oliver, katie and griffin

New Blog-Will Soon Delete This Address!

2010-07-03T14:17:00.000-07:00

I will be deleting this blog address within the next few days. I've moved the content of this blog to another blog address:
oliverandkatiethompson.blogspot.com.
If you would like to continue to follow our blog (please do!), that's where we'll be!

Blog Address Switcheroo

2010-07-01T14:13:00.000-07:00

In an effort to completely purge my 7th grade email address from my life, I have been changing all account email addresses from the aforementioned "rain86bow@aol.com" to the more fitting "oliverandkatiethompson@gmail.com." We, in fact, do not even have AOL as a family, rather my parents still own that email address. Now, I don't know if any of you have ever tried to change the email you use to sign into Blogger...but I certainly have...again and again. For some reason, there is always an error with a message saying I'm not able to switch to a Gmail address on this account. Puzzling. So, I've created an entirely new blog address, exported my current blog (this one), and imported it to the new address.

MAIN POINT OF THIS POST: I will be deleting this blog address and moving the content of this blog to another blog address, oliverandkatiethompson.blogspot.com. If you would like to continue to follow our blog (please do!), that's where we'll be!

Thanks!

Top Teeth?

2010-06-29T16:51:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in a previous blog entry, it appears Griffin is about to cut his first teeth...on the TOP! I guess it's quite rare for a baby to cut teeth on the top prior to teeth on the bottom, but it is becoming more and more clear that those little buggers are making their way through his sore little gums. I have been trying to get a good shot of what it looks like for the past few days, but to no avail...until today! I've been using little bits of time here and there to take Griffin's 6 month pictures to send out to family, and I accidentally got a great shot of his little toofers!
Here it is:

Clearly, Griffin was not enjoying his photoshoot... HhmmjustlikehisdadHhmm

The Nightly Bath

2010-06-28T05:43:00.000-07:00

Green Bean Grimacing

2010-06-28T05:36:00.000-07:00

Peek-A-Boo with Grandaddy

2010-06-28T05:32:00.000-07:00

6 Months

2010-06-27T17:57:00.000-07:00

It's hard to believe, but our boy is 6 months old today! Although I can't seem to remember what life was like before he was born, the time really has flown by. He hasn't had his 6 month visit with the pediatrician yet, but I weighed him using our scale at home. It's difficult to get an accurate reading with our cheap-o dial scale, but he's over 20 pounds and over 29 inches! 6 short months ago, he came into the world at 8 pounds 14 ounces and 22 inches. More than double his birthweight and off the charts for height, we've got one big boy on our hands.

(Click on the picture below to enlarge it.)

Ready to hit the hay:

Cutest 6 month old ever:
Yesterday, I noticed that he has two bumps that look like teeth getting ready to come in on the top. My pediatrician said that every single baby she's ever had as a patient but one had their two bottom teeth come in first. It appears Griffin may be her 2nd baby to get top teeth first! I tried and tried to get a decent picture of these impending little "toofers" (as I call them), but this is all I could come up with. Turns out, a 6 month old doesn't stay still for a picture while you push up their upper lip...

It's hard to imagine what my life would be like without my sweet Griffin in it. Being his mother is so fulfilling and rewarding; I know that I know that I've stepped into the role that God prepared for me before I was even a twinkle in my mother's eye. It hasn't been all roses and bubble, warm, happy feelings, but the joys, rewards, and goods far, far outweigh the sleepless nights, the stressful, fussy days, the postpartum hormone rollercoaster, the stretch marks, the 20 lbs. that seems to just want to hang on just in case there's a famine or another ice age and I must still produce milk for Griffin, the sad, melted candle looking belly that was once my much doted on baby bump, the pain of labor, the days where I'm overwhelmed by how far I fall short as a mother. His great, big smile makes all those things worth it all.

There's a song by Rita Springer that I listened to non-stop in the weeks and months before Griffin was born; it is called "Worth It." It about the pain and joy found in following Jesus in this life is going to be worth it all at the sight of His face in heaven; however, the lyrics can be perfectly transposed into all the pain and struggle of becoming a mother in labor and of being a mother is worth it all at the sight of your child's face. 6 months ago today, as I labored and prayed and suffered through all the pains of childbirth, I thought of this song over and over. It reminded me that it really was going to be worth it all. It reminded me that the pain of labor was the intended and natural test of perseverance I needed to overcome in order to become a mother...the very same gauntlet that the first of all women had to endure to bear her children, I had to endure to bear mine. And, sure enough, at the sight of Griffin's face, it was all worth it. Just like anything that is valuable and rewarding and especially like being a follower of Christ here on Earth, there is something about the pain and suffering that makes the end result more rewarding. Sure, labor hurt...bad. Sure, going on very little sleep for a very extended period of time is rough. Absolutely, my body has spent 6 months trying to recover from pregnancy and delivery...trying being the key word. Yes, I question my maternal instinct, judgment and competence as a mom, and spiritual "fitness" as a mother almost every day. But, like being a follower of Christ, motherhood is a journey of many, many highs that are made even higher by all the many, many lows. Praise God for contrasts in life like these; for if everything were neither too low, nor too high, we would live very dull, bland lives indeed. The past 6 months of being a mother has been the second greatest struggle of my life (second only to being a follower of Christ), but the past 6 months of being a mother has also been the second greatest joy of my life.

Tomorrow, I plan to post what new things Griffin has been up to this past month, along with some new videos. I remember my dad saying to me, "Can I just give you a pill so you don't have to grow up, and you can stay the same as you are now?" Thinking he was just trying to be sweet, I would give him a hug and go on my merry little way, but now I understand. Almost daily, I look at Griffin and get all teary-eyed realizing how quickly it all goes by. I don't miss the past stages too much, and I don't yearn for the future stages too much... I just want him to stay just like he is every single day! I'm sure you mothers (and fathers!) will understand this. So, as I said to Griffin today, on his 6 month birthday, "Can I just give you a pill so you don't have to grow up, and you can stay the same as you are now?"

New Nephew & Cousin

2010-06-25T18:40:00.000-07:00

This week, we made the trip down to Auburn, Alabama to meet our new (and first!) nephew, Henry! He is such a sweetie pie, complete with a full head of thick, dark hair. Born at 10 lbs 10 oz, Griffin's new (and first) cousin is bound to be a big boy just like Griffin. They should make a great pair as they grow up together, and we're looking forward to them playing and getting into trouble together...but not too much trouble :)

Griffin meeting his cousin for the first time:

Griffin with his Uncle Bubba:

Griffin and Henry:

Meet Henry:

Griffin, after his first bath in the sink at his Uncle Hank and Aunt Anna's house:

Our little family:

3 Generations of men:

Griffin loves his Grandaddy and his Uncle Hank:

Proud grandparents with their grandchildren:

Hibachi Style Chicken, Zucchini, Squash, & Onions

2010-06-03T08:14:00.000-07:00

Since summer weather began here in the Palmetto state, I really cannot get enough of zucchini and squash. So, I've been coming up with all kinds of ways to use them in meals. Day-to-day life is a bit crazy here in the Thompson household ever since Griffin was born, and I really don't get a chance to fix dinner until after he is in bed by 7pm. Needless to say, I'm STARVING by the time 7 rolls around, and I don't have a lot of patience to make meals that take a long time to prepare. Here is a meal I put together last night using zucchini and squash that is a super quick fix to get that meal into your belly as quickly as possible.

1/2 bag (=1 lb) frozen chicken tenderloins (defrost in microwave 10 min)
2 zucchini
2 yellow squash(es?)
1 onion (I like to use vidalia)
1-2 T cooking oil (vegetable, canola, safflower, whatever)
1-2 T soy sauce (We get the low sodium version)
Black Pepper
(Optional and DELICIOUS: a drizzle of Panda Express sauce or teriyaki sauce)
2 bags 90 second Uncle Ben's brown rice***
1 egg

Defrost chicken 10 min. & cut into bit-sized pieces while warming oil in wok or big frying pan. Put chicken in wok. Wash & cut up zucchini (cut into long strips), squash (cut into circles or half circles), and onions (long strips) while chicken is cooking. Add veggies to wok when chicken is cooked. Drizzle soy sauce and let cook while you cook bags of rice. Take cooked rice and pour into a skillet with a smidge of oil and an egg. Cook until egg is mixed in with rice and fully cooked. I'm not sure exactly how long it takes for the veggies to soften. I guess it sort of depends on how crunchy you like them! I think I cooked them about 10 minutes or so...The key is to let them cook until the water that comes out of them while cooking is mostly cooked off. Soggy, wet veggies are no way to go; so, let that water cook off. Near the end, add the Panda Express sauce (if you're using it...and I HIGHLY recommend it. It adds so much flavor), teriyaki sauce, or more soy sauce and black pepper to taste. Put a pile on your "fried rice," and there you have it!

Mr. Pouty Face

2010-06-01T18:31:00.000-07:00

Our son has officially figured out how to manipulate us. He regularly practices and utilizes this pouty face to get a reaction out of us:
Here is a video of him pulling out all the stops:

Could this be any cuter?

5 Months

2010-06-01T08:40:00.001-07:00

On the 27th of May, Griffin turned 5 months old. Each month birthday is bittersweet for me... My little newborn baby isn't quite so new anymore, yet he is becoming more and more fun each day, with his developing personality, physical abilities, and...well...i must say he keeps getting cuter and cuter! This past month, Griffin has:
1. conquered rolling over from back to front to the right (he's still working on the left & front to back rolling)
2. begun clinging a bit more to me when I hold him, which makes it a bit easier to lug around all 18+ lbs. of him!
3. started eating solid foods (rice cereal+breastmilk, bananas, avocados, and sweet potatoes)
4. started including more consonant sounds in his baby talk (some b's, d's, g's, and raspberry sounds...lots of "ah-gookkss")
5. grown into his exersaucer a bit more and has figured out how to play with most of the toys (especially the buttons that make animal noises and music, the spinning wheels, and the chewy starfish). He can turn himself around and stand with much more balance control and stability (=no more blankets stuffed down in the seat to hold him up)
6. started recognizing and responding enthusiastically to certain signs (We started using sign language with him about 3 weeks ago). Signs he CLEARLY recognizes: milk, up, diaper change, up, eat, more, all done. Signs we currently use with him regularly: eat, drink, milk, more, cereal, banana, all done, up, diaper change, change clothes, bath, sleep, bed, yes, mama, papa.
7. begun to pull himself into a balancing sitting position in the high chair...mainly in attempt to lean forward with an open mouth to dive at the spoon hahah, but nevertheless...
8. continued to love standing while you hold his hands or waist
9. started splashing in the tub
10. started screeching and screaming when he gets excited. Also, when excited, he tends to make an "o" with his lips, open his eyes wide, and start kicking and flailing his arms around! So cute!
11. started passing an item from one hand to the other. He did this for the first time TODAY, actually!
12. begun to get scared by certain people, loud noises, and scary sounds. These things induce severe pouting and, sometimes, all-out crying.
13. started to pout when he is tired or upset. That bottom lip just melts your heart! Pictures to follow... :)
14. started to sleep 10-13 hours at a time through the night (PRAISE THE LORD!) This has not been the case for the past 4-5 days or so, as he has been waking at 4-5 for a feeding; however, since the introduction of solid foods, those nights have been the exception and not the rule.
15. started sleep training using Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child as my guide. It has been very, very challenging, but extremely worth it. I've learned that it is much better to protect your child's sleep times and have a family that is getting adequate rest than going and doing whenever and having a family that is tired, cranky, and short-fused. Griffin is learning how to fall asleep, self-soothe, and take regular naps that last longer than an hour. It's a process and definitely not one that is easy or quick. You have to be dedicated and consistent, and the Lord is really teaching me and using this for my sanctification because I am anything but consistent in my own life. I suppose the extra motivation of Griffin's well-being is helping me to stay the course on this one...but I have a feeling it has more to do with the grace of God and the support of my wonderful, attentive, helpful husband.
16. started sleeping UNSWADDLED! It was definitely time as he had outgrown every swaddler known to man, and he could break out of the most intense swaddle I could come up with. Not only that, but he was starting to try to roll over in his swaddle. Well, we couldn't have that! So, it's been two difficult weeks of Griffin having to learn how to sleep and stay asleep with his arms free. He tends to disturb himself quite frequently by pulling out or messing with his nuk, clawing his face, and trying to roll over constantly (which, if he succeeds will cause him to scream until he flipped back over since he will not allow himself to fall asleep on his belly).
17. started really, truly examining people and the environment. He's been very observant since he was born, but it seems as though his vision has matured and he is seeing everything for the very first time all over again! Things he has spent hours of his life staring at are intriguing anew!
18. started stroking my face, hair, hands, and chest as I rock him before naps and bedtime. This is one of the mama times I treasure the most in my day with him.
19. started belly laughing more frequently with tickling, funny noises/words/phrases/voices/faces. The most common time for these giggly spells is during his massage before bedtime.

