Miah's Birthstory!

Hey y'all! So I'm finally at the point (a month later) where Miah's birth no longer traumatizes me, so I can write about it! :D (You will probably never hear Wiggles' birth story, cause I don't want to traumatize people.)

First off, no pictures, at least not of me. Cause no one wants to see me in labour. It's not a pretty sight. Not even my husband wants to see me labour, and he has to love me whatever I look like. 

So with Miah... I was huge. I don't have any pictures of myself, but oh I wish I did, just to prove that the human body can stretch to proportions that large. I was easily twice as big as I was with Wiggles. The clothes I fit at 9 months with her? Stopped fitting at like 5 months with Miah. I was huge, and so I was miserable. I'd been having constant, hard, contractions every 5-10 minutes for about a month, and it was to the point where I couldn't pick up Wiggles because I nearly dropped her every time I had one. 

We went on the 28th to see if there was anything my midwife could do to bring on labour. And I mean anything. I begged her to strip my membranes, break my water... whatever she had to do to make this baby happen now. She just shook her head and said "You're only 38+5, relax, enjoy this! Plus, you are not even close darling." Cervix was way back, very little dilation. I went home, and cried. And by cried, I mean I threw things and then laid on my bed and sobbed because I was so done. 

Finally though, I got over it and went on with my life expecting that I would be waiting weeks before this baby finally made his appearance. So Friday and Saturday roll by... nothing. By this point, I'm just giving up on the idea of ever having a baby. I was going to stay pregnant forever, I was convinced. 

So Sunday morning rolls around, and we bundle everyone up, and head out to church. All morning I'd be having contractions per what was becoming the norm. I was uncomfortable, as women usually are at 39 weeks pregnant. We get through church, and I can't sit still. I can't get comfortable no matter what I do. I sit on the pew, I lean forward, I lean on Caleb, I pace the back.. nothing. Can't get comfortable. Whatever, I could never get comfortable at that point. I figured it was nothing. 

We go to Calebs moms every Sunday, so we head over and about halfway through lunch, around 1:30... there it was. A painful contraction. This one felt pretty much like all the other contractions I'd been having for weeks,  so I ignored it. But then 8 minutes later, there was another one. By this point my mother in law, sister in law, and husband have caught on something is going on. Caleb starts timing, and in between 1:30 and 3:00, we go from 8 minutes apart to 5 minutes apart. 

By this time Caleb is like a chicken with his head cut off. I am surprisingly calm. I kid you not, I was a sea of tranquility. And those of you who know me know I am anything but. I calmly call my mom and tell her "So maybe today, I don't think so, but maybe." I am fully in denial. Yupp. No baby. I'm positive. I'm going to pregnant forever, remember? We've thought this was labour twice already, I've had contractions 4 minutes apart for 6 hours before and then they stopped. This wasn't labour, the midwife had said I wasn't anywhere close. 

So we go home, and Flash is bouncing off the walls. He calmly informs me that "Adele, you're in a lot of pain, so I think the baby is coming today." My seven year old knew this was the day before I did. Silly me. 

We drop Flash off at his moms, and then come home again, choosing to forgo night church. We get Wiggles to sleep, and these contractions are only getting worse. Now they're 4 minutes apart and Caleb is begging me to call my midwife and just go to the hospital already. I am stubbornly refusing. This isn't labour, and I refuse to believe it is! I literally screamed this at him as I'm lying on my couch wiggling around in pain from the contractions. He gives up on me calling around 6 and calls himself, putting the phone to my ear after he tells the midwife what's going on. I tell her whats going on, she listens to a contraction and then calmly tells me to give him back the phone. "You're wife is definitely in labour, and I think we should go to the hospital, do you mind if I finish my meal first?" I insist on him saying yes, finish eating, and slowly we get our stuff together and go. All the while, I'm still in denial. 

We drop off Wiggles at a friend from churchs and head to hospital, where they check me. 4 centimeters! I'm in a bit of shock at this point. My exact words were OMGOSH this is actually happening right now.My midwife laughed at me and said "Yupp." We got admitted, just because we weren't sure how last things were gonna progress. The next three hours were boring. Labour is super boring for all you out there who haven't had babies. Seriously, it's just lots of pain, and that's about it. The only thing I have to say about this portion is "The labour ball is your best friend!" Seriously, I loved that thing. Throwing myself over it like a beached whale, bouncing on it, squatting on it... loved it. My husband was a little jealous. I walked a lot during this stage. 

