Welcome Home Sarah

My friend Sarah, who moved to Raleigh over a year ago... more like 2 ago, just moved back to Charlotte while 2 weeks postpartum after an emergency cesarean when her son was breech. Oi. Congratulations Scott on your promotion! Welcome to the world little Jason! Welcome back Sarah and Jeremy. :) I am so happy you are all back.

On birth

Today in my Charlotte Doula yahoo group email someone had left a link about Dr. Wonderful, and that he did really exist. I have now meandered all over this lady's space and have enjoyed every moment. Enjoy.

http://observantmidwife.blogspot.com/2007/08/birth-unfolds-in-photos-words.html

Zuri Elizabeth arrived!

December 12/30/07 11:18pm
And even better yet, I was there for it. Doreen's doula was getting over being ill, and while likely fine, Doreen was worried enough that she asked me to stand in. I was thrilled, to say the least. Everything worked out great, John was off of work at just the right time and Doreen went into labor at the perfect moment. She is a beautiful little girl and Doreen's blog has tons of pictures (where I shamelessly stole this one from) as well as her birth story.
Thanks for allowing me to be there Doreen, it was beautiful.

Breast Crawl

Jack's Birth Story

I don't know why I seem to have to wait 6 months to write about birth... It mist have something to do with the time frame where I no longer feel like I have a baby anymore.
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I started labor pains on Sunday night and they continued through Monday morning. I got out of bed about 3 am and woke John to let him know I would be in the tub and not to get up. He went back to sleep for about 2 minutes, and then it registered. I was in the tub. This was for real. He was up and at 'em doing everything he could possibly think of. He wanted to call everyone then. I reminded him we had a ways to go. He busied himself while I relaxed and Dory slept. I got back out, went shuffling about and may have gone back to bed for a short while. Around 7 or 9am John called everyone to give them a heads up, especially Tricia so she could be on her was to come and watch Dory. The plan was loosely to go to lunch/dinner with Grandma and Grandpa Raymond and my Mom while we were laboring at the house. Dory woke up around 8am and played with us some until Auntie arrived. John had blown up the pool in the dinning room. I went back to the tub about 9am and when I had been in for a few minutes I felt my labor slow down and I nearly fell asleep in the tub. I got out and went to bed to rest, napping for about 30 minutes while listening to Enya. Lara showed up right as I was coming to and sat with me as we chatted about the birth and other things. I love having her around, she makes birth easy. As Lara and I were talking my midwife arrived with her assistant and 2 of her children. I got up and helped everyone get situated. It wasn't long before I headed out for a walk to get labor going again, the midwife left to go for a postpartum check, Tricia left with Dory to eat with Grandma and Grandpa and I kept blogging it all.

see http://jenraymond.blogspot.com/2006_10_01_archive.html for the rest... lol

Milk maid is here!

Milk came in last night, just about the same time that the soreness kicked in (like 24 hrs after a car accident...). However, even with that, I feel really good, Dory is still great, we got several hours of uninterrupted sleep last night, and Daddy is the biggest help ever!!!
Our little man is still perfect. I was worried last night about a possible rash, but it looks just like a bad case of baby acne now. Worry gone. I'm thinking we will head out to the ped's tomorrow afternoon.

Good Morning!

Thanks everyone!!! I got some great pictures of Dory this morning hold Jack for the first time. I hope to add them to the gallery this afternoon. They are some great ones too.

It's amazing to me, I feel better after this birth than I did with Dory and I was on advil AFTER she was born and have not had a drop of anything this go around.

And get this, we all had over a solid 5 hours of sleep last night!!!! From 2:30 am until about 8am, solid. Now, THAT would have NEVER happend in the hospital! I am so glad to be at home.....

:)

We are doing really well, he's nursing like a champ. 7#10 & 20 1/8" After that last tub post, things went full force. I was planning on a water birth, but it ended up being in the living room in a modified squat. Daddy caught him, and I cut the cord over 2 hours later. I am ready for bed, but feeling really great... and am SOOOO glad not to be at the hospital right now. Even John, the orignal no way at home man, is now sold. It's amazing, he looks almost just like his sister did.... who is absolutely enthralled, BTW.

Pics at: http://picasaweb.google.com/zzwhitejd/JackSBirth

Jack's Here!

Jack William arrived @ 5:19 pm. Mom, Dad, Dory and Jack are fine.

-posted by Dad

Intense enough

to seek out water again... 3rd round in the tub!