Baby Food NINJA!

2010-06-01T08:07:00.000-07:00

Since Griffin has embarked on his solid food venture, he has successfully and eagerly added rice cereal, bananas, avocado, and, most recently, sweet potato to his repertoire. Rice cereal, bananas and avocado are easily mashed up with a fork, one serving at a time; however, sweet potatoes involve a bit more preparation. In an attempt to 1) save money and, more importantly, 2) provide the healthiest, purest food for Griffin that I am able to, I've decided to venture into the world of making his baby food at home from fresh fruits, veggies, etc.

Being completely unfamiliar with the world of preparing and storing baby food, Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron has been an invaluable resource. Thank you, thank you Aunt Mary for recommending it! Another invaluable tool has been the Ninja Master Prep food processor and blender. This thing is A-MAZING. Veggies you would typically be forced to press through a metal strainer to remove strands and chunks after processing are perfectly smooth, strandless, and chunkless after being pureed in the Ninja. I must say, my Ninja is my friend. A great big thank you to my friend and fellow baby-food-makin-mama, Shari McWilliams for recommending the Ninja to me!

These are photos of my first attempt at sweet potatoes. I must say, I was only successful because of the recommendations of my Aunt Mary and my friend Shari! I can see how making baby food would be a total headache without the right tools.

First Solid Food!

2010-05-22T19:00:00.000-07:00

Our little baby isn't so little anymore. Weighing in at a whopping 18 lbs (or more by now!), Griffin has been extremely interested in watching us eat and drink. When we've given him small tastes of things on our fingers, he has been very eager to have more, more, more! So, after doing a ridiculous amount of research and agonizing over whether it was too early or not, I decided my boy is ready to enter the big boy world of solid foods. Here are a couple videos of his first meal!

Parlez Vous Francais?

2010-05-17T17:09:00.000-07:00

Oliver is taking two French courses this summer. Since I took 3 years of French in high school and was able to spend 3 month using it in West Africa, Oliver and I can practice our French skills together as he goes through his courses. How fun is that?! Today was his first day, and we had a blast talking about what he had learned and working on pronunciation. Of course, Griffin gets his little French lesson too!

Baby Massage Giggles

2010-05-17T17:07:00.000-07:00

Bedtime Routine and Liberation

2010-05-17T11:35:00.000-07:00

The ever-so-important bedtime routine has been established for a good, long while now, and I'm finding that Griffin is beginning to anticipate what comes next in the routine! For posterity's sake, I thought I would document our nightly routine.
We begin with a walk around the neighborhood at 5:30, taking in the sights and sounds of the "wild" outdoors. Actually, things are quite peaceful at this hour of the day. It seems most families are inside having dinner around this time, so we have the sun and sky to ourselves. Griffin is becoming more and more interested in checking out his surroundings. I get the feeling he sees quite a few things for the very first time each time we go out. Sometimes, he chews on a teething ring or toy, but he's mainly in the business of observing on these walks.

After our walk, it's bath time. This boy loves his baths. I lay him on a towel on the bathroom floor and let him play and roll around naked until the water is ready. Lately, he's been catching on to the fun of splashing, which has been so fun! I'm sure I'll spend the next 5 years trying to get him to STOP splashing, but I might as well enjoy the fun now while he can't cause too much damage! His favorite things to do in the tub are chewing/sucking on the washcloth, reaching for and chewing on the cup, playing with his rubber ducky, and splashing around. We usually sing "Old McDonald" while he's in the bath, and he cracks up at the pig and dog noises.

Immediately following the bath is the baby massage. When I put the lotion or oil in my hands and rub my hands together, Griffin squeals in anticipation! He absolutely loves his massage. When we get to each set of toes, we do "This Little Piggy." After the front, I flip Griffin and let him spend some time on his tummy while I rub his back and play peek-a-boo with him. He thinks naked tummy time is the best thing in the world. This is the time of day when he's usually the most vocal, squealing, screaming, laughing, etc. He's discovered how to initiate the game of peek-a-boo. What he'll do is turn his head away from me. Then, slowly, he'll turn his head towards me until I come into his line of vision. Of course, I make a great big deal out of this, and he squeals with delight as he buries his face in the towel. Then, he'll lift his head and look away from me and start it all over again. How smart is he?! Very advanced, I think :)

After the massage, I dress Griffin and settle down in the rocking chair to read a couple books. First, we read some stories out of his children's Bible. Then, we'll pick another book to peruse through like Goodnight Moon or Harold and the Purple Crayon. Sometimes, we only make it through one story before it becomes clear that Griffin is getting sleepy. Then, it's time to swaddle and nurse my sweet boy. Since we've been putting him in bed by 7:00pm, he hasn't drifted off to sleep during nursing like he used to. Now, we give him his nuk, rock him a bit and then lay him down.
As much as I'm truly not a structured, habitual kind of person, I'm learning to find the beauty and stability in routine. There is something so familiar and dependable about routine that makes everything easier and more pleasurable to do. I remember on my first day of college, one of my professors was discussing the burden and expense of energy of the NEW. He said that it would be very overwhelming and difficult for the first couple weeks, but that after that, routine and habituation would begin to form, making college life much more do-able and even enjoyable. I think this holds true for the new routines in my life of being a mom. At first, every little task requires so much effort, thought, planning, strain. Just giving Griffin a bath used to be a pretty overwhelming thing. Now, multiply that by the hundreds and hundreds of new little tasks you have when you are caring for your first baby. However, there does come a point several months down the road where you are able to create some structure in napping, feedings, bedtimes, and daily routines. This structure is far from onerous. It is LIBERATING! It liberates you from the burden and stress of the ever changing NEW. There is something so beautiful about not questioning when you should wake up, feed the baby, put the baby down for a nap/bed and not wondering what to do next with your child. Of course, a growing little one demands that new routines must be formed to be age appropriate, but at least I can always look forward to the eventual stability of the new routine.

Griffin Meets Miles

2010-05-17T11:29:00.000-07:00

Certain songs/artist seem to cause Griffin to get all emotional. As with many things in raising a child, we're not sure why this is...but it's true nevertheless. On Griffin's bad list are:
1. "Don't Worry, Be Happy"
2. "You Are So Beautiful"
3. "You Are My Sunshine"
4. "Heartbroken" and "Drifted Apart" by Meaghan Smith (great songs & a great singer, if you've never heard of her - I highly recommend her)
Finally, our most recent (and possibly most tragic) addition to the bad list:
5. Miles Davis

Talkin' with Teddy

2010-05-17T11:26:00.000-07:00

Griffin gets very animated and talkative around this particular teddy bear. We're not quite sure why, but it's cute!

Griffin Meets Oatmeal Squares

2010-05-04T03:14:00.000-07:00

Griffin isn't eating solid foods yet, but he sure is interested!

Favorite Time of Day

2010-05-02T13:57:00.000-07:00

Griffin gets absolutely giddy during his nighttime bath and baby massage time. Here is a little peek:

Like Father Like Son

2010-05-02T13:42:00.000-07:00

The apple really hasn't fallen far from the tree...
Father

Son

First Time Rolling Over Caught on Video!

2010-05-01T11:54:00.000-07:00

Firsts and Friends

2010-04-29T20:24:00.000-07:00

Today was a great day of firsts and friends. For the first time in 4 months, Shari McWilliams and her son Owen, Anna Paulling and her son Sullivan, and Griffin and I were able to get together when all our sons were AWAKE! Yay! It was a total blast. Of course, at this point, the play date consisted of us trying to keep our kids from injuring one another. (They don't quite have the "gentle" thing down yet!) It is fun to compare the first shot of these three together about 4 months ago with the picture of them from today:

It appears that Griffin felt some peer pressure from his buds to catch up to them growth-wise in the past 4 months. As you can see, he is just as big as his 8 month bffs! As for the "firsts" portion of this post's title, Griffin may have been feeling that peer pressure while they were over, because he rolled over for the first time this afternoon! I was changing his diaper (hence his bare bottom), and he started trying to roll over. So, I grabbed the camera and was actually able to capture this milestone on video! Shari and Anna, I'm so glad you were both there to share in the excitement! For some reason, I can't figure out how to upload a video on this tonight...So, look forward to Griffin's first rolling over video soon!

Playtime

2010-04-14T20:07:00.000-07:00

Griffin has been quite content for the past month or so to play on his own for 30 minutes or so at a time. Since he's now able to hold his head up and stand up when held, I started looking around for a good deal on an exersaucer. I found one, and he loves to play in it for short stretches. He's still a bit wobbly and uncoordinated to get the most out of it, but I can tell it will be a favorite in no time.

He has also started loving the flying game, as you can see...

By far, though, Griffin's favorite playtime activity (or should I say all-the-time activity) is looking at and chewing on his hands. He absolutely loves bringing them together, watching them move, reaching for people and objects, grabbing things, and pulling EVERYTHING into his mouth. Consequently, there has been a LOT more drool sloshing around in the Thompson household. This mixed with Griffin's tendency to overeat and spit the excess up later has made for quite a bit more laundry for mama! I find this quite frustrating at times, and Griffin simply thinks my exclamations are hilarious!

Diaper Ratings

2010-04-13T21:58:00.000-07:00

So, quite a few weeks of cloth diapering have gone by, and I'm ready to post my preliminary reviews on the performance of each of the different diapering systems I have tried. Hopefully, this will be helpful to those of you who are considering cloth diapering or have already started and are wondering how other systems work. I will go through each of the systems we are using and discuss the pros and cons of each.

