mandatory. The doctor replied, "Well, that's probably not the best word. Yes, we recommend it. But we've had other women refuse it. If you want, you can refuse the blood draw. But since you've already drank the drink, why don't we just see where you are?" I explained that even if I went ahead with the 1 hour, no matter the results, I'd refuse the 3 hour. He didn't so much blink an eye at that.

I was very concerned that IF I went ahead with it and IF, for some reason, it came back indicating I had gestational diabetes, they wouldn't be as supportive of my vbac. The doctor assured me that wouldn't happen. So, what did I have to lose right? I went ahead with it.

But I didn't want to. I'll explain why later.

A couple days later, the nurse calls back to tell me I didn't pass the 1 hour screening and needed to take the 3 hour test. I told her I didn't want to. She explained "this is how we do things". I told her I understood but I had spoken with the doctor and I didn't want to take the 3 hour test. She asked which doctor, I told her, and she said she's speak with them and call back.

A week later, the nurse calls back. She says the doctor told her they believe I should go ahead with the 3 hour test and would I like to schedule it. I replied, "No, I would not". She then said, "Ok, the doctor said if you said that, they want you to come into the office and speak with them."

What?!

At this point, I'm thinking the doctor was backtracking. Now I REALLY didn't want to do the 3 hour test. Because even though they previously said they'd still support my vbac, he also said I could refuse the blood draw from the 1 hour screening. And if I had just done that, no one would be any the wiser and we would be going along our merry way. So how am I to trust that they'll REALLY be supportive of my vbac if the 3 hour test results come in as unfavorable?

I asked Septtro to come with me - hoping that would help the doctor know I had his support and I wasn't just some crazy woman refusing tests left and right at the risk of my baby.

When we saw the doctor, he had a VERY different tone. He went on to say that he just didn't understand why I wouldn't want to go through with the 3 hour if all it would do would benefit my baby. I explained that, with a toddler, it's not exactly fun to find a sitter for very early in the morning for several hours AND have to go without eating for half a day while pregnant. I went through that with Ri's pregnancy and it was not fun - oh, and I passed by the way. Not to mention, I don't want anything permantly on my medical charts such as "gestational diabetes" that could somehow affect my future births. I don't know how insurance or laws may change in the future. And I don't want a diagnosis (that I don't feel is accurate - like I said, I'll get to that later) preventing me from doing what I feel is best for my health and the health of my future babies. I also said I had done research and didn't find any significant risks to not going through with the test. The doctor's reply??? "The risk is that your baby can die".

Wow.

The doctor went on to explain how if gestational diabetes goes untreated, the baby can be too big and their shoulders can get stuck (shoulder dystocia) and they can suffer permanent damage to their shoulder and/or arms or even die. (Scuze me but have you ever heard of the Gaskin Maneuver? Not to mention, there are MANY reasons for shoulder dystocia (although many times, it cannot be prevented) - including getting an epidural. But do they warn women of that before administering the epidural? I know I wasn't. (source)

So we went back and forth as pleasantly as possible until I finally said, "Could I just monitor myself at home?" This is what they would ask of me anyway (as well as going to a class on gestational diabetes and having a nutritionist give me a strict diet) if the 3 hour test came back unfavorable. "Sure" was the reply, and then "but I would just think that'd be more of an inconvenience than doing the 3 hour test". I explained that if I could eat my normal diet, not have to find a sitter for my child, drive over to the office an extra time, and not fast for half a day, I found that to be much more convenient. He said he'd like to see the numbers for a week. A week? "Interesting", I thought, "as your office relies on a one-day test before slapping the label of gestational diabetes on a pregnant woman. A test that gives a sugar shock to a pregnant body and isn't even close to their normal diet." Oh well, I can prick my finger four times a day for a week...no biggie.

My next regular appointment was less than a week away. I went to the local pharmacy and got a glucose monitor that was on sale. I didn't open it as I wanted to speak with the doctor (a different one, again...the 3rd one) about how exactly how they wanted me to go about this at home.

Almost immediately upon this third doctor entering the room, he asks, "So what are we going to do about this glucose test?" I replied that I wanted to monitor at home. He didn't seem too thrilled with that idea. He went on to explain that "this is standard practice with OBs across the country". Excuse me while I don't currently agree with "standard practice". "Standard practice" used to be to completely knock out a laboring woman, automatic enema, shaving....

That's another blog.

This doctor's tone was very harsh, I might go as far as to say, condescending. I was then told that if I wanted to do self-monitoring, that I would have to do it the remainder of my pregnancy. I explained I was previously told a week - to which I don't remember getting a reply. I asked why, if my glucose numbers on my normal diet looked good, would I need to continue monitoring the remainder of my pregnancy. "Oh, because, for instance, at week 24 your insulin levels could be fine but then at week 28, they could be higher". This is true because of the placentas role during pregnancy as well as increased blood volume.

Interesting. So I asked, "Well then what about the women who pass the 3 hour test at 24 weeks. You don't ever test them again."

"Right, but in those cases, their urine sample would indicate something was up".

Oh. So my urine sample wouldn't? I didn't ask this. Like I said, he was very harsh. And I was by myself. He had on scrubs...and a shiny stethoscope! What did I know?

I think towards the end, he was starting to get annoyed and said, "If you don't monitor at home the rest of your pregnancy or do the 3 hour, that will affect how quickly we pull the trigger during labor". Thanks doc. That's super-duper encouraging!

Honestly, I didn't wanna monitor for the rest of my pregnancy. That really wouldn't be all that convenient. I wish I would have, though. I just felt like he was trying to make any alternative other than the "standard practice" of the 3 hour test such a pain, that I would ultimately choose the 3 hour test. So...I did.

I never was eating a lot of sugar during this pregnancy...I prefered fruit. In fact, for my birthday, I asked my mom to make fruit salad in lieu of cake. Especially because I'm at home, my food choices are limited and have been much better than with my pregnancy with Rilynn. I always eat whole grains, usually a snack consisted of an apple or some yogurt, I walk about 6 miles a week, I've gained near 20 pounds less than I did at this point with Ri, and I drink mostly water. The week before the test, I completely cut out sugar and tried to eat as much protein as possible.

I went in for the 3 hour this past Tuesday morning. I got dizzy and felt very sleepy. But thankfully, the time passed fairly quickly. Wednesday evening around 5:00, the nurse called. I failed.

And I lost it. I didn't expect that. And I didn't want that label.

The nurse said my first number (fasting level) was good. But after I drank the drink, my levels shot up REALLY high. Shocker...my body had nothing to eat since 9pm the night before and hardly gets sugar and then all the sudden, gets a drink full of it. Well once that number was that high, I was shot. There's no way the other two numbers could come down fast enough to be within their range limit. I never did get my 4th number but she said because my 2nd and 3rd numbers were too high, it didn't matter.

So...that's what's happened so far. I have a lot more to say about how I feel about GD after researching it from various sources...but that's another post. And then there's how I'm handling this in my relationship to Christ. That's another post too. :)

Cheeser

2011-04-26T09:23:00.001-04:00

This girl knows the camera when she sees it!