Calming down

Well thing are calming down in the house. S has run off for a little bit, and Dory is headed out to see fish at Concorn Mills... and it has taken over 20 minutes to actually type this, so I'm not too worried about overstimulation right now. And, as I said... slow labors are what I seem to do well with. (I typed as another ctx started...)

Walking

I'm expecting it will be at least another few hours. We just took a walk around the 'block' (but it's more like a football shaped area with lots of trees that is close to the house, not a euphemism) and got things stirring agin, but they still are not close togther like they were at one point. They are however still very productive when they hit!

Dory and Daddy just said that I sounded like a race car! :lol:

I think tricia will be taking her to see the fish at the mall soon as well as go and get something to eat with Grandma and Grandpa.... I know this is hard on them waiting!

I am apparently a slow birther, and for all the well wishes for a speedy delivery, I'm just fine wtih the time frame!

John is currently snoring, BTW. I'm so boring.

Of all things...

here they start again...

No labor started....

It doesn't look like Jack will make his appearance today at this point. I figured late today, but labor still isn't really going and well... I don't think I would be having one of those breakneck speed labors. And Dory just revised her guess to Tuesday this morning. *sigh* A few good contractions here and there, but not becoming regular in any way. I so don't want a Halloween baby, other than it would be a very serious Trick or Treat surprise for the stupid teens that knock on dim porches. Now THAT would be funny! November 1st would be better, but after starts and fits over the past 4 days, I really did think today would be it. I guess if I had not stalled out for 2 days that maybe it would, stress can do it. That would account for Dory's 2 day delay.
And this morning had been so promising.....

Moving along...

more bloody show, mucus plug and steady light contractions. I'm just waiting for them to get stronger. Off to sew....

Heading to Church

but, yeah, I think baby today. More bloody show this morning as well as menstrual cramp type contractions intermittently overnight... I plan to do a bit of sewing this afternoon. My guess is after dark tonight.

More of the same...

Nothing exciting, but things seem to be starting back up again. Very light Braxtons. There is a good chance that they will stop when I go to bed tonight.

I went walking at the mall this afternoon with Mom in order to find Dory a present from Jack... I think I found the perfect thing. You'll find out what it is when she does!!! :D I hope she finds it very special and that this helps the bonding between them. Jack will 'give' it to her as soon as they meet.

John made more bread today, and went to confession & church tonight... I have no idea if we will make it to Sunday School in the morning. I have been assuming that we will not be going, but honestly, if I'm not in full fledge labor, we probably should... so, we will see in the morning how things are going. Other than that, the water heater got turned way up, the house was vacuumed, dishes are done and diapers have been washed along with other laundry... the house is really pretty ready.

If anything exciting happens or things really start to pick up, I will be all means let you all know.

And I have every intention as soon after birth as I can to post pics for everyone, or send a PIX message to cell phones if you have one that will work for that. :)

I know you are wondering...

so, nada, nothing... I'm in a holding pattern.

Food and predictions.

Well, I made it, albit late, to the food co-op pick up this am... and have run to the grocery as well for a few things... It feels SOOOO good to have all of the food. I guess it is food nesting. :lol:
John is running out later to get a shelving unit for out storage closet for dry goods that don't need to go into the deep freezer my Mom just gave us. Woo Hoo!!! It's like our own little grocery out there! *sigh* I'm such a dork.
John is also baking more bread and just made me an apple crisp.... his apple crisps are soooo yummy. And while he is out this afternoon, I'll be baking some cookies. Sound like some serious nesting? I think so.

Anyway, no more news other than more unplugging going on... John asked Dory this am, or last night one, when she thought Jack would come and listed off the days of the week. She quickly responded "Sunday". She's been right many times before, almost a bit psychic, so I believe her. John thinks so too.

Dory's arm seems to be as good as always now.

Evening Update

Blah... no real news other than some nesting has been accomplished. The kitchen has been cleaned up, a few things placed into the attic, went out for cloth for the back door windows so everyone doesn't get to gawk as they drive through the alley, finally put a latch on the deep freezer and put in a thermometer so we can start using it (nesting doesn't have to make sense...), baked by proxy (John is baking bread for me), and several other little things. Now I am going to reformat my iPod since it has decided to botch again (the nanos do that occasionally, but it's not a big deal) and go to bed.

Dory's arm is just a muscle strain and she should be pretty much fine in the morning. I will say thought that today has been one MASSIVE tantrum. Like she is getting the twos out in ONE DAY. You think she knows something?