I'm BAAAAACK

I decided to start blogging again...again. I have such a fantastic life and I want to share it. And the best way to share it is to tell the internet. I do have friends that follow me, so I am sorry if you hear this stuff too much. OR if I sound conceded. I am really just telling my story to an alternate universe. I don't care if anyone ever reads this. I just want to tell my thoughts and experience.

Update:

I have found true happiness. In July, I officially left the corporate software world. I was so unhappy at ESRI. I really want to be here for my kiddos, and and I found a true passion working with mamas as a doula, yoga instructor and eventual midwife. Life is grand.

So, I hope to share with blog world my experiences on this new journey, it's an awesome but bumpy ride.

Stay tuned.

Still on a birth high

My friends and photographer put together a slideshow of some of the highlights from Frank's pregnancy and birth. I have watched it a million times. I love it. It was such an amazing experience and I think the video really captures the experience. Dan picked the song (Soul and Body, by Death Cab for Cutie) and I think it is a perfect fit. I am still reeling from the experience. I would do it all over again. Having both a hospital birth and now a home birth, I can definitely say..."Do it at home people!!!!!!!" It takes away so much of the fear in birth which turns into pain. Of course, by choosing a home birth, you are hopefully more informed than the average woman, so that takes away the fear/pain too. I was laughing and smiling up until the end. I am so proud of myself and my body and of course Frank.

On another note, I forgot how tiring a newborn is. I was trying to prepare myself, but whew it is tough and I am only two weeks in. That being said, it is a little different this time. I am trying with all my might to breast feed Frankie. Breast is BEST! But I had a breast reduction 14 years ago, and this adds some challenges my way. With a reduction, my milk glands were cut and this can cause me to not make enough milk. I am planning on writing a whole post detailing my BFAR (Breast Feeding After Reduction) experience. But in the meantime, I am feeding every two hours or less. The first week I was supplementing with some donated breast milk but when Frankie was gaining a ton, we backed up off the supplements. Then he lost a ton so we are back to supplementing. We will find our groove I know, but it is hard work I tell you. I'm tired and my boobies are sore.

But I am in love...

Frank James is HERE

I want to start blogging again. Although I am not sure when I will find the time. I can only seem to access the internet via my phone these days, and it is hard to blog with it.

Our son, Frank James, is finally here. He was born at home on Sat March 13th. It was a purely magical and amazing experience. I will be posting my birth story very soon. It was everything that I ever wanted. I had the best support team. My amazing midwifes, Emme Corbeil and Clare Welters. My amazing Doula, Judith Nylander. And my amazing doula photographers Emily Rumsey and Alisa Blackwood.

Till then, here is a little pic of the guy getting his newborn examine.

Crazy Baby Lady

So I got RAGING mad at hubbypants this morning. This has been happening a lot lately. My hormones or something. I will even realize that I am getting way madder than necessary, but can’t stop myself.

Dan took my car in for an oil change. I scheduled it because of a $5 coupon I had. I accidentally left the coupon at work yesterday. So, this morning I emailed the coupon to Dan and told him to tell them when he dropped off the car about it. He got the oil changed and when I asked him if he had any problems with the coupon, he said that he forgot to tell them when he dropped it off, and when he went to pay, they wouldn’t take it. I got so mad. So mad. Over 5 freakin dollars. Or the fact that he didn’t follow directions. Or the fact that he wasn’t persistent that they take the stupid coupon. Or the fact that a baby is eating my brain.

Anyway, I know I was/am being ridiculous, but I seriously considered divorce for a minute.

Signed,
crazy pregnant lady

Doula-ing #12

Today I attended an amazing birth. My last few births had been tough and left me asking myself if I was really meant to be a birth doula.

The answer is YES.

The look of accomplishment on my mama's face says it all. The gratitude she gave for "getting her through it" and "not letting her get an epidural." She was giving me WAY too much credit. She got herself through it. She did such an amazing job. Breathing through each contraction calmly and letting her body work hard for her. She made it look easy. And as for not letting her get an epidural...well I just did what a doula does, offer alternatives, suggestions and distract.

It was a great way to start my maternity leave from doulaing. And it inspired me for my own birth.

Thank you.

Daycare Drama

Evelyn started a new daycare on Thursday. It was a very sudden decision. This is Ev's 4th daycare in her short 18mo. Our in-home daycare, just became too unreliable. We were missing alot of days of work and had run out of PTO. Its a L-O-N-G story, but we will take the blame for biting off more than we could chew. Home daycare is cheaper, but in return, you aren't guaranteed care 365 days a year (minus holidays). The home provider gets 2 weeks vacation and 1 week sick leave, all paid. That results in paying double daycare those weeks. We had just bit off more than we could chew.

I think it is going to be harder on us than Evi. She has been adjusting well and drop off has been pretty easy. I am going to California for work next week, so I am nervous that it is alot of change for Evi all at once. But hey...kids are resilient right?

3 more months and we won't have to worry about daycare.

till then....

Halloween 2009