Hey, peeps...
GO VOTE!!!
kthxbai
Friday, October 31, 2008
Monday, October 27, 2008
Monday, September 29, 2008
My Birth Story
Christopher was due on September 14, but he had other plans. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. on August 25 with what felt like intermittent cramps in my extreme lower back. After lying there for a while and pondering the possibilities, I got up to check the pregnancy books and determine whether I was experiencing prelabor contractions (which can happen days or weeks before labor) or the real deal. Alex woke up a little later to find me pacing the living room and downing massive amounts of water to see if that would relieve the discomfort. Nope.
More pacing, a hot bath, breakfast, and a half hour of contraction-timing later, I started making the phone calls: my doula, the birth center, my mom. It was definitely not time to go anywhere yet, but since nothing was alleviating the contractions, I was more and more convinced that I was in labor. I puttered around the house that day, did a little laundry, and otherwise tried to take it easy. The contractions got more uncomfortable and made getting a nap impossible. I talked to my midwife late that afternoon and described the contractions, and she told me to get on my knees and lean over some pillows to encourage Christopher to turn, because it sounded like back labor (baby facing he wrong way & putting pressure on the tailbone). Fun.
After leaning over an exercise ball through Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy (nice distractions), the midwife called and told me to come on in and she'd check my cervix. Turns out I was dilated 4 centimeters at that point, so we settled in at the birth center for the night. I need a completely separate post to extol the virtues of the birth center, my midwife (Jill), and my doula (Tiffany), but one huge plus was being allowed to eat during labor. We'd picked up Zaxby's on the way, and I also downed a huge jug of Gatorade over the course of the night.
I'd read that women often lose sense of time during labor, and I did. The discomfort I'd been in all day got more and more intense, and I walked laps through the halls, leaned over a ball, etc., but the contractions weren't getting any closer together, and I couldn't seem to dilate beyond 7 cm. Jill wanted to break my water to move things along since I seemed to be stuck, and she said I could get in the birthing tub afterwards. I had been excited about using the tub since it seemed like it would be so much more comfortable.
Thing is, the contractions got very intense and very painful after my water was broken. I'm sure I was not a pretty sight. If Jill hadn't checked and told me that she could feel Christopher 's head, I was ready to sell my soul for some pain meds. If I'd known how much longer it would actually be, I would have definitely begged for them. Sometime in the tub, I started pushing during the contractions. Someone would give me a spoon of honey occasionally to help me keep my energy up, and I'm told that I got a little second wind with that. I had gone through Hypnobirthing training with Tiffany, and though I was nowhere near as tranquil as the women in the videos I'd watched, I tried to just go inside myself during the contractions, focus on the fact that they were bringing Christopher closer to me, and, not use any negative self-talk (the hardest part of it all, I think).
Things get a little fuzzy in my mind...the nurse helped me to the bathroom since I hadn't peed lately (remember all that Gatorade?), and I couldn't go. Nothing would happen. Jill had me lie on the bed for a while to push, and she twisted up a bed sheet, held one the end, and had me pull on the other end through the contractions while I pushed and Tiffany and Alex held my feet so that I would have something to bear down against. Apparently the top of Christopher 's head kept crowning, then slipping back in when I stopped pushing. His head was cocked slightly, which was a big part of the hold-up. He was also putting pressure on my ureter, which is why I couldn't pee, but my full bladder was in his way. Jill finally said they'd have to cath me.
I never thought I'd say this about a catheter, but that was the best thong to ever happen to me. I was in too much pain to even feel it, and maybe two contractions later, Christopher was born. Once his head was out, his body just slid out, and it was a feeling of physical relief I've never felt anything like in my life. Jill and the nurse immediately suctioned his nose and put him on my chest with some blankets, and here's the amazing thing: he didn't cry. He wiggled, he grunted, he looked around, he held onto my finger for dear life, but apparently he had nothing to cry about. That alone makes me so glad that I had a natural birth in a quiet, peaceful setting with minimal interventions, and though it was the most difficult thing I've ever done, I'd do it the same way again.
Christopher was due on September 14, but he had other plans. I woke up at 4:30 a.m. on August 25 with what felt like intermittent cramps in my extreme lower back. After lying there for a while and pondering the possibilities, I got up to check the pregnancy books and determine whether I was experiencing prelabor contractions (which can happen days or weeks before labor) or the real deal. Alex woke up a little later to find me pacing the living room and downing massive amounts of water to see if that would relieve the discomfort. Nope.