Finally we get to 9:30, and my midwife is starting to ask if I want her to break my water. Why? Because I am having horrible back labour. I can't walk, I can't talk... all I can do is moan in pain and hope it goes away, except I know it won't. This horrible back labour was caused by Miah still being really high in the pelvis. So all my pain was centered in the small of my back. So she gives me the option, using these exact words. "What I am about to ask you if you want to do, could make this so much worse in a good way, or so much worse in a bad way." We opt to wait a bit and see if Miah came down on his own, and finally around 10(and 5 centimeters dilated), I say "Ok, let's do this." They break my water, and then man, transition hit. Just like that, no preemptive kinda contractions... nope, the next one was crazy into transition. 

This is the point where things get... fuzzy. I remember a lot of screaming and trying to focus on the dots on the ceiling and trying to be calm through the most horrible pain of my life... and then I remember them checking me at about 11:15 and begging her to stop touching my cervix cause it hurt... and then they tell me I'm 7 1/2 centimeters. 

... 

I then beg for the epidural, and the nitrous oxide. My husband, like the wonderful husband he is, asks me three times if I really want the epidural, and I say of course I stinkin' well do, what was I thinking going natural! My midwife looks doubtful as she checks me again. "It might be to late." She whispers to my husband, and he says "Good lord, don't tell her that!" She laughs and calls in the nurse to give me the nitrous oxide. They bring in a nearly empty tank, and I drain it in about oh.. three seconds. So they bring in another, and finally, relief! 

The problem is, this stuff makes me jittery man. I can't sit still. So they're trying to get in an IV for the epi... and I won't sit still. Finally my midwife gives up and says "It's to late anyways." So I get no epi, which in the end, was awesome. 

By now it's 11:30 and I'm so loopy on the gas that my midwife actually has to pull it out of my hand, cause I'm taking so much and starving Miah of oxygen. Yes, I loved the gas. 

My midwife checks me again, still 7 1/2. I kid you not, she turned around, took off her gloves, said something to my husband and suddenly I push. There was nothing I could do, I was pushing,  and it was burning. The other midwife yells "She's pushing!" My midwife grabs some gloves, checks me and says "She's ready, baby is crowning." Just like that. 10 minutes, maybe from 7 1/2 to 10 centimeters. Awesome. 

Three pushes. Three of the longest pushes of my entire life, and my son was born. Dude, the ring of fire? People warn you about it.. but man, it's real. But it's not as bad as labour man. Pushing feels great. Pushing was the best part of labour. The pain is going somewhere, and you know that this means it's almost over. This made all the difference for me. 

Anyways. Three pushes, three pushes and then they hand me my son. It was cool actually getting to feel giving birth this time. Last time we had to use forceps, so I never really got to feel it. But with Miah I could feel his head, his shoulders, his  body... I could feel them as they came out. It was cool. They handed him to me and he was perfect. 

He weighed 8 lbs 13 ounces, and was 21 inches long.

I had a small tear(That I yelled at the midwife for touching cause it hurt), but no other damage, which was awesome cause with Wiggles I had a 3 inch episiotomy that I hated the recovery for. 

My husband, bless his wonderful heart, sent my mother in law(Who was there for the birth and apparently yelled at my husband because he wouldn't give me the epidural when I begged her for it, even though it wasn't his fault it was to late. I love her.) to get me a Spicy Thai chicken wrap and a big fries and a coke from McDonalds. Because that's what I crave after labour. McDonalds. With Wiggles it was McDonalds nuggets. That's all I talked about during labour. 

Apparently some point in here Caleb skyped my parents to show them Miah and I, but I have no recollection of this at all. I was to busy letting the nitrous oxide leave my system.

 About 45 minutes later I was walking from the bed to the wheel chair.. around 1 I had my first pee(Which was horrible, but not as bad as I thought it was going to be), and by 2 we were heading home. Yes, home. We originally thought we were going to stay overnight until about 6, get some breakfast, and then go home. But by 2 I was feeling great, Miah was calm and feeding well, and neither Caleb or I was sleeping there, so we opted to go home. Best decision ever. I got a great nights sleep in my own bed, and my midwife came to my house and did all my follow up there, which was wonderful. 

