Christmastime is Here... and Gone

Man, that was a whirlwind week! You know, it seems like every time we get a week off (and when I say we, I mean Chuck, because moms don't really get a week off) to go to Atlanta, we must do every single thing available and, of course, try our best to see every one we can. I'm so glad I felt as well as I did and had gotten a chance to recover from having Arielle before we ran around like chickens with our heads cut off. Actually, I have to say that we probably had more downtime this trip than we usually do, but for exhausted parents of two, it was packed.

We came back to Jackson with a carload FULL of presents, which we are so blessed to have,

and a couple of colds... not so good. Neither girl's cold got too bad and they're both recovering well, so praise God for that.

I told Chuck we need to start being one of those families that puts up Christmas decorations really early... or what is really early in my opinion anyway. Like, the day after Thanksgiving. Otherwise, with Christmas week spent away, we don't really get to enjoy them all that long. (Ours, including our tree, are still up, by the way.)

I'm not yet ready to stop humming or hearing Christmas songs. I don't want it to be over. I wish Eden and Arielle could wear their Christmas dresses again. Eden has one she didn't even get to wear. :( Guess we'll have to catch that one in a couple years. Eden is still randomly singing "Jingle Bells" and pointing out lights, even if they aren't Christmas lights. She's not ready for it to be over either.

I am looking forward to next Christmas and how both girls will be able to share it together. Arielle will actually be aware something is happening and Eden will be able to look forward to it with the memories she'll carry from this year.

Here are some pics from this year.

Christmas Party

We left Arielle with our friends Jana and Marcos and we got a babysitter for Eden for the first time since becoming parents of two. I shopped for a dress that would camouflage my post-baby pooch and we dressed up to celebrate our survival thus far. It wasn't much, just dinner, but it was an accomplishment for us.

Here's a pic of us in front of our tree after we got both girls home and in bed. We were tired. It was late, but we had to document it. :)

First Pro Shots

I'll show you one of the ones I'm not going to pick for the birth announcement/Christmas card.

Birth Story

Chuck has taken the baby away for a while to let me rest and Eden is napping. I will nap too, shortly, but I need a minute to unwind before sleep and I thought this might be a good time to write the birth story. It's been on my mind a lot, but I just haven't had an appropriate time or the brain power to do it. This probably won't be as eloquent as I would like. I'm just banging it out to get it out of my brain.

Just for comparison sake. With Eden, I was two weeks overdue. I had false labor the day before my actual labor began, but, other than that, no feeling of Braxton Hicks or any kind of contractions throughout the pregnancy. I was dilated 3 cm for a couple of weeks. My labor with Eden began at 4:30 am. We arrived at the hospital around 4:30 pm that same day. The nurse said I was 4 cm. I labored until around 4 am the following morning when my uterus just ran out of juice. I regressed to mild contractions every 15 minutes. I was given some glucose and pit around 8 am and had her at 4:30pm that day. 36 hours of labor total with 30 minutes of pushing.

Pretty different story with Arielle...

I'd had Braxton Hicks throughout my pregnancy, starting in my second trimester. From about 32 weeks on, I had some contractions that were more noticeable, including a series at 34 weeks that brought us in to the hospital for fear we were in pre-term labor. I got two shots and was diagnosed with irritable uterus. At 37 weeks, I had a full day of contractions. I was 1 cm dilated the week before and then at 38 weeks, I was 3 cm. So at least that day of contractions did something to further the cause.

At 39 weeks and 5 days, I called my OB with a question of whether or not my water had broken. I was leaking and I knew it wasn't incontinence. I had had an issue with that earlier on, but got serious about Kegels and took care of it (thank goodness). I was having some very mild contractions, but nothing different than almost any other day of that week. I called Chuck and told him to come home and take me to the office so they could confirm whether or not this leak was amniotic fluid. I wanted him there to back me up in case my OB freaked out on me and wanted me to stay, or, even worse, wanted to start me on pit. I just wasn't feeling strong enough to stand up for myself, by myself. I began having some more noticeable contractions on the way to the office in the car. The time was about 11:30 am.

My OB checked the fluid, but it was not from the bag of waters. She was about to tell me to just go on home, but she decided to check my cervix joking "If you're like, 6 cm or something crazy like that, I can't let you go, of course, but you're probably not." Guess what. I was 6 cm.

She told me I had to go straight to L & D and check in. I had nothing with me for the hospital. We had Eden with us, of course. Chuck took Eden and got in touch with our fantastic friend Jana to arrange for her to be picked up and watched until my Mom and Dad could make it into town. They headed out soon after on the 8 hour trip.

I headed down one story and checked myself in as my contractions got noticeably stronger. I'll spare the details of the check in process, but suffice it to say, it took a bit of time because they were super busy and also because the monitor in my room was a stationary one and I had been promised the ability to walk throughout my labor. So there was a scramble to get a different monitor as well as all the preliminary stuff that they do with everyone before you can really get settled. Chuck finally returned and began to walk with me.

