Here are pictures of Lucy. I stole the good ones from Chuck. ;-) (I hope this works...)
Lucy will be a week old tomorrow, and we are both doing really well. Thank you all for the prayers and well-wishes. :-) God bless!
Sunday, July 11, 2010
Tuesday, July 6, 2010
The Birth of Lucy Marie
July 4th, my due date, seemed like it was going to be an uneventful day. I was supposed to work that afternoon, but I called in. I said, "Even if I don't have this baby any time soon, I'm just "done". A friend came by to pick up the kids for the afternoon so Chuck and I could take it easy.
Sometime in the afternoon I started having contractions about an hour apart. At about 7 p.m. they were still about 45-50 minutes apart, but I called the midwife to put her "on alert". When I had to leave a message on her cell phone I knew that we had best be prepared to go it alone- again! Chuck started timing the contractions at 8:37 and they were coming every 13 to 17 minutes between that time and 10:25. At about 9:00 I called and left a second message for the midwife. I was having no problem breathing and relaxing through them, although I was feeling a lot of pressure in my back. I quietly offered "in advance" everything that would occur in labor to Jesus through Mary, for our Baby to be born safely.
Mary Mae was still up at 9:30, so she and I took a little walk around the yard. There were four of the neighbor's bunnies outside, and we watched the sunset together. When we came back in I sat in the recliner with her. Chuck told her, "Baby is going to come out." She hopped down off my lap and stared at my belly wide-eyed. Then she lifted up my shirt and peered expectantly at my belly button. She had been asking for weeks when baby would "come out", and finally the time had come! Chuck and Raechel managed to get her to bed sometime shortly after that.
At about 10:30, things picked up the pace dramatically. My contractions went from every 15 minutes to every 4 minutes, just like that. We didn't bother timing them after that. I took a shower and spent quite a bit of time in the bathroom. I remember thinking of my hospital labors where I was confined to bed, unable even to empty my bladder. I thanked God that I was home! The back pressure was very intense, and Baby kept moving around, which only made it worse. I joked with Chuck that we only had so many minutes left to produce a 4th of July baby. Shortly after midnight, Chuck set everything up in our room and went to tell Raechel it was time.
As I hit transition it felt like there was hardly any break between one contraction and the next. My back "pressure" was now "pain" and it was constant. Even with Thomas, who was posterior, I don't remember feeling that kind of back pain. I was kneeling on the floor against the foot of our bed (same spot where Mary was born), but I lowered down into a squat with each contraction. I remembered that in labor with Thomas the midwife's assistant told me not to try to arch my back away from the pressure, so I leaned into it.
As transition moved into the pushing stage, everything started to blur. I had no idea where Chuck or Raechel were or what they were doing. With one long pushing contraction, I heard Chuck say, "There's the head. Eew, no, that was the bag." He later told me that the water bag popped all over his hand. I really was in "some discomfort" (as my sweet hubby has mentioned on his blog post) and determined to get it over with quickly. With the next round of pushing, Baby was all the way out. There was a few seconds of silence; I turned to see Chuck holding our baby in his hands, face down. I asked him if the cord was "fat", and then we heard that most wonderful sound in the whole world- Baby's first cry. He flipped baby over and said, "It's a girl!" The amazement in his voice is a priceless memory; all these months we thought baby was a boy!
He passed her to me. The afterbirth came out very quickly as we dried her off, checked the time (12:28 a.m.), clamped and cut the cord. I looked at Chuck and said, "Well, Daddy, what's her name?" "Lucy Marie." She was looking pale, so we used the oxygen and she gained color quickly. Raechel was a little timid at first, but she held her new baby sister while Chuck helped me up off the floor. I think I lay in bed for a few minutes, then wanted a shower. The midwife arrived while I was in there. Lucy was 8 pounds, 5 ounces and 22 inches long. Sweet girl, she insisted on keeping her hand(s) over her face while being born; that's still her preferred sleeping position. We are all very grateful to have another daughter with us!
