So most of the time life is completely crazy, insane, and busy, but a lot of fun and I love it. Today was an exception to the love for the insane. Now that I have 2 kids, there are some days that I wonder why I even bother trying.

Today started out as one of those crazy good days. Scary and Brooklyn, my friend Suzi and her toddler and baby, and Ty and I ate crepes together at 8:30. On top of the crepes we put homemade apple syrup that Scary, Suzi, and I had made the day before. They were absolutely delicious. This was my very first experience making them, but I was grateful to have a crepes tutorial to read last night.
  

Immediately after breakfast Ty, Heber, and I hopped into the car to take Ty to her 2 year old appointment (it was so exciting, I found out she doesn’t have to get any more shots until kindergarten and she didn’t get any today). She was 36 inches tall which puts her in the 95^th percentile (can you believe she’s 3 feet tall?).

Right after the appointment I joined Scary as we learned about essential oils (from doTerra). They seem super cool, but also really expensive. I know they test all their oils for purity, but I think I will take my chances and buy my oils at a natural medicine store where I can get them for 1/3 of the price.  Right after I had Heber I got a few bad migraines and I was really grateful to have the peppermint oil to help get rid of them (random fact: did you know peppermint oil diminishes milk supply? I was glad to learn this today because it seems like my milk takes forever to stop coming), but it seemed that the cheap stuff met my needs just fine.

Once we left the meeting I put Ty down for a nap and whipped up 5 batches of bread sticks for the activity we had tonight. It’s a really simple recipe, but it still took a long time and I spent over an hour and a half cooking breadsticks alone (excluding mixing and rising).

Then I made 3 baby wraps (1 for me, 1 for Scary, and the 3^rd wrap will be used in a give-away on the blog—details to follow) that Scary and I had planned out so that we can go to the Water Park with our toddlers, but still hold our babies and not keep them soaked by being in a normal wrap.

After that Heber and Ty woke up, we changed our clothes and went to the church.

I am part of the Activity Committee for Relief Society (my calling in my church). We tried to plan this special night for all of the girls. We had with fancy decorations (forget-me-not flowers), yummy food and desert (chicken alfredo, Caesar salad, homemade bread sticks, and cheese cake with fruit on top), a guest speaker from  BYU-Idaho, and even a nursery to take your toddlers so that you can actually enjoy the meeting instead of wondering what your kid will get into next (or trying to keep them quiet).

Maybe for most of the girls we met our goal, but it’s sad when you try so hard to make things nice and you don’t even really get to reap the benefits as well.

It’s probably no one’s fault but my own. Heber really seems to sense my stress, especially when it’s something elaborate and drawn out. In these really big moments where I can finally check off my list that I have done all the prep work and it’s time to sit back and relax, Heber is usually screaming.

There were 4 hours of constant scrambling to get stuff taken care of for this activity (while still trying to meet the needs of my kids). That means 4 hours that Heber was exposed to my tension. Most of the 2 hours of the activity he spent  screaming (the exception was when he was eating). To top it off Ty didn’t want to be in the nursery and wanted to be with me. I got nothing out of the event but exhaustion and cold, rushed food. I ended up giving up on enjoying the activity and going home early.

I really need to work harder to stay away from things that make me so crazy because the effects are so detrimental to Heber. His blessing day was a similar experience to this. He cried all through his blessing (except every time Power Shoes would say Heber’s name) and all through Sacrament meeting.

It’s probably not that the everyday insanity is too bad, it’s just when we leave home and are around people that Heber is super fussy.

If you have pointers or ideas I would love your comments because I don’t know what to do, short of becoming a Hermit and staying away from large crowds or events for the next 18 years.

Part 2 (a week overdue- to see part one click here)

That night after my appointment Scary took me on a fairly long walk to Wal-Mart. It was kind of ridiculous in a really great way because we only going to buy a ½ a yard of fabric and we took the kids (2 toddlers and one baby). In order to coax the screaming toddlers back in the stroller to go home (they were able to get themselves out of the harness), we got each one a bag of popcorn from the Subway before coming back.

That afternoon (a few hours after my appointment) I had started having contractions and they continued on my walk and later that night when I was watching a movie and as I went to bed. They weren’t anything huge, but more regular than anything I had ever experienced with Ty (just a reminder: I had to be induced with her at a week and five days over; I was barely dilated to a 2 when I got induced). I was pretty excited by this, but I didn’t tell Power Shoes because until I was sure I was in labor I didn’t want him to get too excited (since we had yet to really ever experience it).

This is one of the really great critical moves leading up to the hours before Heber’s birth. I remember learning in my birthing class that if you were having contractions and it was bedtime that you should try to sleep through them. Once I was all ready for bed, I turned on one of my meditation cds. It was just the trick for relaxing and falling asleep. It was such a blessing to be rested.