We called our photographer, but she was at a funeral for her cousin a couple hours away and could not make it. Sadly, the only pictures I have are the ones Chuck took right after the birth. I was counting on the photographer to also document the time as it passed and my labor progressed, so I really am not sure of the timing of everything as it continued.

I did have to stop walking after a few hours because I was just too tired to stand up. I got a bag of glucose and Chuck encouraged me to try walking more. I did just a few more laps and then had to lie down again.

He might remember better than I how long the barely manageable contractions lasted before the actual birth. I had forgotten the pain. I remembered when I was experiencing it again. Oh yes, I recalled it from the first time. I had hoped that since I was already 6 cm and was still walking and laughing with minimal discomfort, that somehow miraculously, I would be one of those stories you hear of the women who had light labor and then the baby popped out. No no no. NOT the case here.

I had a long and VERY rough transition. Chuck had to talk to me so that I could focus on something outside of my body. I had to squish my cheek into his hand to try to relax SOME part of my body and to feel something other than the pain. My uterus was serious this time and I needed no pitocin. One thing that was definitely different was that I had longer breaks between the terribleness than I did when I was on pit. Recovery time. And it was just enough for me to stay somewhat sane. My battle was definitely both with a fatigued body and mind. My will was not strong and without my husband there to keep telling me that each contraction was bringing Arielle that much closer to us, I would surely have screamed for some pain medication.

I finally began grunting at the tail end of contractions. My body was getting ready to push. I was SOOOOOoooooo ready to get this baby OUT. I was 9 cm with a lip that was swelling. My OB had left for the day and another came in to take her place. She checked me and (oh the agony) left her fingers there to feel what my contractions were doing. She went ahead and pushed that lip out of the way and told me that I could begin pushing on the next contraction.

"Alright, let's do this!" I thought. With two pushes, my water broke. The OB was being very calming and encouraging about the whole thing. She told me to just let her know when I was ready for another push. I was really grateful for that. I didn't want to be told to push, I wanted my body to do it. She was all about letting my body guide what was happening. She praised me when my water broke. "You did it all by yourself! Good job. Good job!" At this point, she had been very casually sitting at the foot of the bed speaking in her soothing voice. When my water broke, she moved down to the traditional spot and let me push again. I pushed mighty hard and got some great feedback. Lots of encouragement and an offer to let me see in the mirror what was going on down there. I wasn't sure I wanted to see, because last time, all I saw was a little sliver of a head and it was kind-of discouraging. I decided I shouldn't miss the opportunity though and when I looked, I saw a full circle of dark hair on my baby's head. Yes! I was doing this! With new determination added to what I already felt, I pushed again with all my might.
"STOP! stop Stop STOP!!!" everyone seemed to yell at once. "No, no, I can't stop now! Not here! Not now. Not at the 'ring of fire." I thought, frantic to get past this most painful part. I could see that she was out up to her eyebrows and all I could think was "Why!? Why do I have to stop here in this torturous part!?" The doctor and nurses were still yelling at me to wait... something about needing to be stretched. I had a tiny grateful moment. I didn't want to tear again and my OB two years ago hadn't tried any kind of counter pressure or massage. But as I continued to feel the extreme burn, (and scream like a banchee... maybe more like a banchee getting her arm chopped off with a dull axe) I decided I didn't care. I recovered last time, I'll recover again.

So, I pushed.

More protests. Chuck got right over the top of me and grabbed my shoulders and strongly told me to listen to him. I mustered all the focus I had and looked in his eyes. "They're NOT READY yet! Don't push!" he said. "What!?" I thought, "Not ready? I'm waiting in unbearable pain because they're not ready!? Well, they can just catch her in their bare hands!! What's the worst that can happen? She's not going to end up on the floor like all those babies on that 'I didn't know I was pregnant' show."

So, I pushed.

"You HAVE to stop!" everyone yelled. So, I screamed and hoped desperately that the pain would escape through my voice.

After what seemed like an hour, I became aware that I was being told that it was ok to push. So, I pushed... and out came her head. What a relief. I've never felt such relief in my whole life. It was marvelous. One more push and out came her shoulders and the rest of her and then, in an instant she was on my belly.

The whole pushing phase took less than 15 minutes, but more seemed to happen in that 15 minutes than in the previous 9 hours.

Yep, 9 hours from start to finish. That's a whole lot better than 36 hours.... but, then again, it took 9 hours to get from 6 to 10, which still seems pretty ridiculous to me.

That's all I've got in me for now. I hope that satisfies some of you curious ones out there.

