Baby Update 3

  Hopefully today was my last doctors appointment for this pregnancy. I'm trying to be optimistic, but only God knows. The Dr. did confirm my fear that this baby is "sunny side up". I had that with our first and let just say, "it was no walk in the park to get her here!" I was telling Bob that I really didn't know how bad it was until I had a few more babies to compare it with. It didn't seem so horrible at the time (or right after), but now knowing how less painful labor is without all the back labor, I'm kinda freaked out! I shall be spending many a hours on all fours trying to get this baby to flip! I already mopped the kitchen floor and wiped down all the cabinets while I was down there...now it's just a matter of playing on the floor with the little ones...since all I have left is carpet to vacuum (which you can't do on hands and knees).  :)

  On an interesting note, I got to know my Dr. a bit better today. We talked about the kids being at the delivery (at least the older ones) and he is all for it. He has 10 children of his own (all adopted) and he told me a bunch of fascinating stories about how his boys came to "work" with him and looked in on many a labor and delivery. Another was about a 6 year old boy who was trying to get as close to the "action" as he could, so doc decided to put a gown on him and allowed him to sit on his lap through the whole delivery! That ones a bit out there for me, but I found it refreshing to see how he truly loves his job. He thinks birth is such a wonderful opportunity for families to welcome a little one into this world and was very much encouraging us to bring all the children with us. I asked him about how he felt about it being too graphic and scary for them, and his reply was, "Yes, they see it all happen, if you want them that close, and you could call it graphic, but they will forget about that, and remember that wonderful experience that not many get of welcoming their sibling into this world. That is a beautiful thing!" I seriously sat there in disbelief! I think if I hadn't been aware of my jaw, it would have been on the floor! lol  I couldn't wrap my brain around how "natural" this OB doctor was. He finds children to be a wonderful blessing, and he thinks it's best to use every opportunity to teach something to them.


  As I told Bob all of this he kind of smiled and said, "Sounds good!" :)  If we do decide to bring the kids with us, I'm pretty sure ours will be a PG rated delivery. No one from my waist down! lol Think about it this way: How many times does a little one walk into a L&D room after baby has arrived and wonder "why on earth is there a baby in my moms arms?" "where did that come from?" I think plenty. What if the little ones were there to witness at a distance the arrival of their sibling baby? Do you think maybe it wouldn't be such a strange sight to them? I think so. Now I'm sure that 95% of you reading this think we've fallen off our rockers, but I think it's definite food for thought. Alexis was 7yrs old when she witnessed Addison being born. She has begged to be there ever since. Bob and I asked her why she liked going and her response was, "I loved being the first one to see the baby!" It's a special time for a family. You just brought a new life into the world! You can't ever get those moments back...it's a once in a lifetime opportunity. Never again will that same situation come about.

 




The boys overheard our conversation and came downstairs packed for the hospital. They even packed a stuffed animal for the baby. A boy and a girl one. They have their pj's and I noticed Gabe even packed a notebook so he could color while he waited! I found this adorable :)


Blessings~Heather

A Few Of My Favorite Things!

  I thought I'd share some of my favorite baby items with you. Like I've said before, I'm pretty simple when it comes to babies. There are a few things though that I absolutely love!

  *First off, all in one cloth diapers from bumGenius are a must. They are user friendly and save you a ton of money in the long run. I will however be using Pampers Newborns until this little one stops needing to be change 18 times a day...that would be way too much work with cloth.

 *Babylegs are such a great product. They keep your little ones warm without having to undress them to change a diaper. The bonus is they are super cute!

  *As for blankets, I am stuck with the soft chenille ones from Target. My friend Jamie gave Gabriel one for a baby gift 6yrs ago, and I won't ever look elsewhere! Addie had one in the girlie color and Shelby just used hers. They are soooo soft and stretch, yet don't slip off like some super soft blankets. I do have to say that I'm not super fond of the boy blanket color they have this season, but the girls is adorable. If this tells you anything...even though I'm not a big fan of the coloring for the boys, I'd still buy it if this is a little man! :)

  *When it comes to shoes you can't buy anything for a wee one but the Robeez. They keep their socks on and they stay on as well. So many different patterns to pick from that it's hard to have just one pair! They're so dang cute :)

  *The Mary Jane's from Trumpette are a bit impractical because they are socks, and they do fall off when they are really little, but they are adorable!!! I received these as a baby gift with Shelby, and they were a big hit everywhere we went.