Fuzzibunz - We have 6 Fuzzibunz one-size diapers, and they are a pocket diaper system. This means that there is a cloth diaper/cover combo that you insert a microfiber insert into (between the built-in fleece interior and the waterproof exterior.
Pros:
The pocket system allows for a faster drying time than all-in-ones (where the insert is stitched into the diaper).
Highly absorbent
VERY adjustable in both the thigh and waist by tightening and loosening the elastic settings
As easy as disposable diapers to put on/take off...which makes these our "out and about" diapers.
The snaps are very secure and make them easy to wash and dry
Both the liners and the diapers can go in the dryer, which makes these an easy wash/dry diaper
These keep moisture off the skin
Cons:
We have had a few leaks with poo diapers, but I think this was mainly due to having the diaper elastic and snaps done too loosely
There is quite a learning curve with these diapers...figuring out which elastic and snap settings work for your baby...and you need to readjust them as the baby grows. This means either leaks or red marks around the waist and thighs if too tight or too loose.
There is a big jump between snap settings. The snaps seem to make the diaper either too tight or too loose because there is about a 1" difference on each side between each snap...making each setting 2" different.
I've noticed some red marks on Griffin's back and thighs with these
They are one-use only (no matter if it's pee or poo)

Bum Genius - We have 3 Bum Genius one-size pocket diapers and 1 Bum Genius medium all-in-one diaper.
Pros:
The velcro makes this diaper super adjustable and super easy to put on and take off
This is by far the best overnight diaper. We put it on a tad looser than usual (b/c Griffin doesn't poo during the night) and use a Fuzzibunz newborn microterry insert in addition to the regular Bum Genius insert for extra absorbency.
It keeps moisture off the skin
The snap system on the front is easier to adjust than the Fuzzibunz diapers, making them easier to figure out than the Fuzzibunz
No leaks yet!
Cons:
The velcro is already fraying a bit, and I have never put them in the dryer. I can see how these wear more than the snap diapers.
They are supposed to only be line dried
I've noticed some red marks on Griffin's back and legs with these
They are one-use only (no matter if it's pee or poo)

Flip - We have 3 one-size snap Flip diaper covers and 6 Flip inserts.
Pros:
The snap system is super durable and easy
The leg elastic and fabric is really soft and doesn't leave red marks
You can reuse the cover for pee diapers and even some poo diapers (depending on if the poo gets on the liner or not)
The inserts are super duper absorbent and keep moisture off the skin
They are the least maintenance and easiest of all the systems we have
The inserts are one-size, and you fold them over for small and medium and leave them full-length for large
The snap system is very durable
No leaks yet!
Cons:
Sometimes, the insert gets bunched up a bit in the middle, but this has not yet affected the performance of the diaper or liner
The cover is supposed to be line-dried

Thirsties - We have 2 Thirsties snap diaper covers.
Pros:
You can use these with prefold diapers and other diaper liners wrapped in flannel
They can be dried in the dryer
The snap system is very durable
No leaks yet!
Cons:
The snap system seems to be either too tight or too large (being 2" total difference between each snap setting). Right now, I snap one side in all the way and the other side one setting looser, making the diaper a bit lopsided.
These are a bit more inconvenient for those who don't want to mess with the inserts wrapped in flannel or the prefold diapers (These take a minute or so more to put on, but they aren't difficult at all to use. In fact, I've had less leaks using the prefold diapers than I have with the inserts!)

Bummis - We have 2 Bummis Super Brite diaper covers.
Pros:
The velcro system is super adjustable and easy
You can use these with prefold diapers and other diaper liners wrapped in flannel
No leaks yet!
Cons:
A bit big and bulky compared to the other systems
These are a bit more inconvenient for those who don't want to mess with the inserts wrapped in flannel or the prefold diapers (These take a minute or so more to put on, but they aren't difficult at all to use. In fact, I've had less leaks using the prefold diapers than I have with the inserts!)

Bummis Prefold Diapers - We have 6 Bummis unbleached prefold diapers.
Pros:
Really, really absorbant and soft
Great at containing explosive poos if they are put on right
Cons:
More bulky than other insert or pocket diapers
There is a learning curve involved in learning how to put on a prefold diaper correctly. Using a Snappi is much easier than the old fashioned pin method.
Doesn't wick the moisture away from the skin as well as the other systems

As you can see, there are pros and cons to each system. If I had to select my favorites, I would do so in the following categories:
Low-maintenance: Flip diapers (because of the ability to reuse the cover over and over and because of the snap system, great fit, and quick drying time of both the covers and inserts)
Out-and-about: Fuzzibunz and Bum Genius
Overnight: Bum Genius (with extra insert)
Explosive Poo Containment: Bum Genius and Bummis Prefold with Thirsties or Bummis diaper cover
No leak: Bum Genius, Flip, Thirsties, or Bummis (Thirsties and Bummis have GREAT leg gussets, which really help in containing)

If I had to choose just one system to use, I would say the Flip system at this point. This has to do with the reusability of the cover, the ease of use and washing, and the affordability. If we were made of money, I imagine I might choose the Bum Genius one-size pocket diapers because I could afford plenty of them and wouldn't mind buying more when the velcro wore out.

Griffin's Birth Story - Part 4

2010-03-29T21:41:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in Griffin's Birth Story - Part 3, Oliver was able to deliver Griffin, and he placed our little son on my chest, amidst tears and loads of emotions. I reached down and held my vernix-covered boy and laughed with joy. I simply could not believe he had just come out of me! It's hard to describe the emotions that wash over you when you deliver your first child...I remember thinking that it felt surreal, like a dream in slow-motion. He was born at 1:56am on December 27th, 2009...just a little under two hours after my dad's 50th birthday!

Since I was on my back and the umbilical cord was still pulsing, I could only see the top of Griffin's head and his little arms. I rubbed the vernix into his skin (it's supposed to be an amazing moisturizer for them) and attempted to soak it all in. Soaking it all in is, in fact, impossible, as I found. It is one of those moments in life where you wish you could grasp it all fully... C.S. Lewis describes this overwhelming state as "joy," and he says that these moments are like little tastes of heaven that we won't fully be able to grasp or consummate until we are there with the Lord. Isn't it amazing to know that the birth of your first child is only a teeny, tiny glimmer of the fullness and consummation of joy we will have in heaven?! Soon, I was able to see my little son's face for the first time, and I had/have never laid eyes on anything so beautiful...so perfect. All my life, I've dreamed and wondered about what my child would look like, and finally, I knew. The bond was absolutely instantaneous...Well, I suppose it was just an increase of the already established bond I had developed with him in my womb. I kept thinking of what a gift, a precious blessing, we had been given, and I was so thankful to finally have him in my arms. I was also quite thankful that I didn't die during labor like I felt I would :)

Oliver cut the cord, and I delivered the placenta quickly and easily. I must say, that sucker was HUGE! The midwives showed it and all its parts to me, and it was fascinating. It's just the craziest thing to think that my body was capable of growing a baby and a whole new organ on top of it! Apparently, the umbilical cord was the longest many of the ladies had ever seen, and they said we were blessed that it didn't cause any complications during the delivery. It was wrapped around his neck, but there were no issues with that because it was so long.

Immediately after the delivery of the placenta, the ladies got to work checking me for tears. I had a 2 degree internal tear from Griffin's fists being under his neck during the delivery, and I had the choice whether to be stitched or not. I chose not to because the skin was laying together nicely and would heal well on its own. The only stipulation was that I needed to be extra conscientious about keeping my knees together and not sitting straight up for 2 weeks.

After that was determined, Lisa and the ladies got the bed changed, an ice back between my legs, and helped me get set up for nursing Griffin for the first time. This was more difficult than I imagined. He had a hard time latching on, and it was quite a fiasco. Later, we hired a lactation consultant to come out to our house and help me with nursing, and she was a great help.

It wasn't long (around 3 or 3:30), and all the relatives arrived to meet the baby. My dad, step-mom, and brother and Oliver's mom and brother came into the room to meet our little one.
My dad with his first grandchild:

My step-mom with her first grandchild:

Oliver's mom with her first grandchild:

It was just pure giddiness in the air, and they were all able to watch as Lisa did the newborn exam, including the big weigh in. Griffin weighed 8 lbs, 14 oz, 22 inches long, and got a 10 on the Apgar score. He was just absolutely perfect. I could not believe how beautiful he was!!! Three months later, I still am not sick of staring at him all day. Maybe that'll never end!

After a while, the family headed home to get to bed, and we were thinking that way as well. I have never, EVER been so completely and thoroughly exhausted spiritually, emotionally, and physically. We attempted to nurse some more, and I did the necessary trip to the toilet. Whoa is that the weirdest feeling in the universe! After 9 months of having all my internal organs completely displaced and my diaphram being pushed way, way up into my ribcage, standing up with a sudden, enormous void made me feel like my organs were going to fall out onto the floor! I felt like I had been punched repeatedly in the stomach, and I could hardly breathe. Shuffling to the toilet was tough between that and the light-headedness!

At about 5 or 5:30am, Reilynn took our first family photo and headed home herself.

We got settled into our king-sized bed, all together, and feel into a much, much needed sleep. The next morning, Oliver went out and got us Atlanta Bread Company breakfast, and we were ready to head home by about 1pm that day!

Teddy Love

2010-03-28T20:04:00.000-07:00

3 Months Old Today!

2010-03-27T19:02:00.000-07:00

Our sweet boy is 3 months old today, and he is loving life, as you can see! Here are some shots that show his growth over the past few months from an 8 lb 14 oz, 22 inch newborn to a 17 lb, 26 inch boy:

First Week:

1 Month:

2 Months:

3 Months:

A Man and His Son

2010-03-27T14:47:00.000-07:00

New Diaper Stash

2010-03-26T21:42:00.000-07:00

They've arrived! I never imagined I would be so excited to open a package full of cloth diapering supplies! Here is the new stash:

After I get some experience with each of these brands/styles, I will be sure to write reviews on each. Starting from the top left, there are Bummis organic, unbleached prefolds with Bummis wipeable, velcro diaper covers, FuzziBunz one-size pocket diapers, Bum Genius one-size pocket diapers, one Bum Genius medium all-in-one diaper (got that for free with a coupon!...am already not so much of a fan because it takes SO LONG to dry without the insert being removable), Flip wipeable, snap diaper covers with microterry inserts, and Thirsties wipeable, snap diaper covers. I also got a Snappi (prefold diaper fastener, which takes the place of pins [thankfully! I've stabbed myself WAY too many times already]), 4 extra Bum Genius inserts to be used in the different diaper covers, and a Planet Wise wet/dry bag for diaper changes on the go.

From my experience today, I am having some difficulty figuring out the right fit with the FuzziBunz one-size snap diapers. I can't quite figure out how to get it tight enough so it doesn't gape but not so tight it leaves red marks on his skin. The Bum Genius' are SUPER easy, and the Flip covers and inserts have the potential to be my favorite for great fit, ease of use, and ability to reuse the cover because of its "wipeabiliy."

I put Griffin to bed in a cloth diaper for the first time tonight, and I used the Bum Genius with an additional insert (called a "doubler"). We'll see how it works out!

Griffin's Birth Story - Part 3

2010-03-25T21:51:00.000-07:00

As I mentioned in my last post, Griffin's Birth Story - Part 2, I began to feel the urge to push at 10pm, while in the tub. I decided to get out and get walking again to get things going and get this baby out! Like I said, I wasn't sure what I was supposed to feel when I was fully dilated and ready to push. Looking back, hindsight being 20/20, I probably should have had Lisa, my midwife, check me when I first started feeling the urge to push; however, I was near exhaustion and getting quite delirious, and I can say that I wasn't thinking quite clearly at that point. I remember walking around and giving long, longing glances at the comfy, king-sized bed, wishing I could just lie down, stretch out, and take a quick nap. The room, the hallway, the bathroom...pretty much everything...was spinning and felt dreamlike. So, as I walked and walked and walked, feeling the urge to push about every other contraction, I would try to breathe through the urge rather than let Lisa check me! This seems crazy, and probably because it was...But I was terribly afraid that if I did let Lisa check my progress, she would say something like, "Oh, honey...You're only 8 cm." I felt that I couldn't handle hearing how much further I might have to go, so I kept declining a check.