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Natural Athlete

2011-04-06T08:47:00.001-04:00

So it's no secret we hope Ri will enjoy playing sports when she's older. I think she's got a pretty decent arm, don't you?? :)

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Children's Museum

2011-03-31T16:54:00.001-04:00

We went with my mom, sis-in-law, and nephews to our local Children's Museum this morning. They played in a water exhibit and got soaked...and so Ri didnt quite slide down the slide very well afterwards. Good thing I had an extra set of clothes in her bag!

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If I Could Turn Back Time

2011-03-26T10:52:00.006-04:00

If future me could go back in time and talk to myself while pregnant with Ri, this is what I would say:

1. Read more than just "What to Expect When You're Expecting". There's some helpful information there, but it doesn't go in depth about the process of birth, pros and cons of tests and procedures, etc. I recommend watching "The Business of Being Born". It's a documentary with a lot of helpful information. I would also recommend "Ina May's Guide to Childbirth"

2. Hire a doula!!

"The presence of a doula can be beneficial no matter what type of birth you are planning."

"Numerous studies have revealed the benefits of having a doula present during labor. A recent Cochrane Review, Continuous Support for Women During Childbirth, revealed a very high number of positive birth outcomes when a doula was present. When a doula was present, women were less likely to have pain relief medications administered, less likely to have a cesarean birth, and reported having a more positive childbirth experience.

Other studies have shown that having a doula as part of the birth team decreases the overall cesarean rate by 50%, the length of labor by 25%, the use of oxytocin by 40% and the request for an epidural by 60%." - source

3. Don't assume everything your OB tells you is true...even proven statistically. I was told at 30-something weeks that Ri was a bit over 7 pounds based on an ultrasound. What I wasn't told was that late ultrasounds can be off by a pound or more in either direction. (source) The truth is, there's no way to know how big your baby is until he/she is born. I was also told that induction would be my best option to avoid a c-section. What I wasn't told was that statistically, the "use of labor induction (whether elective or not) increased the odds of having a C-section by more than 2.6 times." (source)

4. Don't wait to become educated after your first baby due to fear of the unknown.

I remember saying, "I'm very interested in natural child birth, but it's just too much to learn about right now" and "I'm just too scared to try it with my first".

Sure, everything might go just as you dreamed it would...contractions hit, arrive at the hospital, labor progresses, perhaps get an epidural, baby comes out fairly quickly, minimal to no tearing, everyone is happy and healthy.

But what if it doesn't go that way. It didn't for me. (If you haven't heard about how everything went, you can read about it here.) I suppose if everything had gone differently, I'd be all for using an epidural again in a hospital setting.

5. Check with your OB to see their induction rates (and reasons), cesarean rates (and reasons), as well as the hospital you plan where you plan to deliver.

I had NO idea I was seeing an OB practice that has one of the highest cesarean rates in the area. Part of this is due to the fact that they see a lot of high-risk patients. But I wasn't high-risk. So why put myself under care that's almost "over kill"?

6. There's truly no way to know for sure how any medical intervention affects a baby in utero.

A drug was used for over 30 years (from 1938-1971) called diethylstilbestrol (or DES) because it was thought to help prevent miscarriages for pregnant women. Turns out, it didn't help prevent miscarriages at all. And even worse, it negatively affected the reproductive system of the growing baby - causing abnormal cells later in life for the child. (source)

It's just a little scary to me that this drug was used for SO long and it took more than 30 years for them to realize the negative effects. It just makes me wonder what other interventions are being used today that may later be shown to have negative effects as well.

So, I've learned that I view birth differently now. After researching, I feel it's not to be treated as a medical condition. It's to be treated as a natural process (that granted, sometimes needs medical intervention - yet the majority of the time, that's not the case).

I've learned that because I wasn't educated with my first baby, I'm now limited to my birth options with my subsequent babies. Yes, I'm planning a vbac. But it's not been easy.

Please let me say again, I do NOT feel women who choose a route other than natural child birth are harming themselves or their babies or are uneducated. I'm saying I was uneducated and because of that, my options now for subsequent births are more limited - not what I had planned and not what I wanted.

So if you're pregnant for the first time or thinking about becoming pregnant, let me encourage you - don't wait! No matter what birth experience you're looking for, educate yourself as much as you possibly can!

Blacked-eyed Ri Ri

2011-03-23T14:00:00.001-04:00

So it's not bad, but Ri does have a black eye - her first. It's her left eye. If you look closely, you can see the bruising on her eye lid.

It happened Monday evening. We were reading our story before bed and I saw a mosquito. I got up to squish it and Ri walked right in front of me, tripped over my foot, and hit her head on her humidifier (she was going over to turn it on because we let her push the buttons to turn it on before bed). At first, I looked her over and saw no bumps or bleeding. But a minute later, I noticed a small cut near the corner of her left eye - which was bleeding a tad - and a bump started to appear. Thankfully, she was really good at allowing me to hold some ice on it to help with the swelling.

The next morning when I went to get her out of bed, I was expecting her entire eye to be black. But it actually looked fairly good. Praise God for His protection! If she had fallen a few inches differently, she could have injured her actual eye on the corner of the humidifier.

As small of an injury this turned out to be, I still felt awful for her. I know there will be more. Just goes to show I am not ultimately in control of her safety - God is. How humbling to realize no matter how much I try to keep her from getting hurt, I cannot prevent it; only help her through it when it does happen - and to thank God...because it could always be much worse.

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MORE Animal Sounds

2011-03-16T08:58:00.001-04:00

Now we've got a chicken, cow, and monkey down pat! It's amazing how quickly someone so little can learn new things!

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Day After Day

2011-03-12T16:51:00.001-05:00

I just love this picture of Ri's sweet profile.

These are my days: a living room (and dining room...and bedroom) full of toys, squeals of delight, small whispers of unitelligable toddler babble, the pitter-patter of bare feet constantly moving on the hardwoods, little hands tugging at my shirt, sweet smiles and hugs, and many other "every day" memories I wish I could bottle up for later.

Sometimes it's hard to be a stay-at-home mom. I hardly get to leave "work". But when my heart grows weary of the same ol stuff, I try to remember she will soon be grown. And what a treasure and blessing it is to have her in my life! I am so very thankful for the gift she is...and the gift it is for me to spend each day with her!

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Animal Sounds

2011-03-03T09:06:00.001-05:00

Maybe it's just coincidence but the only animal sound Ri knows on command so far is the one for a chicken. :)

She loves feeding the "chickies". Although I don't think she quite understands the hens don't really care for the sticks, dirt, and rocks she tries to give them.

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Good Morning Smiles!

2011-03-01T09:40:00.001-05:00

Cheeeeeeeese!

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The Verdict!!! (at least for now)

2011-02-14T23:47:00.001-05:00

I had my gender scan appointment today. I must admit, I was very nervous. I suppose I'll always be nervous.

Anyway, the ultrasound tech at my new OB is not my favorite. I've come to assume she's probably never been pregnant herself as her interaction with patients needs some serious improvement. She said she was gonna do some measurements then turn the screen to me. Those were the longest 2 minutes of my life! When she finally turned the screen around, she was showing us everything but never asked if we wanted to know the gender (we did, but still). As she scanned, I caught a glimpse of what I thought looked like a girl. Well, turns out, I was right! :) After having to ASK the tech to tell us, she went back and showed us again. But she was very vague...saying "sometimes girls like to turn into boys" but that "everything" should be in place by now. I asked her if she was sure the baby was a girl. She replied, "I'm sure it's a girl at this point". Ha! I told the doctor and he chuckled and said in 10 years, she's never been wrong. I guess she's just a lil...cautious perhaps? Still, it makes me wanna get another ultrasound later on to be sure.

