Lion Cub is 1!!!

Ok- please forgive me!  I meant to publish this post on Wednesday (his actual birthday!) but it just didn't work out!  I kept it written the same way though because it just reads better that way!  Sorry about that!

A year ago today, I was 15 days "overdue.". 

A year ago today, I woke up at 6:45am with consistent contractions.

(Yup- that was me in labor!)

A year ago today, I rocked through 4 hours of labor (if I do say so myself), walked into my bedroom, climbed into a tub and pushed out a baby in 4 contractions!

In other words, a year ago today, at 11:04am Lion Cub was born!

I don't know where the last year has gone!  It was filled with many long days and yet it flew by!  Now Lion Cub is walking, climbing, destroying everything, laughing, starting to use the big boy potty and showing us new aspects of his silly personality every day!  It is difficult to remember what life was really like before he was here- when we were a family of three and R-Man was an only child.  We went through so much to add another little person to our family and now the fact that he has been in our lives for a whole year just feels surreal!

Happy 1st Birthday Lion Cub!  We love you so much and are so proud of you!  

...now all he needs is a little sister!

Summer has officially left!

The leaves are beginning to turn and summer has officially departed, and with it my ability to throw my hair into a wet ponytail!  How under-appreciated my wet ponytails have been!  I hadn't realized how beneficial having a spring/summer baby was for this very reason- when I could manage to get a shower but not dry my hair because of my fussy little man, it didn't matter!  I could throw my hair up and I was set!  Well, those days are now gone and my blow dryer is back in business... now I just have to figure out how to make Lion Cub understand mama's need to get ready in the morning!

This getting ready time is especially important now that we are heading into a busier month!  We are going from virtually no activities in September to something nearly every day in October!  I think it will be good though- I tend to be more organized and motivated when I have more to do, and there certainly is a lot!  On top of keeping up on home-preschool and co-op I am also going to start attending a women's study again and a breastfeeding group to go towards my Certified Lactation Educator training (which I am beginning to pour time into again). 

Oh, and I'm working on a curriculum for a Chic & Savvy Mama's- Preparing for Birth and Baby class I would like to start offering this winter.  I am really excited about my ideas and think that it will shape up to be a very informative and fun class.  It is going to be a hybrid of preparing couples for birth while also teaching them about postpartum health, breastfeeding, attachment parenting and natural baby care!  I plan to offer a "tester" course to a few couples for free this winter and then start offering the class "for real!" 

Offering classes feels like the perfect fit for this point in my life.  I have poured so much time into my birth and postpartum doula training but with two small kiddos it is difficult to actually be able to put it into practice.  Teaching classes will give me the ability to work when my husband is home and can watch the boys and also bring in a little extra income which we could really use!  Plus, teaching is such a passion of mine!  I have been so positively influenced by the wonderful doulas, lactation consultants and midwives that I have learned from on my parenting journey that I just want to be able to pass that knowledge on to other families who will appreciate it and benefit from it!

I also want to say a HUGE thank you to all my bloggy friends who have been so supportive recently!  You have no idea what your kind words of encouragement and empathy have meant to me!  It is so nice to know that you are all out there when I am feeling quite alone and frustrated!  So THANK YOU!!

Finally Introducing...

"Lion Cub"

June 9, 2009 11:04 am
7.6 lbs, 20.5" long

After 42+ weeks (15 days late) our little boy has finally arrived!

Last Tuesday morning around 4:45 am R-man came and hopped into bed with us. As I peered at the clock and saw that it was almost 5:00 am I thought that for sure I was going to have to endure yet another day of being pregnant! I had one contraction around 6:15 that I was able to pretty much ignore and fell back asleep. However, at 6:45 another one came that was fairly intense. I got up and went to the bathroom then went back to bed, figuring it was nothing.

Oh boy, was I wrong!! Just eight minutes later another one came... then another eight minutes... and another eight minutes. I semi-woke up Jer, letting him know that something was going on, and I headed upstairs to make my protein shake. After a few more contractions I knew my body wasn't messing around and I called my mom to tell her that I thought today would be the lucky day! A few more contractions after that and I thought that it would be a good idea for Jer to get up and start getting things ready- after all, the plastic sheet and dingy (clean, but old!) top sheet needed to be put on the bed and the birth tub needed to be filled with a little more air, among other things... if this indeed was labor.