The next several hours were extremely rough. I remember thinking things like, "I will never, ever do this again," and, "I think I might actually die before this baby gets here!" Rational thoughts were beginning to be quite rare, and I was feeling almost completely asleep as I walked between contractions. It's hard to explain, but the labor gets so intense that your mind begins to look for any possible way of escape. Many women go through the "self-doubt" phase at this point in labor, expressing that they "can't do this." I had made up my mind before labor not to voice these types of feelings, and it was a good call. If I had allowed myself to proclaim doubt or fear, it would have been like an all-consuming tidal wave, which would have weakened my resolve to finish what I started. Who knows...I might have called up an ambulance and had myself shipped to the hospital for an epidural for all I know! A major, MAJOR help was my friend, Reilynn, who was acting as my doula. As she prayed for me through each contraction and massaged my back, I heard her pray things like, "Thank you for this contraction, Lord," and "Give her the strength to make it through this contraction." These prayers acted like reminders for me to put my weakening, feeble, exhausted self into God's hands and to be strengthened, mentally and physically by Him. Each time I looked at Reilynn, with pleading, fearful eyes, she would encourage me, telling me how great I was doing and how impressed she was with my progress and focus. So, even when I felt like I was failing or being a huge wimp, she was there to support and focus me on the reality of the quick and relatively easy labor I was having.

At about 1:00am, my water still had not broken, and I was still feeling much like I had at 10pm, with the irresistible urge to push about every other contraction. Finally, I decided that it was time to be checked. I laid down on the bed, and I remember how wonderful it felt to lay on my back! It felt so good to rest and stretch my back that I almost forgot about being in labor! Anyway, Lisa checked me and said, "Oh, hun, you are ready to go! How long have you felt this way?" I said, "Since about 10 o'clock!" She explored more and found that the only thing holding the baby back from being born was this one edge of my cervix that needed to be pulled to the side to allow the baby's head to descend!!! So, she explained the I needed to allow her to pull the cervix aside as I pushed through the next several contractions. She also prepared the bed and herself with chuck pads for the inevitable bursting of my amniotic sac. She said, "Don't think I haven't been splashed before!" Well, no amount of chuck pads could have protected her enough...In about two or three pushes, my water burst with so much force (and water) that it flooded the entire king-sized bed, her shirt, her pants, and everyone else that was anywhere near me! It washed up my back (not that I cared at that point), and I felt an incredible sense of relief of pressure. Although the amniotic sac being in tact saved the baby from any stress from labor, it made the intense parts of my labor feel much more "pressurized," if that makes sense.

After my water broke, we were off and running. That nagging little edge of my cervix was out of the way, and the baby's head was working its way down the birth canal. I pushed for a little under an hour. After talking to lots of women and reading lots of books, I had commonly heard that by the point the baby is crowning, you are basically numb down there from the pressure. They say that dilating from 8-10cm is the worst of it. Well, I am here to say that is SO NOT TRUE! Wowsers... Yes, pushing did feel different and natural, but whoa, boy...It hurt! Each push was more intense than the last. All the ladies were thrilled with how quickly he was coming down, and they expressed that they were very impressed with how I was pushing like I'd done it before (which was so encouraging for me). As the intensity increased, I remember looking around with "wild eyes," thinking, "oh my goodness...how am I going to get through this?!" When the ladies saw this look, they would remind me that this was the hardest thing I was ever going to do and that I needed to push aside my fear and focus on pushing through the pain. These reminders were exactly what I needed to hear. I needed them to acknowledge what I was going through and motivate me to do what needed to be done, and they did exactly that. Regularly, Lisa offered the mirror so that I could see the progress. Strangely enough, I was reluctant to look every time because of the pain; however, I'm so glad I did. I touched him for the first time as his little head started to poke out, and I felt and saw a head quite full of dark looking hair! I didn't have the strength to look during crowning, but Reilynn was taking pictures for me to look back on.

As the baby was crowning, Lisa was pouring oil on my "area" and instructing me to push with short, softer pushes until his head was out. This was the pinnacle of the pain of childbirth. I've heard people call this the "ring of fire," where you feel so stretched that it feels as though you're on fire. Lisa commented, "You're stretching beautifully. No tears!" What she didn't know was that Griffin was descending through the birth canal with his fists under his chin. So, when his head came out, I tore internally with the unusual pressure/friction of those little arms and fists. In other words, there was no resting point at the neck. Also, the cord was wrapped around his neck once, but it didn't cause any issues during the birth. Lisa instructed Oliver to get ready, because she knew that he wanted to deliver Griffin if possible. I'm not sure if it was the delirium or what, but I had no clue how close we were to having our little baby in the world! On the next push, Oliver reached down, with the midwives' help, and pulled Griffin out! I watched him cry as he put our son on my chest/belly, and I laughed and laughed with joy.

I'll have to wrap up this story in the 4th (and final) installment a bit later...but here are some pictures to tide you over :) [WARNING: These are, in fact, pictures of labor and the birth of a baby; however, there are no private parts shown. Things shown: a brand new baby covered with vernix, blood, and non-private parts like legs and my belly][SECOND WARNING: These are also THE most unflattering pictures ever taken of me...But, I suppose that's the nature of giving birth-You aren't exactly concerned about looking your best at the greatest moment of your life.]

More to come...

Continuing in Cloth

2010-03-24T21:25:00.000-07:00

A while ago, I blogged on starting out in cloth diapering. By way of update, the past couple weeks of cloth diapering Griffin have gone great! We have had less leaks and less diaper rash, and both mama and baby are quite happy with the switch. As I mentioned in my last post on the topic, I invested about $30 or so on the cheapest, old-fashioned bare essentials to get my feet wet and see if I could handle the extra work. I decided that if I could make it with the old-fashioned prefold diapers with pins and pull-over plastic pants, I could invest in some nicer cloth pocket diapers, velcro covers, and supplies. After a couple relatively easy weeks, I've determined that the switch to cloth is much easier than I imagined and have used a bit of our tax return money to purchase some diapers from kellyscloset.com. The package should arrive tomorrow or Friday, and I never imagined I would be so excited to get a bunch of diapers in the mail!

The routine goes as follows: I change Griffin at least every two hours. During the change, I pull off the plastic pants, turning them inside out, and then hang them to dry if there is no poo on them. Then, I put the diaper on top of the "diaper pail" (a small, plastic trash can with a pop-up lid) to take care of post-diaper change. After wiping off my babe's bottom, I clean it with California Baby's Diaper Area Wash and wipe it clean with a cotton pad. Once his little bottom air dries, I either put on the diaper or put a little California Baby Diaper Cream if there is a bit of pinkness. As for folding the diaper, I've tried several different folds and have found one that has contained every major poop blowout Griffin can throw at it. It's the twist fold: http://www.thediaperhyena.com/twist_fold.htm , and it creates a sort of pocket at the rear to contain messes. Once I pin it up, I put on the plastic pants, making sure no cloth is sticking out, and away we go!

As for the dirty diapers... I spray each poopy diaper with a mix of white vinegar and water and place it in the diaper pail, which I've lined with a pillowcase that I toss in the wash with the diapers. I wash the diapers every other day and begin with a cold rinse cycle with a smidge of Oxyclean. Then, I put them through a hot wash with 1/4 the normal amount of detergent and two rinse cycles. Normally, I then put them in the dryer, and they're done; however, today I noticed quite a few of the diapers had quite a bit of yellow staining from his breastfed baby poo. So, I did a bit of research, and determined that bleach was not the ideal solution due to bleach being a major skin irritant (and I know Griffin has pretty sensitive skin). I read on several websites that sun is the best remedy, and I hung the diapers out on the line to dry. I must say, I was shocked to walk out and collect all perfectly white diapers from the line after a couple hours basking in the sun!!! This is not only easy, but it saves the extra energy and water it would take to wash and wash and wash them white!

At this point, Griffin is cloth diapered all day and still wears a disposable at night. I plan to switch his nighttime diaper to cloth when the package of nicer, more absorbent diapers arrives. I'm sure I will blog about these new diapers after they arrive. I've ordered several different kinds...some BumGenius one-size pocket diapers, some FuzziBunz one-size pocket diapers, some Thirsties, Bummis Super Brite, and Flip diaper covers, some Bummis prefold diapers, some Flip inserts, and some BumGenius inserts. We'll see how each of these systems work out, and I'll let you know!

Griffin's Birth Story - Part 2

2010-03-20T22:17:00.000-07:00

[If you would like to read Part 1 of Griffin's Birth Story first, click here.]

As I said, Christmas came and went with no baby. I was beginning to get very, very tired from six to eight hour blocks of contractions during the day and contractions every ten to fifteen minutes through the night. Needless to say, I wasn't getting much sleep during the night or rest during the day, and I was concerned that I was expending precious energy before my active labor even began. For those who are unfamiliar with labor lingo, "active labor" begins when you are 4 cm dilated and beyond. Most women spend the bulk of their labor dilating from 0-4 cm for their first birth (not sure about subsequent births for this statistic).

The day after Christmas is my dad's birthday, and he was celebrating the big 5-0 this year. We all thought it would be great to have little Griffin born exactly 50 years to the day after his Grandpa Brian, and I was exhausted from a week of on-again-off-again contractions. On a long walk with Oliver through the neighborhood, I gave my midwife, Lisa, a call. I shared my concerns about exhaustion, stress on the baby, etc., and she recommended we come in that day for an exam and to discuss our options.

At about 1 or so that day, we met Lisa at the birth center. During her exam, she found that I was 1 cm dilated and completely effaced (meaning my cervix was thinned out in preparation for birth). Then, as she was checking me, I dilated to 3 cm! Can I tell you, it is so nice to dilate 2 cm without having to work for it! She said that my body was right on the precipice of active labor, but that we had the option for her to strip my membranes to get things going. "Stripping the membranes" refers to a procedure where the midwife/OB-GYN will insert her finger into the cervix, bend her finger, and rotate it around the top of the cervix to separate the cervix from the amniotic sac. This released the natural hormone that is primarily responsible for starting labor. This only works if your body is ready to go into labor, so the risks are very minimal. We decided this would be best in our situation, and she performed the procedure. I've heard other people talk about how painful this is, but I experienced no pain, no cramping, no nothing! Yay! So, she sent us home with directions to have a glass of wine and take a nap because we were going to have a baby tonight!

I cannot tell you how completely overwhelmed and nervous I was on that drive home. I remember shaking in the car from the fear of the unknown, fear of the pain, fear of becoming a mom, etc. etc. Fear was beginning to really take ahold of me at that point. We did as directed, and I took a great nap from 4-5pm.