The Lovely Lady Has Arrived

Ahhhhh! Belly Shot : 39 weeks

Crazy Talk

So, I was lying in bed resting while Eden was in playpen time. It's been a particularly rough day. I've been in pain for most of the day from pressure Arielle is putting on me. In fact, both my girls were relentless. Arielle on my body and Eden on my sanity. Eden's been repeating words about 50 more times than usual. The whole day has been about watching TV ("PB") or eating ("befas?" "nuch?" "nack?" "ninnah?" "eat, eat, eat, eat..."). I'm just worn thin. My mind is going. Of course, where it goes is to labor.

As I lay thinking about each little twinge I felt and hoping it would turn into a contraction, I decided that I needed to shift my focus to my Creator. I began thanking Him for keeping Arielle safe and for keeping her growing strong and healthy inside me. You might remember, we thought she might come early. I reminded myself that complaining about her still being in there when I'm not even 40 weeks is pretty ridiculous. After all, there are plenty of moms who have had premature babies who would love to be ...

Is that a contraction? It feels like a contraction. My belly's kinda tight.

Come on uterus. Is that all you got!? That little bitty, tiny, miniscule stretchy feeling is the best you can muster!? Get real. I can take it. Give it to me. Give it to me!

sigh

Thank you God that you made my body for this job and for your perfect timing. Thank you for your omniscience in this circumstance. Help me to trust You and remember that you know ALL the circumstances surrounding Arielle's birth. You know about the things I can't possibly know. I want Your best....

Was that another attempt at a contraction? No, no, no, please keep going. Please? I'll relax. Look. I'm not getting excited. You can keep going. Really. Give me a good one. Nice and strong. I'll handle it like a champ. Try me!

sigh

Man. I can't stand this teasing. What's Eden yelling about? Wait. (Thump, thump, thump, thump) Ugh! She climbed out of the playpen! Now I've got to get up and put her back.

Stay in your playpen until playpen time is over, please.

sigh

Now, where was I...

Yes folks. That is how it went. From frustration with my daughter, to thanking God, to taunting my uterus, to refocusing on God, to begging my uterus to frustration with my daughter. It all ended with me going through almost the entire routine again and realizing that I had been listening to her repeat the word "wait" for about ten minutes straight. She was telling herself she had to wait to get out of playpen time. Guess who else has to wait...

Belly Shot: 38 weeks

Arielle is sitting on the couch between my legs...

Nothing Yet

No more contractions.

sigh.

Plus... I think she's flipped. It feels like she might be breech now.

No worries. She knows she better be head down when she decides to come out.

Clarity

There is nothing very clear at all about labor, unless it slaps you upside the uterus with undeniably painful contractions right from the start. There's Braxton Hicks (had those), irritable uterus (had that), pre-term labor (past the threat of that), false labor (whooppee! having that today!) and the real thing (still waiting... obviously). I started having mild contractions around 6am this morning and they continued through around noon. I looked up the definition of false labor, even though I knew I would find nothing helpful. I thought, "Maybe I've just forgotten and there really is a key indicator of whether or not this is false labor." Nice try. Basically, the difference between false and real can only be known after the fact. If you continue to develop contractions stronger and closer together, congratulations! It's real labor. If contractions never intensify, then stop, it was false labor.

So, dress rehearsal today, I guess. It used to be, back in my performing days that if the dress rehearsal stunk, the show was good, so I'm ready for a good show.... whenever the star decides she's ready to enter the stage.

The Blessing of Sameness

This is my last evening with a baby that's not technically full term according to medical standards. I'm 38 weeks tomorrow and so unbelievably blessed to have come this far. God is good. All the time.

Every OB appointment is pretty much a carbon copy of the last. I didn't post about my last one, which was last Wednesday and I had another today, which I almost forgot to post about. Basically, I go in (during the 8 o'clock hour, if possible... takes MUCH less time total), wait a few minutes to be told to go back to triage. Weight - gettin' on up there. Blood pressure - excellent. Urine sample - some proteins, but not rising in count. Wait for the doc a few minutes and sing or look at a magazine with Eden. Doc arrives, gushes about Eden, and asks how I feel. I feel big and pregnant and ready to have a baby. Heartbeat - in the 140's - 150's. Fundal height - right on track. Cervix check? No thank you.

See you next week. :)

Natural Birth

I was looking up some natural birth videos for my friend who wanted some inspiration and training by way of seeing successes. I realized as I watched that I needed some inspiration too. It was truly wonderful to be reminded of the sweetness of my first birth and it was good to be reminded of the pain while seeing women work through it to their wonderful reward. I wrote a free verse poem while in high school that comes to mind.

Reward

A gasp and a sigh of relief as a shrill cry is heard

The mother's painstaking efforts

Are rewarded by the baby in her arms.

One video in particular was my favorite and I'd like to share. It's pretty long and, unless you just love watching birth videos, you may not want to bother clicking. But if you love births, need some inspiration for your own or are interested in seeing a beautifully documented photo/video/scripture/music compilation of a Christian family's birth experience... then click here.

