It's About Time...

Okay, so honestly, I don't think anyone ever reads this so I think I'll make it a little more personal to me and help me remember things and thoughts, ambitions and goals in addition to blogging to help out other readers (if there are any).

I've been so busy and then lazy with any extra time I have had, I completely forgot to blog. =/ FAIL. So for those who do read, I'm sorry I haven't kept you up to date on everything in our lives. Here's a few tidbits to get you up to date...


- Ryker started preschool and became utterly addicted to the Batman 2 Lego Xbox game. ::Sigh::

- Moriyah started belting out 4 word sentences all.the.time. I might be biased but she's stinkin' smart.

- Baby #3 was conceived and is due March 21st. When I ask Ryker if he thinks it's a boy or girl, he says, "Mom, it's a kid." Either way, he's excited and lately has been saying how big 'his' baby is getting. More details on this to come.

- I fell in love with fall all over again. I LOVE fall and winter. Now, if it would just snow. I seriously debated moving to Alaska today. Seriously.

- Ryan got transferred to a different job and he LOVES it. So much less stressful than his previous position.

I know I'm forgetting stuff, but I'll try to back-track and cover all of those points to a little more detail. ;)

It is currently raining/drizzling and I have a massive headache.

DIY Cloth Wipes

After switching to cloth diapers, I decided it would be much simpler and save even MORE money if I switched to cloth wipes, too. After taking a trip to the local fabric store, I realized they didn't have a great selection of flannel. They just weren't my style. So, I purchased white flannel and a tie-dye kit and headed home. After washing and drying the flannel, I folded 1 yard of fabric over, so there were two layers. I then measured 8"x8" and cut. These are considered '2 ply' because they are made up of 2 layers. I then pinned the 4 sides to keep the fabric from shifting. Since I do not have a serger, I did a straight stitch all the way around and then a zigzag stitch over that.

 Then, I opened my tie-dying kit and followed the instructions. I got the cloth damp and then decided to do a swirl/spiral design so I twisted it in the middle until it was tight.

 I secured it with a couple of rubber bands.

 Tie-dying is fun. Kind of addicting. Ugh, great. ANOTHER addiction. ;) I let them sit in plastic wrap overnight and rinsed, washed. Here's how they turned out!

Groovy. =)

Backyard Update!

Hooray! No rain, as of yet...

::whew::

They finished pouring and smoothing the concrete this afternoon!

I can't wait to spend time as a family out here!

The guys will be back tomorrow to clean stuff up and I'll be left in charge to re-seed the grass.

::sarcastic 'yayyyy'::

Okay, I need to go to bed...

Backyard Scramble

Along with trying to plan my two kiddos birthday party this weekend, the hubs and I decided that a patio of some sort would be extra nice for the guests...and being able to actually go outside and enjoy our yard. We made the decision the end of last week so I made calls asking if anyone could have it done by the party. They all laughed. I called at least 7 places.

Hubs is a DJ every Thursday night at a local bar (no comment on my annoyance with this) and works with a guy who does things like that. So he asked him if he'd be able to do it by Saturday. He told us no problem. Came over and took a look and started digging within 48 hours. I am so excited. They are getting ready to pour the concrete now, so it has time to dry by Saturday. Only problem is, our forecast is calling for 50% chance of rain.

::concerned face::

I thought I had taken before pictures of our mess of a back yard, but I can't find them so I'm going to give you a mental visual...

Ryan's dad decided to do a gradient with plastic and then river stone ALL THE WAY AROUND THE HOUSE as a housewarming gift to us. Pretty amazing, huh? His awesome wife helped him. She's my hero.  They did an AMAZING job but there were left over supplies including a 4 foot pile of dirt and river rock sitting just off the back steps. We used some of the dirt to fill in around our tree in the back yard, so that took it down a bit, but it was still there. Neither one of us had the time, or the motivation (quite honestly) to move it, so there it's been sitting since October/November. Now? It's gone.

::Ahhh::

They smoothed out the left over stump in the back and then smoothed the rest of the backyard out too. We'll reseed when it's all done and over.

Anyway, here's pictures of where it's at right now!

Excited for it to be done! Now, I need to rope Ryan into coming with me to look at patio furniture.