So everything looked great! What an awesome Valentines Day present! :) The hubby and I are still completely deadlocked on names at this point. But at least now we know we can focus on girl names! I really want this baby's name to have a good meaning behind it like Rilynn's name. In case you didn't know, Septtro and I came up with her name while at the lake. We liked Ryan for a girl but wanted to spell it differently. My middle name is Lynnette so then we thought Ryan Lynn. And Rilynn was born! I'm hoping we can come up with something just as creative and meaningful for this baby.

I'm SO excited Ri will have a sister! I never had a sister or grew up with any girl cousins near me so I'm excited for her! :) We plan to have them share a room (currently, Ri's room). Hopefully, that will work out. Ri is a bit of a light sleeper but we'll give it a whirl!

Praise God for a healthy baby!!

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Betcha $20

2011-01-30T19:46:00.001-05:00

We had lunch with our good friends, the Williamsons, today. We brought up the challenge of trying to eat a tablespoon of cinnamon...it's near impossible but definitely very entertaining. :) Ryan was our first victim, errr, challenger to try it. Needless to say, he didn't win the $20 placed on the table.

Can you do it? Eat an entire tablespoon of cinnamon? I betcha $20! ;)

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Amazon Mom

2011-01-28T10:58:00.001-05:00

Yes I use cloth diapers but I also still use disposables a fair amount. So when Shawna told me about this, I had to check it out. If you join Amazon Mom, you get a discount on diapers (look for the brand currently on sale for extra savings).

For even more money off, you can find coupons in various parenting magazines for 20% off or $10 off (some of these parenting magazines are free! Stop in your local Babies R Us to check for any free ones). Not that I pay much attention to what the magazines actually say. I don't agree with most of their advice, but they have Amazon diaper coupons!

AND, if you happened to get that HOT Amazon gift card deal a while back from LivingSocial, you can combine that as well - which could make a big box of diapers almost free with free shipping!

Check it out for yourself!

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Breaking News - Or Not

2011-01-22T10:32:00.000-05:00

I don't know why I haven't posted this earlier. You may already know. But....

I'm 15 weeks today. I know. Was I going to wait until the baby was born before announcing it? I just kept saying, "Oh I'll post a lil somethin after [this appointment], [that happens], etc." And my family knew already so I figured what was the rush. And then, all of the sudden, I'm in my second trimester!

My plan is still to prepare for a VBAC. I switched OBs and strongly desire to have this baby naturally and, most of all, avoid another c-section. I started researching before I even got pregnant but there are still several decisions to be made as far as classes, doulas, etc etc.

WE ARE THRILLED that God has chosen to add to our family! We are absolutely clueless on names for either a girl or boy (but we ARE finding out - on Valentines Day!). I kinda feel like it might be a girl but maybe that's just because deep down, I'd like Ri to have a sister (I never did or had any girl cousins close by). Plus, she's been saying "sissy" lately. Maybe it's a sign? :) And her room is, believe it or not, almost finished and I think it'd be a cute room for two little girls to share. But I'd be absolutely over the moon if it's a lil boy too! I would definitely love to have a lil man!

We'll find out soon!!

Snow Day!!

2011-01-10T16:37:00.001-05:00

We had the biggest snow today than we've had in a really long time! I haven't officially measured but I think we got at least 6-7 inches. The temperature has been steady at near freezing all day and should stay in the 30s most of the week. We've had freezing rain/sleet this afternoon, which makes for even better sledding conditions!

Septtro had off today and has tomorrow off too! It's been so nice having him home!! We took Ri sledding and she eventually seemed to enjoy herself. :) She started playing in the snow a little bit before we came back inside. Septtro and I went sledding and snowboarding on the pipeline next to our house. It was very fun to go sledding again! I don't remember the last time I've been!

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Feedin Myself

2011-01-06T08:46:00.001-05:00

I started this yesterday morning to see how she'd do. I think she does a pretty good job if I do say so myself! :)

Can you tell she knows the camera??

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Messy Breakfast

2011-01-05T09:36:00.001-05:00

I'm mainly posting this as a test for a new application i downloaded to blog from my phone.

This was this morning at breakfast. She gave new meaning to the words "pound cake". :)

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Merry Christmas!

2010-12-21T23:17:00.014-05:00

Sicky Icky

2010-11-29T12:36:00.001-05:00

This is how Ri rode home from TN most of the trip yesterday. She got sick at the house (at about 10:45am) before we left and by 2:00 that afternoon, had gotten sick a total of 4 times...each time was less and less, of course. She wouldn't suck her thumb or drink anything or even crack a smile as hard as I tried to make her laugh. But she did, very wearily, blow me a kiss. :) I held her hand, rubbed her head, and made sure the plastic bag was ready as soon as I heard a cough.

By the time we were about 20 minutes from home, Ri was drinking her sippy, chattering away, and smiling again. I have NO idea what caused her to get sick but I am incredibly thankful to God that since we got home yesterday, she has been perfectly fine! Praise God for His goodness!

Stair Master

2010-11-24T13:52:00.001-05:00

Today I was in the living room at my parent's house and my mom had gone up to her room to get some socks. Soon, I heard my mom say to me, "she's climbing the stairs!". Sure enough, she was indeed.

GoGreen Pocket Diaper Review

2010-11-21T16:07:00.003-05:00

Ok so I had wanted to try to cloth diaper for a long time. But I'll be honest. The initial cost was pretty significant. Even though $4-$5 per jumbo pack (with my couponing) seemed like it was much cheaper, I knew cloth was going to be in the long run but it was hard for me to imagine spending $350 or so to begin. If you're at all interested like I was, I'm here to tell ya, you DON'T HAVE TO SPEND THAT MUCH!

I found GoGreen Pocket diapers and I LOVE them! I held them up to my name-brand diapers and you really cannot tell a difference. At first I was a little bit nervous about the quality because of the price being so much lower (HALF of what the "big dogs" charge) but they were absolutely comparable! And, the prints are SO cute! I mean, could Ri look ANY cuter in her cow print diaper below???

As far as doing the job, I haven't had any issues. There are enough snaps to ensure it fits snug around Ri - even with her chubby legs and thighs. I tried them overnight as well (doubling up on the inserts like I usually do with other diapers) and in the morning - NO LEAKS! Each diaper costs $8.99 or $9.99 depending on the style and shipping is always $5 no matter how much you order! You can also order packages of 3, 4, 6 or 12 and save a few bucks! They also started offering wet/dry bags and gift certificates. If you haven't already, check out their website here. The customer service is awesome!!! And there's a 15 day wash and wear policy so if you decide it's not for you, just return them! I mean, really, if you're at all interested in cloth diapering or if you're looking to expand your stash, give GoGreen Pocket Diapers a try. I really think you'll be glad you did!!

I love Shutterfly!!!

