A month after my perfect birth

Dream quickpage by Kimberly Pollinger

It's hard to believe that my baby is a month old today.

Funny how time keeps going forward like that.

My little Junebug is a much more laid-back baby than Fly was. JP tentatively suggested the Bug is my do-over baby -- partly kidding, of course -- because Fly was and still is an intense child.

JP also pointed out that with the Bug I got the labor I always wanted, and because some people enjoy birth stories, well, here ya go. (If you don't want to read the birth story, you can scroll down for a picture of a super-cute baby!)

The day before the Bug was born, I was determined for him to come out. My doctor was planning to induce me because I went past my due date and an ultrasound showed the baby was big. Not a fan of pitocin, I desperately wanted the Bug to come out on his own. So I started the day with a plan. I took Fly for a bike ride over speed bumps. I went out and bought, then drank, raspberry leaf tea (which turns out probably doesn't do anything to encourage labor). I made super-spicy "jump start your labor" cookies as suggested by the Rookie Moms. For a week before, I had been walking as much as possible and trying just about any trick and old-wives' tale I heard about.

Nothing happened.

I woke up early the next day because I couldn't sleep. I did a little yoga -- for the first time during my whole pregnancy -- and watched the morning news while JP and Fly slept. It felt so good to move and stretch my body, which I hadn't been doing for months, and I felt the baby was almost moving and stretching with me.

I had an appointment then, when my OB had me do a non-stress test to get a read on the baby's heartbeat. I sat there for an hour while nurse after nurse tried to get the baby's heartbeat -- which was clearly audible -- to show up on the test machine's printout. It wasn't working, so the doctor told me to have the test done at the hospital and also to get another ultrasound. Perfect! Just what I wanted to do with my day. Did I mention I was trying to squeeze the doctor appointment in before JP had to go to work so he could watch Fly?

When I called JP to tell him I had to go to the hospital, he called his parents to come watch Fly, and we went to the hospital together. Everything checked out fine with the baby, who was still measuring big, and I begged the doctor to give me a couple more days on the induction on the evidence that the Bug was doing just fine in my womb.

JP and I stopped to pick up some lunch for ourselves and his parents to take back home. After eating, I started not feeling so good. Before his parents could go home, I decided to lie down. It was about 2 pm. I wondered if I might be going into labor. JP's parents went home.

By 3 pm, I started feeling mild contractions. Another hour went by, and I told JP maybe he should call his parents to come back. Fly had been napping, which was good timing, I guess. At some point, he woke up and came into my room, where JP was helping me time the contractions while I tried to use hypnobirthing techniques. I was able to relax through the contractions, for the most part -- I lasted longer with the hypnobirthing this time than with Fly.

Very quickly, the contractions started getting stronger and closer together. JP called our doula at 5 pm to tell her to come. Around 5:30, I felt the urge to pee, and my water broke while I was in the bathroom. JP called the doula again, and she was stuck in traffic. She told him to have me get in the tub and try to relax. By this time, the hypnobirthing wasn't working for me anymore. My in-laws were across the hall from the bathroom now, in Fly's room, and probably hearing every moan I made. Suddenly, I felt I couldn't stay in the tub anymore. I got out, and JP found me trying to put on some clothes and helped me get dressed.

I was about to tell him we should get going to the hospital without the doula when she arrived. I don't remember details at this point, except for really wishing I didn't have to go to the hospital and just have the baby at home because I dreaded the thought of getting in the car for the ride there. JP and our doula helped me into the car, and she followed us in her car to the hospital. I'm pretty sure JP broke several traffic laws, but I was too busy writhing in my seat to really notice.

Once I got checked at the hospital around 6:10, I was already 7 cm dilated. They put me in a labor and delivery room pretty fast. My nurse suggested getting an IV in me, but I was moving around a lot, and JP and my doula knew I didn't really want an IV and somehow I didn't end up with one.

I'm not really sure what all happened between the hospital check-in time and the time the Bug was born (7:47), but it didn't seem to me to be as long as an hour and a half. Someone would tell me how far along I was, or asked about when my OB was coming, and the contractions kept coming in waves. Finally, my doula told me I was going to have the baby and I said, "Don't tease me." I didn't think the baby could possibly come that quickly -- Fly took forever.