Side note...is it just my husband or are all men the same when it comes to this scenario - "Wife, go and choose what you think would be best. I will be happy with your selection." After seeing said item(s), "Wife, this looks cheap and not at all what I wanted. Take it back. I'll go by myself and get my own desired selection."

::smirk::

Now, RAIN, RAIN, GO AWAY!

Funny Breastfeeding Tidbit

My daughter picks my nose while she nurses.

The end.

Nursing Cover - Operation Undercover Bippy

So this morning the kids and I traveled to Wal-Mart. Ugh. I seriously dislike that place. There's only one in town so it's super packed all the time. Yes, 3 AM it's just as busy as it is at 9 AM or worse, 8 PM. My mission today was to get some supplies for Ryk' and 'Riyah's birthday bash this weekend. I'm usually the kind of person to do everything last minute, but this time, I figured I'd save myself the stress and dabble a little here and a little there of supply gathering/planning. I'm not really sure how that's going for me just yet, I'll get back to you on that one.

To Wally World we went. Came in, wiped the cart down like it was covered in fecal matter, and whisked away to the disposable utensil section. This part made me sad because I've really been striving to live my life a little greener to help out our planet and to reduce the amount of chemicals interfering with my family's health. However, it was either that or buying 40 glass plates, bowls and cups. Not enough money in our budget for that, so plastic it was.

Next stop, material. I made myself a nursing cover when I was pregnant with 'Riyah, but it never got used because she was always pulling it to the side revealing my after-baby muffin top and saggy, stretch-marked glob of a tummy. It only covered my front half, so if I wasn't wearing a nursing tank-top then most of my back was revealed, depending on the type of seating. I did a little search for nursing covers. Lots of cute designs, but nothing that covered me completely front to back. So, I decided to make my own. I scooped up my fabric selection and I couldn't get home fast enough!

'Riyah's been on an amazing sleep schedule lately. Wake up at 6:30. Nap from 10:30 til 1:30. Nap from 5 to 6. Bed at 8. I took advantage of this time today to make me my very own nursing cover. It ended up being a lot longer than what I expected, but I figured that's okay 'cause it's definitely doing it's job of covering my 'bippys' (as Ryk' calls them). =D 

::warning: awkward posing and random yardstick ahead::

 Front - There's elastic lines in the top band of the fabric so that I can easily pull it away from my chest so that I can see 'Riyah or keep it closed snug when I need to. It's over the shoulder as you can see! I also inserted an additional polka dot panel for extra room. You never know, we might just need it as a tent someday. =)

 

Back - LOOK AT THAT COVERAGE! No skin to peek at here!

 Here it is in action! Is it weird that I was pumped to use this in public?

Even though 'Riyah is already a year old, I still plan on nursing for a few months, at least. I know we're going to be doing a lot of outside activities this summer and this will come in handy. Plus, it's 100% cotton so it is super breathable. Ahhh, nursing in public never felt this good.

The Great Cloth Diaper Change 2012

Last year, I was unable to attend The Great Cloth Diaper Change held at Time For Baby because I had recently gotten home from the hospital after delivering Moriyah.

 ::insert sad face::

But this year, Shauna asked for a volunteer to help out with the event. I immediately replied because I LOVE cloth diapers and LOVE converting others. It's kind of an addiction. Okay...it is an addiction.

::wink::

I was stoked to get started even though it was my first attempt at planning anything other than my kiddos birthday party. (I know what you're thinking...and we got married in a courthouse. No planning there.) It took time. But it was worth it! We ended up having 27 register! My SIL came with her daughter and my other SIL came with her's too.

Little Daelynn had never been in a cloth diaper before today...I'm trying to get her mama on the wagon. hehe

My kiddo got changed from a Blissful Booty Perfect Pocket diaper into a Grovia AIO.

You can see more pictures from the event here. I tried really hard to take more pictures but with Moriyah in tow, it just wasn't happening.

::Meh...shrugs shoulders::

It was awesome to see all those babies in their fluff! Note the cute BabyLegs on 'Riyah. =D  Every registrant got a free pair!!! So cute, in fact, that I almost went into a 'too-cute-for-my-sanity' coma. That's right, it took everything I had to keep myself from foaming at the mouth when I saw the basket full of them to choose from. 