5 Minutes of Fun and Funny

Here's another video of the cutest child I have had so far. :)

Keep in mind that I am using the Mac to video, so, especially toward the end when I'm trying to follow her around the room, I can't see at all what I'm filming. I'm just guessing and pointing the computer towards her as it sits in my lap, so sometimes her head gets cut off or she goes out of the frame for a second.

I started filming her because she was using the little thingy (anyone know what it's called?) that came with her xylophone to hit it to make the notes... as a microphone. Wow, that sentence was amazing. This post isn't about writing, ok? It's about the cuteness you are soon to experience.

Anyway, I don't know where she's even seen anyone use a microphone, but we had the music channel playing on the TV and she was pretending to sing with the songs.

I couldn't get her to do it once she saw her image real time on the computer screen, but I caught some other frolicking and fun.

Enjoy!

First Photos

I have been planning for a while what I want the first professional photos of Arielle to look like. The photos we take will be the ones used for her birth announcement, which will also be an insert in my Christmas letter... oh yeah, still have to write that. I've got time, right? (eek)

I bought the fabric a while ago and had a vision for a longish skirt attached to a onesie to make it comfy for her and easy to get on and off. I wanted a longer skirt because it's going to bug me if she's on her back for a photo with a regular length dress and has her legs curled up so that all you see is the inside of the dress because it's all bunched around her torso. I figured with a longer dress, that wouldn't happen. It's only a theory. We'll soon see. Soon, as in, between now and 6 weeks from now... which isn't really very soon.

I want to make a matching ruffle-y tie-back top for Eden, but I don't know if that will get finished or not. All the pattern pieces are cut. It's the next thing on my list of sewing to-do's. Once again, we'll see. I'm VERY proud to show you the finished product for Arielle. I did it all tonight and couldn't wait to post it for show and tell.

Here it is in all its glory!

I used the pattern from Whimsy Couture's Etsy shop for a tiered ruffle dress. It's the second pattern of hers I've used (the first was her peasant dress pattern for Eden and Arielle's Christmas dresses) and they have both turned out great!

More from Week 36

Chuck and I went out to dinner tonight. We were originally going to drop Eden off with a friend, but her little one got sick, so it didn't work out. We decided to go out anyway and take Eden with us. She did great and our meal was delicious. It turns out this wasn't a good night to have a date anyway because Chuck's actually back at work finishing up as I write this. He came to dinner in scrubs, but I took the chance to dress up a bit. I even put Eden in a dress. I thought I should take a picture or two to commemorated the event. They're not very good, but I didn't have the energy to try to set up the real camera. These are from the Mac.

Eden thought it was great fun to watch me hit the button and run to the foyer while the computer counted down from "3" before it snapped the shot. She was in stitches and wanted in on the game. Such a sweetie pie.

Belly Shot: 36 weeks

We made it! The OB wanted me to make it to 36 weeks and here we are! I also wanted to make it here so that my mom would be able to document the last stage of my pregnancy with some photos of Chuck and I. The only photos I have so far are of just me, so I really wanted some of us together. Here are a couple I was able to retrieve from her camera before she left. I just couldn't wait to show them off. There were so many I absolutely looooooved, it was hard to choose just two.

Bradley Bit: a Bit Behind

We are slackers.

I thought we could overcome it, but our slacker tendencies have overcome us at the moment. Even though I'm trying to keep myself from being disappointed by reminding myself that Arielle really has 6 more weeks if she wants them, it would also be smart to realize that she could choose to come at any moment. We haven't practiced a single contraction, haven't done a single minute of relaxation and haven't studied a single page from my binder in weeks.

I got a bit of a wakeup call yesterday when Arielle decided to stretch out and put some major pressure on my cervix. I seriously felt like she was getting ready to pop out and say "hi." No contractions, just a lot of pressure. It made me realize that another baby was really going to come through there in just a few weeks. I haven't been nervous at all, but after that, I did get a little nervous and pulled out the Bradley book again.

We need to jump on the bandwagon again and get crackin' with some exercises and some reading. I did get one good thing to share from the chapter I read. It's a mnemonic for remembering how to handle all suggested interventions at the hospital - BRAIN - Is this Beneficial? What are the Risks? Are there Alternatives? What does my Intuition tell me? What happens if we wait and do Nothing? I would tend to switch the I for a G (What is God telling me?), but that would mess up the word... :)

Oh, and the other thing I read that was good was just the use of the words "birthing team." I wouldn't have thought to use that terminology except for a home birth, but it is true that the nurses and my OB at the hospital are my birthing team and it may help me keep a positive attitude for me to think of and refer to them that way.

Belly Shot: 35 weeks

Only one more week until no one will try to stop my labor if it should decide to start.
Anyone else see that she's dropping?

