I love this town!

Brian and I took the little man out for a beautiful and breezy walk through St. Augustine. We spent a lot of time at the Fort, just enjoying the water, boats, and some quality time together.  Josiah loved pulling the grass out and hoping mommy would look away so he could taste it. What a wonderful Saturday!

Our beautiful city!

Looking for dolphins

Exploring a rock

Power to the babies!

Josiah showing his "tough guy" stance

Pulling weeds at the Fort

Fun with daddy

Daddy is dripping water on his head to make him laugh 

Homeward  bound!

Journey to a home birth (Part 3)

The more I thought about it, the more I wanted a natural, stress-free, and mother-led birth. I've always been more of a laid back person and the hustle and bustle of a hospital just didn't seem to fit my style. I talked with my friend, who was teaching the birth class, about how I didn't know what choice I had. I had gone 5, almost 6 months into my pregnancy with this midwife group located in my local hospital. I couldn't just call them up and say "Sorry, you won't be seeing me anymore." Then my friend asked me the question that changed it all. "Why not?" she said.

Why not? Why couldn't I change? Don't people move while they are pregnant and change doctors? Don't people switch doctors if they find out there are some complications that require a more trained eye?

The idea intrigued me. Could I really do this? Did I want to do this? What would Brian think? 

I decided to go to one more appointment while I checked out some homebirth midwives in the area. After I waited 30 minutes in the waiting room only to have a 10 minute appointment where I got weighed, blood pressure checked, and heard my baby's heartbeat and was asked one final time "Do you have any questions". I knew now that I wanted a natural birth (without epidural) so I asked the midwife her thoughts on how that would play out. She told me"Well, to be honest 99% of women that come through here have an epidural, so you're really going to have to fight the nurses for what you want."

FIGHT?!?? In the midst of my labor, during which I will not be able to move around freely (unless it is in accodance with hospital policy) I will have to win a battle of will over the nurses who will want me to get a epideral (easier for them, I'm assuming). Are you kidding me?

At that moment, my mind was made up. I was having a home birth.

Journey to a homebirth (part 2)

The night of the first birthing class had finally come and I was almost as giddy as the first  Dr's visit (expectant mothers are pretty easy to please...anything baby related!) We met at my friends house and started out just talking about our experiences so far. Pregnant ladies love to swap stories (this doesn't end when the babies are born either...)

A movie called The Business of Being Born was the primary thing on the agenda and I was excited to see it because I had heard a friend of mine mention it before.

This movie was amazing. It was like it knew all the questions I had asked my doctor and all the very kind "Oh I'm sorry, we don't do that" responses. It gave scientific fact for all the things I intuitively knew deep down...like women's body's were created to go through this process...and that being comfortable and at ease were crucial to the progression of the labor...and how drugs like epiderals not only lead very often to a cascade of medical interventions that wouldn't have been  necessary otherwise BUT ALSO rob the mother of the complex mixture of hormones that are released while she is laboring/birthing naturally that are vital in after birth bonding.

I saw two contrasting birthing styles. One in the hospital (that I was headed toward) where florescent lights flickered, machines beeped, and strangers walked in and of your room to "check" you. Where Dr.'s sometimes followed your "birth plan" (sort of...) and sometimes pressured you into things that made their job easier. I saw women who sat back and let someone else control their birth for the simple fact they didn't realize it was their moment, their birth, their rite of passage, and could possibly be the most breathtaking and powerful moment of their life.

Then I saw women, midwives, and doulas who believed  in the birthing process...who didn't see pregnancy or birthing as a sickness or condition to be cured. I watched women labor in their dimly lit bedroom or a warm and welcoming  birthcenter without anyone hovering over them. The women knew how to birth. Not because someone was screaming at them to "push!"...bur because their bodies were allowed to move at their own pace in a comfortable environment. They were surrounded by women who believed in their ability to birth and who had done it themselves.

So much was going through my head, but the biggest and most pressing thought was "I'm already 5 months into this thing...what choice do I have now?"

More to come...:)

Our Beautiful (and unexpected) Homebirth: Part 1

A bunch of things have happened this week that have brought me down memory lane to reminise and relive one of the most beautiful and intense days of my life....the day Josiah Anthony Teryek was born.