::okay, keep it together...breathe::

You see? A real problem. =) After the change, there was a Cloth Diaper Workshop for anyone wanting to learn more about cloth diapering. Those who attended got hands-on with lots of different diapers and answers to their questions. The turnout was nice! After getting some feedback, I think Shauna (owner at Time For Baby) may try to host one of the workshops every month! 

 (I had Shauna hold 'Riyah so I could take the pic, and as you can see...she was not happy about that.)

It was a busy but awesome day and I can't wait for next year! 




Speaking of planning events. Ryker and Moriyah's birthday party is at our house on Saturday. 

Oy Vey.

Itty Bitty Chair Up-Cycle

I love getting furniture for cheap at garage sales and off of craigslist. I especially love it because it's super easy to up-cycle them into fun and unique pieces. Back in autumn, I saw an ad off CL for antique furniture for sale. I figured I'd give it a go. I was somewhat nervous as it was out of town a ways and there have been psycho CL murderers out there. Yikes. An older woman came out to greet me. Plus. She led me to an old barn. Minus. She started up a ladder to get to the barn attic. Minus. The ladder almost fell. Minus. After making it up there, it was filled with such awesome old pieces of furniture and miscellaneous items. I had my eye on the look out for old and unique chairs. Photographs are always much cuter and unique with some nifty furniture it in somehow. That's when I caught a glimpse of this little gem.

 A cute little child's chair...adorable. I forgot to take a pic before I started sanding...oops. Got it for a measly $5. Can't beat that. Plus, my kids love it. They sit in it every single day.

 Okay, so like I said, I sanded this baby up with a sanding block. I choose the squishy sand block simply because it helps my hand not cramp up when I'm really puttin' in the 'elbow-grease'. Next, I sprayed on a coat of the gray spray on primer. I let that dry. Then I sprayed on a coat of the flat white top coat. I let that dry.

 Then, I cleaned off my sander (to be sure the orangy-red paint I had smoothed off of it earlier wouldn't tint the white top coat). This was the result!

 Not too shabby. I love the antique look of furniture. I looks used and loved and just makes for a cozy over all feel. I did a photo shoot with this little cutie a day later. BONUS.

German

Walking through the grocery store, my 3.5 year old son looked up at me and said, "Mom, I'm thirsty. Get me some water, German."

To which I replied after being quite stunned, "Please?"

"Pleeeease."

Aprons and Dirty Mirrors

Okay, so since I've gotten my new sewing machine, I've really been using it for completely necessary things for our household. Mostly, I've been making things for myself and my daughter but making things, none-the-less. Yes, there have been times that it has collected some dust, but only because I've been so overwhelmed with the kiddos that there really isn't any time to just sit down for an hour at a time to punch out a project. Anyway, I thought I'd share with you one of the things that I've been making to maybe inspire you. I know I need inspiration some days, but boy when I get some, LOOK OUT 'cause I'm gonna be a sewin' mama all day. Lol One of my latest projects was an apron for my sister-in-law. She's been having a rough go of things so my MIL and I decided that it would be a great gift for her. Little did I know, this would be H-A-R-D! I mean, I used to sew back in my college days. A skirt here, a tube top there...but never anything complex, difficult or with instructions. As a finished project, I didn't think it was too shabby but when I was asked if I was going to make one for myself, I quickly replied, "Nope. Not now." I was only able to make it because Gramma Gramma had Ryk' for a few days, which only gave me 'Riyah to take care of. I seriously think it would take me over a week to make something like this with both kids on my hands. So, there my fabric sits. Sad. Alone. Begging to be sewed up into a cute little number like this...

Like I said, first apron ever. First project with a pattern. Yep.

Ugh. I hold my head in shame not because of the picture quality, the apron, or the dirty kitchen behind me. Shamed because of this dirty, dirty mirror. Ew. Since moving into our new house in September, we've been slowly integrating our garage full of odds and ends into the house. Well, apparently we hadn't gotten to the full length mirrors yet. I know, right? So I had to go out into our pit of a garage and pull this out just to get a good full-length picture of the thing. Sorry, I did NOT realize it was this dirty before (or obviously after) taking this picture. Ahem. Moving on.