Waiting

I heard this song by John Waller this morning and, even though I don't feel like I'm desperately waiting for Arielle to come yet, I might need this reminder in the near future. I remember being completely consumed by wondering when Eden would arrive the last few weeks of my pregnancy with her. It will probably help to have her as a distraction this time.

These words are still worth meditating on.

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am hopeful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it is painful
But patiently, I will wait

I will move ahead, bold and confident
Taking every step in obedience

While I’m waiting
I will serve You
While I’m waiting
I will worship
While I’m waiting
I will not faint
I’ll be running the race
Even while I wait

I’m waiting
I’m waiting on You, Lord
And I am peaceful
I’m waiting on You, Lord
Though it’s not easy
But faithfully, I will wait
Yes, I will wait

I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting
I will serve You while I’m waiting
I will worship while I’m waiting on You, Lord

Doctor's Visit: 34 weeks

Another uneventful OB appointment. (That's a great thing.) Arielle's heartbeat was 160 and Eden was talking about it the whole time we were in the office and for the rest of the day that day and even some the next day. She says "hah-bee? hah-bee?" anytime I talk about "baby Arielle" or "the baby in Mommy's tummy" or even "being a big sister."

The OB did the group-B strep swab on me and, while it was available, she decided to check my cervix... without telling me. I was just chatting away with her when I suddenly realized that there was something uncomfortable happening. I asked her if she was checking my cervix and she said nonchalantly "I just thought I would really quickly." I told her I'd prefer she not in the future, at least not without telling me. She said she wanted to check to make sure that my Braxton Hicks haven't been doing anything significant. I can understand that, but I do wish she hadn't told me I was 1 cm. Now, even though I KNOW that it means NOTHING, I'm still struggling to keep my hopes of Arielle coming early (just a little early) in check. Women can be dilated for weeks with no change. It indicates NOTHING. nothing nothing nothing nothing... sigh.

More Words from the Highchair

Sorry for my occasional sniffle...

Belly Shot: 34 weeks

Why not just do one every week now? :)

Thoughts And Feelings At 34 Weeks

I said that in October I was going to pull out the double stroller and try it out so I could get used to maneuvering it through doorways. Well, October is here and I'm too embarrassed to do it. It would just look funny, wouldn't it? I shouldn't care that it would look funny. Who cares? Not me. Right? After all, what will look funnier; me strolling around with only one child in a double stroller now? or me running my double stroller into everything and not being able to get through doorways when I have two children in it?

Arielle feels BIG. She's really making herself known and we can easily feel body parts (though we're not skilled enough to identify them...) when pushing on my belly. I'm feeling a bit of downward pressure that I wasn't feeling last week as well as more Braxton Hicks. I'm noticing my belly in my way more often than before. I don't even attempt to put up the mugs in their proper cabinet any more because the countertop just doesn't let me reach where I need to.

My back and other muscles are easily stressed and I'm pretty sure I've come close to pulling a muscle or two and have stopped whatever I was doing just in time. I'm trying to be extra careful when picking up or playing with Eden. I make her stand up in her crib before get her out and I always bend from the knees. I do NOT need to be laid up with a pulled muscle right now.

Chuck's first week of call is the first week of November, so that would be a really inconvenient time for Arielle to come. Not that she's due then or anything. God's perfect timing is really what we need and that's all there is to it.

I thought a few weeks ago that by week 35, I would be sooooo ready for her to vacate my womb and sooooo distraught at the thought of her being even a day late. It's not week 35 yet, but I have to say that I'm really not miserable, nor am I in a hurry for her to come. Yes, it would be nice to be somewhat recovered by Thanksgiving and not have to wait through another holiday (like we waited through Christmas for Eden) for our new arrival to make her appearance. There's just a lot I'd still like to get done.

My new revised list now includes making Eden and Arielle outfits for Arielle's first photo shoot, making Eden and Arielle Christmas dresses, completing the burp cloths and hair bows for a friends baby shower gift, completing the planning and the invitations for Eden's second birthday party, choosing Arielle's birth announcement, writing the bulk of our Christmas letter with a place planned to put the info about the birth, planning and having our last photo shoot (Chuck and I together), putting Arielle's clothes in drawers and on hangers and then, of course, your basic getting and keeping the house clean.

That's a little overwhelming. I've got 8 weeks at the most.

For Grandpa

But you can watch too... even if you're not Grandpa. :)

Exercises

A friend of mine is interested in birthing without an epidural for her second child and has asked me for any info I have that could help her out.

Since I don't know when the next time is I'll be able to see her to borrow some books from me, I thought I would post something on here for her to start with.

These are the exercises every pregnant woman should do every day. They open the pelvis, keep everything limber, strengthen the pelvic floor and just plain, make you feel better.