And then one contraction had a bonus: a strange urge, like the urge to throw up, except, well, of course, at the other end. I started pushing. This was strange to me because with Fly, I had an epidural, and my OB told me when to push because I didn't feel anything. (I pushed him out in eight minutes.)

My nurse naturally told me not to push because my OB hadn't arrived yet. But how can you tell someone not to throw up? Every push felt like a crash throughout the inside of my body. I'm pretty sure I sounded and looked like the Exorcist. This was torture, and yet I thought about my baby and how soon I would be holding him and this would all be over.

My OB arrived, and then everyone in the room tried to get me off my side and on my back, down to where the doctor was at the end of the bed. I basically refused, so they dragged me into position. JP told me he could see the baby's head. I couldn't believe it! A couple more pushes, and the little Bug was out and immediately in my arms, screaming heartily.

I shook.

Here was my 8-lb. 13-oz., 23-inch blessing.

He's perfect. And beautiful. (Today, he's 11 lbs. 5 oz. and 23-3/4 inches.)

Another blessing is I got to have the drug-free birth I wanted. No induction. And not even an IV. (Although that came later. Pitocin to make sure nothing remained in my uterus. Many of you probably know the drill.) I just thank God it went quickly and without any complications. It really was a perfect birth. At the thought of that, I'm amazed.

But I told JP at the time I didn't think I ever wanted to do that again. The pain! The crashing pushes! I still feel it when I cough, sneeze or laugh hard.

Basically, though, I'm just so thankful to have this baby and to have two healthy children. And who knows, maybe once again I'll forget about the labor pains, the pregnancy heartburn and backaches and fatigue, the tussle with nurses and doctors and appointments -- and want to have a third child. I really feel I'm getting too old for this babymaking business, but I can't rule out what is meant to be, can I?

After all, babies are kind of like potato chips: It's hard to stop at just one.

Especially when they're this sweet and cuddly.

Overdue thanks

I feel bad that I don't think I ever mentioned a couple of bloggy contests I won earlier this year!

From Tracey at Just Another Mommy Blog, I won a coupon for a free meal at Sweet Tomatoes, a nice, casual salad bar-type restaurant that serves healthy, fresh food. Fly loves it, too.

And from Heather at Cool Zebras (through her Zoo Review blog), I won a MilkBank breast milk storage and feeding system. This will be handy if the little Junebug is as good a nurser as Fly was.

Just last week, I also won a Curly Hair Solutions kit from Stephanie at Metropolitan Mama. Every once in a while, I let my hair stay curly.

I feel so lucky!

Umm.... I didn't miss anyone, did I?

Someday, I might visit the Bahamas and actually not be pregnant

So over the weekend, we went to the Bahamas (I know!) to celebrate our anniversary. It was a wedding anniversary for JP and me, but it was also a sort of anniversary for Fly, who visited the Bahamas in utero on our "babymoon."

Although it's been a year and a half since Fly got his passport, this was his first international trip. (Come to think of it, it was also his first out-of-state trip.)

But Fly discovered some aspects of international travel aren't all that glamorous, like waiting in lines at the cruise port before the sun even rose.



The promise of getting on a big boat helped, though.



And it was great to look out our cabin window and see the ocean.



Or not.

The cabin was small, and the beds were slightly more comfortable than ambulance stretchers, and some characters think it's funny to photograph people while they are sleeping.



When we settled into our resort in Port Lucaya, we discovered in a cruel slap from Mother Nature that the temperature was actually a bit cooler in the Bahamas than it was at home. For about two hours, though, it was warm enough to play on the beach.





We also spent some time in the marketplace square, which couldn't be more charming.



At nighttime, there is live music in the square. Fly asked me to dance.



But he quickly turned his attention to another woman.



I couldn't compete with that.

It was fun going back to the same place we went to three years ago, only this time with friends -- and a toddler.

Not much had changed there since last time. See? Here I was, six months pregnant with Fly:



And back again, four months along with our little Junebug:



Even if I couldn't enjoy the fruity Bahama Mama drinks, I guess I kind of am a Bahama Mama.



JP and I are so glad we went back -- and we feel so blessed to have each other and celebrate another year of togetherness.