We decided I should try to take a bath to see if the contractions would slow, but after one contraction sitting in the tub I knew that the bath was pointless (and sitting down was excruciating), so I passed on filling up the bath the rest of the way and opted for a shower. By this time I knew this was the real thing... my husband however (I am sure remembering the numerous times I had experienced intense prelabor this pregnancy) decided to ask me the question, "Do you really think this is going to last?" To which I believe me response (as I was squatting and moaning on the floor of the shower) was, "Shut up!" He got the hint and insisted I leave the shower so there would be enough water to fill the birth tub pretty much right away!

As soon as I got out of the shower I called our midwife (Dana- who lives an hour and a half north of us) and told her she might want to think about coming down- "No hurry," I told her- after all, my first labor had been 21 hours (granted- he was posterior), but I didn't think the baby was going to come flying out or anything! She told me that she would go feed her animals and then be on her way into town, just in case.

By this time R-man was up and needed to have some breakfast, so I went up stairs and poured him a bowl of cereal between very intense contractions, put on PBS morning cartoons and called both my doulas (Jen and Sharon) and my good friend (Christa) who was coming to help with R-man- they all said they would come as soon as they could. In the mean time Jer finished getting things ready while I kind of had to go it alone for a while.

In between contractions right after Jen arrived (10:00ish)

Pretty soon labor was much too intense for me to handle by myself, but luckily that was about the time that Jer was finished with everything as well, so he could hold me and rub my back as we "danced" through contractions. This was also about the time (10:00ish) that Jen and Christa showed up- so, at least I knew that R-man was taken care of and I also had the support of a woman. Jen was invaluable in helping me keep my tones low as I was moaning, and also keep my face and arms relaxed. At this point I was moving around a lot, trying to find the most comforatble possition to labor in, and hands and knees seemed to be best. Jen suggested I lean over our birth ball to take the pressure off my arms and it helped so much!


During one of these contractions I felt like I needed to stand up and as I did I could feel the baby's head decend into the birth canal (but didn't recognize that that was what was happening at the time) and proceeded to have the longest contraction EVER! Seriously- it had to be 3-4 minutes of an unrelenting contraction! I then went back onto hands and knees and was experiencing so much pressure during contraction I just couldn't believe it! I had never experienced this feeling with R-man because he had been posterior and didn't decend the same way at all!

I asked Jen if she would go and make me some peanut butter toast as I was beginning to feel shaky and thought I could use a boost. As soon as she headed up stairs I stood back up and started having a contractions that I didn't think I could handle! I told Jer that I just couldn't do it any more- it was too intense and there was so stinkin' much pressure! He told me that I could do it and that I was almost done (which made me angry because I thought I was nowhere near delivery and that he was just being cruel to tease me like that!). I got into the tub before the next contraction (which I should have done a LOT earlier because it so completely altered the intensity of the contractions!) and with the next contraction I involuntarily started pushing (and screeming) and felt the gush of my water breaking.

I guess a few minutes before this happened my midwife had arrived and was upstairs talking with Jen while she was making my toast. She asked Jen if she thought she had enough time to come down and say hello before she went out to get her birth kit. Jen said she thought that would be fine but as they were on their way down the stairs they heard my scream/grunt/push and realized that things were happening faster than any of us had anticipated (well, okay- maybe I was the only one who didn't expect to have quite this fast of a labor- all the women had thought it would probably be quick, just maybe not this quick!)! Dana ran out to her car to get her things and Jen ran downstairs to help me.


The pressure and feeling of my pelvic floor and perineum expanding were so intense and so different from what I had experienced with R-man (my perineum had been numb as he decended because I was given an episiotomy) that I didn't think I could handle it. It seemed the only way I could cope with the feeling was with a lot of screeming! Dana, however, helped me focus and told me to direct that energy downward, which really helped me get a grip and make some progress. They helped me move over to the seat at one end of the tub and I pushed with my body's natural urge during each of the contractions that followed. At last Sharon showed up as well (she had had a babysitter disaster and had to drive way out of town to have her kids looked after- bummer!) and brought her calming presence into the room!

They all encouraged me to reach down and feel the baby's head so that I could control how I was pushing and avoid tearing as much as possible. Jer helped to hold me up and I reached down and felt a head full of hair emerging! It was so amazing- I could feel him moving all around before the next contraction, rotating for his shoulders to come out! With the next contraction he was born (at 11:04- just over 4 hours of labor!)! He floated out into the water and Jer scooped him up and brought him to my chest! I looked right away to see what he was- a boy! A beautiful baby boy -even though my pregnancy had been so different, he was, indeed, a boy!!