Sometime in the afternoon I started having contractions about an hour apart. At about 7 p.m. they were still about 45-50 minutes apart, but I called the midwife to put her "on alert". When I had to leave a message on her cell phone I knew that we had best be prepared to go it alone- again! Chuck started timing the contractions at 8:37 and they were coming every 13 to 17 minutes between that time and 10:25. At about 9:00 I called and left a second message for the midwife. I was having no problem breathing and relaxing through them, although I was feeling a lot of pressure in my back. I quietly offered "in advance" everything that would occur in labor to Jesus through Mary, for our Baby to be born safely.
Mary Mae was still up at 9:30, so she and I took a little walk around the yard. There were four of the neighbor's bunnies outside, and we watched the sunset together. When we came back in I sat in the recliner with her. Chuck told her, "Baby is going to come out." She hopped down off my lap and stared at my belly wide-eyed. Then she lifted up my shirt and peered expectantly at my belly button. She had been asking for weeks when baby would "come out", and finally the time had come! Chuck and Raechel managed to get her to bed sometime shortly after that.
At about 10:30, things picked up the pace dramatically. My contractions went from every 15 minutes to every 4 minutes, just like that. We didn't bother timing them after that. I took a shower and spent quite a bit of time in the bathroom. I remember thinking of my hospital labors where I was confined to bed, unable even to empty my bladder. I thanked God that I was home! The back pressure was very intense, and Baby kept moving around, which only made it worse. I joked with Chuck that we only had so many minutes left to produce a 4th of July baby. Shortly after midnight, Chuck set everything up in our room and went to tell Raechel it was time.
As I hit transition it felt like there was hardly any break between one contraction and the next. My back "pressure" was now "pain" and it was constant. Even with Thomas, who was posterior, I don't remember feeling that kind of back pain. I was kneeling on the floor against the foot of our bed (same spot where Mary was born), but I lowered down into a squat with each contraction. I remembered that in labor with Thomas the midwife's assistant told me not to try to arch my back away from the pressure, so I leaned into it.
As transition moved into the pushing stage, everything started to blur. I had no idea where Chuck or Raechel were or what they were doing. With one long pushing contraction, I heard Chuck say, "There's the head. Eew, no, that was the bag." He later told me that the water bag popped all over his hand. I really was in "some discomfort" (as my sweet hubby has mentioned on his blog post) and determined to get it over with quickly. With the next round of pushing, Baby was all the way out. There was a few seconds of silence; I turned to see Chuck holding our baby in his hands, face down. I asked him if the cord was "fat", and then we heard that most wonderful sound in the whole world- Baby's first cry. He flipped baby over and said, "It's a girl!" The amazement in his voice is a priceless memory; all these months we thought baby was a boy!
He passed her to me. The afterbirth came out very quickly as we dried her off, checked the time (12:28 a.m.), clamped and cut the cord. I looked at Chuck and said, "Well, Daddy, what's her name?" "Lucy Marie." She was looking pale, so we used the oxygen and she gained color quickly. Raechel was a little timid at first, but she held her new baby sister while Chuck helped me up off the floor. I think I lay in bed for a few minutes, then wanted a shower. The midwife arrived while I was in there. Lucy was 8 pounds, 5 ounces and 22 inches long. Sweet girl, she insisted on keeping her hand(s) over her face while being born; that's still her preferred sleeping position. We are all very grateful to have another daughter with us!
Monday, July 5, 2010
It's a GIRL!!!
I've held her in my arms; I've spent most of the day just staring at her and smelling her and listening to her little noises as she breathes; I've typed those words here and there all over the internet, and I still almost can't believe it.
How could we possibly think she was a boy? LOL!
Lucy Marie was born this morning at 12:28 a.m. She weighs 8 pounds, 5 ounces and is 22 inches of precious, perfect, healthy baby.
Mama is understandably feeling a bit "worn" but otherwise doing great. I'll be writing up a birth story, probably tomorrow.
Thank you, sweet Jesus! Thank you Blessed Mother! God bless!
How could we possibly think she was a boy? LOL!
Lucy Marie was born this morning at 12:28 a.m. She weighs 8 pounds, 5 ounces and is 22 inches of precious, perfect, healthy baby.
Mama is understandably feeling a bit "worn" but otherwise doing great. I'll be writing up a birth story, probably tomorrow.