Hurt and gratitude

A new life coming into the world. A beautiful baby to celebrate. (Aren't all babies beautiful, really?) You would think any time a person says, "I am having a baby!" that you would congratulate the mother or father. It's the polite and reasonable thing to do -- even if you are a stranger who doesn't know the person.

We rejoice with those who rejoice.

Except for JP's sister.

When JP told his sister the news that we are expecting another baby, she made a rude and untrue comment to him. Then she sarcastically said, "Congratulations," and cut off the conversation.

That was one of perhaps five times I've known my husband to cry.

Not every family is perfect, and relationships can be fragile. Something, somewhere, went wrong with our relationship with JP's sister. We don't know what that is. But I certainly never expected her to make her brother cry when she should have been sharing in his happiness.

As disturbing as this is, I am overwhelmed by your comments and good wishes -- overwhelmed and grateful.

Thank you.

He's mine

Maybe it's because JP knows I am having "one of those days" day after day lately.

Maybe he just wanted to do something nice.

Maybe the universe is being kind to me.

But when I saw a top on eBay I had to have -- then saw the bidding price escalate way past what I would ever pay for it -- JP bid a crazy amount of money at the last minute so I would win.

And last night when I realized I had no breakfast to take to a mom's group meeting today, when it was my turn to bring breakfast, he went out to buy muffins and fruit, and made a fruit salad while I bathed Fly and put him to bed.

He also brought me chocolate ice cream bars.

And he's been a generally all-around nice, understanding good guy.

Sometimes, my husband is the only thing that makes life bearable.

And times like these, I just can't believe he's mine.

I'm a big wiener

First, I'm a big wiener for not posting as usual. I have just had no inspiration -- not for posting, not for reading blogs, not for doing craft projects -- none. Lately, I just want to veg. And sleep. I hope the dry spell will be over soon.

I'm also a big wiener winner because I won two giveaways! Stephanie at Adventures in Babywearing hosted a contest for a winter-themed plate designed and signed by Danny Seo and also the book Squeaky Green, the Method guide to detoxing your home, during last week's Bloggy Giveaways, and I won! I also won $50 from Tiny Revolutionary through Mrs. Mogul's new site, Mogul Baby! Thank you mahvelous bloggers and companies so much! I feel so lucky to win two fun, great contests.

What do you do when you need inspiration for blogging?

Fly's birthday

Some special friends came with us yesterday to celebrate Fly's birthday at a children's museum in the city. Turns out the museum was celebrating its anniversary, too, so there was extra stuff going on. The kids even got a free noisemaker toy.

Fly loved the water play area:



But didn't really like how he looked in uniform:



I pity the people who had to work in this room with kids building things and then knocking them over:



Would you believe some people have told me I have a big mouth?



Fly and his best little buddy loved the romping room:



We can't forget the traditional birthday hand in the face -- one for however many years old you are:



We even got to create art with found objects:



Why is it so hard to get a good picture of me and my boy?



We ended up getting free ice cream twice yesterday:



Eventually, though, we were all so tired that we felt we were just going around in circles:



I think this is proof he had a good time:

Happy 2nd birthday, Fly!

This is not my beautiful blog

And you may find yourself blogging about Elmo and opera
And you may find yourself writing your best posts in someone else's comments section
And you may find yourself behinder and behinder in Google Reader
And you may find yourself in a beautiful house, with a beautiful
child
And you may ask yourself, well...how did I get here?

[Sing it with me, now!]

Letting the days go by/pointing the watering can down
Letting the days go by/water flowing on Fly's head
Into the blue again/after the readers are gone
Once in a lifetime/water flowing underground

And you may ask yourself
How do I work this?
And you may ask yourself
Where is that clean automobile?
And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful blog!
And you may tell yourself
This is not my beautiful child!

[Etc.]

OK, so I'm in a bizarre mood today. And if you're still reading, the purpose of my little ditty is to announce two fine bloggers have given me awards! I'm indebted to Carabee at the Land of Bean for the Kick-Ass Blogger award, and to Renee of Life With My Special Ks for the Brilliante Web award. Thank you both so much! Wow! Carabee chronicles her adorable little Bean's life with great wit, and Renee always has something touching to say about her four gorgeous kids and life as a military family.