Jer scooping Lion Cub out of the water

Right after Lion Cub was born

Jer held us both up and I stuttered in amazement that my labor was over so quickly and that I had actually done it! R-man and Christa ran into the room and R-man was saying "My baby brother or sister is here! Mama needs to nurse him!" (he still gets confused sometimes that we can just call the baby his "brother" and not "brother or sister" anymore!) R-man also wanted to get in the tub pretty badly, but we told him I would be getting out very soon!

R-man- upset that he could't get in the tub!

I delivered the placenta after 13 minutes. Jer then cut the cord and took off his shirt so he could hold Lion Cub skin to skin while I moved to the bed. All the women helped me out of the tub and onto the bed where I was shaking like crazy- partially from shock and cold, and partially from not having had a chance to eat my peanut butter toast yet! I finally was able to eat it and get a little recharged before I took Lion Cub back and nursed him for the first time. It was so wonderful and sweet to have our whole familiy there in our bed, treasuring these first minutes together!


Lion Cub checked out absolutely perfectly, weighing in at 7.6 lbs- just 4 more ounces than his big brother, but 2 1/2" longer! He had long nails (which quickly got cut!) and a cute little hairy back and ears (definitely comes from our family with all that hair!)! He is a very content baby (so different from R-man) and really only cries during a bath or diaper change! By six days old he is mimicking faces we make (try it with your newborn- it is the coolest thing!) and even laughing in his sleep! He is the perfect little addition to our family and we couldn't be more thrilled!


I came out of the birth in pretty good shape, all things considered! I had thought that I would probably tear badly since I had had an episiotomy previously, however I ended up only getting two small tears that are much more bearable to deal with than a surgical cut! My tail bone is still pretty sore but the back pain and rib problems I was having during pregnancy are almost gone completely! It is nice to finally feel like there is light at the end of the tunnel for my body to feel normal again!


Our overall transition is going better than I thought it would as well. R-man really loves his new little brother and is even very supportive of me nursing him (something I had been worried about)! For the most part he has been very patient and understanding, and I think he would be even more so if he hadn't come down with a cold two days ago (poor guy!). I am sure it is hard for him to not have quite as much one-on-one attention from mama while he is sick! Jer has been such a huge help to me in this first week- he is a great husband and daddy and I am so glad that he was here for the birth (he definitely wouldn't have made it if he had still been working out of town!).


Our whole experience has been so completely opposite of my first birth. Our family was able to feel so nurtured and cared for by those we know and love during the process and we never want to do it any other way! It was also so crazy to have everything go so quickly! In the end, Jen was there for just over and hour, Dana for about 15 minutes, and Sharon for about 5! I never DREAMED everything would go so fast! The ease and normalness that all of my birth attendants brought to the birth was so wonderful and their complete trust in what my body was capable of was invaluable to my success! I really can't ever thank them enough!

Thank you all so much for your support and encouragement over the last few weeks. It has been a difficult (and painful) wait but at last we have our prize!

39 Weeks- Preparing for the Birth!!

Okay, honestly I have been very torn this last week or so- as a doula I know that this babe will come out when it is good and ready and I just need to wait patiently for that fateful day, however as a pregnant mama I just want this kid out!!! I am uncomfortable, not sleeping well, in terrible pain from my ribs and upper back (scoliosis) and just feel like I am done being pregnant! I even went so far as to rub my ankles for an hour the other night... to no avail (obviously!).


I have felt added pressure to have this child within certain time frames as well because people who are supposed to be attending my birth (such as my husband!!!) have been in and out of town for work and will continue to be over the next couple of weeks- talk about stress! My dear doulas have been kindly reminding me though, that the Lord has a set date and time for this babe to enter our lives on the outside and I am trying (and praying earnestly) to rest in that knowledge, as hard as it is!

Everything set up for the birth on the dresser in our room.

I have already come to that point where I feel "ready enough" for the baby to come. By that, I mean that I have finished enough (not all) of the pre-birth tasks I intended to complete, and figure that whatever isn't done by now can wait until another time. With that said, each day that passes does allow me to get a few more things done and checked off that no longer so important list, including some things that probably don't really need to be done at all! But hey- I just chalk it all up to nesting!