So that's how we brought Miah into the world! It was a wonderful day, and thank God you don't really remember the pain, cause Lord all almighty, women would never have babies again after the first one if we did! 

- Adele

Meet 'Miah!

Hey everyone! SO! Baby number three/two? 

(Let's say three, since he's my third child even if only my second birth. :) ) 

He's here! 

'Miah was born on Dec 1/2013 at 11:23 pm, after 10 hours of labour. He weighed 8 pounds, 12 ounces, and was 21 inches long. 

Flash is a beyond excited big brother. Wiggles still isn't sure how to take him yet, but she's getting there. 

Ok, well that's all for now, things are a little hectic here, 3 days post partum and Wiggles gets a flu. Throwing up and diarrhea, while I try to breast feed a newborn. It's an adventure this week. :) 

- Adele

Preparing for baby number two - Scarier and easier the second time.

So Wiggles is 11 months in 3 days. And we are due in 16 days. I'm a little panicked to say the least. 

But wanna know the surprising part? Yes, it's terrifying. I have NO idea how I'm going to meet Wiggles growing needs now that she's running, climbing stairs, and intensely interested in opening cupboards, AND meet the needs of a newborn. No idea. I can barely keep up with Wiggles now. 

But really? That's the only thing I'm worried about. I'm not worried about if I'm going to horribly scar this one for life. I got through one, I can handle another one. In that way, it's so much easier! With your first baby, you spend so much time worrying about if you're gonna be able to be a parent. I worry about that a lot less with this one. How I'm going to split up my time and not die of exhaustion.. yeah, that worry is there, but if that's all I worry about, that's the least of my problems. :) 

I found a lot of lists for how to get prepped for baby number two focused on children aged 2+. Which is hard for me. Because Wiggles is in a lot different place than a two year old is. Wiggles understands some basic commands, and has like... 5 words consistently(Mama, Dada, Bum, Hi, Yeah or Yey.). Trying to explain to her or prep her for the baby in ways that involve her understanding the changes coming is not going to happen. 

As for Flash, I never really got to SEE his baby phase. I first met him when he was three. :) Now that he's eight(Nearly), it's a lot easier on him to understand that a baby is coming and what that means.

So here is my list of how I personally prepared for baby number two when baby number one is still very little!  

1. Teach your toddler to play on their own a little bit. 

I spent a good portion of the last couple months teaching Wiggles to play on her own for at least an hour or two a day. Wiggles is, like a good portion of babies I've seen, is super social and more than happy to spend all her time snuggling or playing peek a boo, or just sopping up the mommy love.  Problem is, when we start breast feeding and there's a new baby who needs to be rocked and played with too, then this will get harder. So for a couple hours a day, I would put Wiggles on the floor, give her some toys, and let her go for it. Unless she hurts herself(It's tough learning to walk folks!), I pretty much let her be. Turns out this was a great idea, cause it directly led to point number two! 

2. Get that baby walking! 

I know SO many who say that life gets harder once baby starts walking. We found the opposite. Wiggles so wanted to be independent and able to go that the second she could start to walk, she did. 8 1/2 months. Running and stair climbing was next. Yes, it meant we had to safety guard all our cupboards, and our stairs... but you know what? I don't have to carry her everywhere, in fact, she gets mad if I do. Not only will this make things easier when the new baby comes, but it makes things easier when my one bathroom is upstairs and I'm the size of a baby orca. >.> Wiggles follows me upstairs and into the bathroom all on her own, I only have to carry her down, which helps my back. 

Seriously, if you can, get your first baby walking! 

3. Get baby number one on a schedule. A solid one. 

This doesn't mean that at 7:45 you get up, 8:00 is breakfast. Nope. Not what I mean. But your baby should have a good structure of things that they do at the same intervals pretty much every day. 