Thank you, sweet Jesus! Thank you Blessed Mother! God bless!
Sunday, June 27, 2010
Daybook for Today
Outside my window... sunshine, rain puddles, chickens, and a 6-year-old boy who took the initiative to work on moving a pile of firewood.
I am thinking... this might be the last daybook before Baby arrives. :o)
I am thankful for... the yummy smelling late lunch/early dinner that is almost done.
From the learning rooms... planning summer school (mainly math) for Robert and Raechel; also looking ahead to next year.
From the kitchen... homemade corn tortillas, taco meat, Mexican corn, and homemade bread for later.
I am wearing... shorts and a tank top- I changed after work.
I am reading... nothing right now, actually.
I am hoping... we don't have to wait much longer to meet our newest blessing.
I am hearing... my noisy family.
One of my favorite things... having the perfect excuse to be "tired" at any time of day.
A few plans for the rest of the week: work on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and next Sunday afternoon; grocery shopping on Thursday; midwife appointment and Mass on Saturday; or maybe I'll just have a baby.
God bless!
I am thinking... this might be the last daybook before Baby arrives. :o)
I am thankful for... the yummy smelling late lunch/early dinner that is almost done.
From the learning rooms... planning summer school (mainly math) for Robert and Raechel; also looking ahead to next year.
From the kitchen... homemade corn tortillas, taco meat, Mexican corn, and homemade bread for later.
I am wearing... shorts and a tank top- I changed after work.
I am reading... nothing right now, actually.
I am hoping... we don't have to wait much longer to meet our newest blessing.
I am hearing... my noisy family.
One of my favorite things... having the perfect excuse to be "tired" at any time of day.
A few plans for the rest of the week: work on Monday, Wednesday, Friday, and next Sunday afternoon; grocery shopping on Thursday; midwife appointment and Mass on Saturday; or maybe I'll just have a baby.
God bless!
Sunday, June 20, 2010
Friday, June 11, 2010
50 Years of the Pill
Fifty years ago last month, the birth control pill revolutionized women's health. The term "women's health" is, of course, a euphemism for sterilization and abortion (often coerced), with the ultimate goal of population control and reduction.
Here are three related quotes- food for thought that I just can't stomach.
Obama's top science advisor, John P. Holdren:
"A program of sterilizing women after their second or third child, despite the relatively greater difficulty of the operation than vasectomy, might be easier to implement than trying to sterilize men.... The development of a long-term sterilizing capsule that could be implanted under the skin and removed when pregnancy is desired opens additional possibilities for coercive fertility control. The capsule could be implanted at puberty and might be removable, with official permission, for a limited number of births."
David Browner, first Executive Director of the Sierra Club:
"Childbearing [should be] a punishable crime against society, unless the parents hold a government license ... All potential parents [should be] required to use contraceptive chemicals, the government issuing antidotes to citizens chosen for childbearing."
Seeing as how Planned Parenthood is the great champion of "women's health", I'll close this post with this little gem from founder Margaret Sanger:
"The most merciful thing that a family does to one of its infant members is to kill it."
source
Here are three related quotes- food for thought that I just can't stomach.
Obama's top science advisor, John P. Holdren:
"A program of sterilizing women after their second or third child, despite the relatively greater difficulty of the operation than vasectomy, might be easier to implement than trying to sterilize men.... The development of a long-term sterilizing capsule that could be implanted under the skin and removed when pregnancy is desired opens additional possibilities for coercive fertility control. The capsule could be implanted at puberty and might be removable, with official permission, for a limited number of births."
David Browner, first Executive Director of the Sierra Club:
"Childbearing [should be] a punishable crime against society, unless the parents hold a government license ... All potential parents [should be] required to use contraceptive chemicals, the government issuing antidotes to citizens chosen for childbearing."
Seeing as how Planned Parenthood is the great champion of "women's health", I'll close this post with this little gem from founder Margaret Sanger:
"The most merciful thing that a family does to one of its infant members is to kill it."
source
Sunday, April 18, 2010
FINALLY
As in, "Yay, I finally am feeling human again!"