For instance, (and if you are one of the lovely women attending my birth this is where you should quit reading so your surprise isn't ruined!) I have tried to put together a few small things to make this birth feel more like an event than just another birth (as silly as that sounds- I know!). But basically I have a tray that I am going to put out with an assortment of teas (including some awesome pregnancy teas sent to me by Earth Mama Angel Baby to try out- yum!), little gift bags with the bath salts and such that I also made for Mother's Day, and a little "make yourself at home" note.


I have also put together detailed lists for the couple of friends I have coming who are in charge of R-man and the atmosphere of the birth- their main job is to insure that he is fed and entertained and that my primary birth attendants (doulas, midwife and husband) are taken care of with water & food and such. I also have things listed out for them to do such as make sure my birth playlist is running at all times, that candles are lit (and not burning down the house) and that everything around the house (dishes, toys, etc...) is picked up and neat when everything is said and done. I am so thankful to have these women coming and feel truely blessed by their willingness to help!

Beyond the discomfort and lack of sleep, there is also an overriding feeling of excitement and anticipation rolling through our home. I am so curious to find out just who it is I have been carrying around all these months! Will R-man have a little brother or a little sister? Will I be buying little pink and purple summer dresses in the coming months or pulling out all the hand-me-downs? How big will he or she be? What will this birth really end up being like? Will this babe be crazy and colicky like R-man, or calm and relaxed? Overall, how will we adjust to becoming a family of four? It is all so close, and yet still very sureal at this point. Soon though, very soon, my questions will be answered and I will get to introduce our newest addition to all of you! I can't wait... or can I?

The baby sets are finally complete!

Alright, much later than I had originally intended, but completed none-the-less, here are the sets I have put together for the babe on the way:

Just-in-case-it's-a-Boy Set
Just-in-case-it's-a-Girl Set

Both sets include a pair of perfection pants longies I knit, a hat I knit, a Nanipoos newborn diaper, socks, and two shirt options. I figure this should covers us for the first day or night (whatever time this babe is born), and of course after we actually decide to put clothes on (which could be a while since I plan on taking an herbal bath with the babe and getting as much skin-to-skin time as possible!).

It feels really nice to have one more thing checked off my long list of things to do before this babe gets here! Both sets are packed into a paper bag and tucked away, patiently awaiting the day that one of them will be put into use! I can rest easy knowing that at least, if nothing else gets done, my child will be clothed!

So, do have a fun little item you have knit recently (or not so recently) for a babe in your life? If so, join the meme by leaving a comment with a link to a post about your project! Make sure to include the button in your post so people know this is the meme you are participating in!

Also, for all of you baby-knit-lovers out there, be sure to check back this summer during the Summer of Baby Love party on my blog- I will have lots of contests for knit & crocheted stuff, including some VERY cute longies and soakers! Until next time!

32 Weeks- This baby is coming next month!

Wow, so yeah, as of today I can officially say that this baby is supposed to be here next month!! And check out the belly!Yeah- it get's bigger all the time! In fact I was just mentioning on Facebook today that my bladder is currently so squashed that I can't even make it through a nap without having to get up and pee! Crazy!


I feel good though and am still incredibly thankful that I am seeing such a wonderful chiropractor- she makes all the difference in my life! I had a bit of a nesting frenzy the other day that lead me to hardly be able to walk by the end of the day- luckly I saw Dr. Michelle the next morning and am now feeling totally back to normal! However, despite the achiness that ensued, I am still very glad that I took advantage of my drive to nest that day! Last week at my prenatal my midwife asked me if I had started to prepare everything for the birth and I was like, "I have two more months, don't I?!" I had vowed to myslef that I wouldn't start getting things until April so that I would help not make myself too anxious for the birth. I did start to buy some supplies this last weekend though and look at what I accomplished on that day of nesting at home:

Before:

After:

Somehow, over the last month or so things had just accumulated in our front room and sort of took over! Not anymore! This room is now almost completely birth-ready! We plan to put the futon down so that Roman can nap and be put to bed at night in this room during the birth if need be. I will also use the futon postpartum for napping and resting with the baby since our bedroom is in the basement and my midwife only wants me going up and down the stairs once a day for the first few weeks. In addition to this little arrangement I plan to be getting as much help from family and friends as possible in those first 2-3 weeks after the little one arrives!

Any more, this is the state you can mostly find me in:


I have been amazed by just how quickly I get worn out these days- much more than I felt with Roman's pregnancy! The last two days I have had outings in the morning- meetings with clients, appointments, presentations at moms groups- and by the time I have gotten home in the early afternoon I can hardly keep my eyes open! Good thing Roman is a good napper and likes to snuggle me for a little afternoon snooze so we can both make it through the rest of the day refreshed and a little less moody!