(a week and a day overdue) The next morning, I woke up ready to have that baby. By that I mean I wasn’t actually in labor, but mentally I was determined that Heber come soon. The night before a girl in my ward had brought me castor oil (I was going to get some at Wal-Mart, but had no idea where to find it and I didn’t have the guts to ask where it was. In the future I would probably just send my husband to the pharmacy section and ask them where to find it). In my Hypnobabies workbook it was one of the last natural things I hadn’t tried to induce labor. I decided to try it out. Kelly, my doula, suggested I mix ¼ cup of castor oil with 1 cup of ice cream. I figured I had nothing to lose in trying it. The day before when I had been at the doctor’s office I read an article that said that 30-50% of women poop when they’re pushing. So at least if I used castor oil and I went into labor I wouldn’t have to worry about that because my system would be all cleaned out.

I finished my castor oil chocolate shake just before 11am and then went on a walk with Scary and the kids to the playground. We got home around noon and made the kids lunch. Then we put them down for naps. By 12:30pm I had some diarrhea (it wasn’t that bad), and by 1:30 I was starting to have stomach/back pains. Scary downloaded Hypnobabies “come out baby” track so I could listen to it. As hard as I tried to meditate and get comfortable, I couldn’t completely shut off my light switch and keep my muscles loose and limp. I was going through my books trying to figure out different positions that would make me feel better, but nothing was really working. Scary was really funny because during some of my contraction she would pretend to give my stomach a really tight bear hug. It made me laugh, but even though that was helpful I knew I needed Power Shoes home. We had learned a lift in our Birthing class to take the pressure off my back. I called him at work around 2:40pm saying, “I don’t really know if I’m in labor or not, but I need you home because my back hurts really bad.” Apparently I didn’t have enough urgency in my voice because Power Shoes finished what he was welding and cleaned up all his tools.  He didn’t get home until 3:30pm (and it only takes 6 minutes to get from work to home).

Just a funny side note, Scary and I were watching these 2 little boys (one was 3 and the other was 1) while most of this was happening. The 3 year old was giving me the funniest looks because I couldn’t hold still. I was just trying to find a position to be in that felt comfortable and I probably made a few weird noises during contractions because my back hurt so bad. There was one point where I was reading this little boy the story of Hansel and Gretel and I had to pause multiple times in the middle of a sentence so I could take deep breaths through contractions. All the while I thought I was so uncomfortable because of the castor oil. Scary was doing my dishes and whipping up almond poppy seed bread because she was convinced I was in labor. She knew that I would want my dishes done (so that I would feel comfortable having Kelly come over) and that I needed the bread to take to my nurse at the hospital (to give to her when I gave her my birth plan so that she might actually read it and try to follow it). Snaps for Scary for being more in touch with reality than I was.

                                                                        At the hospital the next day. Isn't he handsome!

I didn't want to get my hopes up for nothing. At 3:45pm Ty woke up from her nap and at 4:00pm I looked at my clock. The thought then crossed my mind that if I wanted to get checked and have a reference point to go by (to know if I was in labor, and how far dilated) I would need to go then, before the clinic closed. We left Ty with Scary and went to the midwives office.

Neither one of us had been timing contractions, but when we were barely on the road to the clinic I had a contraction and then I had another one once we got there. This told me that my pressure waves were only a couple minutes apart, but I didn’t know how regular they were. As we were at the clinic, they took my blood pressure and said it was high. I told them that I didn’t see how it could be normal with how I was feeling.

Shortly after that Helene came in and asked what was going on. I explained everything from my measurements the day before, to getting my membranes stripped, to taking the castor oil and now having contractions. I then proceeded to tell her that I felt like I was losing my cool and just needed to know where I was in terms of my labor progressing. I had expected an improvement from my measurements the day before, but I had definitely not expected what she told me right after she checked me. She said, “You are at an 8 or a 9 and you need to get to the hospital. The reason you are losing your cool is because you are in transition.” I really had no idea we were so close. If we wouldn’t have gone into the clinic, I don’t think we would have made it to the hospital in time because I was in denial and it happened so fast.

I told her I needed to run home and get my bags before we went to the hospital (I did need to grab them, but I was really wanting to go home because that’s where my phone was and I wanted to call Kelly so that I could have her at the hospital with me. The plan had been that we would call her once we got home from the clinic and have you join us in our home, if I was in fact in labor.). Helene told me I’d better make it quick.

When we got home we were on our way into the apartment and I had a really intense contraction and had to lean against the wall of the building. I was by the playground and there were about 10 kids on it. They came over to me and asked what I was doing. Power Shoes told them I was about to have a baby. They were looking at me like Heber would pop out right then. It was funny. Then  we went into the house and grabbed the bags, cd player, cds, birth ball, camera, video camera, and cell phone (and I called Kelly and let her know we were headed to the hospital). The bread for the nurse still had about ten more minutes, but we  decided not to stick around to let it finish.

Somewhere in the midst of Scary helping me grab everything we lost Power Shoes in the house. Apparently he had to change his clothes so that he was dressed nicer to go to the hospital. He had been in a pair of basketball shorts and a t-shirt. Can I just say if I had been the husband and my wife was that far along, I definitely wouldn’t have made a wardrobe change?! Plus I wear basketball shorts and t-shirts all the time. Maybe it’s just the athlete in me, but I don’t think it’s that inappropriate to wear in public.