I woke up in a noticeably different condition...full-fledged active labor. The contractions were definitely more intense and coming quite close together. My goal was to labor as long as possible in the comfort of my own home, so I set to work. As I mentioned in my last post, my dad, step-mom, and 14 year old brother were staying with us for the holidays, so they were here to witness this part of the labor. I remember my dad watching me going through contraction after contraction, and he eventually said, "Why don't you try to get on your hands and knees. Maybe that'll take some of the pressure off." I laugh at this suggestion now, but at that time I was willing to try anything! So, I lumbered down onto all fours and immediately found that it was the wrong position for me...ouch! Immediately after that realization, I realized that I was unable to get up!! If you have seen pictures of my last trimester, you know that my belly got bigger than almost any woman I've ever seen carrying just one baby. Anyway, Oliver and my step-mom helped me to my feet. At this point, I was trying to stay in denial that things were really happening so that I didn't freak out and trying to find what the most comfortable positions were for me to labor in, but it became increasingly clear that I had to confront that the time had come to go to the birth center. First, I was unable to speak or listen during contractions. Second, I began to bleed, which happens with the dilation of the cervix. Third, it became difficult for me to think about anything at all...getting the birth bag and supplies together, etc. Good thing I had that bag packed ahead of time...There is NO way I was coherent enough to do that during that time. As I held onto my step-mom's shoulders through a contraction, she said, "Katie, it's time to go now." I knew she was right, and at 6pm, Oliver and I got ourselves together and drove to the birth center, calling our midwife and my friend, Reilynn (who was acting as my doula [aka. birth assistant]) on the way.

The time had finally come. We were making our final drive as a family of two. On the way there, Oliver and I prayed together for the safe and quick delivery of our son, and God brought a verse to mind to remind us that He has not given us a spirit of fear. He has given us a spirit of power, of love, and of a sound mind. Though I struggled with fear throughout the rest of the labor, God gave me the strength to say "no" to it, to turn away from it with confidence in Him.

When we arrived, I changed into the clothes I had chosen to labor in. I chose a sports bra and a sort of tank top dress. I highly recommend this combo, although next time I would go with a nursing sports bra for easy nursing post-birth. The birth center atmosphere was just amazing. Our room was very homey, with king-sized bed, rocking chair, couch, paintings on the wall, a water fountain, and various birth stools, balls, etc. Our bathroom was nice and big, with a jacuzzi tub with jets (and handles!). They kept the lights low, the candles lit, the water fountain bubbling, and the mood very relaxed and confident. Lisa checked my progress shortly after we arrived and found that I was already at 6 cm.

[Sidenote: Just minutes after we arrived at the birth center, our friends John and Cora Arenz arrived to have their baby! Since we were both very busy giving birth, we didn't see one another during our time there; however, their sweet baby girl was born almost exactly 24 hours after Griffin was born.]

I spent the majority of my labor walking around the room and around the hallway loop in the birth center. This was the most "comfortable" position for me, and it has the added benefit of speeding up labor. When a contraction would hit (and boy did they HIT), I would put my hands around Oliver's neck, lean my head down onto his chest, squat and swing my hips, and BREATHE! Oliver was so involved in the labor and delivery, and he was wonderful. I've heard so many women talk about how annoyed they were by their spouse during labor, but I had the opposite experience. Oliver was the perfect mix of attentive, concerned, encouraging, strong, confident, emotionally available, and yet not smothering. He either held me up (literally) or held my hand through almost every contraction, and, as I'll write about later, he was able to deliver Griffin and place him on my chest.

During every contraction, Reilynn was there to massage my lower back and hips, and every woman who has ever given birth knows that lower back/hip massage is invaluable and so very helpful to get through the increasing pain of contractions. Rei also prayed for me through every, single contraction, thanking the Lord for another contraction, for progress in the labor, and for strength and endurance for me. She wasn't obnoxious or annoying about it, and I knew that she understood what I was going through, having had 5 naturally herself. She kept me sane during the process, and her presence was so comforting. I turned to her many times for encouragement, and she was excellent at giving it. There were plenty of times where I was so delirious with exhaustion and pain that the notion that I could not do it began to crop up; however, it was Reilynn's prayers that reminded me to focus on the Lord, to draw my strength from Him, to recognize my own short-comings and accept His help, and most of all, to give Him thanks for progress.

People ask what a contraction feels like, and I have heard many different answers. Severe diarrhea cramps/menstrual cramps is one I've heard and can agree this is what the very, very early ones feel similar to; however, active labor/transition contractions are surreal and like nothing I've ever experienced. [Note: "Transition" is the stage of labor where you dilate from 8-10 cm, and it is the most intense stage of contractions. Many people say this is the most painful part of labor, but I disagree. Pushing hurts worse.] I do not want to write a horrifying birthing story here that would scare other women, especially soon-to-be-moms. That is the LAST thing I want to do. Labor is not horrifying or insurmountable...It is just different than any other experience that there is really no way to conceptualize it before you experience it for yourself. I must be honest and say that it was harder and more painful than I imagined, but that is only because I had never done it before and was unable to imagine it. There just is nothing else in life that is similar to the feelings you feel when you are giving birth. When you're doing it for the first time, there is also that nagging fear of the unknown. The key for me was NOT to entertain those fears and NOT to allow thoughts in my head or words out of my mouth like "I can't" or "I don't want to." Keeping those kinds of thoughts out helped me to grit my teeth and get down to business with having that baby instead of torturing myself with my weaknesses.

I did spend a couple of hours in the jacuzzi/birthing tub. They turned the jets on, and I just laid back and tried to relax. Oliver poured water on my belly and offered me water and smoothies to drink. I must say, the tub was amazing. The pain did not go away or lessen much, but I was able to relax so fully between contractions that I actually would fall asleep! ...And the contractions couldn't have been more than 2 minutes apart or so!

At about 10pm, after being in the tub for quite a while, I began feeling the urge to push. At times, I was unable to stop myself. However, my water had not yet broken and I was unsure of what exactly I was looking for that would indicate it was time to push...having never given birth before. There were contractions I could breath through and not push, and there were other contractions that I could not stop my body from pushing on. I decided to get out of the tub and walk some more to "get things going." I was ready to get that baby out!

To be continued...

Griffin's Birth Story - Part 1

2010-03-15T21:05:00.000-07:00

Since December 27^th, I’ve been wanting to write Griffin’s birth story. Well, nearly 3 months later, I’m finally getting around to it. Not only do I want to record the details of the most wonderful day of my life for memory’s sake (I happen to have one of the worst memories on the planet), but I also hope that this story will inspire other soon-to-be parents out there to consider natural birth. I am not going to say that birthing Griffin naturally was painless or easy, but I will say that there are some beautiful benefits to taking that road...the road less traveled in today's western world.

Before I begin, I would like to mention that, yes, I am writing about labor and delivery, and, yes, this will include details and tastefully chosen pictures of my labor and delivery. No private parts will be shown...hence the "private" part (pun intended).

I do not seek out tests of endurance. I am no marathon runner or mountain climber. Most of my life's tests of perseverance have not had happy endings. Like most human beings on the planet, I am a great starter and a pretty terrible finisher. There is nothing special about me in this endurance department, although it is an area of my life I recognize needs work. After much research and strong personal conviction, Oliver and I chose to have our son naturally, without drugs or any other interventions, in a birthing center with a midwife. I've blogged about this decision for natural birth in the past, if you would like to read about our journey in that department. We found Lisa Byrd at Covenant Birth Center in Lexington, SC, and she helped empower and prepare us physically, mentally, and emotionally for the big day throughout the course of our prenatal care. However, nothing can fully prepare you for the massive, life-changing test of endurance that is birthing a baby. I asked my friend, Reilynn (who, herself, birthed 5 babies naturally) to be my doula, and she had stressed several times that birth is like a marathon, taking loads of endurance and focused pacing. She is the kind of person who loves finding the "runners high" of a long race, and I wondered how I, a pretty "wimpy" person in comparison, could climb the proverbial mountain of birthing a baby.

Griffin was due a few days after I completed my last semester of college on December 18th. From the way I felt (and looked!), I thought there was no way I would make it to my due date. So, I made arrangements with my professors for the possibility of an early birth. Somehow, I made it through those last exams and papers in a special desk with a separate seat, being too enormous for a regular desk, and I completed my semester with my GPA not too much damaged...although, at that point, I did not care an iota about my GPA! My dad, step-mom, and brother were due to arrive on the 21st to stay for the birth of Griffin and Christmas. We were hoping his birth would precede Christmas by quite a bit, but our little guy deemed it necessary to stay in the cooker a bit longer than any of us thought was physically possible.

I began the week of Christmas with pretty mild contractions that would stay pretty regular for several hours and then dissipate. This pattern continued throughout Christmas week, and the contraction severity and blocks of time increased as time went by. Several days before Christmas and Christmas Eve day brought regular enough contractions to warrant phone calls to my midwife, asking for advice and giving her a head's up. None of these bouts of contractions amounted to active labor, and my family and I went about having a good time together, doing all kinds of things we all knew I wouldn't be doing for a while after Griffin was born. We went out to eat (although I was bracing through contractions for many a meal), went out to see Avatar in 3-D, and went on long, strenuous walks, hoping to get things going so we could have a baby before Christmas. Well, Christmas came and went, and all Griffin's "First Christmas" outfits had to be returned or shelved for the next baby.

Looks like I'll have to post this story in installments...More to come!

Embarking on a Cloth Journey

2010-03-13T20:30:00.000-08:00

First, I apologize for my absence from the world of blogging for the past months. In setting up this blog, my intention was to keep my family and friends, many of whom live 1000 miles away, updated; however, many of said family members and friends have joined the Facebook world, and it has been much quicker and easier to upload the gazillion photos I take of Griffin there. That being said, I do realize that blogging has its perks...storytelling, thought sharing, etc. So, I would like to begin blogging once more with the intention of sharing the bulk of my photos on Facebook and the bulk of my thoughts and stories from our family on this blog.

Second, I would like to kick off this fresh attempt at blogging with the story of our first day using cloth diapers. Before Griffin was born, I had hopes of cloth diapering. I never got around to actually purchasing any, and being a first-time mom of a newborn made me wonder if I could even do it! So, I started my little lad off on disposables with the intention of switching to cloth down the road when things started "calming down" a bit. Here I am, 2 1/2 months later, ready to get my foot in the door with cloth.

Several people have asked me why I would even consider the mess and hassle of cloth diapering. After doing a bit of research, I must admit that my motive is not predominately environmental. Sure, cloth diapers don't fill up landfills; however, they do take much more energy, water, and detergent bottles that I normally would not need to use. My aunt also did this research, and found that the environmental benefit is still there, but it is not substantial when you weigh in these other factors. My motivations are primarily financial and for the physical well-being of Griffin. Of course, there is an initial investment in cloth. This is why I've chosen to use gift cards to purchase the cheapo Gerber white cloth diapers, plastic diaper covers, and pins to get started. If I determine that I am willing and able to handle the cheaper (and tougher) old fashioned method, I will invest in better quality prefolds, diaper covers, and even in 12 or so nice one-size all-in-one diapers (like BumGenius or FuzziBunz). I also mentioned the physical benefit for Griffin. I'm not super big on the idea of the bajillion chemicals and whatnot in the disposables, and I'm constantly having to use diaper rash ointment to keep the diaper rash at bay...even though I change his diaper at least ever 2 hours, let his bottom air dry, and use the Pampers "Sensitive" Swaddlers. He's only gotten bad diaper rash once, but why should I have to constantly use the ointment to keep the rash at bay? I've read and heard many testimonies about babies who struggled with diaper rash with disposables and did not when switched to cloth. So, it's definitely worth a try.