As the recipient of this award, I need to pass it on to five other bloggers. (You know how I hate having to pick and choose blog award winners! For both awards, I'm going to select bloggers I haven't already given awards to recently -- you know, to spread the blog award love around.) Heeeeeeere they are, in no order:

Maternal Mirth -- she is so wickedly funny! It would be fun to hang out.

lifelong playdate -- also a mom with a little Bean, she has a way of finding the extraordinary in the everyday.

Much More Than a Mom -- a longtime bloggy friend and The Opinionated Parent reviewer! And also a good Canadian.

Interrupted Wanderlust -- another funny mom whose posts makes you think, and who is soon adding twins to her family, which includes the irresistible Isabella!

Creative Thoughts by Chelle -- a kick-ass Web/blog designer and mom, for sure. And also a good Canadian.




The rules of the award are:
1. The winner can put the logo on their blog.
2. Link the person you received your award from.
3. Nominate at least 7 other blogs.
4. Put links of those blogs on yours.
5. Leave a message on the blogs of those you’ve nominated.

Look At Us Now! -- a fun-loving bloggy friend who shares my birthday and keeps herself busy with all kinds of projects. And also a good Canadian.

Groovy's Ruminations -- a serious writer whose blog posts are usually not serious at all!

Just Being Me -- another serious writer who always has thought-provoking posts that come from a good heart.

Oh Amanda -- one of those girls who wanna have fun, who also has a new blog featuring crafts for kids, and is expecting a little boy soon.

Three And Holding -- Poetic or laugh-out-loud funny, her posts are a must-read. And also a good Canadian.

Crazy Bloggin' Canuck -- a hysterically funny mom who always seems to be on a great outdoors adventure. A also a good Canadian who happens to live in Colorado.

Carpe Diem! -- a mom who seems to truly live by her great blog title and who has two angelic-looking children!

It's a girlfriend getaway -- break out the Silly String

Mind clouded and fuse shortened from lack of sleep, and feeling like a martyr for changing my diet so my breast milk wouldn't make Fly sick, last year I declared that when Fly was weaned, I was going away to a hotel room by myself to sleep and to eat whatever I wanted -- mainly a forbidden chocolate peanut butter sundae and a real-milk mocha venti. With whip.

Then it was just a dream. A far-off, unobtainable goal.

But.

Now Fly is nearly weaned.

And tonight, I am leaving for a weekend retreat. I know that sounds like I am going to be in a cabin in the woods singing Kum Ba Yah, but really I'm going to a resort on the beach a couple towns away where it's just a bunch of women hanging out by the pool and having a fun pajama contest -- like a large girlfriend getaway. And I am going to sleep all I want, and I am going to not dress for practicality, and I am going to eat whatever I feel like (mostly because I won't have to cook), and I might even jump on the bed a little and squirt someone with my secret stash of Silly String.*

And I'm going to miss Fly and JP a whole lot.

I didn't know if I could leave Fly knowing he wouldn't be able to nurse to sleep -- but he doesn't really need to nurse (I don't think he's getting any milk anyway), and I know he will be fine with JP. It will give JP and Fly the chance to spend a lot of dad/son time together. And I won't be far away if something awful happens, which it won't.

It's my first time being away from my little one, though. And I just have mixed emotions about that. I don't know if that can be cured with a chocolate peanut butter sundae and Silly String. But I will find out.

*I know you're wondering why I don't act my age sometimes, and I wonder the same thing too.

I had a funny title but it was stupid but please read anyway

Is this the best month for blogging or what?! Last week, White Hot Magik gave me the Arte Y Pico award, and now Mozi Esme has given me the Share the Magic Award. Thank you, Mozi Esme!



(Do you detect a magic/k theme here?)

Isn't Mozi Esme sweet? I should mention this is also my first international award, as the Mozi in Mozi Esme means Mozambique. How exotic. Please check out her fascinating blog and say hi!

RDH Mom created the Share the Magic Award to recognize her blogging pals. There are no rules attached to the award, which is super because I never want to leave anyone out when it comes to selecting a handful of people to pass on an award or a meme. I guess you could say I like to be all-inclusive.

That doesn't sound slutty, does it?