More pacing, a hot bath, breakfast, and a half hour of contraction-timing later, I started making the phone calls: my doula, the birth center, my mom. It was definitely not time to go anywhere yet, but since nothing was alleviating the contractions, I was more and more convinced that I was in labor. I puttered around the house that day, did a little laundry, and otherwise tried to take it easy. The contractions got more uncomfortable and made getting a nap impossible. I talked to my midwife late that afternoon and described the contractions, and she told me to get on my knees and lean over some pillows to encourage Christopher to turn, because it sounded like back labor (baby facing he wrong way & putting pressure on the tailbone). Fun.
After leaning over an exercise ball through Wheel of Fortune & Jeopardy (nice distractions), the midwife called and told me to come on in and she'd check my cervix. Turns out I was dilated 4 centimeters at that point, so we settled in at the birth center for the night. I need a completely separate post to extol the virtues of the birth center, my midwife (Jill), and my doula (Tiffany), but one huge plus was being allowed to eat during labor. We'd picked up Zaxby's on the way, and I also downed a huge jug of Gatorade over the course of the night.
I'd read that women often lose sense of time during labor, and I did. The discomfort I'd been in all day got more and more intense, and I walked laps through the halls, leaned over a ball, etc., but the contractions weren't getting any closer together, and I couldn't seem to dilate beyond 7 cm. Jill wanted to break my water to move things along since I seemed to be stuck, and she said I could get in the birthing tub afterwards. I had been excited about using the tub since it seemed like it would be so much more comfortable.
Thing is, the contractions got very intense and very painful after my water was broken. I'm sure I was not a pretty sight. If Jill hadn't checked and told me that she could feel Christopher 's head, I was ready to sell my soul for some pain meds. If I'd known how much longer it would actually be, I would have definitely begged for them. Sometime in the tub, I started pushing during the contractions. Someone would give me a spoon of honey occasionally to help me keep my energy up, and I'm told that I got a little second wind with that. I had gone through Hypnobirthing training with Tiffany, and though I was nowhere near as tranquil as the women in the videos I'd watched, I tried to just go inside myself during the contractions, focus on the fact that they were bringing Christopher closer to me, and, not use any negative self-talk (the hardest part of it all, I think).
Things get a little fuzzy in my mind...the nurse helped me to the bathroom since I hadn't peed lately (remember all that Gatorade?), and I couldn't go. Nothing would happen. Jill had me lie on the bed for a while to push, and she twisted up a bed sheet, held one the end, and had me pull on the other end through the contractions while I pushed and Tiffany and Alex held my feet so that I would have something to bear down against. Apparently the top of Christopher 's head kept crowning, then slipping back in when I stopped pushing. His head was cocked slightly, which was a big part of the hold-up. He was also putting pressure on my ureter, which is why I couldn't pee, but my full bladder was in his way. Jill finally said they'd have to cath me.
I never thought I'd say this about a catheter, but that was the best thong to ever happen to me. I was in too much pain to even feel it, and maybe two contractions later, Christopher was born. Once his head was out, his body just slid out, and it was a feeling of physical relief I've never felt anything like in my life. Jill and the nurse immediately suctioned his nose and put him on my chest with some blankets, and here's the amazing thing: he didn't cry. He wiggled, he grunted, he looked around, he held onto my finger for dear life, but apparently he had nothing to cry about. That alone makes me so glad that I had a natural birth in a quiet, peaceful setting with minimal interventions, and though it was the most difficult thing I've ever done, I'd do it the same way again.
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
Tuesday, September 23, 2008
On earning my mommy-blogger credentials...
I have a perfectly good excuse for not having posted for several weeks. His name is Christopher Patrick Tracy.
Life as I knew it was changed forever at 8:43 a.m. on Tuesday, August 26, 2008. (Life wasn't scheduled to change for another 3 weeks, but since when does life stay on schedule?)
The last four weeks have been an endless stream of nursing, changing diapers, nursing, attempting to calm the baby, nursing, re-reading the baby care books, nursing, laundry, and yes, nursing. Not so much sleep in there, you might notice.
