A Birth Story - Baby Hank

My past pregnancies and births and season of infertility and miscarriages play such a big role in getting me TO this birth story, but that's a whole blog in itself, so I'll save that for later and just jump in with THIS birth story while it's still fresh in my mind.

I WILL say that this birth was SO redemptive for me.  Even though the birth experience doesn't matter nearly as much as the end result, I SO wanted this birth to be different from my others.  I wanted it to feel WAY less medical, cold, sterile, confined.  I wanted to be WAY more positive and in control as opposed to tense, fearful, and essentially just bracing myself.  I wanted to be surrounded by people who believed I could do it and offered REAL support instead of medical interventions to "take the edge off."  I wanted music, and positive affirmations, and a beautiful environment, and a more active role for my husband.  I wanted my dream birth.

I can honestly say I got it.

38 weeks 3 days:  I told my husband that I was amazed at how much I didn't feel near the end of this.  I'm sleeping well, and I'm relatively comfortable.  I have plenty of belly tightening if I stoop or climb stairs, but no pain associated with it.

38 weeks 4 days:

3:00pm:  I got dressed for church and commented that my belly looked WAY rounder.  It just looked different.  More forward.  As I was walking around the house I would induce random contractions.  Nothing regular, just caused by my activity, but they had more feeling than the belly tightening I had been having.

4:00pm:  I was uncomfortable at church, but the "contractions" seemed to only happen when I was walking.  Totally normal and expected.  I did something similar for TWO WEEKS before my second kid joined us Earth-side.

6:00pm:  I got pho for dinner and over-spiced it, whoops.

7:00pm:  Home from dinner I decided I should lie down and rest to see if the contractions would go away while my husband put the big kids to bed.

8:00pm:  We STILL hadn't packed a bag for the birthing center, so we scrambled to do that since my contractions were suddenly 8-10 minutes apart.  We went to bed expecting this to be the first of many nights of pre-term labor that would keep us up all night and go away by morning.

38 weeks 5 days:

12:00am:  I called my doula to let her know that contractions were still 8-10 minutes apart BUT they were now lasting 1min 15sec (instead of 20 seconds) and they were stronger.  I still didn't think this was it, but wanted to keep her posted.  I just continued to rest in bed as much as possible, even though I was not able to sleep.

4:00am:  I called my doula and the midwife to let them know that contractions were now 5-6 minutes apart and pretty strong.  I started to think this wasn't going to go away in the morning, but planned to keep resting in bed a little longer -- hopefully till the sun came up.  I did my best to take slow deep breaths when the contractions came.

6:00am:  We decided my husband should go to the store to get gatorade and newborn diapers (we're so prepared!) and I texted a friend to plan to come over at 7, and we would head to the birthing center.

6:15am:  We decided my husband probably better not leave me after all, and I texted my friend to just come on over sooner than later.  My husband called the doula and midwife to say that we were getting packed up and should be at the birthing center just after 7.  Contractions were 3-5 minutes apart, lasting a little over a minute still, and quite strong.  Up until this point I've just been breathing deeply through them the best I can.  While Matt got the car and everything ready, I turned on an app called Gentle Birth and listened to some birth affirmations.

6:45am:  Gina arrived and we headed out.  I rode in the back seat and listened to a 30 minute guided meditation/hypnosis in my Gentle Birth app.  It was the perfect length of time to get to the birth center, and it really helped me stay calm and focused.

7:15am:  We arrived, and I stepped out of the car in a night gown and fuzzy boots, haha!  Three amazing faces greeted me on the side walk.  My doula, my midwife, and the fabulous nurse that taught the birthing class where we learned SO much.  I could not have been in better hands.

They led me right to my birthing room which was set up with frankincense in the diffuser, low light, beautiful jars all around the room filled with tiny string lights, and a giant tub full of water.  I sat on the side of the bed and continued breathing through contractions while the midwife took my vitals and my husband set up the playlist on the jambox.