Anyway, pleasepleaseplease pick up this award for yourself! If you are on my blogroll ... or if I have commented on your blog in the past six months ... please accept this award from me! I know you're thinking, "Oh, but she doesn't mean me. I never win any of those blog awards." Yes, I mean you! You know yourself that when you're a mom you don't have a lot of free time. So if I am spending my free time at your blog, it's gotta be pretty magical. Consider yourself awarded.

And while I'm at it, because I've recently met so many bloggers who are new to me, if you'd like to be added to my blogroll, please let me know.

Winning a medal

It seems everyone's attention is focused on the Olympics -- the moves, the inspiration, the hot bodies, the scandals, the medals! As a girl, for about two days I dreamed of being an Olympic gymnast. Fortunately, that dream went away....

I'll never be in the Olympics, but I have won a medal -- OK, it's not a medal, but it's a blogging award from the super-nice White Hot Magik. Turns out we have a lot in common. She loves bugs, I love bugs! She loves Magnetic Monday, I love Magnetic Monday! She lives in a warm place, I live in a warm place! She has an eBay shop, I love to shop on eBay! WHM has given me the Arte Y Pico award. Apparently, Arte Y Pico roughly translates to "Wow. The Best Art. Over the top." Take that, Olympians! I mean, thank you so much, White Hot Magik!

In turn, I must pass this award on. See? The rules say so.

1. Choose 5 blogs that you consider deserving of this award based on creativity, design, interesting material, and overall contribution to the blogger community, regardless of the language.
   
2. Post the name of the author and a link to his or her blog by so everyone can view it.
   
3. Each award winner has to show the award and put the name and link to the blog that has given her or him the award.
   
4. The award winner and the presenter should post the link of the Arte Y Pico blog, so everyone will know the origin of this award.
   
5. Please post these rules.
   

When I think of blogs that are creative, interesting and contribute to the blogging community, five that I think of include:

Carrie of Eyes Wide Open and gremlin wrangler. She is writer, photographer, singer, songwriter and portrait artist. I bet there are other talents she has we don't even know about.

My favorite Aussie h&b. Her self-decorated home was recently featured in an Australian design magazine. It's beautiful! You should see the nursery and playroom. She is always doing something to her home and garden.

Amanda at The Wink and Tumble Dry. The way she writes about her three beautiful daughters and the relationship she has with them is sheer poetry. But she can also be wickedly funny.

Michelle at Scribbit, who has probably already received this award, but she deserves it anyway. She always has interesting crafts on her site, and she also has her own Etsy shop. Her weekly recipe also rocks.

Heather and Whitney at Rookie Moms -- talk about contributing to the blogging community! Rookie moms no longer, these gals turned their blog into a book and wrote The Rookie Moms Handbook.

Q&A with moi

Scribbit interviewed me! She has such complimentary and kind things to say. This just makes my day! WIWW to come....

A-Starbucking I will go

Jodi at Jodilightful recently celebrated her 100th blog post and had a contest to give away a Starbucks gift card. Guess who won? C'est moi! Thank you, Jodi. Click on over to see pictures of her three adorable girls.

Reason #487 to have a child

I got my get-out-of-jury-duty-free postcard in the mail because I stay home with Fly and he's under six!

Flatter me, and you just might get hugged

At the playground, I met a woman with a 12-month-old boy who is expecting. We ended up talking about ultrasounds and to-amnio-or-not-to-amnio, which I'm familiar with because I had Fly past the magical age of 35.

So she asks the inevitable: "How old are you?"

"Mumble mumble," I said.

"Oh, I'm a year older than that!" she said. "I thought you were in your late 20s!"

"Bless you!" I said.

And even though she was a complete stranger, I hugged her.

Newbies on the doodies

Let this day go down in Fly history.

He made a poo in his potty.

Ta-da!



We only just started trying (after reading the Montessori method is to start toileting between 12 and 18 months, when the child shows an interest) -- and it could totally be a fluke or beginner's luck, and I don't expect Fly to do it on a consistent basis -- but it's a landmark anyway.

What I really want to know is, er, um, what do you do with the potty after it is, ahem, used? Right now I've got it soaking in the kitchen sink after disposing of the solids . . . ? Right along with Fly, oh, I am such a newbie . . . .