My birth experiences were so different - with Caden my water before labor, and resulted in my being induced and then epidural and then vacuum and baby born sunnyside up. And then breastfeeding issues to where I eventually exclusively pumped and supplemented as well.
So Alana's birth story is very much different - but since this is her story hers will be in more detail the brief description I gave of Cadens.
I should say first that, because my maternal history has been early babies including my own - I assumed Alana would be born early, so when week 39 came I was surprised to find myself still pregnant. I allowed my midwife to strip my membranes on 9/21- not quitr r
39 wks. It brought on stronger contractions but no spotting - in fact my midwife told me it wouldn't work - wasn't stretchy enough -there was no site of blood. The next morning - had my bloody show -maybe? And the stronger contractions continued. By this time everyone for the last week had been asking me if - had any signs yet and making comments like baby was supposed to already be here. I know I was only 37 wks when they started saying this to me and I knew and excepted baby could very easily be late - but allof the questions about if baby was showing signs and was I going to go in labor that day - all started getting into my head....
I questioned if I was going into labor, whether these contractions were it. I'd have somewhat painful contractions or frequent contractions, only to pass after an hour or two. Finally on 9/23 I was sorting socks in my closet and was feeling really strong contractions and after an hour (I had a lot of socks to sort- we've collected a bunch over the years and lazily just kept adding them to one large laundry hamper) decided maybe this was it. And then I started visualizing it, before I would tell myself it wasn't it and then it would pass. But I decided - nope, its going to happen. So I started dancing with my baby, trying to rock her down to get things going. I started using the birthing ball to also help influence it. After an hour, I decided to tell husband that maybe we could calmly get things ready to go to the hospital, let the parents know that we weren't going to rush it, but we were just going to get it checked out. All the meanwhile I was still visualizing it.
I started timing my contractions when we got in the car. I wanted to stop at the store and get a few things and we also had to drop off my son. My contractions were 5-7mins apart. After dropping my son off, I called my midwife to let her know we were thinking about checking in and they thought it was a good idea. When we checked in I was 3cm dialated and my contractions were 4-9min apart but were pretty strong contractions. My midwife said to go ahead and admit me. I was admitted around 5:30pm. I called my mom at that time who was driving from over an hour away, but I wanted to be there with me as she herself had 3 drug-free births. My first was not drug-free. I was checked again at 7pm and 9pm. Still only 3cm dialated still good contractions. I had the choice to stay or go. My mom and DH talked me into staying. I'm glad they did. My mom went and stayed at my aunt and uncles house who lived 5mins away from the hospital. After deciding and the excitement wearing off, I feel asleep around 11, with a heating pad on my back) At. 1am I was no longer comfortable in any position laying down and asked if I could use the tub (in another room). I had to wait until 2 to get in it. I was in the tub for 1.5hrs, by then my contractions were 2-3mins apart. DH called my mom when we went back to our room around 3:30am, around 4am. When my mom arrived, I was in the shower on a birthing ball naked - LOL.
I was told that when I felt the urge to poop I should let the nurse know. I felt the urge so she wanted to check me - I was 9cm - but she wouldn't let me go back to the toilet. So I guess she got what she deserved. I kept pushing out the tiniest little pellet pellet with many contractions.
I didn't know what time it was, but I got so tired in the end, I was really trying to push her and rock her out of my body, but it wasn't happening. Finally a 5:44am she was born, with the assistance of DH helping to pull her out. We were on the bed by this time. I did it drug-free - YAY! And she was totally alert. The nurse knew I really wanted to find success this time in breastfeeding. And told me that I needed to nurse for a minimum of 50mins. So I did.
I had the absolute best nurse in the world. My midwife did hardly anything, but my nurse was absolutely amazing. I loved loved loved her!!
9.28.2010
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"I know this was posted a while back but I just read it and thought it was a beautiful birth story :) Way to go mama!" -- ANGE_AHMED
When we were pregnant with our first, we didn't find out the sex. But we had the ultrasound tech jot the sex down and seal it in an envelope, in case my husband decided he wanted to find out while keeping it a surprise from me or we could later decide if both of us would find out.
For Valentines day - I gave him the option of finding out and he decided to keep it a suprise. But we made a deal we'd find out the sex with our second baby.
So I enjoyed being surprised so much, that I was hoping he would too and change his mind on finding out with our second. When we got pregnant this time, I was able to somehow convince him that it could be fun for him to find out and keep it a surprise from me. But in order to convince him of this deal - I told him he could tell whomever he wanted to, it would be his connection with baby I did not have and he would get to have this special thing he could share with others. I also told him that he and everyone could go back and forth on the sex - so if they accidentally slipped - I wouldn't be able to figure it out. And I told him that if at anytime he wanted me to know he could tell me, because I knew I'd be finding out anyways. And that if he wanted to tell me he could make something special of it as finding out from him would be better than finding out from the ultrasound tech - in my mind. (and later I found out that that would be very true).
So he decided - fine - I'll play this game of yours. So for the last 9 wks I have not known the sex of the baby. He has been very good about keeping it in. And I swear I thought it was a boy - I had many reasons I thought so. I told him and everyone else so, because I thought well if its not a surprise I should just tell people what I thought it might be.
Well I was wrong - LOL, so I guess I was surprised after all!!
Caden and I went on a playdate and came home to a present sitting on the buffet with a card. He said 'Someone dropped something off for you.' So I went over to it and opened up the card. the front said 'Pink or Blue' and written inside was 'Its up to you, but open up the box if you want to find out the sex of our baby.'
I read it, set the card down and walked away - pondering if I should open it. I was perfectly content on not finding out, but at the same time - he put so much thought into it, and he really wanted to share the news with us. When I walked away he seemed disappointed. So I said to Caden - "what do you think Caden, do you want to find out if the baby is a boy or a girl? If we open up this present we can find out.' And of course Caden wanted to open the present and find out.
It was very sweet finding out this way. I'm glad that DH was the one to let us know and he got to make it special. I'm also glad that he got to keep it a surprise from me for a little while and have the special news to share with others including Caden and I. I think it made things very special about this pregnancy, and now we've got a great little story and pictures to add to the baby book.
7.17.2010
I have to start by saying, I am no professional, I just started painting in May, so I won't even dare compare myself to that caliber. But I think I'm a damn good amateur.
I can't believe, I selected which photo, sketched it and started painting and have gotten this much done in one night and it looks pretty darn good. I can't imagine what the finished product will look like, as I usually have several, several edits and changes after paint has touched every surface of the canvas. I hope I keep intact the good parts during those edits, while fixing the little pieces I don't like with success.
I am hoping my mom will love this as much as I am so far, and I think I might do a series of Caden in this creek - as I have several shots. And I love the vibrance of his shirt!!
I took a break from painting for atleast a month or two - I got bombarded with baby shower presents I got a bit painted out in October. I forgot how much I love to paint my son!!
12.18.2009
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In January, my family agreed that we would be making homemade gifts for Christmas this year. I didn't have a clue what I would do, but the idea sounded fun.
I had it in my mind a couple months later, I could sketch pictures for family and frame the sketches. I realized when my dog was a puppy 6 yrs ago, that I could sketch, and when Caden was born I could do pretty good sketches of him too. But I never did anything with that talent, not even as a hobby. So here was my chance - I could make sketches for everyone.
But then I started thinking -what will I sketch for my brother, how will it look, what about my sister? Who has sketches framed in their house??? And then I said, I've always wanted to learn how to paint maybe I could just try, and I could fall back on sketches if that doesn't work. So I picked up a little starter acrylic set, and a pack of 3 little matte boards, the kind you have to frame, cause they aren't built onto a frame already. I wasn't going to invest alot of money into it if I ended up sucking at it.
So I started my first picture Mothers day weekend - after attempting to knit. My mom got me knitting material for mothers day, and it was just hard work. So when I got home from my parents house, after putting Caden to bed. I started my first picture - the dolphin picture for my sister. I had googled various dolphin images and I chose one to try to replicate. It was done in 2 days. It was so simple.
Okay, now on to harder work. My dad's favorite photo of Caden, do I dare try to do a painting of a person. I don't really care for them when I see them in other people's houses. But what else could I paint for my dad??? Whether it was good or bad, he'd still like it just cause it was a painting of Caden. In the actual photo, he is in my front pack, cause he's only 7mo old, so I had to change the background of the picture completely. The original background, i was trying to make coastal mountains, but it kindof look like he was on the moon. So I later changed the background.
Anyhow, So I sketched the painting first on to the board before painting, with my made up background. It should be easy enough to just paint colors into the right sections. After 2 days it looked so ammaturish (picture on blog). So I fixed bits here and there. I couldn't get the nose right, so I tried making the paint really thick on his nose, make its own bump. - that was silly. I had to sand things down. I saw that on some web page, people sand down between layers - I wasn't but found everyonce in a while had to cause the picture started looking grainy.
Anyhow, the picture ended up being mostly done by the time my dads birthday came around in early June - less then a month since I started painting at all. I was learning very quickly. Anyhow, I gave it to my dad, but told him I need to touch up on it some more.
So now, its just a matter of painting pictures for Christmas presents, attempting different things - trying to paint something I think the person will actually like. LIke my brothers anime. I have no idea what he'd put in his house for decor, but I know he likes anime, but which anime??? So I attempted at an anime of him, figuring he could put it in his office where he might have anime stuff??
8.23.2009
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When we were pregnant with our first, we didn't find out the sex. But we had the ultrasound tech jot the sex down and seal it in an envelope, in case my husband decided he wanted to find out while keeping it a surprise from me or we could later decide if both of us would find out. 
I have to start by saying, I am no professional, I just started painting in May, so I won't even dare compare myself to that caliber. But I think I'm a damn good amateur. 
In January, my family agreed that we would be making homemade gifts for Christmas this year. I didn't have a clue what I would do, but the idea sounded fun. 
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