  *As for a diaper bag, Petunia Pickle Bottom is the way to go if you don't mind spending a small fortune. I fortunately didn't have to with Shelby since a sweet friend gifted it to me! I loved that diaper bag! It's in shambles now, but it was great. It has a fold out changing pad built into the front that zips up and in, plus is removable for washing. Not to mention the fabrics from Petunia Pickle Bottom are gorgeous! I love the brocade patterns, especially the one above with the gold and aqua colors. It can be carried on your shoulder, across the chest like a satchel, or worn as a backpack. Bob especially liked that fact...backpack is more man friendly that a shoulder worn diaper bag. :)

  *If this is a girl, we will be doing earrings again. I absolutely love a baby girl with earrings! It gives them that extra touch femininity. At least we find it adorable. :)

  *The Chicco's car seat is a great one. I love the form that is for the infant size. It doesn't trap heat around the top of their head like most of the head cushions. So no more sweaty baby.

  *Since we are coming into fall/winter a cute little hat is a must! I just thought these were cute :)

  *Also, the flower hair clips are a great addition to any little girl or the headbands for the bald little lady~

  *The Bébé au Lait Nursing Cover, is dangerous! Once you go there, you can't go back! Where these have been my whole nursing life, I don't know? I do know that if I didn't have one, my job of chasing kids would become much harder. As a mom to 5, well I guess it will be 6 shortly, you have to be mobile while you nurse. It's just a reality, at least for me it is. 


  *Aveeno baby wash is to die for delicious smelling! I always have loved the Johnson & Johnson baby wash, but I have to say that the Aveeno beats it in the smelling test. Nothing like the clean scent of a newborns head...

  *Lansinoh's lanolin is purely the best at what it is for, cracked, sore nipples from breastfeeding. It is totally natural and has super healing strength. I know most lactation nurses would say to just use your own breast milk in the same manner, but for me that didn't work. At least not as quickly and efficiently as using the lanolin. Along the lines of breastfeeding, you'll need nursing pads. I prefer the Lansinoh brand over others I have tried. This is definitely one of those products that I'm sure works for some and not for others. For me they work great! 

  Anyways, I hope you enjoyed looking through my favorites list. What are your "Can't live without!" items? I love hearing what others have found! 

Blessings~Heather

 
 

The Mysterious Ways of the Lord

  Yesterday afternoon, we had our family tour of the "Family Birth Center" at the hospital I'll be delivering at scheduled for 4pm. Bob called earlier in the day to tell me that there would be no way he'd be off in time to come. There was too much to get done. (I'm not complaining about the work, very thankful there is so much work right now, just figures that we scheduled it late to make sure he could come and he still couldn't). He was quite discouraged since he really enjoys doing these things with us, hence the "family" tour. :) I was almost in tears because I figured, "What is the point in going if he can't be there? It'll just be another thing I do by myself." I was going to have a pity party. 

Then it struck me that I have two choices:

1) Cry about it like a hormonal mess and ruin the opportunity with a bitter attitude.

or

2) Don't let it steal my joy and pray that God would see to it that Bob made it there. 

  Thankfully I chose the second option. 3:30pm rolled around and still no call from Bob saying he was on his way. So I packed up the kids and we headed to the hospital. Arrived to find our lovely "tour guide" a very sweet labor and delivery nurse in her office. All 6 of us squeezed into her little space and she began. First she tried locating my pre-registration forms that I had filled out 2 weeks prior. She couldn't find me in the system! She asked if I was sure I registered. Yes, I even went into the gross ER to get the forms! Probably not the best place to be hanging out in when you are pregnant, with everyone coughing and sick. So yes...I did register.

   As we waited to hear back from the ER and the Admitting departments, we chatted about having both lived on the West side of the state and how we very much enjoyed the climate here compared to our previous addresses. Then we received the call that, No they couldn't find me anywhere. Off we went to the admitting department to fill them out again. They kept apologizing and I just kept thinking, "If I were in labor, I'd probably not be so happy, but I'm not so it's really no big deal!" The kids just followed along enjoying the sites of the hospital. We met with the admitting manager and she was super embarrassed about not being able to "find" me. Really people, not a big deal! lol She handed me forms to fill out and so I did. By the end of this process, having filled out all the forms again, and meeting with a woman to enter my info in the system, they got a call from ER saying they found me! lol, in the wrong file...not having ever been entered into the computer system (obviously). They again apologized and said the man would be spoken with...I felt bad, 'cause really not a big deal. I even got to speak with the lady who was entering my info into the system about our "big family" (I don't see it as really that big, but I guess to most people we are). As they all sat with me while we waited for her to finish she kept saying, "You are so lucky! I always wanted a big family, and my husband said, no! Two is enough." I felt for her. You could see the sorrow in her eyes as she said those words. (Again, I am reminded of how so undeserving of the wonderful husband God had for me! A man who is willing to pray and seek the Lord for guidance instead of what those around us, and what society deems as right or wrong to do.) She continued to tell me how kids are her life, and what a blessing they are. Couldn't agree more! It's refreshing for our children to hear that they are a blessing once in a while, instead of the people who are in disbelief that we would ever dare have as many children as we do, and state it in front of them. You start to wonder if maybe it gets to their little hearts, and they start seeing themselves as the majority of the world sees them as, a burden? I could see their little eyes light up as she spoke...it was precious! 