Lastly, here are a couple of funny shots that I thought were amusing! The first one is of me making dinner- nothing fabulous. The funny part is that Roman took it after he figured out how to turn on the camera and everything. He also got ahold of my iPhone and managed to not only turn it on and use the slide bar to get to the main screen, but also get to the "rearrange" mode and move my icons all over the place! As if I'm not confused enough these days! It was pretty commical!


This next pic is of my lovely husband at the store last week! I couldn't help but snap this photo as he pulled the whole bulk foods container off the shelf and jimmy-rigged it open so he could poor back some of the granola he had just dumped into his bag- apparently a little too much! At the time it was very funny- especially when the girl who worked in the department walked by laughing (seeing me take a pic) and trying to say without completely cracking up, "Are you finding everything okay?" To which my reply was, of course, "Oh, I think we are finding more than enough! Thanks!" Good times, good times!

Just 8 more weeks and you will be seeing pics of my new babe, but for today I will leave you with some birth tid-bits to chew on- check out my friend's blog (who is also a fellow doula) for some very interesting info on our country's rising Ceserean rates, writing a good birth plan and more!

The Baby in the Belly!

That is the endearing term Roman typically uses to refer to his little brother or sister on the way (he also calls it "the brother or sister" and even knows the names we have picked out!). It has been quite a while since I have mentioned much about the pregnancy, so I thought it was about time that I did!Currently I am 26 weeks, due May 25 (memorial day). With that said, I am not at all planning on actually going into labor on that date! In fact, I am planning on going to our family's lake cabin, just so I don't get my hopes up for the baby! I'm thinking somewhere around the 28th or 29th (which is my grandma's birthday and she would be utterly thrilled about!).

I am still shocked by just how different this pregnancy is than my last! I am carrying this baby so low (I feel like my belly is hanging between my knees!) and I am have been having quite a bit of hip pain (rather than the upper back pain like I had with Roman). Everything just feels different and my brain is already fuzzy and forgetful! The baby is especially active in the mid-afternoon and very late at night (like 12:00-2:00 am)- I am preparing for many long nights!

We had an ultrasound at the beginning of January to check and make sure everything looks good (since my brother has spinabifida)- I knew I wouldn't feel comfortable progressing with a homebirth if we hadn't ruled out birth defects. As it turns out, the baby is practically perfect in every way, and no, we did not find out the gender! We still have fun looking at the photos and DVD to debate that question though! Check a few of the pics out:

I love how the baby looks like it is smiling in this picture! That bubble above it's face is a cross-view of the umbilical cord.

Yes- this is one flexible child! That is a leg!

We think this picture is both a little freaky and funny! The baby was so active, moving around, opening and closing it's mouth- the ultrasound tech could hardly keep up!

Everything is beginning to come together for the homebirth. We ended up switching to a different midwife who we absolutely love (we really liked the last one too, she just has a lot on her plate right now)! Our new midwife, Dana Combest LM, CPM, is wonderful! She comes to our house for all the appointments and is so caring- she is everything you could want or expect in a midwife. We like her more each time we see her, and the more we find out about her birth philosphy the more we know she is the right choice. She is very hands off and will encourage us to deliver the baby ourselves (which Jer is very jazzed about- he REALLY wants to catch!).

Other than our midwife we will also have our two awesome doulas (both of whom were at Roman's birth) and two close friends to help with Roman (who we at least want in the room for the actual delivery- we think it will help with the mental transition of having a sibling if he actually sees where it came from) and what not. I plan on delivering in our bedroom, most likely in the birth tub that we will have set up- I couldn't think of a more perfect and cocoon-like environment to give birth to this baby! I also couldn't be more excited about this birth (which I never thought I would say) and really think it is going to be a wonderful experience for everyone!

So that is about all so far! I will try to be better about posting on the babe! Also, if any of you have any questions about homebirth or any of the rest, please don't hesitate to leave them! I won't be offended and would love to share more about it with you! More to come!

Babies on the brain... along with a lot of other stuff!

Oh my, my, my... what to say? My brain feels jumbled! I have so much rolling around in that noggin of mine that it is difficult to be productive around the house (unlike last week!)! Drat! So here goes... some good, some bad, and some dreamy...