2010-11-21T15:45:00.002-05:00

So Shutterfly is now doing a promotion for bloggers - if you blog, you should do it! They have ALL kinds of designs you can choose from so there's for sure one that will fit your style. One of my favorites is the timeline card. You can put pictures as well as information about what happened with your family in the past year. They also have a folded 5x7 card that is similar to the timeline card but you can add a bit more information. They also offer some cards that part of the proceeds will be donated to organizations such as LiveStrong and The American Lung Association. So you can send out your yearly Christmas card and also make a contribution to a charitable cause!

I'm already imagining all of the creative things I will be able to do this year with my Christmas card! I've made photo books with Shutterfly and they always do an excellent job!! I'm excited to make my Christmas cards with Shutterfly this year! Check out their choices for photo Christmas cards here and holiday cards here. Shutterfly can even take care of helping address and mail your cards directly to your family and friends! You know it's a lot easier to type out all those address than write them. :) And don't forget about their other products they offer such as invitations - for just about any occasion you can think of! Take a look here.

Ok well I gotta get goin on creating my card. I don't really wanna wait until the second week of December like we did last year.

Lemme See!

2010-11-18T19:07:00.001-05:00

Sometimes Ri would take too big of bites of food and gag. So I started asking her to show me she'd chewed all of her food to make sure she didn't have any more food in her mouth before getting more. Now she repeatedly shows me when she wants more. Perhaps we should work on a more polite way to show we've chewed all of our food??

I Bob My Head Like This....

2010-11-05T14:11:00.001-04:00

Ri has some pretty impressive dance moves - check her out! :)

Looking Back - Going Forward

2010-10-30T10:08:00.005-04:00

I have been putting off blogging about this. I didn't wanna take myself back and open up thoughts and feelings I've been trying so hard to suppress and forget about. But sometimes, writing can help heal. So that's what I'm hoping for.

First, let me say that Rilynn is the joy of my heart. I never thought in a gazillion years I could have the love and connection that I do with my daughter. But it didn't start out that way. And I honestly believe it's because of the birth experience I had. I've blogged about my experience before here.

I know there are women who don't have c-sections who still don't feel connected and bonded with their baby immediately. But is it normal - and I'm being totally honest here - to look at your newborn baby girl and be angry? Of course I wasn't angry at her, but looking at her brought back my horrible birth experience. Even now, passing by that hospital brings back this hit-in-the-gut feeling in the pit of my stomach. Yes, she was and has been very healthy. And I'm very thankful for that. But contrary to what some may feel or believe, that's not all that matters. And I don't expect women who've never experienced what I have to understand that - similar to not expecting women who've never lost a baby to understand what that's like.

I'm well aware that the Lord allowed this situation to happen for a reason; that He's placed this in my life to bring more glory and honor to Him. But I'm still working through it in my mind and heart. I STILL feel cheated. Over a year later, and I haven't "gotten over it".

When I was younger, I used to have a "No Fear" shirt that said, "There's nothing more painful than regret". Boy...does that ever ring true. I regret I didn't do things differently for my first birth. But I can't go back and change anything. And now, as my husband and I desire to add to our family, I find myself determined to make the next pregnancy completely different.

But, because of my previous section, I am finding it extremely difficult to do so. I had NO idea there were laws against how a woman could choose to deliver her baby! Seriously, this country has no problem allowing mothers to kill their unborn babies, but when I desire to choose what I believe the safest option (VBAC - vaginal birth after cesarean) for myself as well as my baby, it's illegal?! You've GOT to be kidding me!

I've been researching options for close to two months now. I want to be prepared before I become pregnant again. I want to know where to go. I certainly won't be returning to my previous OB. I may even consider going to Columbia or Asheville - I'm still collecting information for closer options. But I have yet to find somewhere locally where I feel comfortable that they would HELP me with a VBAC - not just "allow me to try". I need to be surrounded by people I trust and who trust in my body's ability. I honestly think it's VERY sad that there aren't more options and support in my area for women in my position.

I want no intervention unless it's an absolute emergency. I want to be able to allow my body to do what it was designed to do. I really don't even want to be at a hospital. But because of laws here, that's not even an option for me. Oh how I wish I could have my next baby at home!!

So we'll see. I'll continue researching. I know God's desire is for me to look to Him. I, by no means, want this pursuit of a natural VBAC to become a god in my life. For those reading this that may think my desire is foolish or unsafe, please understand I have done EXTENSIVE research: a complete rupture occurs in much less than 1% of women attempting a VBAC and a VBAC is actually, in most cases, considered safer than a repeat elective cesarean. Uterine rupture can also occur in women with no previous cesarean with the use of pitocin. I could go on and on. The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists just recently stated their (new and improved - in my opinion) belief towards women trying for a VBAC here. I feel confident that trying for a VBAC is safe for me and my future baby.

Just to be clear, I don't look down on anyone or feel it's wrong or irresponsible to choose cesarean. I'm just stating how I feel about my next pregnancy. I'm not anti-doctor. I'm just a little more pro-natural. :) I don't know if God will allow me to have a successful VBAC with my next baby. I hope so. But if not, I know He is still good and His plan is still perfect.

Thoughts on Cloth So Far

2010-10-23T19:18:00.007-04:00

So I've been using cloth diapers for about a week and a half now. Here's what I've learned so far:

1. Cloth diapering is a COMPLETELY different culture. I had to spend a lot of time on the Internet (including youtube) to educate myself as well as asking advice from the few people I know who use cloth.

2. I don't really care for "that look" people give me when I tell them I'm using cloth diapers. One thing I've learned - don't knock it until you've tried it. Maybe you won't like it, but please don't wrinkle your nose at me until you've tried. Seriously, it's probably not anything like you're thinking. Pins are rubber pants (as well as rashes and leaks) are NOT the norm anymore.

3. It WILL save me money. I'm using wash cloths for wipes now whem I'm at home. It's just easier to throw everything in the wash together.

4. I should have ordered a diaper sprayer from the beginning. Some people who cloth diaper don't want one. I do. It's definitely a must-have for me now. We are making our own and it's slightly cheaper but I don't have to wait on shipping and know the quality of the parts.

5. I don't have to have Ri in cloth ALL the time. There have been times at my parent's house or out and about that I put her in disposables. I think the more comfortable I become with cloth, though, the more I'll lean that way more full-time.

6. I wish I would have tried this sooner. It's actually become like a new hobby of mine to learn more and figure out what works best for our family. It's like a new adventure!! And, can anyone deny how CUTE cloth diapers are?! Too bad I didn't start this during the summer. They could have doubled as her bloomers. We could barely fit her chunky thighs into bloomers anyway.

So...what's my favorite type of diaper? POCKET!! This, I have found, is a favorite among a lot of cloth diapering moms. **I found a website I'm really excited about that I ordered from last night...pocket diapers for half the cost. Click here. I'll keep you posted on what I think of those**

I REALLY wanted to like the hybrid (Flip by BumGenius) because it's more trim but the insert just bunched up too much and was more prone to spring a leak. I have found for Ri, the pocket diaper really keeps the insert in place a lot better. Although the Flips have pretty rave reviews...they don't get my vote.