I found the pattern for this here but I changed the shape at the bottom to a 'U' shape and added ruffles! Cute, eh? So, hoping to someday get to mine, since it fit me like a glove and was flattering too! =)

Snowman Poop and a Snow Scoop

     I love snow. For those who don't know, 'snowman poop' is really just marshmallows. But oh my, marshmallows are delicious. I'm going off on a tangent here. Bear with me. Marshmallows. I love them. They go perfectly in a big, steaming cup of hot chocolate. I love how they melt into a frothy foam and stick to my lip when I go to take a sip. Yum. I never usually use marshmallows for anything other than Campfire Smore Cookies so I really, REALLY, look forward to our yearly winters. Unfortunately, this year's winter has been somewhat of a dud. I know, how crazy can I be for wanting so much snow that we wouldn't be able to get out of our front door? Crazy, I guess, but that's why I live in good ol' Nebraska instead of Hawaii. Nonetheless, it f-i-n-a-l-l-y snowed. I think we got some snow clear back in October or November, but nothing since then. Boo. So I was oober excited when I heard we were going to get a good snowing. I went to the store early, worst idea ever as every other person in the 30 mile vicinity must have had the same plan as me. I stocked up on water, stuff for pot roast, runzas, cookies and pulled bbq beef sandwiches. MMMmmm. The thought of being snowed in with lots of hot food made my mouth water and my knees quiver with excitement! I topped off my car with gas, and headed home, started the pot roast in the crock pot and sat back waiting.

     It started raining...sigh. RAINING! It's FEBRUARY! SIGH. Then, it rained some more. I finally got so depressed at looking at the rain, I decided to not look out the window again until morning. To my surprise, when I woke up, there was at least 6 inches with wavy dunes deeper than a foot. YES. The only bad part? Hubby had Army drill in the next town over, a 45 minute drive. He still hadn't received a call from his commanding officer calling it off. No. I was somewhat furious they encouraged driving in deadly conditions. Anyway, when hubby woke up around 5 am and started loading his car, I was grumpy. I did not like the idea of him driving in this, not to mention in his tiny Focus. Yeah. The hubby does have a pride in that car because it's literally plowed through drifts almost higher than itself. Thank The Lord for hearing my prayers, because he got stuck 20 feet out of the driveway. =) I had just nursed 'Riyah back to sleep on our bed and was watching him out the window thinking I should go put her back in her crib and take him the scoop shovel. He made it back into the driveway and trudged inside. Snowday. (fist pump...yes!) I was looking forward to a day as a family with no obligations. Pure awesomeness. Needless to say, the pot roast was amazing, the snow was amazing and the family nap was A-MA-ZING. =) Can't beat a day like that. Thank You Lord.

After the storm passed and melted a bit, we took a trip outside. =)

Cutest Ever

I found this little gem on Etsy. It has a strip of velcro on the back so you can change the name tags. I used this in a recent photography session.

Both of her parents serve. So cute.
To see more or buy one, just go HERE.

Campfire Smore's Cookies

Okay...so I recently found this recipe off of a blessed woman's blog and I had to try it. The results were fattening. =) They were chewy. They were gooey. They were gone in less than 30 minutes.

1 cup butter
1 cup brown sugar
Cream together butter and sugar until incorporated

Add:
2 eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
Beat thoroughly

Add:
2 cups flour
½ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup chocolate chips, or one giant Hershey's bar, chopped
1 cup mini marshmallows (I did not have the mini marshmallows so I cut the big marshmallow in half and placed one half on top of the graham cracker covered with the dough)
Stir together

Bake the cookie on top of a whole graham cracker at F350°, for no more than 11 minutes (after 11 minutes, the graham cracker will burn). I found this dried the cookie out a little more than my likings, so I also tried lining the bottom of a 13x9 glass baking dish with graham crackers and spread the dough and 2x the small marshmallows called for over the crackers, cooking for about 14 minutes. I guess I would consider them more of 'bars' rather than cookies made that way, but they were much more moist.

HERE  is a link to this recipe and many more...

Successful VBAC

Lately, I've been all about awareness and educating those around me. Here's my successful VBAC story.

I live in Nebraska, which is currently the 2nd only state in the U.S. that does NOT allow a Certified Midwife to be present for a home birth. When I got pregnant with my first son, I was so ignorant about options. I never knew a home birth was even an option. I knew that I wanted a natural birthing experience and wanted to try for no pain medication or intervention whatsoever.

It didn't go as planned.

C-Section
As a very ignorant first-timer in the whole 'being preggo' department, I really had no idea about anything. Really, no clue. I guess I just assumed that my doctor at the time would give me every and all information I needed and exhaust every possible option for me and my coming baby. =) See? Ignorant. I also had no idea that I was supposed to keep track of how many weeks I was (instead of months) and that you were considered 'full term' at 40. When I had my final checkup at 39 weeks, they said that I was overdue by one day and scheduled me for what I was later told was a 'social induction'. Hmm. Not exactly sure what's so social about it considering my plan was to be staying at home with the little one for at least 6 months, while breastfeeding. Anyway, that night I laid in bed hoping my labor would start naturally. It didn't. We left for the hospital at 7:30 am on a cold April morning.
8:00 am - I was there and paperwork was finished.
8:30 am - I was given an IV and the doctor came in to break my water.
9:00 am - Doctor came in again to see if the breaking of my waters had started natural labor. Ha. Obviously, within 30 minutes, she couldn't tell so she went ahead and started me on Pitocin which is a drug that induces labor contractions. These contractions are much more fast and strong than those of natural contractions.
noon - I feel as though I wet the bed, but it was continual gushing. I believe it was the real breaking of my water as nothing came out when the doctor came in to do it.
2:30 pm - I toughed it out up until which point I asked for something to ease the pain. Tylenol did nothing. I agreed to an epidural.
3:00 pm - The epidural was given and my entire lower body was numb and uncontrollable. I could not lift my legs, let alone feel them. No feeling of any contractions. Nothing. I was not told that I could control how much I was given and that it was given to me like an IV after inserted, a continuous drip that could be stopped at any time.
5:00 pm - The doctor checked me and I was fully dilated but my cervix was not 100% effaced. They decided to let me try to push anyway.
5:30 pm - They finally get me in position to start pushing. (I could do nothing, they had to lift me and move me because I was a vegetable from the waist down). With every contraction, baby's heartbeat slowed considerably. At one point, I had to turn to the nurse on my left because I didn't hear it on the monitor speaker. Then it faintly pounded again. And again. They told me to push. Push what? I couldn't feel anything. I couldn't move anything. Emergency C-Section.

6:00 pm - In the operating room, I think I was in shock. Everything was going so fast, but it was almost like it was in slow motion. I lay there, helpless, unable to see anything except a blue drape and the lights above me. Then there was a push down on my rib area, so hard that it felt like a 300 pound person was sitting on me.
6:15 pm - I heard baby cry. Then, I cried. I couldn't see. I wanted to feel my baby. Hold him. Touch him. Nothing. Every minute felt like an eternity. Finally they brought him over. He had a little blue hat on and was all bundled up in a blanket, but I wanted to SEE him. I wanted to count his beautiful toes and fingers. I wanted to touch his soft skin and watch his chest rise and fall as he breathed. I didn't even get to hold him. They just showed me and let me peck him a short, cold kiss on his nose before pulling him away out of my line of vision again. That's when I started shaking. It was uncontrollable and wouldn't stop. I thought I was just cold, but after they put 3 different heating blankets on me, I still shook. After they stitched me up they took me back to the recovery room. I continued shaking for a long time after that until I remember eating jello. I was so hungry and so thirsty. I hadn't eaten anything since they told me not to at 12 am the previous morning.
8:30 pm - They wheeled Ryker in. That's what we decided to name him as soon as we saw him. We had been debating over two different names, but he looked like a Ryker to us (thank goodness, because my husband's hopeful name for the little guy was after the guy that won the strongest man competition on TV one time. Oh, dear. No, not a Mariusz. It might not have been such a bad name if it wasn't after the strongest man guy). They brought him in and finally, I was able to really hold him. I immediately unbuttoned my top and started to nurse him. It was an immediate, strong latch, and I was so thankful and amazed. Before I could switch him over to the other breast, the nurse came in and told me we had a hallway full of visitors. I completely forgot family had been waiting. The nurse told us visiting hours were over at 9. I reluctantly agreed to let them in. He was passed around, crying the whole time. Everyone smiled, but I was dying inside. I wanted to hold him.
9:00 pm - Everyone left and by the time they did, Ryker was too exhausted from crying to even try to latch on and nurse on my other breast. The nurse came and grabbed him. She offered him sugar water in a bottle. I was not enthused, but relieved when he refused. I couldn't keep my eyes open. I was so tired. The nurse offered to take him for a bit so we could get some sleep. When I awoke about an hour later, the nurse came in and told me they had taken him to the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit because his breathing was not sounding normal. After testing, they found out he was positive for Group B Strep (which I was tested negative for) jaundice and pneumonia. He was on at least 3 different antibiotics and they were attempting a 2nd spinal tap to test the fluid and make sure the infection was not in his brain. They would later attempt a total of 5 different tries to get enough fluid to test. It was thankfully negative, showing no sign of infection in his spinal column or brain.
I wanted to go see him. They refused my requests. Thus began my now motivated attempts at getting up out of bed and walking. I have seriously never been in so much pain. The contractions paled in comparison.
I didn't get to see him until the next morning. I was crying before I even got to him. All I wanted was my baby, just to hold my baby. When I went into his NICU room, this is what I saw...