Nothing I'd heard or read came close to preparing me for these four weeks. If you haven't been there, I could tell you how exhausting and all-consuming and emotionally roller coastery being the mother of a newborn is, but I doubt you'd believe me. I wouldn't have believed me.
The really crazy thing is that he's worth every bit of sleep deprivation, self-doubt, and confusion. From day one, something I'd never experienced before has felt so right. I am blessed.
I have a perfectly good excuse for not having posted for several weeks. His name is Christopher Patrick Tracy.
Life as I knew it was changed forever at 8:43 a.m. on Tuesday, August 26, 2008. (Life wasn't scheduled to change for another 3 weeks, but since when does life stay on schedule?)
The last four weeks have been an endless stream of nursing, changing diapers, nursing, attempting to calm the baby, nursing, re-reading the baby care books, nursing, laundry, and yes, nursing. Not so much sleep in there, you might notice.
Nothing I'd heard or read came close to preparing me for these four weeks. If you haven't been there, I could tell you how exhausting and all-consuming and emotionally roller coastery being the mother of a newborn is, but I doubt you'd believe me. I wouldn't have believed me.
The really crazy thing is that he's worth every bit of sleep deprivation, self-doubt, and confusion. From day one, something I'd never experienced before has felt so right. I am blessed.
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Inability to find a comfortable sleeping position...check.
Hands, feet, and legs bloated to cartoonish proportions...check.
Copious indigestion...check.
Half my torso's normal range of motion...check.
Onesies coming out my ears...check.
Unpredictable irrational emotions galore...check.
Carseat installed...OK, as soon as we install the carseat, can I have this baby? Please?
Thursday, August 14, 2008
7 things you didn't know about me
Whether or not you actually knew these things depends on who you are, I guess...hubby doesn't count. :)
(Thanks to Jenna for tagging me & shoving me out of my blogging slump!)
1. I just joined the 21st century and bought an iPod with my proceeds from turning 30.
2. Speaking of age, being an August baby means that I was usually the youngest kid in my class, and no one remembered my birthday because it was during summer break (back in the days when school started in late August as God intended.)
3. I'm planning an unmedicated birth and training in self-hypnosis to get ready. (More on that in a later post.)
4. I'm also planning to breastfeed, and the more I read about it, the more I want to become a genuine lactivist.
5. Part of me has always wanted to be an artist. Another part of me has always wanted to be a writer.
6. I knew I was going to marry my husband within two months of meeting him, and we were planning the wedding seven months after that.
7. I started running in January 2007 and actually ran a 5K that Memorial Day. My commitment has wavered since then and has been pretty nonexistent in 2008, but I really want to get back into it when I recover from delivery. It's something I never thought I could do, and it's pretty empowering to actually do it.
I'm not even sure if seven people will read this, so if you do, consider yourself tagged!
Whether or not you actually knew these things depends on who you are, I guess...hubby doesn't count. :)
(Thanks to Jenna for tagging me & shoving me out of my blogging slump!)
1. I just joined the 21st century and bought an iPod with my proceeds from turning 30.
2. Speaking of age, being an August baby means that I was usually the youngest kid in my class, and no one remembered my birthday because it was during summer break (back in the days when school started in late August as God intended.)
3. I'm planning an unmedicated birth and training in self-hypnosis to get ready. (More on that in a later post.)
4. I'm also planning to breastfeed, and the more I read about it, the more I want to become a genuine lactivist.
5. Part of me has always wanted to be an artist. Another part of me has always wanted to be a writer.
6. I knew I was going to marry my husband within two months of meeting him, and we were planning the wedding seven months after that.
7. I started running in January 2007 and actually ran a 5K that Memorial Day. My commitment has wavered since then and has been pretty nonexistent in 2008, but I really want to get back into it when I recover from delivery. It's something I never thought I could do, and it's pretty empowering to actually do it.
I'm not even sure if seven people will read this, so if you do, consider yourself tagged!
Tuesday, May 20, 2008
I'm dying to make some of these with the random assortment of vintage & clearance-sale buttons in my life...damn you, Joann and Michaels, for closing your Antioch locations so I can't buy plastic canvas without committing to a 15-minute drive!