The first song that played was O Come to the Altar by Elevation Worship, and I just cried.  I cried, because I felt safe, I felt calm, I felt overwhelmed, I felt spoiled, I felt happy, I felt excited.

This was SO different than checking in at the hospital, putting on that terrible gown, and getting an IV for group b strep.  Blech.

All of the music we chose for our playlist had an emotional feel and just listening to it made me naturally breathe slower and deeper.  We kept the playlist going the whole time, and it was just really helpful.

At this point contractions were 3 min apart, lasting 60 sec, and strong.

8:15am:  I stood up and felt very light headed.  I asked for the cap to my peppermint oil to smell for the nausea.  I saw stars and definitely thought I was going to pass out, so I dropped down onto the floor.  My blood pressure was 60 over too-low-to-read.  They gave me 30 minutes to drink 12 oz of water to see if that would help.  I had very very low blood pressure during my labor with my second baby, and I was sure this was going to mean a transfer to the hospital.

The cold hard floor felt good, and I didn't want to get up, so I laid on my left side in the fetal position, and they brought me pillows and blankets.

Contractions were 3-5 min apart, lasting 60 sec, and felt more productive.  I was starting to feel pain in my lower back.

9:00am:  My blood pressure got back on track, hooray!!  My contractions were 2-4 min apart, lasting 60-80 seconds, and I was continuing to feel the pain in my back during them.  I was taking long slow deep breathes during the contractions as much as possible, my doula was repeating calm encouraging words, and my husband was pressing on my back.

9:30am:  I'm still on the floor, but my doula wanted me to change positions, so I got on my hands and knees.  The contractions were strong and hurt this way, and I was not a fan!!  2-4 min apart, lasting 60 sec.  Still just breathing as slow and deep as I can.  Not letting any negative thoughts of fear or pain creep in.  The music in the background was so helpful for having something to focus my attention on.

10:00am:  I'm in the most amazing birthing room that looks like a Caribbean resort, and there I was, still on the cold hard floor.  2-4 min apart, lasting 60 sec, more back pain.  I instinctively started making a low deep sound when I exhaled to manage the pain.

10:30am:  I was beginning to feel pressure like I needed to poop, a tell tale sign of progress, but wasn't feeling like I was ready to push out a baby.  I decide to try getting in the tub.  The tub felt AMAZING.  I was able to relax my whole body and feel some relief during contractions, but my lower back really really hurt, and I was asking my husband to push really really hard there during contractions.

10:40am:  They told me the water needed to be warmer if I wanted to deliver the baby there, so I told them we better go ahead and warm it up just in case, because A.  I'm not moving, and B.  There might be a baby soon!!  At some point between contractions I was able to communicate that we would soon get to see what this baby looks like.  I told the midwife, doula, and nurse there that our first was very light skinned, like a pale pink, and our second came out almost dark red!

11:00am:  I was kneeling in the tub with an ice cold rag on my forehead.  My husband was pushing hard on my lower back and I was continuing to make a low deep moaning sound.  A good sign that the end is coming!!   The doula and the midwife were both helping me find the note that would be most productive during contractions.  We basically sounded like 3 cows sitting around the tub mooing, haha!

11:20am:  I started to have the urge to push during AND between contractions now.  Contractions were 2-3 minutes apart and lasting 80 seconds.

11:25am:  I wanted to push, but the midwife needed to check my progress before she would give me the green light.  Up to this point my progress had not been checked at any point during the pregnancy.  I told her she was going to break my heart if she told me I was 7cm.  NINE!  Hooray.  She wanted me to work through two more contractions before pushing.  I think I worked through one more, but then I just could not help it.  I had to push.

11:30am:  Began pushing along with the contractions.

11:35am:  My water broke.

11:36am:  Henry Matthew Meitl (Hank) was born!  Wow!  What a ride!