I pumped milk for him to drink at night and then nursed him during the day.
We stayed in the NICU for 2 weeks until we were finally able to go home, with our baby. Now, he is healthy with no complications, thank The Lord.

I was traumatized.

I immediately began doing research on different options for delivering babies and I didn't even see another pregnancy in sight.

3 years later, we got pregnant with Moriyah. Full steam ahead.

VBAC
I went back to the same doctor's office that had delivered Ryker but the doctor who had delivered him had quit. I chose another doctor with the same office. After the due date was confirmed, He asked me what day I would like to have my baby. I told him I didn't want a scheduled birth. He told me if it wasn't a repeat C-Section, He would not deliver the baby. He said there were too many risks and there were no doctors in the entire city that would let me attempt a Vaginal Birth After Cesarean.

I went home. I remembered my research after Ryker. I called my sister-in-law.

She had delivered her child with a Certified Midwife, in a hospital, about 30 minutes from where they live. Her description of her experience and her encouraging words led me to call the office where the midwife practiced and ask about possible VBAC. The next closest midwife was an hour and a half away. After praying, I set up an appointment.

After discussing my previous delivery and my current pregnancy stats, they confirmed that I would be a good candidate for a VBAC. HalleluYah!

They were so thorough with all of the information and all of my stats while pregnant. They were non-invasive until I reached 39 weeks. They were so much more personal, and friendly. They were supportive and encouraging of my decision to attempt a natural birth without any interventions and drugs. I felt at peace with this path.

This path that I was on really drew me closer to The Lord. There were more issues with this pregnancy and I was having to deal with a lot of sorrow, stress and pain. I knew that there was no way I could do this. Not on my own, anyway. So I submitted and gave it all to Him. I gave Him my burdens and my sadness. He lifted them from me and gave me joy and such a peace. I gave Him my desires and He gave me the heart to be willing to accept the outcome. I resided in His awesome love and joy. We had some good talks while being completely silent. He uplifted me and answered me...all it took was me asking.

A week before I was due, I began having contractions. Since I never got a chance to go into labor naturally, I never really knew what it felt like to just have them start and be non-drug related, so they weren't that strong at all. They kept coming but would change whenever I changed what I was doing. They didn't stop, though. I decided we should go to the hospital. Thankfully, I was at my mother in law's house only 40 miles from the hospital at the time. When we got there, the contractions stopped. They admitted me still and checked me but I was not progressing enough for them to keep me. They sent me home. Ugh.

My due date came. Nothing. That next morning at 2 am, the contractions started again. They were still irregular, but strong enough to keep me awake. They were all less than 10 minutes apart. My family in Christ and I were going to be having the Firstfruits feast that night at my mother in law's and so I went ahead and traveled to her house early so I would not worry about traveling in case the contractions got stronger. Plus, her house was 20 minutes closer to the hospital. Bonus.