If you're considering trying cloth, I would encourage you to give it a whirl. The best way, I think, is to do a trial like I am. That way, you can try out a few different styles and whatever you don't like, you send back! I know for me, I wanted to try it but there are SO many different styles that I had no idea which one would work for Ri and didn't wanna invest in the "wrong" diaper. The trial has worked great for us! I'll be sending back the diapers I don't want this week and getting more pocket diapers instead.

She's Walkin!

2010-10-22T17:08:00.001-04:00

Ri FINALLY decided today to take some unassisted steps and it's been SO fun!!

Good Girl!!!

2010-10-21T17:33:00.002-04:00

So I've realized...I tell Rilynn "Good Girl!" a lot; probably more than I should. Not that I think it's horrible to say that phrase, but after talking with a few gals from my care group and my mom, I think it might be good to limit how much I say it.

But, you ask, what do you say to encourage???

I shall tell you! My mom mentioned this and I think it's a spectacular idea! If Ri is doing a good job eating her meal, instead of saying "oh what a good girl!" I can say, "oh what a good eater!"

If Ri puts her toy in the toy box when I ask her, instead of saying, "good girl!" I can say "what a good helper!"

In other words, I'm going to try to focus more on praising the characteristic she is exhibiting. After all, "no one does good, not even one" - Romans 3:12b And ultimately, I don't want her to think she's a "good girl"; but a young child in need of a Savior.

May God grant me grace...I'm sure I'll need it!! :)

Words

2010-10-16T17:42:00.002-04:00

So I mainly want to document this for myself...

Yesterday at breakfast we had pancakes and were talking about them and Ri said "pancake" - seriously! At first I wasn't really sure but then Septtro said he heard the same thing!

Then at dinner last night, she was holding her hands in the air and so my dad said "praise Jesus!" and she said it back! Of course she wouldn't say it again though. And she's been saying "uh oh" for a couple weeks.

It might be too early to tell but I think she might be a chatter box. :)

Bottoms Up!

2010-10-10T14:03:00.001-04:00

I thought this view was just too cute not to share. :)

Ready to Cloth!!!!

2010-10-08T12:01:00.004-04:00

So I did it. I ordered cloth diapers. I really considered doing it before Ri was born - read here. The main reason I didn't do it when Ri was born was because I was freaked out to add anything else new to the mix. And I have and still do get good deals on disposable diapers. But I remain intrigued. There hasn't been a person who uses cloth diapers that I've spoken to that doesn't love it.

Cloth diapering is NOT like it used to be "back in the day". What I'm most excited about, is there are actually biodegradable disposable inserts you can put inside the cloth diaper (on top, basically) that will be a HUGE help when I'm out running errands or when Ri is in nursery, etc. They're MUCH cheaper than a disposable diaper would be and can even be reused a few times and thrown in the wash if they just get wet, not dirty. How cool is that?

I ordered several diapers from www.diaperjunction.com to do their 30 day diaper trial. It's the longest trial I found and I was able to choose what I wanted. I was able to get 10 diapers, a wet bag, and disposable inserts for under $200 (they had a promotional to get a free diaper with $75 purchase and I found a $5 off coupon code to use). What I don't like, I send back! Of course, one of the best things about this is that I can figure out a system I like and be ready to use it with subsequent babies, which will definitely save money.

My order shipped out today. I can't wait to try it out! And I REALLY can't wait to see Ri in the cute colors and prints!! The cow one pictured is one I ordered. They also had a REALLY cute pink hibiscus flower print one but they were out of stock. :(

One thing I have definitely learned is there is A LOT to learn about cloth diapering. I've done A LOT of research and feel like there's still a lot I don't know. But I feel like the best way to learn is to do right? I'll keep you posted!!

I'll Poke You in the Eye!

2010-10-01T08:08:00.001-04:00

Ri's birthday was Saturday and EVERYBODY was here to celebrate!! It was so nice to have everyone together. Brynnen and Rilynn got to play together often. A few things about this video:

1. We need to work more on Ri's desire to swat others in the face

2. I hope in the future the girls will be ale to play together nicely

3. For some reason, Ri got her feelings hurt at the end of the video and her eyes started tearing up. This was very difficult for her Daddy to witness. :) But I love how much he cares about her!

Book Review - A Christmas Prayer by Amy Parker

2010-09-30T18:02:00.003-04:00

I got this book free in exchange for a review from www.booksneeze.com. Anyway, so here goes:

This is a book that has a simple rhyme on each page of several elements of Christmas. I love that the pages are baby friendly. Considering Ri is only a year old, she would tear normal pages. They're thicker and more cardboard-like. The outside of the book was kinda puffy, making even more for a baby-friendly book. Ri really loved turning the pages herself. :)

Each page goes over one element of Christmas - angels, Jesus, Mary, etc. It's really a very cute book and very simple, rhyming words. I just kinda wish that the book went into a little more detail. But I guess for a smaller child, this is really all they need.

Overall, it was a very cute book. The illustrations were really neat - like a sketch almost. I think we will probably bring this book out at Christmas. Who knows, maybe it will become a favorite?!

Kisses!

2010-09-07T09:33:00.001-04:00

When I first turned the camera on, she knew it and gave this shy smile...so cute! She definitely knows the camera!

Intent

2010-09-04T17:41:00.001-04:00

There was once a time when I wondered when Rilynn was actually being disobedient and knowing exactly what she was doing. I mean, being born sinful I knew I wouldn't have to teach her to be defiant or disobey. But once I saw this face, it was pretty clear. If this isn't the face of intent, I don't know what is!

*By the way, this was after she had been told "no" by Daddy and she was reaching for what she wanted anyway.*

We are working on pointing her towards obedience and a desire to seek and please the Lord...I know it's a long road but we conitnually pray for God's wisdom in this area.

Go Team!

2010-09-02T12:51:00.001-04:00

This was at Septtro's first home football game this season (last Friday). She LOVED when the band played. :)

Our good friends, the Naisangs, made her t-shirt for us. Isn't it cute?!

Feeding the Lil Bird

2010-08-24T09:48:00.000-04:00

This was at my parent's house this past Friday. My mom has us all over for dinner once a week. Yes, very nice!! :)

Emmory doesn't care for green beans anymore. So he was glad to feed them to Ri when they were put on his tray. And Ri was content to be fed like a dainty lil bird.

I think it's cute how Mur opens his mouth when Ri does as he's feeding her. How many times have I caught myself doing that when feeding Rilynn? I guess that's just a natural reaction that starts very early!

Cuddlin with GiGi

2010-08-21T16:28:00.001-04:00

We went to visit great-grandma (aka GiGi). It was nap time when we went to visit so after Ri was fussy for a while, she decided to be cuddly. :)

Lookin Good!

2010-08-18T08:27:00.001-04:00

Yesterday was the beginning of the end for these pox I think. No new ones have popped up and all the others are beginning to dry out and scab over. Yay!

Can I tell you how incredibly thankful I am to the Lord that through all of this, Ri was still her happy self? Well, I'm incredibly thankful! :)

Pox of the Chicken Kind

2010-08-16T13:55:00.001-04:00

So Friday morning when I changed Ri's diaper, she had several red bumps. I thought they were bug bites but then more appeared. Then they appeared on her face, scalp, and neck and have slowly made their way to her back, chest, hands, legs, etc.