Everyone helped me right out of the tub and into the bed where I held baby skin-to-skin for 2 hours before anyone checked a single thing on his precious little body.  What an amazing experience.  They checked him, checked me, made sure we got some rest, some food, and a couple chances to nurse, and then we came on home.

We were at the birthing center for 4 hours when Hank was born.
We were at birthing center for only 10 hours total.
We were not even gone from the house for 12 hours.

Those facts are so crazy to me!!

Here is our playlist:

O Come to the Alter - Elevation Worship
At the Cross - Hillsong
Lord, I Need You - Chris Tomlin
There is a Fountain - MercyMe
At Your Name - Phil Wickham
Hosanna - Hillsong
Tis So Sweet to Trust in Jesus - Casting Crowns
God, Forevermore - Summit Worship
Break Every Chain - The Digital Age
All the Poor and Powerless - The Digital Age
Touch the Sky - Hillsong
Always - Hillsong
What a Beautiful Name - Hillsong
In Christ Alone - Shane & Shane
Before the Throne of God Above - Shane & Shane
This I Believe (The Creed) - Hillsong
The Only One - Summit Worship

Here are some pics from baby's first few hours earth-side.  Happy birthday, baby Hank!!

January 22, 2017 at 11:36am
6lbs 14oz -- 20" long

The Perfect Juice?!!

I bought a used juicer today.  On a whim.  We'll see how long this lasts.

Then I searched recipes on pinterest, and went to the grocery store.

$25 later I can probably make a dozen varieties of juice, easy.  I may have over done it.

My first juice was PERFECT.  I wanted a second batch right away!  It wasn't quite sweet enough to "fool" my kids, but I bet two strawberries dropped in there is all it would take, because, to ME, it was super balanced, not tart, didn't taste too "vegetable-y", and seriously, it was SO GOOD.

DIY Baby Lovey or Taggie Blanket

Instant Pot Ramen

Oh boy.  I'm obsessed with tonkotsu Ramen, but after a little google searching it was clear that I was not in the position to embark on any sort of authentic tonkotsu.  Today I decided to grab the instant pot and wing it, hoping I could secure the right flavors to fake a tonkotsu-ish ramen dish.

It wasn't the same milky broth I love, but the broth was TO DIE FOR!  I'm SO thrilled.  This is definitely how I will make ramen broth any time I have pork bones on hand.

The Best Mongolian Beef

I've been making a couple varieties of this recipe for several years now, and it's always a crowd pleasure.  Cheap, quick, easy, and flavorful.  I ultimately merged two recipes and have settled on what I think is the BEST way to make this dinner.  Yum!  Enjoy!

Asian-Style Green Beans

We typically like our green beans with butter, salt, and garlic, but occasionally dinner calls for a more Asian-inspired bean, and this recipe does the trick!  We love to serve these with The Best Mongolian Beef.

Jesse Tree Ornaments and The Jesus Storybook Bible

https://www.etsy.com/listing/204641077/tutorial-for-24-jesse-tree-ornaments?ref=market

Instant Pot Chicken Wings

There are many reasons to love the Instant Pot, but one of the best reasons is that I RARELY remember to thaw meat in time for dinner.  Anyone else?  I'm always amazed when I can throw a frozen chunk of meat into the IP, and, in a matter of moments, it's thawed and cooked.  These wings took a little extra work to crisp them at the end, but it was definitely worth it.

I Still Sleep with a Stuffed Animal

I'm pretty much the poster girl for ENFJs.  I'm a life-planning, over-sharing, soul-searching, feeler.  I read this about the NF child in Please Understand Me II by David Keirsey:  

Idealist children can easily attach human personalities to their treasured toys.  A teddy bear or ceramic figurine can be unbelievably dear.  A lost toy, or, worse, one accidentally thrown away by a parent, is a real tragedy to them.  

Yep, that's totally me.

Stovetop Popcorn

I've done this TWICE ever in my life, so that makes me qualified to blog about it, right?  This is SUCH a fun afternoon snack/activity to do with kids, and we love to pop it up and then grab a book to read aloud.