When he came out, we headed to the hospital. It is about 7 minutes away most of the time, but it was just before 5pm and traffic is a heavier. We had taken a road that doesn’t meet up with the light and I was worried we would get stuck there, but after a minute or two we were able to pull out. We parked at physical therapy (so Power Shoes wouldn't have to repark later), grabbed bags, and started to walk in. About 10 feet from the car my outer sac of my water broke. I was wearing a nightgown (not maternity so it was short) and a pair of workout pants. I took of the pants and threw them in the car since they were wet. It's funny how modesty gets thrown out a window when you're in labor and you don't even care.

                                                                         Me, Ty, Heber, and Power Shoes about 45 minutes after Heber came.

When we were about to get off the elevator at the hospital I had a contraction and I just focused on getting off before dealing with it (I have a friend that got stuck on the elevator and had to ride up and down it 3 times because she was having contractions at just the wrong times). Kelly was standing there waiting for me. She rubbed my back as I leaned on the wall just outside of the elevator. She then led the way to the L&D Unit. She had beat us there and so the staff was wait to open the door for us. She took me to my room and helped me change while Power Shoes re-answered the authorization questions I had taken care of a couple of weeks before. The nurse asked if I should have and IV and both my midwife and doula said no. It was so good to have them advocate for me and give me what I wanted. Pretty soon after getting there, I told Kelly and Helene that I felt like I was pushing. Kelly told me that it sounded like I was pushing. It was great to have that reassurance since I hadn’t really ever experienced real labor before. Kelly and Power Shoes each let me put my arms around their neck and lean on them during contractions. It was good to have them to lean on and it felt good to push that way.

                                                         This picture was taken a couple of minutes before Heber was born.

Pretty soon I could really feel our baby moving down and I was worried that he would come right out and no one would catch him. So I got on my hands and knees on the bed so Helene could check me. As she did, the rest of the water sac broke. She said I was fully effaced and dilated so it wouldn’t be long. I stayed on my hands and knees to push, but then my arms started getting tired. Kelly asked the nurse to get me a birth ball, but the nurse said it was probably in use (without even looking). Kelly then went and got the ball herself. I was able to rest my upper body on the ball and push. In that time on my hands and knees and on the ball (which wasn’t very long) I drank 2 of the hospital mugs full of water. I was so thirsty.

                                                                                 Just after Heber came out. Look at the size of those feet!

Probably the most surprising thing about the whole experience was all the pressure on my behind. I was not prepared for that. Kelly helped with hot washcloths and reminding me of my hypnosis visuals. Helene helped relieve the pressure some by pushing on my behind. At the end, I remember Kelly trying to give me all the things I wanted. I got there so close to coming that a lot of things that I had been prepared for weren’t really applicable like my birth plan and the olive oil to help Heber’s head slide out. I also remember just before Heber came out that they were telling me to push easy. I was trying to hold myself back as much as possible. His head and body slid out in one easy push. Heber was born at 5:17pm (less than 4 hours of labor) and only 27 minutes after reaching the hospital. He was 9 lbs 5 oz, 20.5 in long, and absolutely perfect!. As he came out Power Shoes announced that it was Heber (we hadn't known what we were having, in the moment I had forgotten that we didn't know the gender).

                                                                     Heber the next day, just a couple hours before we left the hospital.

Those few moments at the hospital leading up to Heber’s birth were like a blur to me. Everything went so fast and so perfectly. I loved pushing. I didn’t get to experience that the first time because I had an epidural. What a cool feeling. I was afraid that I wouldn’t know how to push when the time came, but it was such a natural instinct. No one had to coach me or tell me when to push, although I’m glad I had Kelly and Helene to remind me to push easy. I could literally feel my body push at just the right times. I only had to get one little stitch (as opposed to an episiotomy and 3rd degree tearing last time)! After the birth, Kelly gave me the most fabulous foot massage, got me my food and fed it to me (so I could rest), helped me get cleaned up and gave me some pointers to help make my recovery quicker.
              

                                Kelly, Me, Heber, and Power Shoes the next day (we made a quick stop on the way home to get this picture taken because we didn't have any pictures with Kelly besides one Scary got of her back as she was giving me a foot massage. This is because she was busy taking pictures for us). I absolutely love this lady! She is a dear friend.


        It was my awesome support staff of Power Shoes, Kelly, and Helene that helped to make things go so perfectly. This experience has brought me closer to my Heavenly Father and has helped me realize what a special role I have been given as a daughter of God. I get to help bring the sweetest spirits into the world, and then teach them all that I know. Our bodies have been designed for such a wonderful purpose and work so beautifully. It’s absolutely amazing. Regardless of how long it takes to lose the baby bump, I will probably never look at my body the same again. It is incredible and I will do my best to think of it as the temple that it is.

                               I felt so much better the day after Heber was born, than 2 months after Ty was born. It was an incredible difference.