We went to the doctor this morning after I descibed it over the phone and they asked that I bring her into the office. The nurse practitioner and two doctors looked at her, examined the spots, and asked questions. The verdict: "Well we're not really sure exactly what it is". Phhh...great. They think it could be chicken pox but they're not certain because it didn't start on her trunk like it normally does but then again, they said chicken pox can exhibit itself in various ways with children so young. A few of the bumps did have clear fluid in them but I can't say for sure all of them did.

She had a very low grade fever for, literally, only hours yesterday but that's it. She's sleeping normal and just as happy and active as always. Except the appearance of the bumps, you'd never know anything was even wrong.

I personally think it is chicken pox but I guess we'll never know for certain. I don't know of where she could have been exposed except for grocery stores or a few other stores we've been to the past couple weeks.

At least she's not acting like she's miserable. The doctor gave me a perscription for an antibiotic ointment but even the pharmacist said she'd hold off on it. (I think doctors like to send you out the door with at least some type of perscription just to cover any and all possibilities.) So for now, I'll just keep putting my trusty coconut oil on the bumps and periodically check her temperature.

Sweet baby girl...I hope they go away really soon!

Time Management

2010-08-13T10:56:00.001-04:00

I posted before about my struggle with time management. I need a routine, a schedule...but also flexibility. I wasn't quite sure how to balance the two without stressing myself out. So my dear friend from church, Rita, helped me out and this is what we came up with.

I have the flexibility to switch days if I need to or want to, which is nice, but I also have just a minimal amount of chores each day so I still have some structure without overwheming myself. I even have set days for visiting with others (which, like I said, could be rearranged if needed).

I'm pretty excited about using this. I will begin full force next week!

Thanks Rita!! :)

Adoptive Moms and Nursing

2010-08-12T22:22:00.001-04:00

Ok you may think this is weird, but I think it's pretty amazing!

&nbdip;http://www.drmomma.org/2010/08/first-time-mom-to-adopt-breastfeed-her.html&nbdip;

How Did This Happen??

2010-08-05T10:09:00.001-04:00

See this...this is the cake pan for Ri's personal birthday cake. My friend let me borrow it. It's about the size of two cupcakes worth of cake - perfect for a 1 year old I think. Ugh, there it is...1 year old. My baby will be 1 next month! 51 days!

How did this happen??! I feel like I'm just now getting used to the idea that I'm a mom...that I have a daughter...that I'm not playing "house".

Three Guesses

2010-08-02T11:25:00.001-04:00

I'll give you three guesses how this happened. :)

I knew it'd happen sooner or later. No more putting her down and expecting she'll stay there. No more being unconcerned about Ri's surroundings. She is quickly moving from a baby to a toddler. It's more difficult but so much fun!

Waving!

2010-07-26T13:12:00.001-04:00

She's just started doing this. Yes, she waves backwards but we're making progress. :)

Tiiiiiiiiime, why you punish me?

2010-07-24T16:03:00.002-04:00

Ok so can you imagine me singing the title from Hootie and the Blowfish's song from way back? No? Another post, another time perhaps.

I have REALLY been struggling lately with managing my time. I think I like to make A LOT of excuses. Scratch that. I KNOW I like to make a lot of excuses. And then there's the guilt that comes with not accomplishing what I think I should have accomplished each day.

I have tried to-do lists. Those seem to stress me out more. Because then I seem to do something that's not on my list instead of what's actually on my list. You know, I pass by the dresser and it's full of dust and I decide it must be dusted immediately! Of course, I promtly add it to my list so I can have the joy of crossing something off my list...but then it just extends my to-do list for the day - making it impossible for me to accomplish all that I wish to; so I feel guilty, and in turn, I wanna give up all together. Septtro has told me to only do one thing - one simple thing - a day while I'm home with Ri. After that's done, I should feel free to just enjoy spending time with my sweet baby girl. But for some reason, I have a very hard time doing that. I mean, what counts as my "one thing"? Putting a few dishes away? Folding and putting away Rilynn's laundry? - wait, that would count as two things right? What about actually getting out of my pajamas? You see how my mind works? It's exhausting, really.

What I do know, is that my to-do list will never end. But I need to come up with a way to feel productive as a mom and wife, yet keep my sanity. One area that needs to improve GREATLY is my quiet time with the Lord. I know this. But why is it I can't seem to get consistent? My excuse that I am too busy with a baby is fading...she'll be 10 months tomorrow!

Ultimately, where is my satisfaction coming from? Obviously not from the Lord. My focus is obviously off. I see that. And I desperately wanna get focused.

I'm just being honest. And I'm open for suggestions.

Future Cheerleader?

2010-07-18T15:15:00.001-04:00

She's even said "yay!" a few times. Not that I want her to become a cheerleader, but she does have quite an impressive clap.

No Longer Our Baby

2010-07-16T14:28:00.001-04:00

Suka has had quite the adjustment in the past 9 months. She literally used to be our baby. She'd go everywhere with us.

I can remember people telling me that relationship would change once Ri got here. I didn't believe it. But it's true. It's like someone once said, "Once you have a baby, your dog becomes your dog."

Although she's no longer our baby, she's still a very important part of our family. Sometimes it's nice to have some Suka time. :)

Big Girls Don't Cry video fixed

2010-07-15T20:09:00.002-04:00

I didn't realize the video didn't upload before. I have to do it from my cell phone and sometimes it doesn't upload properly.

Anyway, we went to Florida for a week to spend time with family. While we were there, Rilynn got to play with her cousin, Brynnen. Ri has always liked to scream - but Brynn wasn't too thrilled with how Ri was communicating. :)

To Do...

2010-07-15T10:49:00.001-04:00

Is it bad to live out of a suitcase when you're at home? :)

I just don't like unpacking very much. It's on my to-do list.

Army Crawl

2010-06-28T08:38:00.001-04:00

This is how Ri gets places now. I think it's funny how her arm gets all tangled underneath her. :)

Smartest Baby Ever

2010-06-23T09:08:00.001-04:00

If this is any indication of her hand/eye coordination, I think we're on the right track. :)

Sweet Lil Sleeper

2010-06-20T12:23:00.001-04:00

I thought this was a different, cute angle of Ri sleeping in her carseat. :)

Say Please!

2010-06-15T18:13:00.001-04:00

We've been workin on sign language with Ri for a few months. Tonight, we kept working with her at the table and she really seemed to actually do (her own version of) the sign for "please"...too many times to really think it was all coincidence.

She doesn't do it until the very end of the video - we were working through what appeared to be "demanding" for a good bit . It's like she's scratching herself across her chest. I know it may seem so slight but the fact that she did it so many times tonight really makes me think she may actually be beginning to catch on!

So yeah...not to brag but I pretty much have the smartest baby ever.

Swinging!

2010-06-12T13:58:00.001-04:00

This was her first experience in a swing. I think it's safe to say she enjoyed herself. :)

My mom said I was potty trained using "swing time" as a reward. I wonder if we can do the same with Ri.

Cheeser

2010-06-10T15:03:00.001-04:00

I was tryin to catch Mur Mur doin his sign language for "please". But as soon as I turned the camera on, he turned into Mr. Cheeser. Love him!!

Whenever somebody has food, he will do his please sign so much you'd think he was going to rub a hole right in his shirt! It makes me laugh.