  Once we finally finished up with the admitting, we headed back to nurse lady's office. Once in there, we went over all the info that I just went over with the admitting department. By this time it was about 5pm (an hour after we originally got there). We finished up and she said, "Are you ready for your tour!?" I said, "Sure, but do you mind if I call and see where the hubby is?" I called and he said he was there!!! lol Coincidence? I think not! :) What are the odds that they happen to lose my paperwork (which everyone kept saying "this never happens") and just when we finish, there comes my hubby strolling down the hallway? God is good! It made sense now that during this whole process I wasn't annoyed at all. I had total peace over all the events of having to deal with redoing everything and pretty much wasting an hour with 5 kids in tow. Thank you, Jesus! Thank you to everyone who prayed for this. I know it probably seems small and unimportant, but it was important for us. 

   We continued down the hall to see the labor and delivery rooms with much surprise to find very lovely rooms. Most rooms have a huge shower stall with 6 jets on the wall to help relieve back labor pain! No climbing in and out of tubs, you just walk right in! Although they do have rooms with the jacuzzi tubs if your heart desires that instead. A menu full of delicious sounding meals, delivered to my room whenever I call...even a menu for spouses and family, so we don't have to send them out for their food! A couch that pulls out into a bed. They even have a special plush mattress that is laid over the top of your bed once you have given birth...no more sore body from sleeping in awful hospital beds! It's the little things in life! :) Bob and I about died laughing when Ty asked the nurse where the birthing ball was! The kids were checking out all the cabinets and he found it concerning that there wasn't a birthing ball. lol I think I have told my birthing stories too many times in his presence. :) You think?! She quickly reassured him that they had birthing balls, in small and large sizes, all we had to do is ask if we were in need of one. ;)

Tried to get a quick photo with the kids...definitely not great. I felt kinda dumb asking if I could get a picture, so I quickly snapped this one.

  All in all, I am very pleased with our decision to deliver here. My prayer is that things would go well and smoothly, and that it would be a wonderful experience. I can't forget...the nurses there have to be the kindest nurses I have ever met in labor and delivery. All of them being very helpful and informative. They answered all our questions and we left with a feeling of peace about it all. Nothing beats that...especially with all the unexpected changes and shifting that have happened during the last month of this pregnancy.

Blessings~Heather

Baby Update 2

  Yesterday was a crazy day! I had my appointment scheduled for 1:30pm and needed to call in at 12:30 to make sure the Doc would be in. Well, I called and sure enough he was in surgery! They asked for a number to reach me at when they were ready for me to come in. 3pm rolls in and I get the call (thankfully I was able to go) and get to the office...and wait...and wait...and wait. I was a bit annoyed. Got into the room around 4...and waited...and waited...and finally around 4:30 Doc rolls in. Let's just say, I wasn't expecting a giant man! :) I think he's about 6'4" and big (not in a heavy way, just big). Reminds me of a small town doctor, with salt and pepper hair, that knows everyone's name and takes his time getting to know ya. Different, but in a good way. :) I shouldn't be too put out by waiting, since when it's my turn to deliver, he will make others wait for me.

  So long story short, I'm now 2-3 cm dilated, baby's head is at 0 station (the good news I was praying for with all the contractions I've been having throughout the last week...it was for something!), and now it's just a waiting game. This is the tricky part for me. Patience is not my forte! Although, I got to thinking about why oh why we want the baby to come now? Once miss or mr gets here...no sleep...engorgement...sore other things...hormonal dives...and again no sleep. So, I have surrender to the waiting game happily...well for right now I'm fine with waiting. :) Although I really want to meet this little person! 

  Did I mention that I had a dream Monday night? I dreamt that I was in labor, a very quick and easy labor and delivered a 12lb 2oz little girl named Ireland Grace. And it was the least painful delivery I ever had and the baby was huge! hahaha   Don't you love the subconscious?


Blessings~Heather