4 Ingredient Breakfast Burritos

Anyone else get frustrated when you have to scroll and scroll (and scroll) through a blogger's story to get to the bottom of the page for the recipe?  Yes?  Great, you're in luck.

Here's the recipe:

Mixed Emotions and Mother's Day

LOOK at this very precious, very beautiful necklace my mom got me for Mother's Day.  Representing two babies that live in this house and three babies I will meet one day in Heaven.  

Mother's Day is complicated and full of all of the emotions for so many women, but life is meaningful and rich when you're able to grab on to one another and simultaneously grieve and rejoice.  I love that this necklace represents the richness, the joy, and the sorrow of my beautiful journey into motherhood.  

This particular necklace came from www.etsy.com/shop/foxandfigs

We didn't know it at the time, but even when this necklace was being hand made for me, another baby was beginning to grow.  We are planning to welcome our next little one at the end of January, 2017.

So far the name suggestions from my kids are as follows: 

Lu, 5: Noon

Bubba, 3.5: Whitey

I suppose that's a start!

Black + White Weekend

I've seen several people lately do these lovely black and white images to capture the ordinary moments of their weekend, and I thought it was too fun not to try.  I'm far from a professional, and these were just taken with my phone, but I'm so tickled with how the whole project came together.

I would like to make a habit of recording one weekend a month this way.  Have you tried this before?  Give it a shot and let me know what you think!  Life sure does look a lot less chaotic in black and white!!

Hand Jive

Bennett is discovering his hands... the best toy for a 3 month old.  He spent lots of time looking at them today.

Broad Street Cafe

We went to Broad Street Cafe with the Welches for a concert geared toward kids.  Audrey and Haven enjoyed themselves, but it was way too loud for poor Bennett.  He pouted hus lip out and cried on and off the whole time we were there.  This cut the evening short just a bit.  We basically scarfed our food and left.  They offer different kid shows throughout the year, so maybe we'll try again when they're doing a puppet show :p  Audrey also enjoyed munching on mama's sweet potato fries... dipping them in ketchup... her first taste of ketchup!.  I would say she loved it, because she dipped and licked several times before I decided she had had enough.  :]

February in Pictures

Learning to juggle a toddler and an infant hasn't left much time for blogging so here's a quick recap of our February in pictures.

January in Pictures

In an attempt to play catch-up now that the baby boy is 3 months old and I feel like I can finally breathe... here's the month of January in pictures.  Enjoy!!

A few before and afters

With the baby around... making this house a home is a slow moving process... getting pictures uploaded is even slower.  There are many half-done projects around here, but here are a few of the finished ones:

$7 curtain panels from JC Penny - added white ribbon using stitch-witchery

Kitchen Cabinets - a gallon of paint and new hardware

Original chandelier

$10 chandelier from the Habitat Re-Store and a can of spray paint

$10 chair from the Habitat Re-Store - new fabric and spray paint

$17 Clock from Grannie's Panties - paint left over from the kitchen cabinets, scrapbook paper and scrapbooking embellishments 

Grace abounds in a home with squeaky floors

The gospel of grace calls us to sing of the everyday mystery of intimacy with God instead of always seeking for miracles or visions. It calls us to sing of the spiritual roots of such commonplace experiences as falling in love, telling the truth, raising a child, teaching a class, forgiving each other after we have hurt each other, standing together in the bad weather of life, of surprise and sexuality, and the radiance of existence. Of such is the kingdom of heaven, and of such homely mysteries is genuine religion made. Grace abounds and walks around the edges of our everyday experience. - Brennan Manning, The Ragamuffin Gospel

A couple of months ago my husband and I moved into our "new" house (built in 1991) with a very pregnant belly.  A couple of weeks later we brought baby Audrey home.  Walking around the house the floors squeak and I'm starting to learn the spots.  I'm learning where to step and where not to step when tip toeing around the sleeping baby.