If you look closely, he also does the sign for "more". His is a little different that it's supposed to be. It's when he takes his pointer finger on one hand and hits his other hand open-palmed.

I'm hoping to teach Ri sign language too. :)

Growing Up

2010-06-09T17:21:00.003-04:00

Ok, I don't think you understand how big of a deal this is for me That's right, me. Not Ri.

If you know me at all, you know I'm horrible with change. My mom is horrible with change. My grandmother is horrible with change. I guess you could say it runs in the family. Or maybe it's just a girl thing. Regardless, I am.

I blogged a while ago about how I hadn't given Ri any solids yet when she was 7 months old. Then when she turned 8 months, I thought, "Shoot, this is going so well let's go for 9 months!"

Then the other day, I was eating a fresh cucumber from our garden in front of Ri. She reached out for it. So I let her suck on it a lil bit. She made a funny face and that was the end.

A few days later, I let her taste the cucumber again. She never swallowed or chewed any of it, just tasted.

Then today, my mom and I were out to lunch and we had a salad with fruit in it and some bread. I like her taste the bread like I did the cucumber. Then my mom suggested I let her try a piece of a strawberry.

Instead of just letting her taste it once and taking it away, I actually held it there and let her explore it - both with her mouth and with her hands. And then, she actually swallowed a small piece. I'll be honest, all my mind could think was, "There goes her baby-ness - quick, get it outta her mouth before she grows up right before your eyes!" But she loved it! Every time tried to take it away, she'd grab my hand again.

Yes, she's growing up. She's getting bigger. And no, I can't "keep her stupid" (as my dad likes to say) forever. Oh how my heart wishes I could! Feeding times have become our time - just us. And as much as we struggled in the beginning, it's SO simple now. Honestly, I don't even really mind that she won't take a bottle (yes I've tried it in a sippy cup and she doesn't care for that either). I know that limits me as far as where I can go and for how long. But in the long run, it's such a small part of her life that she'll need me like she does now; and I guess that's part of the reason why I'm having a hard time making the transition.

This is just the beginning of the end. But I think I'm starting to be ok with that. Although I'm still not going to make solids a huge priority. After all, her main source of nutrients should be coming from me until she's at least a year old anyway. But perhaps now, every once and a while, I'll let her explore the fascinating world of solids...slowly, oh ever so gradually, but surely. She's growin up, and so is Mommy.

Fun With Balloons

2010-06-09T11:09:00.001-04:00

She was havin a good ol time!

Remembering

2010-06-07T16:03:00.001-04:00

Last time I walked down this path, I was headed to the ER. We were camping at Lake Jocassee. I was pregnant with Peanut.

When I went to use the restroom, I thought I'd lost my baby. Our ER visit confirmed everything seemed to be fine. But a month later, we found out everything wasn't fine.

It's hard not to remember when I see certain things here...especially when I made a trip to that same bathroom. I avoided the same stall.

But then God is so gracious. As hard as that summer was two years ago; this summer, I have a sweet girl smiling and splashing in the water.

I'm thinking of you, Peanut...and lovin on your sister!

Ri's Elephant Impression...and some random squeals too

2010-06-03T11:04:00.001-04:00

She's been doin this scream-type thing inside her mouth lately. It makes me laugh. I like to think she's imitating an elephant but I think it might just be random baby noises.

Sly

2010-05-31T17:23:00.001-04:00

I just love her facial expression in this picture. :)

She's holding a travel toothbrush holder (50 cents at CVS on clearance!)...it's her new favorite toy!

Preview

2010-05-27T18:23:00.001-04:00

Here's a quick preview of Ri's room makeover...I spent the day with my friend Nikki - and her sweet kids - today and almost everything is ready!

I made Ri's valance...ruffle and all (with lots of help from Nikki). I'm pretty proud of myself.

Thanks SOOO much Nikki for your help! I couldn't have done it without you!!

More pics to come soon!!

Buckle Up!

2010-05-26T22:27:00.001-04:00

My car has a reminder beep when the seatbelt isn't fastened on the driver or passenger side seats. As much as I'd like to claim I was overly concerned about Suka's well-being, it just so happens she weighs enough to activate the reminder beep.

*For those of you who may be concerned, we were not in motion when this was taken.*

Homemade vs Commercial

2010-05-24T16:58:00.003-04:00

It's no secret. I coupon. Because I coupon, I am able to find things at a much cheaper price. However, what if I could save money AND clean with products that don't have crazy ingredients I can't pronounce? I'm interested...and I love this post:

http://www.southernsavers.com/2010/05/homemade-vs-couponing-household-supplies/

**Don't miss out on the fabulous links at the end...lots of great info and recipes for homemade cleaners**
I'm not saying you'll never see another Mr Clean product in my house (could I really get rid of ol faithful...aka Magic Eraser?!). I'm just sayin, if it's just as cost-effective and there's an added benefit for my family, why not? I'm not gonna go and throw out everything in my house I already have. I just plan to slowly change one item at a time.

That's all.

Puttin things in perspective

2010-05-24T09:14:00.001-04:00

I just read a blog about a young girl who went to be with Jesus a few days ago. She was abandoned in Serbia after her parents found out she had a heart condition. A couple from Texas adopted her.

I can't help but sit here in a puddle of tears and gratitude. My sweet baby is sleeping soundly in the next room, not in a hospital bed. Our days are spent reading and playing, not fighting to overcome illness.

Now experiencing the incredible love of a mother, my heart aches for mommies who see their children in pain, struggling to live, and even watch as they take their last breath.

Thankful doesn't quite sum up how I feel right now. And hopefully, in those moments I find myself ready to complain, I'll remember little girls like Chrissie.

http://allarepreciousinhissight.blogspot.com/

Healthy Food and Living

2010-05-23T14:45:00.001-04:00

I have a new favorite grocery store: Earth Fare! As many of you know, I'm very much into couponing and have been able to save a lot of money doing so. If stores don't take coupons (Aldi) or have a difficult coupon policy (Ingles), I don't shop there.

Recently, I started talking to a few women at my church (one who I told she needs to start a blog bc she's a wealth of great info...but she has 7 kids and no time for that so I decided I'd pass on the info she shares with me) who eat as organically as possible and have found ways to get good deals on healthier food. I mean, who doesn't wanna eat healthy foods? But I always figured it'd break the bank to do so I didn't even try. But after talking with them, I realized eating and living healthier was very doable. It all kinda started for me after Ri had a very common baby girl problem and the doctor prescribed a hormonal cream that was going to cost over $100. I knew there must be another alternative...possibly more natural and definitely cheaper. Turns out, there was - coconut oil! That stuff is great for a lot of things but I used it for Ri and still use it occasionally at diaper changes instead of the other well-known diaper creams...works great! I also use it on her thumb since she sucks it so much and it can get kinda raw...just a couple applications and it clears up!

I'm not, by any means, going to refuse to eat or drink anything that's not 100% certified organic or, as one lady so properly put it, "allow organic and natural things to become an idol". But if there are opportunites to eat healthier and live healthier, I'll take them!