First off lets talk about some good! Some crazy really! Last Friday I came home to a very big surprise from Jer... and iPhone!! I couldn't believe it! I was totally shocked! I almost choked on my dinner! I have wanted one since I heard about them last fall and have been dealing with a ghetto Walmart cell phone for a few months since Roman broke mine! I totally love it! It is so nice ot be able to check the web and my e-mail, especially with Chic & Savvy Mamas really starting to take off! Plus, I am such a lister! My life is run by lists and now I have one handy place to store them all! It is also nice because I never forget to take my phone with me so I now will never accidentally leave my shopping lists and so forth on the kitchen table! Yeah for my wonderful husband! That more than makes up for Mother's Day!

Hmmm... next, not so fun. Roman is teething! Four molars all at once! Ugh! Poor guy (and poor mama!)! He had a fever all last weekend and is so cranky! Totally not himself! I feel so bad for him but I am also on the verge of loosing my mind! He just wants to be attached to me all day. The top two have broken through but the bottom ones still have a ways to go. Hopefully it will get over quickly! Pray for him!

And now for the dreamy- I have baby fever! Bad! I currently know 8 friends who are pregnant and one who had her baby 2 days ago. One of those friends I am planning a baby shower for also, which of course really makes me think about babies! Jer and I had planned on starting to TTC (try to conceive) in May, but due to a whole series of issues (including my body not cooperating) we haven't really. Well, this is the first month that my body is really getting back to normal and I have this gut feeling that it really is going to happen this month. I don't know, I am probably setting myself up for disappointment, but it just feels like it is going to be real. I have this strange calm about it.

Maybe that calm is from some of the planning we have already been doing for the next babe... (which could be getting a little ahead of the game, but hey I am the kinda gal who read homeschooling books when I was 2 months prego with my first! I like to be prepared!)... we have our names picked out (even if we were to have twins, hehe), the basement and yard really should be finished this fall/winter, and then there is the final decision that I have just come to (like last night!)- I want a homebirth for the next babe. I can't believe I just said that! I have always been very leary of the whole idea- I admire the mamas who do it but never thought I could myself. I had many reservations... what if something was the matter with the baby at birth, what about the mess, my house is so small... and on and on. However, most of the hospital experience with Roman was nothing short of frustrating... worrying that my birth plan wouldn't be followed, the constant threat of medical intervention, the nurses who never let you rest postpartum, the cold and sterile rooms... and even more on and on. My friend who had her baby 2 days ago (she is actually my doula) had a homebirth and from what I have heard so far thinks went beautifully. Her labor was only 9 hours!

So the last few days I have been getting online and really doing some research about the whole homebirth thing. I have read all about the safety, and in many cases your home is actually safer for birth if you are being attended to by a trained midwife. I have also been reading a bunch of different mama's homebirth stories and last night I came across this one at mothering.com: Not the Kind of House for a Home Birth, by Emily Sinagra. It truly touched me. It just seemed so fitting and perfect for birth. I suddenly had visions of preparing my home for the birth of my next baby (I love to plan and prepare things). I could see myself peacefully laboring in my home by the glow of soy candles, listening to a soft playlist of music flowing from my computer. The ideas of being able to drink and eat from my own kitchen without waiting for a nurse to fill up my cranberry juice or tell me that the hospital cafeteria is closed so all I can eat after my 21 hour labor is a stale miniature croissant, became suddenly appealing. Not having to deal with stalling my labor while driving to the hospital, constant vital sign checks, nurse shift changes, and worries over my birth plan being followed, started to make too much sense to ignore.

But what would Jer say? I had to bring up the topic in light conversation to see what his initial reaction might be. Our friend's recent homebirth was the prefect introduction. I started chatting with him about how short her labor was (her first labor in the hospital had been VERY long), and how beautiful she had described the experience as being. Then I casually said, "Man, homebirth doesn't sound so bad after all!" And to my shock he said, "Yeah, ya think? Would you want one?" Trying not to stammer, I said, "Well, I'm not ruling it out. It might be nice." And he just said, "Yeah, it could be good." Holy Cow! I can't believe he was so open to it!

For me, that was the final decision maker for me. I know now that I want a homebirth with our next baby, whenever that may be. I know we will get lots of whiplash from friends and family (my brother had spina bifida and they didn't know before he was delivered which scares my family to death, and lots of our friends are nurses.) But ya know what, I don't care. I am comfortable with this decision, much more comfortable than the thought of another hospital birth. And really that is all that matters. Right? I think so.