Monday, May 19, 2008
Sunday, May 18, 2008
The 24-week MegaBUMPAt this rate, I'm getting a little concerned that he's going to be like his Uncle Matthew (i.e., 11 pounds...eep!)
Other stuff on my mind:
- Cloth diapers: We're going with them for a variety of environmental and health reasons. I had no idea how many kinds were out there! I'm thinking about Green Acres Designs...if anyone out there has cloth diapering experience, please share your favorites!
- Holycrapwe'removingin4weeks!: Packing has finally commenced and will hopefully continue at a suitably brisk yet manageable pace. Though we're packing ourselves, thanks be to God, the church is paying for movers. Starting to pay Savannah rent the first of the month and continuing to pay Nashville rent through the end of July, however, sucks.
- Work: I've still got four more weeks, right up until the day before the movers load our stuff (not ideal scheduling, but so be it). My job has been an amazing experience, and I'm going to deeply miss a lot of things about it, but I'm looking forward to the "new" job. As my mom says, the pay isn't good, but the benefits are outstanding.
- Baby names: This has been the major topic of conversation around here lately. We thought we had one just about picked up, but the first name turns out to be really high on the recent popularity rankings. We have a couple more promising options...will keep you posted when something is definite.
- Childbirth options: I find using a midwife and a birthing center appealing. I need to try to get some dirt on the birthing center in (well, just outside) Savannah before I make a choice. Another thing I'm trying to discern about is drugs (and what kind) versus natural...no epidurals at said birthing center, so the two decisions kind of go together.
Thursday, May 08, 2008
I'm hopeful that once we get moved & I'm an official housewife/SAHM-in-training, I'll blog more regularly. In the meantime, here's where I'll do said blogging from starting June 18:
It's on the highest end of the price range we were shooting for, but I think we're going to really dig it. It's 5 minutes outside the historic district in a quiet, modest but tidy little neighborhood. Best of all, it's a house. There will be multiple walls, fences, and yard between us and other people. You have no idea how happy this makes us. It has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, an office, decently big living & dining rooms, the biggest kitchen (with the greenest countertops) I've ever had, an attic, and a big screen porch. Plus, we get this view in our backyard:
That's the marsh - we're maybe a quarter mile from the intercoastal waterway. This also happens to be the west, so we get sunsets from our back porch. Fabulous. Y'all come visit.
Unrelated, lately I feel like a stomach with a mouth and feet (how Tori-ish). My baby bump and accompanying appetite are growing quite exponentially.
It's on the highest end of the price range we were shooting for, but I think we're going to really dig it. It's 5 minutes outside the historic district in a quiet, modest but tidy little neighborhood. Best of all, it's a house. There will be multiple walls, fences, and yard between us and other people. You have no idea how happy this makes us. It has 2 bedrooms, 1 bath, an office, decently big living & dining rooms, the biggest kitchen (with the greenest countertops) I've ever had, an attic, and a big screen porch. Plus, we get this view in our backyard:
That's the marsh - we're maybe a quarter mile from the intercoastal waterway. This also happens to be the west, so we get sunsets from our back porch. Fabulous. Y'all come visit.
Unrelated, lately I feel like a stomach with a mouth and feet (how Tori-ish). My baby bump and accompanying appetite are growing quite exponentially.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Friday, April 18, 2008
Thursday, April 17, 2008
Friday, April 11, 2008
Protect breastfeeding!
If you want Congress to pass legislation to protect the legal rights of mothers to nurture their babies without shame or discrimination, please tell your representatives.
Thursday, April 10, 2008
Monday, April 07, 2008
I got back from the TESOL convention in New York last night. Aside from losing my backpack on the subway, it was a fabulous if exhausting time. And look who I got to catch up with after nearly 5 freaking years!
In other news - pretty big news, actually - it's about 95% certain that we're moving not to Albany, but to Savannah. This was a big surprise, but not an unwelcome one. Aside from the lesser proximity to family, I think it's about as good a place as we could ask to move in south GA. Next stop...finding a place to live.
In other news - pretty big news, actually - it's about 95% certain that we're moving not to Albany, but to Savannah. This was a big surprise, but not an unwelcome one. Aside from the lesser proximity to family, I think it's about as good a place as we could ask to move in south GA. Next stop...finding a place to live.
Wednesday, April 02, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
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