I'd like write it down, before I totally forget...it has already been 8 months after all (wow!) The details are a little fuzzy, but the warm, contented felling still resides deep in my soul.

When I first found out I was having a baby I couldn't wait to make that first exciting Dr's appointment. I could imagine hearing his heartbeat, seeing him on an ultrasound, and having one of the midwives deliver the baby. I pictured it all going down at a hospital (why not..) and I expected that I'd probably get an epideral (again, why not...)

I started off with a midwife group I had worked with before and I got an ultrasound the first  trip in (awesome!) Everything time I would see a new midwife and I wondered who would be the one on call when I went into labor. I saw a poster of laboring positions at their office and was pretty intreaged by all the options. All of them seemed better than laying on your back (going against gravity didn't seem too smart). After this I started researching options like birthing stools, birthing tubs, and all sorts of unconventional options that I didn't see in the movies.

At my next appointment when she asked "Do you have any questions?" I finally had something to say! I asked a dozen questions about tubs, positions, walking around, etc. Every answer, came back a very tactful "Well that would be against hospital policy" or "We aren't allowed to do that" or "We don't use those here." Hmmmm....very disappointing. But what choice did I have? There weren't any birth centers anywhere near me, so this was the it was going to be.
I eventually resigned to the idea that I would be laying in a bed for most of my laboring and certainly all of my delivery.
After 5 months of thinking I had that I had no real options a good friend of mine who is a Doula (birth assistant) and a childbirth educator offered to do a childbirth class for Brian and I and another couple. After weeks of scheduleing conflicts we finally met up.....that night changed the course of the birth of my son and will forever impact how I feel about childbirth and birthing options.To be continued... :)

Long Overdue

Josiah is 7 months old and he just amazes me by the day. He is crawling all over the place (not quite a pro, but he gets it done!), he loves the idea of standing up and is pulling up to his knees and working on going up all the way. At his 6 month appointment he was 28 inches and 19lbs 13oz. He has 8 teeth(four chompers on the bottom and four on the top). He just started going from a crawl to sitting position and he thinks this is just the best thing ever.

So hard to imagine that the last time I posted he was barely sitting up....wow. I know there are going to be more fast and furious changes to come in the next few months. What a fun time in the life of a mommy!

After playing for a while Josiah and I went for a walk to the park and  had some fun. He actually did really great on the swing and got a huge smile when we went down the slide together.

What a beautiful February day!

Too Many Kisses to Number

I find that the day after I work I always have an extra dose of fun with Josiah. He's happy to have a mommy to snuggle with, too many kisses to number, and warm milk at a moment's notice. I'm happy to feel his warm cheek on my neck as he drifts off to sleep and wait for that sly smile as he looks up at me after a nap.

After a 45 minute nap Josiah woke up to eat and while eating we both fell asleep in the chair. He would wake up and eat a little more and then we would drift off once again. When we finally woke up I looked at the clock to find we had been sleeping there for 2 hours. What a wonderful way to spend an afternoon.

I took to many pictures again today...here are a few.

Chilly Days and Christmas Trees

My sweet little Josiah is 5 months now. Wow. He has 2 teeth coming boldly into this world  (with which he loves to bite any unexpecting fingers) and a few more timid teeth that are secret agents. His hair is growing in and officially looks like a hair piece. He is getting very close to sitting up by himself, and if it wasn't for that pesky wind blowing every which way he might already be able to. I spent some time today taking pictures of my little munchkin with my early Christmas present...a Very nice camera. (Insert: Thank you Brian, you are the BEST)

The sun was bright and the wind was chilly....and with that combo Josiah was not in the mood to smile pretty, but he's still cute. :)

Well after a few minutes we were both a little chilly, so we went inside, but on some warmer clothes and played a little more. Josiah was in such a sweet quiet mood today.

After the little guy went to bed, Brian and I set up the Christmas tree. I kept thinking about how next year Josiah will be walking around helping up decorate for Christmas....and probably breaking a few ornaments!

This is a nativity scene that my grandma painted many years ago.