Today, after doing a bunch of reading and researching online, I began with a hilarious 20 minutes of trying to get the diaper on and pinned correctly without stabbing Griffin. I wound up stabbing myself instead and bled all over the diaper...hence the blood on the picture below.

After I finally got things under control and went to have breakfast, Griffin proceeded to promptly fill his diaper beyond capacity. It was less than 10 minutes and poop was literally soaking the entire back of Griffin's outfit...all the way up to his shoulders! This, of course, meant a bath. The second time around, I made sure to pull the plastic diaper cover completely over the entire diaper...especially on the back. I'm assuming it was sticking out before and the wetness just soaked into his clothing. Since that minor adjustment, there have been no more leaks! I believe we went through 10 diapers today. Griffin is in bed (in a disposable...I'm not that brave yet!), and the diapers just finished their cold rinse cycle in the washer (thank the Lord for washing machines!!!). They are completely stained yellow, and I'm wondering if that'll come out in the hot wash cycle.

So, here's the setup:

I have 12 6 ply prefold Gerber diapers, 12 3 ply prefold Gerber diapers, 6 pins, 6 plastic Gerber diaper covers, a trash can with a touch pop-up lid, and 2 pillow protector cases which I use as liners in the trash can (so I can just empty the bag into the wash and toss the bag in as well).

They say to keep your pins in a bar of soap to help them slide through the diaper fabric. SO true! I'm looking forward to getting better at this. I welcome any suggestions or opinions on good brands of prefolds, diaper covers, and all-in-ones.

I guess Griffin doesn't know the difference between the two now, but he looks awful cute in them! I've also heard that it is easier to potty train when using cloth because they can actually feel that they are wet (unlike the almost bizarre lack of wetness in a disposable).

Announcing the Arrival of Griffin Oliver Thompson!

2010-01-10T17:23:00.000-08:00

Playing Catch-Up...

2010-01-10T17:20:00.000-08:00

Since I've taken a bit of a leave of absence from blogging due to...well...being due, finishing the semester, and the holidays, I seem to have a bit of catching up to do! First and most importantly, Griffin Oliver Thompson arrived December 27th at 1:56am. He weighed 8 lbs. 14 oz. and was 22 inches. He is healthy, the most beautiful baby we've ever seen, and so good! We are very, very blessed. I plan to blog on our birthing experience at the birth center and our first days with Griffin soon. For now, here are some photos of my last days of pregnancy:

38 weeks & hoping I wouldn't make it to my due date...but I did and then some!

Christmas Day - Overdue by 4 days, having contractions all week, and identifying quite a bit with Mary this Christmas day.

My horribly swollen feet and ankles just days before Griffin was born. Isn't it just terrible?!

My 41 week "belly" shot :) So glad he is out!

More to come later...

The Pitter-Patter of Little Feet

2009-11-25T09:35:00.000-08:00

Our little man's foot at 36 weeks:

I am convinced that he has my feet due to his big toe being longer than his middle toe like mine. :) I guess we'll just have to wait and find out! Not too much longer now... Although, tell that to me when I'm trying to roll over in bed at night, and I'm likely to punch you in the face hahah!

I cannot wait to kiss every single one of his 10 little toes and 10 little fingers!

32 Weeks

2009-10-31T20:13:00.000-07:00

Only 8 more to go...that is if I make it to my due date. I'm consistently measuring 3 weeks bigger than average. So, I look (and feel!) 35 weeks. New developments over the past couple weeks:

-Griffin is now 5 lbs., and it SUPER active.

-I have discovered that Griffin responds to deep voices...like in classrooms with male professors. He just goes crazy during my 3 hour Monday class with Mr. Baarendse and my other 3 hour Monday class with Dr. Gentry.

-He is usually in the perfect position for birth (head down, back curved along the left side of my belly).

-He has officially kicked Oliver in the face :)

-I woke up last Thursday morning with my first stretch marks :( They are low on my belly, smaller, and pink. Although it is a tad sad (I thought I might be one of the "lucky" ones to not get stretch marks), I realize it's all for a wonderful cause...So I don't mind the marks that much. What I DO mind is the PAIN! They hurt so, so bad...almost like a burn! Any suggestions are welcome. They don't hurt as bad now as they did for the first several days; however, it doesn't appear they're going to stop hurting because Griffin (and therefore, my belly) continues to get bigger.

-I am having increasing difficulty walking, standing up, sleeping, sitting...you name it. I think my body must be secreting PLENTY of that relaxin hormone that causes your joints, ligaments and bones to soften because I'm feeling plenty of joint, tendon, and ligament pain. The latest development is that if I'm walking barefoot, I can feel the tendon in my arch stretch/pull. Ew & ow.

-I am starting to get excited about going into labor. I feel as though I've passed the "hump" of fear, and have moved on to the more productive determined attitude. At this point (and I'm sure I'll increasingly feel this way), I am willing to do whatever it takes to 1.) finally meet my baby boy 2.) put an end to the difficulties and pains of the last trimester :)

Updated Timeline

2009-10-30T21:48:00.000-07:00

My Semester...

2009-10-15T10:34:00.000-07:00

These are the books I am having to read this semester, minus one or two. Of course, I'm also trying to squeeze in as many books as possible on pregnancy, birth, breastfeeding, newborn care, babies, being a mom, etc. On top of this, I cannot seem to stop myself from wanting to get into some non-school-required fiction...but, who has the time?! The Brothers Karamazov, Gilead, Metamorphosis, and The Oresteia beckon me daily. Sometimes, I even flirt with a chapter or two. Oh, I am so looking forward to the days where I will have total reading freedom...Days when I am not so bogged down with required reading that I am unable to do any for leisure/simple enjoyment. Oliver is an incredibly fast reader, which allows him to handle substantial amounts of leisure reading. I, on the other hand, am not so speedy.

30 Week Pictures

2009-10-13T14:36:00.000-07:00

30 Weeks With My Griffin - Highs & Lows

2009-10-13T14:16:00.000-07:00

Only 10 more weeks to go! People are starting to tell me that I "look like i'm going to have this baby any day now." Not sure what to do with that.

New developments:
Griffin is over 3 lbs, and his main jobs these days are
1. getting fat,
2. developing his brain,
3. hanging out under my right ribs (ouch!), and
4. making a scene practicing all his "tricks": stretching, hiccuping, and kicking (all of which can now be seen by anyone near me).

As I type this, he is hiccuping away. I just love my little man. This pregnancy has truly been one of the greatest times in my life. What a great blessing I've been given... I'm so thankful.

That being said, even a relatively "easy" pregnancy like mine has not been all highs; there have certainly been some lows...Some pretty low lows. Insomnia plagues me. Last week, I went for 3 consecutive nights without any sleep...any. On the 3rd day, I just sat on the couch and wept, wondering when I was ever going to sleep again. When you go without sleep for that long, you start to feel like you're going to lose your mind. That feeling caused me to have an anxiety attack. Then, due to lack of sleep, I caught a flu bug. My back and hips hurt pretty much 100% of the time now, and heartburn continues to rear its ugly little head. None of these things show any signs of getting better before I get through the next 10 weeks.

At the end of this next 10 weeks lies my greatest source of anxiety and fear: the labor/delivery. I would rather hide this fear and look brave to the outside world...but I really feel like "getting it out there" once and for all will help me to process things better than stewing internally. I do not know what to expect out of labor. I cannot imagine how it will feel, how I will respond, what could go wrong, etc. etc. There are so many unknowns. Usually, I don't get all worked up over the unknowns in life. I am typically laid back in that respect, but this is a different ball game. We have chosen to give birth at Covenant Birth Center with a midwife and no pain medication. As much as I know and have peace that this is the right decision for Oliver, the baby, and I, I still cannot stop fearing the experience of labor/delivery. I know many, many, many women have had unmedicated, natural births for thousands of years. I know they were able to do it and, for many, multiple times in their lives. As much as that intellectually satisfies me, it does not emotionally satisfy me whatsoever. I've watched plenty of natural birthing videos lately. There is no denying that the bringing of a baby into the world is a beautiful thing, but it is also just plain horrifying! Many of the women in these videos have given birth multiple times before, and they still seemingly enter the realm of "losing it" during labor...How on earth can I, a first time mom of a potentially pretty big baby, handle it? I'm not just worried about the level of pain I must endure; I'm also worried about the length of time I'll have to endure the different levels of pain and if I'll have the gumption to push through the pain at the very end of it all. I'm not an expert on endurance or pain tolerance. I know this baby has got to come out no matter what, and I am determined to bring him into the world with as little intervention as possible for his safety. But I am scared. Period.

All that being said...WHEW! I realize that I need to depend on the Lord for strength, wisdom, endurance, etc. I know that I cannot do this on my own, as is the case with everything in this life. That does not mean, however, that it'll be easy, not painful, not terrifying. Hopefully, the more I talk about my fears and concerns, the quicker I can get past this rut and move into excitement and anticipation of the big day. I am hoping and praying that I can process through the muck and come to a place where I feel empowered as a woman and as God's daughter to finish what has been started in this pregnancy. I want to look forward to labor and delivery as part of the journey into motherhood, as a physical and emotional gift. I am blessed with being able to be pregnant. I am blessed with a healthy pregnancy and a healthy baby boy. I am blessed with being created in such a way to be able to give birth to a child. Instead of cowering behind negative emotions and feelings of foreboding, I want to embrace the birthing experience with open arms, knowing I am bringing my son into this world in the best possible way I know how. May God give me the strength and wisdom to walk toward December 21st with my head held high and with my fears behind me.

A Proper Name

2009-10-05T10:44:00.000-07:00

Proper names are poetry in the raw. Like all poetry they are untranslatable.

-W. H. Auden

It appears that after 3 name polls, 7 months of gestation, countless fun naming conversations, and a hint of anxiety over "getting this right," we have settled on a name for our baby boy bean! And that name is....[drumroll, please]....

Griffin Oliver Thompson

With the name Griffin, there is the possibility of two equally great nicknames: GRIF-FIN "Griff" and "Finn" Take your pick! How fun is that?! Oliver has been head-over-heels sold on this name for quite a while now. We agree that it works well for every stage of life. It can be cute, but it can be manly, strong, and powerful as well. It has an element of mystery, as the name is shared with a mythological creature. There are no other L's to stumble over when combined with "Oliver" as the middle name. It was tied for 3rd (and last) place with "Archer" in the final four name poll with 23% of the votes, but the following info concerning the others in the final four will reveal the happenings with the other names.

Concerning the other names in the "final four":

-Archer (Ari) - (23% of the vote) This name just didn't win our hearts. We think it's a great name, but we never were able to see it as the name of our son.

-Sullivan (Sulli) - (34% of the vote) We had discovered several months ago in a conversation with good friends of ours that we had both discovered this name separately and were thinking of it as our boy name choice, if we were having boys. (They didn't find out the sex of the baby until he was delivered.) They did wind up having a beautiful baby boy and naming him Sullivan. We're so happy for them and just love little Sully. We decided it would just be weird to name our baby boy Sullivan when we are such good friends with this couple and plan on having our sons be good friends too :) But, when potential son #2 rolls around, Sullivan is definitely at the top of our list.