For example. Wiggles gets up around one of two times: 5 when dad wakes up so she can say hi to him, or 6:45 if she doesn't hear his alarm go off. She has a bottle and diaper change as soon as she wakes up, along with some cheerios or other cereal. Then she plays for about an hour, usually on her own. An hour and a half after she wakes up, she's ready for a nap, which is usually about an hour long. I right now use this play time and sleep time to get my dishes done, fold laundry, and get caught up on my internet work. Once she wakes up, we skype with Grandma about once every two days, we play some interactive games like peek a boo, or a passing game, if she's interested. She'll want another bottle about an hour or so after she wakes up from her nap, but no solids. By noon we're back on track most days. She comes up to me and rubs her eyes and sometimes says "Nini.". She gets put in her high chair, and she takes a 2.5 hour nap. This is my real power house part of the day. I make my menu, finish up my spot cleaning, make my grocery list, craft(If I have the time), get a good chunk of my to do list done. She wakes up usually about a 1/2 hour before dad gets home at 2:30. She then eats dinner with us, finger foods of whatever we're eating. Then she's up until about 7 if we're at home, about 9 if we're not. She gets a bottle with bed, and usually there's another one of juice or water thrown in throughout the day that she sips as she feels like. 

This schedule will help a ridiculous amount in the coming months, as long as we can stick to it. Having something stay the same when everything else changes is important.

4. Get out the baby stuff you just put away.

I know, you just dragged this stuff down into storage and now you're draggin' it back up again. Enjoy it, revel in the memories. :) Get that swing your kid hasn't wanted to be strapped into in months out, get out the swaddling blankets and those itty bitty baby clothes. Cry when you think of your first being that small. Get it all set up. Make these changes in phases so as to not overwhelm your firstborn with a sudden change of decor. Start naming these things "Baby swing." Or in our case "Miah's Swing". Wiggles understands that some things are hers, and some things aren't. This is helpful to her to understand that these things aren't hers. 

5. Stock up on those pantry foods!

The last thing you want to worry about after the baby is born is whether or not you have the food you need to feed your family. So stock up before hand. Take $20 out of each of your grocery budgets(I know, it's a lot for me too, but worth it later.) and stock up on things like pasta sauce, pasta, soups, canned beans, dried beans, Kraft dinner, hot dogs... whatever you gotta do to keep your family fed. Plan for lots of 'easy' meals in those first couple weeks after baby is born. 

6. Get your  hospital bag packed/Set up arrangements for baby #1, and pack their bag. 

I struggled with this one. I'm 37 weeks and 4 days.. and still no hospital bag packed. >.> It's kinda like admitting that yes, this is gonna happen, and I'm ready. I'm not ready yet. :P So I'm putting it off. But it's important that you have your bag packed well ahead of time. Make a list of things you'll need in your bag, and then get crackin'! (I'll make a post in the next couple days about what's in my bag). 

You also need to set up with someone to take your first when you go into labour, and pack them an overnight bag. Now, there will be some things in each bag you need to pack kinda as you run out the door. :) Make a list of these that is easy for your partner to understand and clothes pin or safety pin it in an easy to see spot on the bag so he can just grab what's needed and then go. 

7. Have a you night. 

You won't have one for awhile. Remember those first couple months when they feed, poop, and want to snuggle pretty much all the time? There's another one now. :) It's gonna be hard to get time alone. So enlist a baby sitter, or the hubby, and take some you time. Shop(Or window shop), bath, eat a meal you didn't make, snuggle with your husband... whatever you do to have you recharge time. 

8. Go on a date with your husband.

Those first couple months are hard. Spend some time showering your man with love. Chances are he's gonna feel a little pushed aside as you struggle with balancing two babies, physically recovering, and exhaustion. Take him out on a date, make his favourite dinner at home, take all the time you can to snuggle with and touch him. Let him know he's your number one, even if you're the size of an orca. 

9. Take some time with your first. 

Soon there's gonna be two of them to take up your time. Take time to treasure your first. Chances they're gonna be pretty confused and frustrated when the new baby comes. And frankly, they're really little! They need to know that mommy still loves them. Take extra time to really engage with your child. They grow so fast. 

10. Enjoy it. 

So many people seem to forget this(me included). This is an awesome time in your life! You're having another baby! Yes, it's gonna be hard. But what worth doing isn't? You get two little someones to love on, you get to watch your body change and a miracle happen. Remember to enjoy it, even when you're so tired, sore, and frustrated you could cry. God gives joy even in the hard seasons, and there's lots to thankful for! 

Well that's it! That's all I got for now. :) I hope this was helpful! 

- Adele