You should do at least 20 cat/cow stretches 2-3 times a day and they are especially effective at night to help me relax right before I go to sleep. Tailor sitting as often as possible can help the baby get into the easiest birthing position where the spine faces your belly button. This position also helps stretch the muscles around your pelvis.

Pretty much all that applies to tailor sitting

applies to squatting with the addition that squatting is a position you could actually labor/birth in. You can do this one with a partner if your achilles tendons aren't very flexible.

The last one you need to know about is Kegels... and I can't post a picture of that. Look them up. Do them. At least 100 a day. Your pelvic floor will thank you. :)

Let's Party!

My baby shower is this Sunday! I'm very grateful to the girls that have organized it for me and I'm pretty giddy about cake and other goodies and celebrating what may be my last child's impending arrival. And parties are just fun. I need to take Page Hughes' advice (speaker last week at MOPS) and start planning more myself... after I get a handle on being Mommy to a 2 year-old and an infant.

Only a little over a month to go and Arielle will no longer be causing my belly to itch, my feet and hands to swell and my gastrointestinal tract to.... well, have issues. I think I'm the least nervous about the actual birth. I'm more nervous about trying again to breast feed and also just managing the day to day stuff with two. It's definitely a concern based on just plain not knowing what it will be like or how well I'm equipped to handle it. I know God's got it (if I just give it to Him), but my emotions often get the best of me anyway.

I'm not really motivated/organized enough right now with one to cook, clean and do other wifely things and still keep her satisfied without depending greatly on the TV. Actually, I don't really have that option because if I tried to sit her down in front of it and walk away to be productive, she would be into something the minute my back was turned. The point is, will we even have clean clothes to wear after Arielle arrives? Will we eat any home-cooked meals? Will I ever shave again? *shudder*

I know it's all possible. I've seen it. For the challenged moms like me, though, I can understand a need for something like Mother's Morning Out. I'm going to be looking into that starting January. Of course, I'll still have the Y to take a break from the babies while burning off that baby fat, but that doesn't clean my house. Maybe I can organize a house-cleaning baby drop-off schedule where at certain times of the week friends drop their baby off at another's house, go clean for a couple hours and then come pick them up. I would be tempted to go home and sit in my tub or take a shower... but that's cleaning, right? :)

If you are inclined to, lift me up in prayer. I need God's help to get this housekeeping thing down and I'll need some extra supernatural intervention to figure it out with two.

Go Me

I was just reading over old posts and noticed my list of things to do at the end of my Aug. 31st post. I've done 5 out of 8 things I listed and I feel I deserve a pat on the back. :) Pat, pat, pat.

Our Typical Morning

I wanted to capture Eden in her brand new Rabbit Moon outfit that Meme and Papa got for her. It's just a bit big, but I had to see how she would look in it. Adorable, of course.

It was raining this morning and Daddy had gone to get some gutter materials at Lowe's. We were left to entertain ourselves.

Fun, huh?

Belly Shot: 33 weeks

I know I usually skip a week, but I felt like taking another pic. It isn't very good at all. I thought the lighting in my bathroom would be good, but no. Oh well.

This week is different than last week, which is why I felt another pic was warranted.

My hands are feeling constantly swollen now. I've definitely noticed my belly keeping me from sitting up because it totally rests on my thighs. I'm having to get creative when I read Eden a story at night because there's hardly any room on my lap.

It's FINALLY cool here in Jackson. It still gets warm during the day (high 70's), but I haven't had the air on constantly. I've been able to just open the windows and get some nice cool air flow. It's absolutely HEAVEN at night. Like right now... I'm sitting on the couch in shorts and a tank top next to an open window and the cool air is feeling wonderful on my skin. I actually slept with a little bit of the comforter on me last night... for part of the night. I usually just have the sheet on me, or not even the sheet.

The cool air is making me happy.

One New Helpful Habit

I have decided to tell God out loud every time I'm frustrated with Eden. I've done it for one day and it really seems to help. He already knows, of course, but to just tell Him what I'm feeling instead of keeping it to myself really seems to release some tension and give me some perspective. Just hearing myself say what I'm feeling helps with perspective. It also makes me take a second to think about how to word what I'm feeling (equivalent of counting to 10?). All in all, I think a great habit to get into before Arielle arrives.

First Video Post

I attempted to make a video with my MacBook of Eden saying a few words. That's what I got.. a very few. She was so entranced, distracted and bashful because of her own real-time image on the screen that she wouldn't "perform" like she normally does. At the end, she was just babbling about the "yite"... the bright sun light coming through the sliding glass doors.

I'm pretty sure my parents will enjoy this. Maybe some of my other readers who don't see her often will too. :)

Belly Shot: 32 weeks

Arielle, you stay right where you are...