The contractions were getting stronger, so I called the midwife at 1:30 pm. She told me not to head to the hospital until the contractions were regular and 5 minutes apart. I decided to go ahead and try to eat something. I sat down at the table for a bowl of hot chicken noodle soup. At 2:00 pm I got up from my chair and carried my dish to the sink when I started to have a big contraction. Then, my water broke...and gushed...and gushed...and gushed. My pants were soaked. Good thing it was just my mother in law, father in law and myself. I got my clothes changed and called the midwife again. No answer. We decided to go ahead and go as we knew now that it was the real thing. The trip to the hospital was like a scene from the Fast and the Furious movie...well, in my opinion anyway. Every bump felt like a huge ramp and every curve felt like we were spinning out of control. I remember telling my mother in law that it was okay to speed and that if we got pulled over, I would pay the bill. I tried to keep my sense of humor on the way but it was difficult with contractions so intense I couldn't think and they were anywhere from 4 minutes to 2 minutes apart. Still irregular. We got to the hospital at 3:00 pm and it took everything I had to get out of the car and into the wheelchair to get me to the room. Everything after that was a blur. I remember them telling me that I was fully dilated and fully effaced and that I could start pushing. I told them, I didn't have the urge to push yet. So, I breathed through the next few contractions. Since Ryker was born with Group B Strep, they debated hooking me up to an IV and trying to get a dose of antibiotics in me to try and help prevent this baby from having it. They told me that you should get a full dose in within 4 hours of delivering. I didn't want it, but we didn't know how long the delivery would take so they started it for me.

Laying on my back was too uncomfortable so I got up on my knees. Since I had a previous C-Section delivery, they had to monitor me constantly to keep an eye on the baby's heartbeat. She had other plans. They ended up having to just hold it and move it around on my belly because she was moving all over like crazy. Then, I felt the urge. I started pushing at 3:15 pm. I pushed on my knees for a while and my legs started to go numb so they gave me a bar to lean on and that really helped me bear down. I was getting tired so I decided to change positions. I tried to lay on my back again, but it was too uncomfortable still, so I turned on my left side and pushed that way. They were still having trouble keeping a steady heartbeat. The doctor's nurse said that if she couldn't get a solid heartbeat, she was going to have to get the doctor to come in and possibly perform another C-Section. I did not want that, so the midwife suggested the heartbeat detector that they attach to the baby's head for a continual heartbeat reading. I agreed. After it was attached, there were solid stats and I began pushing again. After pushing for some time like that, I finally went on my back and it wasn't as uncomfortable as it had been before so I pulled my legs back and pushed. It burned like crazy. I was getting frustrated because I was pushing with everything that I had but I didn't feel like I was making any progress. I finally yelled out, "Lord! YOU are my strength! You are my strength!" I pushed a few more times and her head came out. They told me to push one more time, and I did. She got stuck at the shoulders. They pushed my legs back and told me not to stop pushing, so I kept bearing down. The nurses were pulling and she finally came out. She came out with her hands together, like she was praying.

4:07 pm They laid her on my chest and she started crying. Seeing her take her first breaths and cry for the first time was the most beautiful thing that I had ever experienced.

She was beautiful. She was incredible. She was big! 9 pounds and 3 ounces to be exact. I nursed her right away. All she wanted to do was eat and eat some more. Amazingly, I didn't tear, but got a scrape high (so high they couldn't stitch it) when she got stuck.  Afterwards, I was a hurting unit, not going to lie. The contractions following her birth were painful. But after some time, it wasn't so bad. I thanked my midwife and gave her a hug and we cried a few brief tears together.

It was such an amazing experience. It was just how I wanted the birth of my daughter to be. I couldn't have done it without The Lord and the people that He placed in my path. And you know what? It wasn't as bad as many people think it is. Yes, it burned, but I feel that the contractions leading up to me delivering her were much more painful than her actually coming out. No joke.

I am very thankful that The Lord allowed me to have a natural birthing experience, like I had initially hoped for. I understand that it is not possible for all women, but I want everyone to know the option is there!!!

The fb page, Nebraska Friends of Midwives, can be found HERE.

Want to get involved?! HERE  is a link to an event for supporters of the passing of LB 712, which is the 2012 bill that strikes the exclusion of CNM home birth attendance.

The fb page for ICAN of Central Nebraska can be found HERE.

I also suggest watching the movie, The Business of Being Born. You can check it out HERE. (There are less expensive places to purchase/rent this movie, I am just giving you the main site). They also have 4 new movies since that one with more in depth information on your best birthing experience, but I personally have yet to see them.

Exhaust all options if that's what you feel The Lord leading you to do. Do not give up!
Pray! The Lord may just be using this situation in your life to draw you closer to Him.
Always remember, His ways are not our ways and as hard as it can be sometimes, we must learn to be willing to accept whatever His will is for us, even if it is not the path we would have chosen.
All babies are a blessing from our Creator.

With love...