The baby is sleeping right now so I have some quiet time to do "me" things.  I'm working on a slipcover for a crummy old ottoman I got for $20 off of craigslist.  Walking around in the room with the ottoman I found a new squeaky spot and I smiled to myself.

This house immediately felt like home to me, and the squeaky floors are part of that.  They remind me of... home.  They remind me of the home I spent my first 18 years in and they make me want this to be the home baby Audrey spends her first 18 years in.

The squeaky floors remind me of my 5-year old self waking my mom in the middle of the night for a snack.  Sitting at the kitchen table with her, a little bit of pepsi, and some cheese crackers.  Loving that we were up while the neighborhood slept.  

The squeaky floors remind me of my 7-year old self racing through the house to the restroom in the middle of the night.  Racing, because I was scared of what lurked where it was too dark to see.  

They remind me of playing rummy by flashlight or candlelight when the electricity would go out.  

They remind me of dragging furniture from my room to my brothers room and from my brothers room to my room... weeks after he had gotten new wallpaper... now my wallpaper.  Blue, with little white seagulls I think.  They remind me of dragging the same furniture back to their original rooms months later. 

Waking up and tip-toeing to my dad's brown lazy-boy chair.  Curling up with my head on one of the arms and looking into the kitchen until someone noticed I was up.  My parents stirring their coffee and chatting.

The one window that always let in water when it rained.  At least it was the bathroom window!  I can even hear the sound of the wooden shutters that hung on the inside of that window.

Sitting on the back porch in a wet bathing suit, wrapped in a worn-thin beach towel, water dripping onto the floor from my dangling feet, eating a tomato stuffed with seafood salad, squeezed with lemon, and surrounded by triscuits.  

They remind me of my 9-year old self knocking on the shower wall, signaling my mom that I was ready for the towel that had been warming by the wood-stove.  Sitting with my back to that wood-stove to dry my long hair.

The squeaky floors remind me of my 17-year old self coming home late after everyone had gone to bed. Coming home to find a "mibb" warming the bed where my feet would go and a sweet note from mom on my pillow.  

The things that were normal and mundane have become the things that shape the memories of my childhood and they have become the things that bring to mind happiness when I look back.  

The squeaky floors in our new old house bring to mind happiness when I look back.  I pray that Audrey's normal and mundane experiences in this house become happy memories of her childhood one day.  I pray that she finds love in the ordinary things and I especially pray that she finds God in the ordinary things... that she recognizes all the blessings that so many of us tend to overlook.  

Motherhood Exposed - Buckle Up, It's Going To Be A Bumpy Ride

Granny Annie has been visiting for the past week.  We spent one day running errands with the babe.  We went to the Re-Store, I Heart New York Pizza, Michael's, The Dollar Store, Food Lion, and back home.  When we got home, Audrey was conked out in her car seat.  This is typical.  I set her down in the living room and went on about my business for as long as she would let me.  She eventually started to kick her feet and squirm so I knelt down to rescue her from this seat she had spent most of her morning in.  We usually keep a blanket on her, so I pulled that off of her first then sat down on my bottom, horrified at what I saw.  My angel was not buckled up.  She had fussed in Michael's, so I picked her up and carried her around for a bit.  At the check out I sat her back in her seat, but did not buckle her in and apparently never remembered to before we got back in the car.

Sad face...

A million what-ifs raced through my mind as I stared at my precious cargo.  More than a car accident, (which would have been detrimental, obviously, but unikely), I was freaked out about the way I handle her so roughly in the seat.  How could she have not slid out... what if she had slid out?!  I had popped her out of the shopping cart, flung her over my arm, tossed her in the car, and lugged her in the house... all the while her little bottom stayed put in her seat, no thanks to her mama.

Taking a moment to be thankful that she is just fine and thinking to myself I can't be the only mom that has done this.  Right?