We all took an unexpected trip to the hospital this past Tuesday night because I was having regular painful (when I say painful, I mean there was pain that registered in my brain after about a half hour of feeling it. I'd say on a scale of 1 - 10 labor pain, it was, like, a 1 1/2) contractions. I called the doc and she said to take tylenol, drink water, take benadryl, take a warm bath, take a nap and then call back if nothing changed. That was at 4:30pm and at 7:30pm, nothing had changed.

We went in for them to monitor me and decide what needed to be done. The nurse checked me and discovered I was not dilated. I was well hydrated and didn't have any traces of a UTI. Diagnosis - Irritable Uterus, otherwise stated - random, pointless contractions not considered to be Braxton Hicks or Pre-term Labor. I was given two shots to relax my uterus and sent home after about three hours total.

Praise God Eden was so well behaved. She stayed in her stroller the whole time learning about soccer and football from Daddy. He did a really amazing job keeping her happy with explanations of plays and some snacks while being available to hold my hand every now and then too. For about the last half hour, he took her out of the stroller and laid her on the trundle he pulled out from the couch so she could rest. She laid there quietly and sucked those favorite two fingers until we were released.

Overall, not fun, but we're glad to know it wasn't pre-term labor.

We're actively trusting God to keep Arielle safe and to continue her development until it's completed and she's ready to meet us.

Creative Outlet

I think I need an Etsy shop. But that would mean that I'd have to make stuff that people could actually buy. And it would mean that I'd have to keep track of orders and money and stuff.

Hmmmm...

I was really just thinking that I needed an outlet for all these wonderful whimsical names I have running around in my head that I'm not going to get to use on anything. All the Etsy shop proprietors with cute things seem to name their creations interesting names. I like that idea.

I need to put Violet, Olivia, Caspian, Collier, Petunia, Daphne, Marigold and Chutney to good use somehow. (and there's more where that came from)

Nesting

Here's some pics of the new crib in the girls' room.

(Eden was in time-out at the time of the picture taking.)

The original mini-crib, now moved to the opposite wall it began on, all ready for Arielle's arrival.

A close-up of the new crib bedding, complete with white chenille bumper and custom-made pink and white nursery rhyme toile crib sheet and pillow case with polka dot accent (same as the crib sheet on Arielle's crib). The future crib skirt will also be the polka dot fabric.

Eden's new full size crib. She now sleeps back under the window where she started.

I also framed our beautiful silhouette of Eden at 18 months. I ordered it from BlueClara's Etsy store for my mom's birthday and made sure to get a duplicate for us. I'm extremely pleased. The shop's proprietor was wonderful to work with and even did four different versions of the silhouette for me, with varying amounts of hair frizz/curls, until I was completely pleased.

We plan to get the same thing done for Arielle when she's 18 months old, so I wanted to go ahead and get two matching frames. Once I got the frames and decided where to put them, I realized it might look funny to hang just one so I had to figure out what to put in the second one in the meantime.

I decided to create my own fabric and paper monogram and I really like how it turned out. I copied the ever popular bird motif, using a couple of greeting cards I had with the colors I needed. I used some fabric I'd bought to make some burp cloths for a friend for the "U."

I didn't even realize that my little bird cut-outs compliment the little red-breasted blue bird on the hall piece. :)

Thoughts And Feelings At 31 Weeks

Ok, remember that prenatal massage I was so looking forward to? Well, I feel bruised and more sore in some places now than before I got the massage. I think the therapist might have been a BIT too aggressive and a little to intent on getting out all the knots and tightness she found. The goal wasn't really to find tightness I didn't know I had (because it wasn't bothering me) and then attack it aggressively. That seems more like a plan for someone who was going to have regular treatments. My idea was more about a gentle rub down that probably wouldn't accomplish a single thing in the long run, but would make me feel good and relaxed for those 80 minutes.

She even told me during the massage that the reason she enjoyed being a massage therapist is because all her clients leave happy even if they came in unhappy. I came in a bit sore from water aerobics the day before and left extremely sore and was so sore the following day that it felt like my skin should all be that awful purple-ish green color that really nasty bruises are. I was so sore, especially my back and forearms, that even a very light touch would make me wince in pain. It hurt to lean back on the couch. It hurt to put my bag over my shoulder. I paid for this?

I knew it was bad even before I left the spa. I asked her if there was anything I needed to be doing that evening, like icing (or let's see... maybe taking a few doses of tylenol?!) and she said to just drink lots of water. I've been drinking more water in the past few days than I have for this entire pregnancy. I suppose that's a good thing that came out of this.

This is one of those things that I could have fixed before it became a problem, but it's also a situation where I was trying to just trust the professional. She told me before she really dug in that I should tell her if it was too much or too hard or too painful. It was hard and it was painful (and she knew I was in pain because she asked about it every time I made a face), but I assumed that it was the kind of pain that would leave me tension-free and totally comfortable later on. No pain, no gain right? I imagined myself lying in my bed that night thinking to myself how loose my muscles were and how relaxed I felt, thus getting the best sleep I'd had in a month. Nope. Shoulda, coulda, woulda.