-Finley (Finn) - (46% of the vote) As our friend, Aaron Burt, pointed out, "Finn" can be used as a nickname for Griffin as well. I always liked "Finley," but it made it so far mainly because of the nickname "Finn," which I LOVE, LOVE. Since we can "have our cake and eat it too" with the name "Griffin," it made this final decision much easier. For those who voted for Finley (Finn), it won in the name poll! But I suppose it's not really getting the boot either, since Finn is still an option for a nickname.

Thanks for all your votes and comments during this process. I suppose we have over 2 months in which to change our minds on baby boy's name, but we'll just have to wait and see! We're not signing any blood oaths here :) Who knows-we could hold the baby for the first time and see clearly that his name is supposed to be "Augustine Clement Ignatius Cyprian Thompson." Or God could speak to us and command that his name be this or that. So, with that being said, we leave the door open to the possibilities but have chosen a "placeholder" name which will become his name, barring any unforeseen future naming happenings.

Chicken & Sausage Paella-YUM!

2009-10-01T09:42:00.000-07:00

So, I found this wonderful crock-pot recipe in a cookbook and decided to give it a spin... It is so fantastic, I had to share it. Not only is it DELISH, but it is also low fat! Here goes:

Prep Time: 30 min.
Cook Time: 7-8 hours on low (3.5-4 on high)
Makes: 6 servings
Ingredients:
2.5-3 lbs. chicken pieces (I used chicken breasts cut in 3 pieces)
1 T cooking oil
8 oz cooked smoked turkey sausage chopped up
1 lg. onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 t thyme
1/4 t black pepper
1/8 t saffron (or 1/4 t tumeric)
1 14 oz can of chicken broth
1/2 c water
2 c chopped tomatoes (I used extra peas instead)
2 med. yellow or green sweet peppers cut into thin, bite sized strips
1 c frozen peas (I used 2 c.)
3 c hot cooked rice or one 10 oz package saffron-flavored yellow rice mix, cooked according to directions (I used the yellow saffron rice mix...AMAZING)

In large skillet, brown chicken pieces in hot oil. Drain fat. In 3.5-4 quart crock-pot/slow cooker, place chicken pieces, turkey sausage, and onion. Sprinkle with garlic, thyme, black pepper, and saffron/tumeric. Pour broth and water over all.

Cover and cook on low for 7-8 hours (or high for 3.5-4 hours). Add tomatoes, sweet peppers and peas to the cooker. Cover and let stand for 5 minutes. Serve over rice.

Like I said, SUPER good and SUPER easy!

October 1st

2009-10-01T09:30:00.000-07:00

What a gorgeous day! We are so enjoying the beginning of our favorite season. Instead of taking the "belly journal" shots inside (as we usually do because of the awful SC heat & humidity), we decided to take them in our back"yard"/"forest."

Hello, Miss Foot.

2009-09-30T13:14:00.000-07:00

It's been a while since I've lost sight of my feet, and I won't be seeing them again for another 12 weeks. Being that I'm not all that fond of my feet, it's no big loss.

At 2.5 lbs. and 16 inches from head to toe, sweet baby boy is taking up more and more precious abdomen space every day. He's quite active, and I get to watch him do his little dances from the outside now. Also, he prefers to place the majority of his chubby little body in the right side of my belly, which makes things feel...well, lop-sided! As my belly continues to grow, I've been wondering:
-How much bigger is that mole going to get?!?
-Where does my flattened, stretched belly button have to go from here?
-How am I going to be at all mobile or be able to breathe at the end?
-How on earth do people squat while they're giving birth? I know it's the most natural position to give birth in, but for heaven's sake...there's a LOT of belly in the way!
-Do non-maternity elastic waistbands bother baby?
-Will I be able to get comfortable for the next 12 weeks?

National Birth Center Study Outcomes

2009-09-17T10:29:00.000-07:00

Click here to visit the site.

Outcomes of care in birth centers. The National Birth Center Study
JP Rooks, NL Weatherby, EK Ernst, S Stapleton, D Rosen, and A Rosenfield

Abstract

We studied 11,814 women admitted for labor and delivery to 84 free-standing birth centers in the United States and followed their course and that of their infants through delivery or transfer to a hospital and for at least four weeks thereafter. The women were at lower-than-average risk of a poor outcome of pregnancy, according to many but not all of the recognized demographic and behavioral risk factors. Among the women, 70.7 percent had only minor complications or none; 7.9 percent had serious emergency complications during labor and delivery or soon thereafter, such as thick meconium or severe shoulder dystocia. One woman in six (15.8 percent) was transferred to a hospital; 2.4 percent had emergency transfers. Twenty-nine percent of nulliparous women and only 7 percent of parous women were transferred, but the frequency of emergency transfers was the same. The rate of cesarean section was 4.4 percent. There were no maternal deaths. The overall intrapartum and neonatal mortality rate was 1.3 per 1000 births. The rates of infant mortality and low Apgar scores were similar to those reported in large studies of low-risk hospital births. We conclude that birth centers offer a safe and acceptable alternative to hospital confinement for selected pregnant women, particularly those who have previously had children, and that such care leads to relatively few cesarean sections.

Source Information

Center for Population and Family Health, School of Public Health, Columbia University, New York.

25 weeks down, 15 to go!

2009-09-09T19:40:00.000-07:00

I look forward to my prenatal appointments each month (soon to be every other week). There are few things greater in this world than hearing your baby's heartbeat and being reassured that everything is going well. Today, the midwife told us that he is head down and was snuggling down into my abdomen to get away from the heart monitor! My belly is measuring 26cm, which is just right. Last appointment, at our ultrasound at 21 weeks, the ultrasound technician told us that he weighed 15oz. When we got home, all the books said he should only be 10oz. at 21 weeks! So, needless to say, that got us thinking he might be getting too big too fast! I asked the midwife about this issue today, and she said that 15oz. actually put him in the 43rd percentile for 21 weeks...which means he's actually under the average weight! WHEW!

Before the appointment this morning, we took a tour of Covenant Birth Center, which is where we are considering switching to from our current midwives at Lexington Women's Care. What a great experience! Oliver and I left feeling like we might have just seen where our baby will enter the world! Covenant Birth Center has one main midwife, Lisa Byrd, who is very experienced and is big on taking time with you, holding you accountable to being healthy, staying with you throughout your entire labor, delivery, and immediate post-natal care. Each standard appointment with her takes an hour or more, and she uses some of that time to prepare and equip you for labor and delivery. It seems as though Covenant is focused on empowering you, as a woman, to do what God made your body to do! The Center is homey and cozy, with a living room area, kitchen, and two bedroom/bathroom combos for labor and delivery. The bathrooms have big birthing tubs, which is what I'm very interested in using. There is always Lisa and/or her support staff there to assist you, check on the baby, and attend to your needs throughout the entire process, and there is a big focus on creating a calm, soothing environment to enable you to relax, thereby helping the labor process to go more quickly and easily.

We have been struggling with our current prenatal care, and information we've received from them concerning what I am/am not allowed to do during labor and delivery has been very mixed. Some say I can labor in the itty-bitty tub, others say I cannot. For sure, I cannot deliver in the tub. Some say I have to have an IV, others say I don't. Some say I can make a birth plan and they will try to follow it, and others scoff at the whole birth plan idea. Because there are 5-6 midwives that you see and any one of them could wind up delivering your baby (depending on who is on call), I just don't know what to expect. I've heard lots of great stories from women who have delivered with them, and several bad stories. The reality is, I feel mainly like patient #11394992 there. Most of the time, the midwife doesn't even sit down after coming in to the check-up room, and I feel like I'm taking up her precious time with my nonsense questions. From the time the midwife enters the room until the appointment is over is usually about 5 minutes. There is very little, if any, instructional or preparatory advice given, and labor and delivery questions are largely left to giant question marks. I keep wondering, "How pregnant do I need to be for these ladies to get serious with me about the impending birth," and "Why don't they care more about what is going on now?" I know I am just a patient after all, but I was expecting more the OB/GYN treatment with midwives.

So, after all that rambling, here I am. I like the safety and security of being able to deliver in a hospital...along with the option of having pain medication if I am losing it altogether...but that is about it when it comes to reasons to stay with our current midwives. Covenant Birth Center offers everything I am truly looking for, and it is literally 3/4 of a mile down the street from Lexington Medical Center. Lisa is very, very careful and is not afraid to recommend that you go to the hospital, if need be. They don't let things reach emergency status, where an ambulance would need to come transport you. They preemptively let you know so you and your family can drive over to the hospital.

As all these things run through our minds, it is good to know that I am low-risk and having a totally normal, healthy pregnancy. Oliver feels that Covenant is the way to go, and I am just working through the pro's and con's of each option. I think he is right, and I am just nervous about making such an important decision. If you think to pray for us in this, we would really appreciate it. We have a 2 hour appointment with Lisa at Covenant on the 17th of this month. I think we'll know for sure after that. Keep you posted!

http://www.covenantbirthcenter.com/

The "Final Four" - Round 3

2009-09-05T20:58:00.000-07:00

Alright, we are now down to the "final four" names! Three of these correspond to the top three names in the poll, and one is a lesser-voted-for name. Here are the round two votes for each name:

-Adoniram (Remmy) 1 vote (2%)
-Archer (Ari) 4 votes (10%)
-Augustine/August (Gus) 1 vote (2%)

-Ezra 4 votes (10%)
-Finley/Finian (Finn) 19 votes (50%)
-Gilead (Gil) 9 votes (23%)
-Graeme 2 votes (5%)
-Griffin (Griff) 13 votes (34%)
-Quincy (Quinn) 12 votes (31%)
-Sullivan (Sulli) 15 votes (39%)

And...drumroll please...the final four are (in non-ranked, alphabetical order):

-Archer (Ari)
-Finley (Finn)
-Griffin (Griff)
-Sullivan (Sulli)

Votes DO NOT carry over from previous rounds. You must VOTE AGAIN to get your vote counted for this round.

Suggestions are still welcome. If the suggestion "hits the spot" with both Oliver and I (easier said than done), we'll include it in this round. If you would like to comment, click on the blue word "COMMENTS" below this post.

13-24 Week Timeline

2009-09-05T20:46:00.000-07:00

My Latest Meal Obsession

2009-09-05T06:46:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness, I cannot get enough of this meal! I make it in bulk, and heat it up for days and days. Those of you who have been pregnant understand these "kicks." I'm sure that at some point, I will be heating some up and suddenly want to vomit just thinking about eating it. This happened with spaghetti in my first trimester.

So, here is the procedure...No exact measurements with me (as usual). Good thing I don't do much baking...I would be terrible.

Start some farfalle noodles boiling. Use 2 bags of whatever frozen veggies you feel like. I've done broccoli+corn, sugar snap peas+a stir fry mix of veggies, peas+green beans...Basically, whatever I have in the freezer. Cook those according to their respective microwave, stove, or skillet directions. Drain off the water. While they are cooking, heat some extra virgin olive oil in a wok (or big skillet), along with a bunch of minced garlic (you'll need to add more oil as you go). Dump the veggies into the wok. Add a bunch of Italian seasoning and whatever else you feel like (I add some curry powder). When the noodles are finished, drain and combine in the wok. You'll probably need to add a bit more oil to cover the noodles. Serve covered in parmesan :) It's fantastic.

Bellies & Baby Showers

2009-09-05T06:35:00.000-07:00

My friends, Shari and Anna, both got pregnant months before me, and it has been fun "growing" with them throughout the past 6 months. Shari was due August 28th (my birthday!) and just had her baby September 3rd. Anna is due September 30th, and I am due December 21st.