It started with a slight cough and "nasal drip" sore throat on the Saturday before Easter, and escalated from there. The cold wasn't so bad- the sinus infection that followed was pure misery. It lingered for a while in my right sinuses. There were two days when I thought I was feeling better, then suddenly the left side of my head clogged up. In all it has taken almost two weeks of sinus headache, ringing ears, sore jaw, toothache, bloody/green mucus, low energy, and general grumpiness with occasional bouts of self-pity for me to feel like myself again. Let's just say it was unpleasant for all involved. ;-)
In other news... Robert and Raechel attended a one-day retreat in preparation for Confirmation. They will be confirmed on May 2. Joseph will receive his first Holy Communion on May 16, so he also had a one-day retreat. It has made me so proud to see how they've prepared themselves (and helped each other prepare) to make these important steps into the Faith. It's a good reminder for me, too, at just what a special honor and privilege it is to have these precious souls entrusted to us.
The chicks that we ordered with some friends were finally feathered out enough to join our flock. There are 13 of them- I believe we ended up with ten hens and three roosters. Meanwhile, the four old hens that survived the multiple dog attacks of last fall have been doing well and we still get 2-3 eggs a day. Enough for a breakfast if we save 'em up for Sunday. The others should be ready to lay sometime in August.
Baby has been doing very well. I've grown a lot in the last month, feeling lots of movement, and the heart beat is always easy to find with our fetoscope. My midwife is supposed to be coming tomorrow around noon for a check-up. After this, it is already time to visit every two weeks! We haven't started any of the practical preparations yet. We have enough clothes and a carseat up in the garage to dig out and wash. The diapers are still clean and in the stacker in the bathroom even though Mary has been toilet trained for quite a while now. We don't have anything for the birth yet, so I guess that is the first thing I should make a list for.
Chuck and the kids are at the park in Greenland right now. I stayed behind to finish up lesson plans. The house was so quiet, just me and the dog, that I got done a lot faster than I normally would. Why is it that when I get a little of the quiet time I so long for.. I don't know what to do with myself? ;-) But, it is almost sunset now, and I have laundry to bring in, so this is good-night.
God bless!
It started with a slight cough and "nasal drip" sore throat on the Saturday before Easter, and escalated from there. The cold wasn't so bad- the sinus infection that followed was pure misery. It lingered for a while in my right sinuses. There were two days when I thought I was feeling better, then suddenly the left side of my head clogged up. In all it has taken almost two weeks of sinus headache, ringing ears, sore jaw, toothache, bloody/green mucus, low energy, and general grumpiness with occasional bouts of self-pity for me to feel like myself again. Let's just say it was unpleasant for all involved. ;-)
In other news... Robert and Raechel attended a one-day retreat in preparation for Confirmation. They will be confirmed on May 2. Joseph will receive his first Holy Communion on May 16, so he also had a one-day retreat. It has made me so proud to see how they've prepared themselves (and helped each other prepare) to make these important steps into the Faith. It's a good reminder for me, too, at just what a special honor and privilege it is to have these precious souls entrusted to us.
The chicks that we ordered with some friends were finally feathered out enough to join our flock. There are 13 of them- I believe we ended up with ten hens and three roosters. Meanwhile, the four old hens that survived the multiple dog attacks of last fall have been doing well and we still get 2-3 eggs a day. Enough for a breakfast if we save 'em up for Sunday. The others should be ready to lay sometime in August.
Baby has been doing very well. I've grown a lot in the last month, feeling lots of movement, and the heart beat is always easy to find with our fetoscope. My midwife is supposed to be coming tomorrow around noon for a check-up. After this, it is already time to visit every two weeks! We haven't started any of the practical preparations yet. We have enough clothes and a carseat up in the garage to dig out and wash. The diapers are still clean and in the stacker in the bathroom even though Mary has been toilet trained for quite a while now. We don't have anything for the birth yet, so I guess that is the first thing I should make a list for.
Chuck and the kids are at the park in Greenland right now. I stayed behind to finish up lesson plans. The house was so quiet, just me and the dog, that I got done a lot faster than I normally would. Why is it that when I get a little of the quiet time I so long for.. I don't know what to do with myself? ;-) But, it is almost sunset now, and I have laundry to bring in, so this is good-night.
God bless!
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