We got Eden's new full-size crib up and the new bedding in it. I love it. It's the exact same crib as our mini crib, except in the standard size. So now we have a big sister/little sister matchy-matchy look in the nursery. The bedding on each one is different with the black and white theme remaining to tie them in. Eden's napping, but I'll post a pic when I can. She now sleeps with a little tiny pillow which she calls a "poe" and even though, it's still a crib, she seems more grown-up looking in it for some reason. I'm very happy to have that part of the preparations for Arielle done and marked off the list.... except for the bedskirt for the new crib which still needs to be sewn.

Belly Shot: 30 weeks

Doctor's Visit: 30 weeks

Another great visit!  Eden did really well again.  We used the umbrella stroller for the first time and that was actually a whole lot easier for me to maneuver in the small spaces of the office.  Our Aria stroller is compact, but there's no doubt the umbrella stroller is lighter and smaller. 

Once again, the entire time in the office from sign-in to walking out the door was about an hour.  The parking lot was packed and I had a mid-afternoon appointment instead of my usual morning appointment, so I was fully expecting a wait, but the OB waiting room was practically empty when we arrived.  Whew!  What a pleasant surprise.

I had an ultrasound scheduled to make up for the one I was supposed to have had at 26 weeks to check for the resolution of the low-lying placenta.  My parents and Chuck and I have all been agreeing together in prayer that it would no longer be low-lying so that there would be no concerns about me having a vaginal birth.  God came through for me!  He is so good... all the time!  My uterus has grown below the placenta and everything else about Arielle and her watery environment were perfect as well.  She's head down, heartbeat in the 150's, 3 lbs and something (in the 53rd percentile), all parts accounted for and no extras.

Here's her face.  She's on her side.  Her forehead is in the middle right, then eye sockets, nose, open mouth and chin.  

I wanted to ask two questions of my OB during my visit.  One about who I needed to call to request in-room care for Arielle right after birth and the other about any photography restrictions.  It's called transitional care when the nurses do whatever they need to with the baby for the first hour in your room instead of whisking her off to the nursery.  My OB had said it wasn't standard, but if I asked the right person, was persistent enough and nice enough, that I might be able to work it out.  I have not been looking forward to making that call, but I knew I needed to go ahead and try to get it out of the way.  When I asked my doctor who I should call, she said with the brand new labor and delivery wing they just added onto the hospital also came standard transitional care.  So everyone gets it now!  Praise the Lord again!  What a nice present to me.  A brand new facility to birth in and more of the kind of experience I want, standard.  :)  I know He didn't work all that out JUST for me, but He knew.  He knew I would be in Jackson and He knew where we would live and where I would birth my second child.  I don't think for a second that He didn't lead me to the best place for me, and Arielle.

Oh, and the restrictions on photography correspond with my level of comfort or discomfort.  So that's totally up to me.

Color and Fun

Just like I said I wanted, I've gotten some maternity photos this time around with some pizzaz.  Even though we're in Atlanta right now, my mom's not, so I convinced Chuck to be my photographer.  It wasn't too hard to convince him and he did a really great job.  We dropped Eden off at Grandaddy Upshaw's house and went on a photo shoot date to the playground in the neighborhood where Chuck spent some of his childhood.  I think it was the perfect setting.  Here are a few of my favorites.

Thoughts And Feelings At 29 Weeks

I feel as though I've done 75 adductor squeezes.  Actually, it's not just the inside of my thighs that are sore, it's all around my hip sockets.  

Naps are amazing.  Sleep is incredible.  I had the best nap this afternoon and I felt rejuvenated to take on the rest of the day.  On the other hand, lying awake at midnight and thinking about how much you'd really like to be asleep is really awful.  I did that for a few hours last night.

As a very large-feeling pregnant woman who is extra aware of her curves, I'm enjoying watching a bio on Marilyn Monroe and just seeing her pictures and hearing the photographers remembering her stunning beauty.  She was not the ideal body of today.  Just nice to remember that popular body image changes through the years.  It's all so superficial and inconsistent.

I think I'm glad my hair is short.  It's easy.  I can still put it back, but it doesn't take that much time or effort to use my 1 inch curling iron to dress it up if I want to.  It dries faster.  I'm not having to strain to reach the long ends, when washing, drying or styling.  Good choice.

I am very much looking forward to my prenatal massage and manicure scheduled for next week!!  Oh wow.  I think a foot rub, or any kind of massage feels multiple times better while pregnant then at any other time.  Yep, I'm looking forward to it.

Belly Shot: 28 weeks

I didn't take this totally from the side.  I'm angled a bit.  I think my belly looks the same as the side shot from a few weeks ago... which means I'm definitely bigger now.