Josiah's Homebirth Story- June 2010

Is baby Brandon really due a month from today? May 8^th seems like it’s just around the corner, and who knows, he may want to make an early entrance like his brother! (That would be fine by me )

While the countdown to my due date is running through my mind on a daily basis, I really can’t wait for next Tuesday, April 17^th. On that date, I will be 37 weeks pregnant and officially “allowed” to have my precious baby at home with a midwife. Woohoo! With that date in mind, I started thinking that, woah….I really need to write down Josiah’s birth story already!

Yes, I know, Josiah will be 2 in June….but his birth was amazing and I want to remember it…and I want to share it.

As I explained before, I had not planned on a homebirth from the beginning, but decided it was the best option for me when I was around 6 months pregnant. Having had Josiah at home, I cannot imagine every wanting a hospital birth, unless absolutely medically necessary.

Here it goes….

On Monday, June 28^th I walked about a mile on the treadmill at the clubhouse and took a nice leisurely swim in the pool. I got home right before Brian was leaving for work. I  started feeling something different going on with the baby, which I was pretty sure were contractions. As Brian walked out the door I told him, “I don’t want to get your hopes up, but I think I might be having contractions.” He was excited and told me to keep him updated and call if I needed him to come home.

I decided to take a trip to Publix to get the ingredients to make lasagna in case the birth team needed to eat or if my labor was very long. I ran into a co-worker at Publix, who asked how I was feeling. I told him I was pretty sure I was in labor and so hopefully would have my baby sometime tonight. I remember his perplexed expression….what in the world was this woman doing at the grocery store????

I wasn’t really in pain, but I could feel the contractions come and go. I timed them for a few hours and they were about 5 minutes apart, but not painful at all.

I let my midwife and doula know things were happening and they asked me to just keep them updated if anything changed.

I put together the lasagna, watched some TV, and wrote down every time a new contraction started. I called Brian a few times and realized he had been convinced by his coworkers that I was not really in labor…I mean all the ladies on TV have their water break and then start screaming immediately, right?

I knew I was in early labor, and that I had a while to go, but it was labor none the less.

I called my mom and she got things together to head over this way. The plan was to have her stay close by in a hotel and come immediately if I needed help or right when the baby was born.

Things stayed pretty calm until a little while after Brian came home from work. He got home about 9:30pm and my contractions started to intensify around 10:30.  My doula started making her way towards my house and my midwife made plans to come in a few hours to check my progress and see if I needed her to stay.

I think my doula got to my house around 11:30/12:00. I labored on a birth ball , while watching TV in my guest room with Brian and her. I remember it got really difficult to remain sitting each time a contraction would come. I would sit and rest and then stand and lean during the actual contraction.

My midwife got there and checked to see how far along I was. I was about 3 centimeters. The contractions were stronger and definitely uncomfortable, but not overwhelming. She asked if I wanted her to stay or come back when I was further a long (since I had the support of Brian and a doula). I told her she could go home and rest and we would call when things were progressing more.

I remember laboring throughout the house, leaning on my countertop, couch, or kitchen table as I walked around. My house was dimly lit and quiet. Noises like talking or TV started to distract me from working through the contractions and actually seemed to make it hurt worse. I remember asking Brian and my doula not to talk around me. This helped a lot. I labored in the shower for a good long while. I made sure not to use up the hot water too quickly and savored every second.

My contractions were   definitely intensifying during the shower. I asked my doula to have Brian call the midwife to head over. This was all getting very, very real.

While I was in the shower, I think Brian was filling up the birth tub in our bedroom. I didn’t know if I wanted to just labor in or actually deliver in the tub, but I had heard that it made a HUGE difference in the pain level, so I wanted to try it.

When my midwife arrived, she checked me again and I was 5 centimeters. She said it was okay for me to get into the tub soon after that….and wow….it was amazing. The warmth….the weightlessness….it all made laboring so much easier. I could move into any position that felt right (I think I mostly squatted). I remember getting out to go to the bathroom once…and feeling the difference in pain outside of the water as opposed to inside of the water, I realized I would not be  getting out again!

I labored for a while, focusing on breathing and  low moans, which supposedly help open up your body. The contractions were very, very intense. It was hard work, and remember resting my head on the side of the tub, almost sleeping, during the  rest periods.  There was one time right before  transition where I looked over at my doula and said “This is really, really hard…” She smiled and said “I know…”

For the most part Brian, my midwife and my doula supported me, silently…watching, waiting, and encouraging me with their presence and a few words.  They occasionally made suggestions as to something that might help or a better position to be in. My midwife checked my occasionally to see my progress and also checked my blood pressure and the baby’s heartbeat. All was well.

I remember about 2-3 times where I could not breathe/moan through the contractions and I let out a louder almost involuntary shriek.

Around 3:30 I started to feel the urge to push. I let my midwife know and she said to do  whatever felt right.  They suggested a different position for pushing, where I leaned back into Brian’s arms (poor guy!) as he leaned forward over the edge of the tub.  I was still squatting, but some of the pressure was now off of me.

I pushed for about 2 hours. My midwife had a flashlight and looked into the water. She announced that she could see the head starting to show. Within 30 seconds of this statement I felt another contraction and the head shot out, followed by the body a few seconds later. That part all happened so fast. My midwife barely had time to put on her gloves. Josiah was born in the birth pool and lifted immediately to my chest. I had such a feeling of  relief…he was here! It was 5:35am on Tuesday, June 29^th.

Because he was born in water, he did not look like your typical messy/bloody newborn. He was washed clean  immediately as he came into this world. I held him and Brian and I fawned over our new baby boy. What a miracle!

When I was ready, I handed Brian the baby, and got out of the tub to deliver the placenta and get a few stiches (I tore a little, since he shot out like rocket).

During this time my doula was cleaning up the room and made breakfast for everyone. After my stiches  I had some scrambled  eggs and then took a shower in my own shower, with my towels and my robe.

Everything was in order. Josiah was weighed and all the necessary newborn checks were done by my midwife. He was perfect. Brian, Josiah, and I climbed into our bed with nice clean sheets. I tried to nurse, but Josiah was too tired by this time. We would try again later. We all feel asleep, cuddling together, after a very long night.

When we woke up, I nursed Josiah and my mom made me a sandwich. I sat at my very own kitchen table and enjoyed a meal. It was delicious….and peaceful….and natural.

My midwife came back many times during the next few weeks to check on momma and baby. She helped with breastfeeding and my multitude of new mom questions. It was so nice having her come to my house and check on us, instead of having to lug a newborn to a postpartum appointment in a Dr’s office.

I could probably write a book about how amazing having a homebirth was….I am so grateful for the experiences that led me to make that decision and for the people who supported me before, during, and after my labor….

I can’t wait to do it again!

Decorating for Christmas (in our p.j.'s)

So with the way Brian's schedule has been, we were running out of time to put up our Christmas tree. Finally, one morning....before showers....combs...and real clothes (the kind you go out in public in) we squeezed in a few minutes to set it all up. Josiah helped and we had lots of fun.

Please forgive our bed head. We know how fabulous we look....ha!

  

Bath Bubble Overload

I just love that Josiah looks forward to our bedtime routine....

No matter what he is doing I can just ask "do you want to take a bath" and he will hop down, toss whatever toy was peaking his curiosity and run to the bathroom. Brian and I always giggle to see those little feet moving so fast.

Today I put a bit too much soap in the water and we had bubble overload. Josiah was  unsure and a little freaked out about bubbles getting stuck to every inch of his body. But, as usual, he quicky got distracted by all the fun that is bathtime.

"Mommy how do I get these off??"

 Getting a little exercise before bedtime

 Peek-a-boo!

Corn Maze!

For the second year in a row, we were able to go to the  Corn Maze with our friends Josh and Tabatha. Last year we both had an infant in a Baby Bjorn....this year we had roaming toddlers and they had a new little baby. Amazing how quickly time flies and families grow.....

Josiah was fascinated by the animals and thought running his hands through the "corn" stalks made the coolest sound of all time. After about 5 minutes of wandering through the maze, he decided it was best to be held and avoid the exhaustion of walking....smart kid....tired parents :)

This year my favorite part was the toddler play ground (a new addition!) The bounce house was a blast for the boys and Josiah discovered his love for going down fast slides all on his own (that's my boy!) His adventurous spirit and fearlessness always amazes me....and makes me anxious for all of the roller coaster rides in our future...woohoo!

Most of all, I loved watching Josiah discover, ponder, and experience new and exciting things....

Finger Painting Fun

This summer I was lucky enough to get to spend some quality time with one of my beautiful nieces. The last time I saw her she was just learning to read, in Kindergarten, and now she's nearly in middle school! We didn't have a bunch of time, but boy did  we have fun. She loved playing with Josiah and carrying him everywhere.

Here was one of our adventures....

See you next time, sweetheart....

Nights of Lights

So, pretty much I seem to have fallen off the face of the earth (or  at least the world wide web!) So much has happen since my last  post...so many memories enjoyed but not recorded. I tempted to try to recap, but let's just start with today and then maybe someday soon I can post a few "make up" stories....I'll see what I can do.

We had a great morning helping out and visiting over at my mom's new house in  Palatka (only 35 minutes away! Woohoo!) We picked oranges, chased dogs, and  Brian tackled some house projects. Josiah decided that he did not need a nap and would rather blow "raspberries" on my face to make me laugh! Boys can be so silly. He finally fell asleep at 4pm...needless to say, bedtime was pushed back a bit.

Tonight we headed out to Nights of Lights. This was the first year that Brian, Josiah and I were able to do this together.  It was short and sweet. We got there about 20 minutes before the lights got turned on, listened to some music (in the sprinkling rain) and then had some treats at Markland house. Brian and I enjoyed the delicious brownies, while Josiah drooled over blueberries...and then squished one in his stroller. Josiah loved seeing all the horses walking down the street. Really glad we went...We got to see some friends too, which is always fun.

A Birthday Letter to My Little Man....

June 29, 2011

Dear Big Boy Josiah,

Happy birthday, sweet baby boy. What a special day today is. You are 1! I have enjoyed spending the last two days reminiscing about the hours that led up to your birth and the magical first day that we saw your innocent little face. I walked through each moment in my mind and cried tears of joy more times than I would like to admit. I love you so much and I am so thankful that God saw fit to bless our lives with someone as special as you. I could not help myself from kissing your handsome face and playing with those cute little toes every time the opportunity presented itself today. As you grow older you may be curious about what you were  like on your first ever birthday.

~you love attention….always watching to see if we are watching you…and getting the biggest grin when you realized that we are

~you flirt with all the girls in restaurants…smiling with those cute dimples and waving at them as long as they will laugh and smile at you

~you are almost walking. …you’re getting brave and taking 3-4 steps at a time

~you are such a cuddle bug….20 minutes don’t go by without you checking in with mommy, giving a hug, and letting me give you kisses all over

~you would wave, blow kisses, and clap all day if you could

~you love to climb in the Tupperware cabinet and throw all the pieces all over the floor

~You want to explore every single cabinet in the house

~you love sitting on mommy’s lap and reading bedtime stories, although you’re not that interested during the day

~you get the biggest grin of your face when your daddy comes home from work and walks in the door

~when we sing our famous “dancin’ in the living room” song you bounce up and down and shake your head from side to side.

~your are constantly on the move …but will sometimes randomly come over and put your head down on us and cuddle….spending a quiet moment with your mommy or daddy

~you are constantly laughing and have an adorable sense of humor

Thank you, darling, for this amazing year…full of excitement, exhaustion, and unconditional love.

Love, Mommy

Do I have something on my face?

So last night I made some ziti with meat sauce, garlic bread and a nice salad.  Timed it pretty good so that it would be ready right as Brian walked in the door. Well it was ready and Josiah and I were sitting at the table as it stayed warm on the stove...we sat...and talked...and he got antsy just sitting so I started to feed him his dinner....we had a blast, but 40 minutes later still no Brian.


Opps...totally forgot Brian was going to play basketball after work with some guys from church!


On the bright side,  Josiah and had way too much fun with his dinner. Gotta say, Brian totally  missed out on on an awesome memory. Take a look. :)

9 months and counting

A few days ago my precious little boy turned 9 months. I cannot even begin to understand how quickly this time has gone by. It seems like just a moment ago he was swaddled in a blanket content to just take a nap with mommy. Boy how things have changed! At 9 months  Josiah....
~weights 21lbs 2oz
~is 28 1/2 inches long
~has a head that is 47cm in circumference (90th percentile...wow!)
~can crawl like champ
~can pull up on anything and everything AND get down from that position~has eight pearly-white teeth (and isn't afraid to use them!)
~can hold onto something that is rolling and walk along with it....until he realizes I am video taping
~loves to climb on Brian and I and could spend hours playing "climb the parent" during our morning cuddles in bed
~smiles and turns his face when I tell him to give me a kiss and make "kissy" sounds
~loves to look out my bedroom window especially when the trash trucks come on Friday morning
~wants to eat off adult spoons if at all possible
~would rather take a whole cauliflower and stick it in his mouth than eat a spoon of mashed up baby food
~ is an extremely determined young man. He knows what he wants and will grunt and wiggle and get to it at all costs
~Still rarely cries unless hungry, tired, or scared...or if he's in the car and wants OUT
~LOVES water...baths....showers....pools....hoses...sinks....anything.
~Finds turning on and off light switches and faucets amazing
~is always thinking. So many of my pictures of him are with his head down because he is holding, turning, pushing and trying to figure out how everything works
~loves his Daddy's guitar...both playing it and listening to his dada sing and play
We love our little munchkin more and more each day and not a day goes by where Brian or I don't look at each other and say "He's just so cute!"
Thank you Lord.