If you have an Earth Fare near you, sign up to get their coupons via email - they're awesome...like buy organic ketchup for $1.50 and get 2 free handmade hamburger patties or buy $5 worth of items and get a free fresh pineapple. They're also currently doing a promotion to raid your pantry for unhealthy items and exchange them for healtheir choices for free - even if your item is opened and almost gone! They also have coupons in the store near the front sometimes. Their website also sometimes has additional coupons available. Just today, Septtro and I both got a free half wrap, chips, and soup, exchanged 2 bottles of salad dressing, cereal, and peanut butter for organic, and got 8 handmade black and blue hamburgers all for just over $10! You can print more than one copy of their coupon and have someone else use it (Septtro in my case) or go back to the store again before the sale ends.

Also, if you're interested in healthier living in general on a budget, check out these websites (I haven't been able to look at them all myself yet) :

www.kitchenstewardship.com

www.thenourishinggourmet.com

www.passionatehomemaking.com

www.keeperofthehome.org

One last website that's great for a lot of Mommy questions is (forum-type format): www.welltellme.com

If you are aware of any other ways to eat or live healthier - without breakin the bank - please let me know!

Da-da

2010-05-21T19:44:00.000-04:00

Ri has been saying this ALL day today - to her father's delight. :) She's said Momma over and over before but she's really starting to be more intentional about Dada.

Toofers

2010-05-17T11:12:00.001-04:00

I'm sure gonna miss her gummy smile but havin those two lil teeth is pretty stinkin cute too.

A Year Ago...

2010-05-13T10:11:00.002-04:00

Dear Ri,

A year ago today, we found out you were a girl! I knew it all along. :)

At first, I was really nervous about having a girl because I'm not very girly myself. I was unsure how I felt about the color pink invading my house; along with frills, bows, and baby dolls. But even before you came into this world, I began to transform. I began to embrace my own girly side even more (slightly, but more so than before...although I still think make-up is a pain in the hiny so still none for me most of the time).

Anyway, I just want you to know you are free to be girly; free to wear pink, free to play dress up, free to hate dirt, and yes, even free to do ballet if that's what your heart desires.

I love you sweet baby girl and I'm so very thankful to call you my daughter!

Momma's Day

2010-05-09T22:21:00.002-04:00

This is my first Mothers Day. Actually, I kinda feel like it's my second - Ri was just inside my tummy last year instead of outside.

I had a lot of emotions this morning...waking up to my handsome husband and beautiful daughter: daughter, I still can't believe I have a daughter. I still can't believe God chose me to be her mom. She's such a joy!

I am overwhelmed at God's goodness and grace. And I am so very thankful that His plan is perfect.

I look forward to many more Mothers Days...and Lord-willing, more children to celebrate.

Happy Mothers Day to all of you as well!

Solids??

2010-05-03T10:10:00.001-04:00

I am still exclusively breastfeeding Rilynn. She just turned 7 months old. She doesn't seem to be in need of anything else right now (no waking up at night or crying after nursing) and I quite like the availability of how she gets her meals now. I guess I just picture starting solids as a constant cooking, mashing, blending, mixing of all these ingredients Septtro and I aren't eating and it stresses me out...big pain in the hiny. Although I'm well aware that I'm very good at blowing things way out of proportion. But then I started to feel guilty because I thought, "I'm holding her back!" The pediatricians all say start solids at 6 months. But part of me just doesn't get what's so magical about 6 months and solids. I mean, what if they're doing just fine with nursing still?

So then I came across this article: http://www.keeperofthehome.org/2010/04/feeding-babies-a-relaxed-common-sense-approach.html

I think I'm gonna try that....AND, just take one day at a time and see how things go.

Tummy Time

2010-04-29T21:24:00.001-04:00

This is the third time I've found her flipped over onto her tummy. I suppose sleeping this way would help her thumb stay in her mouth better. :)

I'll be curious to see if she continues to sleep on her tummy regularly.

What I'm Learning

2010-04-28T09:44:00.001-04:00

- having a baby is A LOT more sanctifying than I ever imagined in so many more ways than I ever imagined

- you can never have enough baby wipes in the diaper bag

- everybody has an opinion on how kids should be raised. I need to trust in God's sovereignty and the wisdom He gives me on decisions I make for my baby

- all babies are different

- babies are confusing

- Facebook, email, and blogs can be great for sharing Ri with friends and family...but also can take precious time away from what (or I should say, who) matters most

- Not everybody is as proud of Ri for rolling over as I am

- Mommy needs time to herself at least once a week

- emotions still linger long after the newborn stage

- once babies get to the grabby stage, give them a toy or something ELSE to grab during diaper changes

- even when I'm sitting right beside Ri, it's still possible for her to fall and bump her head

- I'm not in control...as much as I try to be

- being a stay-at-home mom isn't much like I imagined but there's nothing else I'd rather do

- ALWAYS plan for getting out of the house to take at least 10 minutes longer than expected

- I will probably cry when Ri turns a year old

- it's hard for me to feel connected at church and with God during this season of my life

- the mistakes I make as a parent are covered by God's grace

- being a parent is awesome....and there's much, much more to learn!

Here I Am...sorta

2010-04-27T21:17:00.002-04:00

I am STILL trying to get my mobile blog back up and running from my new phone. Sometimes I really think these "smart phones" could be just a tad smarter.

My Ramblings

Look Alikes!!!!

My Favorite View of the Day (so far)

Serving at The Nursing Home

Sisters!!!!

Our Christmas Card!

Prefolds and Cloth Diapering

Mission Accomplished!

Happy Fall!!!

Apple Picking!!

The Progression of a Smile

Birth Junkie

My Ray of Sunshine!

Future Volleyball Player

GiGi's Apron

Who's Who?????

Kaylee's Birth Story - A Successful VBAC!

We Have a Name!

Introducing...

Anything for Fashion

What a Difference a Month Makes

Coupon High

Beach!!

Big Shoes to Fill

Sugary Mess Part 2

Watery Mess (hopefully there is no part 2)

Slide!

Sugary Mess - Part 1

Cheeser

Natural Athlete

Children's Museum

If I Could Turn Back Time

Blacked-eyed Ri Ri

MORE Animal Sounds

Day After Day

Animal Sounds

Good Morning Smiles!

The Verdict!!! (at least for now)

Betcha $20

Amazon Mom

Breaking News - Or Not

Snow Day!!

Feedin Myself

Messy Breakfast

Merry Christmas!

Sicky Icky

Stair Master

GoGreen Pocket Diaper Review

I love Shutterfly!!!

Lemme See!

I Bob My Head Like This....

Looking Back - Going Forward

Thoughts on Cloth So Far

She's Walkin!

Good Girl!!!

Words

Bottoms Up!

Ready to Cloth!!!!

I'll Poke You in the Eye!

Book Review - A Christmas Prayer by Amy Parker

Kisses!

Intent

Go Team!

Feeding the Lil Bird

Cuddlin with GiGi

Lookin Good!

Pox of the Chicken Kind

Time Management

Adoptive Moms and Nursing

How Did This Happen??

Three Guesses

Waving!

Tiiiiiiiiime, why you punish me?

Future Cheerleader?

No Longer Our Baby

Big Girls Don't Cry **video fixed**

To Do...

Army Crawl

Smartest Baby Ever

Sweet Lil Sleeper

Big Girls Don't Cry video fixed