First came Shari's shower, at which point Shari was around 36 weeks, Anna was about 31 weeks, and I was 20 weeks:

Then came Anna's shower, at which point Shari was 2 days overdue, Anna was at 35 weeks, and I was at 24 weeks. What a difference a month makes!!!

"The Quest" - Round 2

2009-08-31T18:39:00.000-07:00

Thanks to all of our lovely friends and family, we have received over 40 votes on our blog name poll and many others via Facebook, and it is now time for Round 2 of voting! With your help, we've paired the initial list of 24 names down to a list of 10. Here are the names that have received the boot from Oliver and I, with pertinent explanations. Please, do not be offended if the name you so dearly loved got vetoed; the decision was not personal in the least. The number of votes listed reflects only those votes cast on this blog's poll and not Facebook votes. (I couldn't tell if people voted in both places or not.)

-Darcy (1 vote)- too girly, family members threatened to beat him up if we name him this ;), in tie for last place in poll, with only 1 vote

-Everett (Rett) (6 votes)- ends with "t," and it has been decided names ending in "t" and "d" are out for "thompson" conflicts

-Boaz (Bo) (4 votes)- body odor jokes, friend and family nose-scrunching

-Wyatt (6 votes)- ends in "t" and celeb baby name

-Jedediah (Jed) (4 votes)- Oliver doesn't like it....at all.

-Paxton (Pax) (4 votes)- too close to Jaxon, celeb baby name

-Sawyer (8 votes)- Tom Sawyer/Sawyer Thompson/no nickname-very cute, but very trendy

-Grayson (Gray) (8 votes)- GraySON ThompSON-sons, we've decided against the double "son" thing

-Hudson (4 votes)- HudSON ThompSON-sons

-Jude (9 votes)- This ended up in a tie for 2nd place in the poll, but I just cannot get past the fact that when the full name is pronounced, it sounds like "Jew Thompson", ends in "d" sound.

-Enzo (1 vote)- Elmo, in tie for last place in the poll with only 1 vote

-Cormac (Mac) (2 votes)-Cormac Thompson is hard to say, and I just don't think I like it well enough.

-Montgomery (Monty) (5 votes)-Oliver thinks Montgomery is too formal. I think Monty Thompson would turn into Monny Thompson...and I had an "Aunt Monny."

Now, onto the names that are still in the running! Here they are with their respective amount of votes on the blog's poll:

-Gilead (Gil) (3 votes) We know Gilead is weird, but it does grow on ya...And how cute is Gil!?

-Sullivan (Sulli) (9 votes) In 2nd place! We love this one for it's uniqueness and great nickname.

-Ezra (4 votes) Oliver is not a huge fan of this one, but it hasn't yet lost all possibility.

-Finian/Finley (Finn) (14 votes) In 1st place! This is one of our absolute favorites for the Celtic origin and adorable nickname.

-Augustine/August (Gus) (4 votes) Love the nickname, not sure about the full name. We're not ready to toss it out altogether though.

-Graeme (1 vote) Tied for last place in the poll, but I love something about this name... Can't get rid of it yet. Plus, I think it would work well in all stages of life.

-Griffin (Griff) (5 votes) Such a great, masculine name.

-Quincy (Quinn) (4 votes) I'm not totally crazy over it, but it is cute.

-Archer (Ari) (4 votes) I love the strong, masculine quality of Archer. I also love the sound and meaning of the nickname Ari (means "lion"in Hebrew).

-Adoniram (Remmy) (3 votes) We love the meaning of Adoniram "my Lord is lifted up," but we're not so sure about the 4 syllable length. Oh, and Remmy is super cute!

This marks the 2nd round of voting, so we are starting with a clean slate (all names back to zero votes). In other words, vote again on the name(s) you like within these 10 names.

Once again, any criticisms, suggestions, comments, etc. are welcome. Just click on the green word "Comments" below this post, and type away!

The Quest for the Perfect Name-Important Notes

2009-08-24T16:00:00.000-07:00

So, a couple of issues have been brought to my attention concerning the name ideas we've listed. Here they are:

Jude is a great name, and we love it; however Jude+Thompson sounds like "Jew Thompson."
Grayson is popular on the poles, but we're worried about the two "son"s--->GraySON ThompSON. Does this disqualify Grayson?
I think we like Finley/Finlay better than Finian, but I am unable to change it in the current poll. Mainly, we love the nickname Finn.
We love Paxton, but my brother's name is Jaxon. Are they too similar?
I don't think Darcy is going to work. I was, of course, thinking of Mr. Darcy from Pride & Prejudice, but it appears most people consider it a girl name.

Any new name suggestions would be GLADLY accepted. Just click on the green word "Comments" at the bottom of this post, or go on Facebook, and suggest away! Thanks for your votes!

The Quest for the Perfect Name

2009-08-22T15:55:00.000-07:00

Now that we know our little one is a boy, serious name searching must commence. Yesterday and today, Oliver and I combed through baby name idea books and composed a list of names that stood out....Not that we necessarily love or even truly like some of these names...They just stood out.

A couple things you must know about the kind of name Oliver and I are looking for:

It has to be unique. We are just not into over-used, commonplace names. So, as strange as these names may sound when you first hear them, some will grow on you and others won't. We want the kind that'll grow on you.
We LOVE cute nicknames. In fact, many of the names listed below were chosen because of the nickname in parentheses following the name.
It has to work both for an infant, little boy, teenager, and grown man.
It cannot have any obvious horrible connection. In other words, think like an 8 year old boy, and try to think of terrible ways to mock our little guy's name. If you come up with something easily, then I suppose that isn't the "perfect" name.
We're pretty sure his middle name will be Oliver...So his first name must go with that and Thompson.

Okay, so here they are (in no particular order). If there is a *, both Oliver and I really like that name. The more *'s, the more we like it.

-Perry (Middle)

-Gilead (Gil)***

-Sullivan (Sulli)*****

-Ezra

-Jude

-Finian/Finley (Finn)***

-Hudson**

-Cormac (Mac)*

-Augustine (Gus)

-Graeme

-Grayson (Gray)**

-Sawyer

-Griffith/Griffin (Griff)*

-Paxton (pax)***

-Jedediah (jed) (beloved of the Lord)

-Levi

-Quincy (Quinn)

-Wyatt

-Boaz (Bo)**

-Archer (Ari/Archie)**

-Adoniram (Remmy)**

-Enzo

-Everett (Rhett)*

-Darcy*

-Montgomery (Monty)

Little Diapers-So CUTE!

2009-08-22T15:54:00.001-07:00

When you register at Target for your baby registry, they give you a gift bag with free samples and coupons. I recently went through this bag to keep or toss things and came across this free sample newborn diaper with a special top band for dealing with sensitive newborn belly button issues. How small and cute? In the picture, I'm holding it in my hand for perspective. I can't wait to put our little man in one of those! [The first of many, many, many more.]

Victorious with Craigslist Once Again!

2009-08-22T15:54:00.000-07:00

If we had more money, Craigslist could easily become an addiction for me. Ebay finds are nothing compared to the great deals I've found on Craigslist. Recently, I had another glorious Craigslist victory.

I've been searching for a cheap but sturdy white changing table. Buying one new will cost you at least $90-100, which isn't what I consider "cheap."

So, the other day, I saw a listing for an almost new, great changing table with drawers, a cabinet, an extra long table top for storing things, and a shelf on the bottom for $30! Not that $30 wasn't great, but I asked if they would take $25. Sure enough, they did, and Oliver brought home the great changing table pictured below! We found a Kmart sticker on the back, and I looked it up online. Guess what it retails for? $250!!! Yay!

How cute is this?!

Making Some Headway on the Nursery

2009-08-22T14:39:00.000-07:00

With a jam-packed semester of college looming before us, and with only 3 days after the semester ends before my due date, Oliver and I decided we would have to get started on the major nursery preparation projects before the first day of class.

Last weekend, we began by attempting to get everything out of the guest bedroom, tossing/giving away unnecessary furniture/stuff, and rearranging the office to accommodate the futon, etc. Then, it was on to painting the nursery. We chose a bold leaf green (at least that is how I would describe it) to give the necessary contrast with the white nursery furniture. But first, we had to paint the ceiling, trim, and doors white, as they were previously cream. After the nursery painting was all set, it was on to the half bath attached to the nursery. We had already painted (poorly) the walls a mint color, and we had to go back and redo the white ceiling and trim in there as well.

Whew! Then, we rearranged the house once again in order to shampoo all the carpets. I'm sorry to say, it seemed to make little/no difference whatsoever, but it created the perhaps placebo effect that things were nice and clean for baby boy bean.

Then came the super fun (and strangely emotional) part of setting up the crib, washing all the hand-me-downs, and setting up the nursery with the items we currently have.

Here are some photos of the process and finished product:

Before:

Oliver "cutting in." He is a professional :) :

I stick with rollers. Straight lines are not for me:

The empty painted rooms:

Putting the crib together:

And viola!...so far:

Beautiful Boy

2009-08-21T20:40:00.000-07:00

This video is from our 22 week ultrasound, and it is set to the John Lennon song, "Beautiful Boy," per Oliver's request. He really is so beautiful. I cry every time I watch this. Keep your eye peeled for his profile, front of his face, little heart, little "man parts," feet, spine, and mouth moving around and opening and closing!

The Growing Baby Bump

2009-08-21T19:44:00.001-07:00

Oliver and I are thoroughly enjoying the growth and changes that have continued to take place since we found out we were expecting. Here is some of the visible "growth" that has taken place over the last 22 weeks:

13 weeks:

16 Weeks:

19 Weeks:

20 Weeks:

22 Weeks:

Here is another view:

13 Weeks:

16 Weeks:

19 Weeks:

20 Weeks:

22 Weeks:

It's a BOY!

2009-08-12T14:00:00.000-07:00

At 22 weeks, we found out our "little bean" is a boy! It was such a surprise, because literally every single person we had talked to about the gender of the baby said it was a girl...EVERYone (and yes, this includes me). As the ultrasound technician swung around to take a look at the bottom half of our little one, she said, "And here are little boy parts," and I said, "What kind of parts?!?!" Immediately, Oliver's mom, Kristin Franklin, Oliver, and I sort of gave an excited, surprised yell, and the ultrasound tech. had to quiet us down! Oliver described the shock as a "punch in the stomach." He didn't mean it in a bad way, of course...He was crying tears of joy, as were we all.

I have to say, going from thinking your baby is a girl to knowing he is a boy takes a little bit of transition. I sort of questioned my "motherly intuition," but it is true that I began accidentally referring to the baby as "he" and "him" from early on. Certainly, I am not in the least disappointed that we are having a boy. I look forward to doing all kinds of little boy things with him, watching him with his father, and getting to go golfing with grandpa. Most importantly, he is healthy, apparently pretty strong (judging by the kicks hah), and cute as a button.

Here is an ultrasound picture of his "little man parts," as I like to call them:

Maggie Cleans Rigby

2009-08-11T16:18:00.000-07:00

Rigby and Magnolia truly love one another. Rigby gets excited every time she spots Magnolia, and Magnolia spends plenty of time cleaning/grooming Rigby. Of course, when Rigby gets too pushy, Magnolia doesn't spare the claw, but this teaches Rigby her boundaries.

Check out this cute video of Magnolia cleaning Rigby: