My little guys, now almost 4 and almost 6, are about to grow out of our toddler size bunkbeds my husband made them (well, at least the almost 6 year old). So now, it is time to make some quilts for them and get them some regular size bunkbeds! I made the quilts for their toddler bunks a while back, and I loved how they turned out! You just can't find store bought quilts or comforters of comparable quality. I even checked online and found some cotton quilts at Kohl's, but they, even at a half-off sale, were still at least twice as much as it would take to make them with all new materials. The nice thing about homemade quilts is that 1)They are made of cotton, which doesn't pill and lasts longer than polyester, which most store-bought comforters are made of, 2)The edges are made with a binding that is 4 layers thick and cut on the crosswise grain or bias, making the edges super strong. Even when that wears out, you just replace the binding, not the whole quilt! 3)It is quilted with cotton thread, much better and longer lasting than the clear thread most store bought comforters are made from. I can't count how many of our store-bought comforters have fallen apart because the quilting stitches have come out, and the cheap polyester batting has bunched up. Homemade quilts are quilted with more stitches, so that even if a stitch or two did come out, the whole quilt wouldn't fall apart.
Anyone can learn how to make a quilt! My little guy, who is 5 years old, is learning how to make a doll quilt, that he's going to give to his sister when he is done making it. Starting out with just a simple pattern makes it easier, but as you gain experience, more complex patterns are lots of fun! This is how I went about deciding how to make these quilts....
First, I decided that I wanted it to go on twin size beds. I found that a twin bed measures 39x75. I knew I wanted it to drape down only the minimum amount on all sides, since this would be for bunk beds - I found out that would be 10" on each of 3 sides. I also wanted it to have a pillow tuck, so that the pillows would be covered (I want the boys to learn how to make up a bed that way) - that's an additional 10" at the top. I also wanted to make another "card trick" quilt pattern, since I'd done that before, liked it, and wanted to do it again. I found out that one quilt block would be 12 1/2". I figured out how many blocks would be able to fit on the quilt, based on the measurements I'd just taken. After that, I took the extra inches leftover and divided it into two separate borders (an inner border & outer border).
Next was to calculate how much fabric. I'm NOT a math person, and all this calculating made my brain hurt, but it was worth it to know exactly how much fabric to buy. The nearest fabric store is 20 miles away, and they were having a good sale, so I didn't want to have to return on a NON-sale day to pay too much for fabric that I didn't properly calculate! So, after a riduculously long session of meticulous calculating that would take the average math whiz a third as long, I emerged with the fabric measurements to buy. If anyone is interested, leave a comment, and I can give you a link to the websites I've found that assist you in calculating fabric measurements. I think in the future, I will just look through my stash for fabric, cut them into equal size squares - then when it is time to make a quilt, I will already have them made up! But I wanted these to be special. :)
I decided to start on my project ASAP, so it wouldn't get put away and forgotten about. So, one night when my hubby was working late, we turned the computer screen to face the couch, put on a movie, and I started cutting squares. Not even close to being done, but got a good start! So what about you? Tell me about your quilts and quilting experiences!
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
Tuesday, August 9, 2011
We're All Moved (well, mostly)
Wow, are we exhausted! The last few weeks have been a whirlwind of activity. We took a trip to Arkansas for my husband's work, and to visit family, the beginning of July, and since we got back, it has been almost non-stop work! The day we got back we started packing to move, and from that day until the day we moved the following weekend we worked from morning to night packing our house (with the help of some wonderful friends). So many decisions to be made while packing - do we keep this or not, where do we put it in the new house, what box should I pack this in with what other things, etc.
Moving day went so well! We had lots of friends from church show up to help, and our whole house was loaded into the moving truck in 1 1/2 hrs.! Smoothest move ever. Once we got here and unloaded everything into the house, it was very overwhelming! We had nothing but a narrow path through the house, boxes stacked high - who knew where to start? All the children were tired from the move, so all fell asleep and I had a few hours to unpack things alone while my husband returned the moving truck. I started with our tiny little laundry room. I had almost a year to think about where I wanted to put things, so it wasn't too difficult to do, actually. All the duplicate cleaning supplies and such were boxed up an labeled for the garage/storage shed. Then my mom and sister arrived to help me start unpacking, and my brother-in-law put the boys' bunkbeds together. They were tired from their own busy days, so it was a blessing to have them come and help out. My mom came the next day as well, and my husband took Monday off from work, so I had some time to get some of my "honey-do" list done (can you hang this on the wall? move this furniture? install a shelf?). From that point on, little by little, boxes started disappearing, and order was being restored. Jeremy spent every evening of the following week working out at our old house, getting home at 1:30 AM, so the unpacking, on top of all the other normal duties around here, was all ME! We both fell into the bed exhausted every night, but felt good from the days of hard work. The last few days we have been going back and forth from our old house as a family (even staying one night there), and so I am surrounded by chaos once again! Laundry to be done, unpacking and sorting still to be done, and a HUGE clothing donation from my sister (a blessing, of course!) to be sorted through.
We knew that getting out of debt would mean some hard work, but we didn't know exactly what kind of hard work would be involved. Now we know! Sometimes the days are stressful and we snap at each other, or the house is a wreck from having to focus on other things, or we are physically SO tired, but it has been worth it. We are definitely looking forward to selling our house so that we can settle into more of a routine around here (and be DEBT FREE, of course!). I'm also looking forward to swimming out from under the last box around here, and "everything having a place, and everything in its place".
I'm not sure what kind of blogs are the most interesting to my readers...sooo....leave a comment and let me know what you'd like for me to write about! What would you like to hear more about? What is the most interesting to you?
Moving day went so well! We had lots of friends from church show up to help, and our whole house was loaded into the moving truck in 1 1/2 hrs.! Smoothest move ever. Once we got here and unloaded everything into the house, it was very overwhelming! We had nothing but a narrow path through the house, boxes stacked high - who knew where to start? All the children were tired from the move, so all fell asleep and I had a few hours to unpack things alone while my husband returned the moving truck. I started with our tiny little laundry room. I had almost a year to think about where I wanted to put things, so it wasn't too difficult to do, actually. All the duplicate cleaning supplies and such were boxed up an labeled for the garage/storage shed. Then my mom and sister arrived to help me start unpacking, and my brother-in-law put the boys' bunkbeds together. They were tired from their own busy days, so it was a blessing to have them come and help out. My mom came the next day as well, and my husband took Monday off from work, so I had some time to get some of my "honey-do" list done (can you hang this on the wall? move this furniture? install a shelf?). From that point on, little by little, boxes started disappearing, and order was being restored. Jeremy spent every evening of the following week working out at our old house, getting home at 1:30 AM, so the unpacking, on top of all the other normal duties around here, was all ME! We both fell into the bed exhausted every night, but felt good from the days of hard work. The last few days we have been going back and forth from our old house as a family (even staying one night there), and so I am surrounded by chaos once again! Laundry to be done, unpacking and sorting still to be done, and a HUGE clothing donation from my sister (a blessing, of course!) to be sorted through.
We knew that getting out of debt would mean some hard work, but we didn't know exactly what kind of hard work would be involved. Now we know! Sometimes the days are stressful and we snap at each other, or the house is a wreck from having to focus on other things, or we are physically SO tired, but it has been worth it. We are definitely looking forward to selling our house so that we can settle into more of a routine around here (and be DEBT FREE, of course!). I'm also looking forward to swimming out from under the last box around here, and "everything having a place, and everything in its place".
I'm not sure what kind of blogs are the most interesting to my readers...sooo....leave a comment and let me know what you'd like for me to write about! What would you like to hear more about? What is the most interesting to you?
Monday, July 18, 2011
Packing Up
This week it's PACKING TIME! Next weekend is our moving day, so we are packing like crazy around here. Michelle Duggar has advice on packing in her 20 and Counting book, which she got from Emilie Barnes' book, so I've used that, plus the advice on Flylady's website. I have an index card file box. Inside is one card for each box, with the contents of each box listed on the card, along with the number of the box. The number of the box is also ON the box. :) This way, if I need to pull something out of a box, I know where to find it. I used those file boxes you can get at office supply stores to pack all our stuff for "storage" (since our mobile home is small, ALOT will be in storage!), and the things that we will be almost immediately unpacking from boxes are packed in moving boxes, and just labeled the usual way. We have colored stickers we are putting on the boxes - a different color for each room. Then we are planning to put a piece of paper with the color of sticker on the wall of the room where they belong - to make it easier for our sweet friends who will be helping us.
It's kind of nice to pack. For one, we've been trying to move for about 10 months now, so I've had lots of time to think about it. Also, we've lived in this house for 10 years, so there are things that haven't been touched in a while. Moving is good motivation to clear some things out, dust and clean, and organize.
Since we've got little ones, I've got to keep them busy, or else they get in trouble! I've been setting them up with activities to do: trains on the floor, puzzles at the table, books on the couch, etc., and I try to change the activities every 15-30 minutes. And of course, I let them help wherever they can! My 5 year old likes to help me assemble the boxes, wrap newspaper around dishes, and things of that sort. My 3 year old is good at fetching things like scissors or markers that I've forgotten. And my 2 yr. old sweetie is good at handing me things close by or throwing things in the trash. And baby is good at making sure I take a break every few hours to nurse her. :)
Our 4 chickens are at our neighbors house, hanging out with his chickens. The chicken tractor got moved at the same time and is now housing our neighbor's hen and her baby chicks. She was losing chicks at an alarming rate, so now they are safe from the chicken hawks, or whatever was eating the little chicks. It'll be fun to get more chicks of our own someday!
It's kind of nice to pack. For one, we've been trying to move for about 10 months now, so I've had lots of time to think about it. Also, we've lived in this house for 10 years, so there are things that haven't been touched in a while. Moving is good motivation to clear some things out, dust and clean, and organize.
Since we've got little ones, I've got to keep them busy, or else they get in trouble! I've been setting them up with activities to do: trains on the floor, puzzles at the table, books on the couch, etc., and I try to change the activities every 15-30 minutes. And of course, I let them help wherever they can! My 5 year old likes to help me assemble the boxes, wrap newspaper around dishes, and things of that sort. My 3 year old is good at fetching things like scissors or markers that I've forgotten. And my 2 yr. old sweetie is good at handing me things close by or throwing things in the trash. And baby is good at making sure I take a break every few hours to nurse her. :)
Our 4 chickens are at our neighbors house, hanging out with his chickens. The chicken tractor got moved at the same time and is now housing our neighbor's hen and her baby chicks. She was losing chicks at an alarming rate, so now they are safe from the chicken hawks, or whatever was eating the little chicks. It'll be fun to get more chicks of our own someday!
Friday, June 24, 2011
Borrowing, Mortagages, and Presuming Upon the Future
Back when we first decided to sell our house (hmm...maybe 2 years or so ago almost!), we talked with a realtor, one of Dave Ramsey's ELPs. He took us through evaluating our home value and what we would need to do to coordinate buying & selling. We knew, back then, that just putting our house up for sale and then just buying whatever was available would not work for us. We needed a miracle to be able to pay cash for a house! So we decided to save up money like crazy, buy a place with cash, and then sell our home once we got moved out. He appraised our home at about the same price that we purchased it for 10 yrs. ago. A little disheartening, but at least we would be able to pay off the mortgage with a little profit.
Now, here we are with our new place bought, trying to fix up our current house - and we call the realtor again to talk about putting our house on the market. Bad news. The housing market has plummeted, and our house (best case scenario), is worth about what we owe on it. That means that after paying the realtor we will actually have to PAY MONEY to sell our house! It's worse than breaking even. It's true that "riches maketh wings and fly away". This is all due to banks lending people money who can't afford to pay it back, and those people actually BELIEVING the banks and BORROWING more money than they can pay back. What's more, now that banks have changed their lending policies, fewer people qualify for a mortgage. That means, too many houses on the market, esp. foreclosures which are being sold for not much at all, and not enough people who can afford to buy! As the realtor says, "People don't want to buy your house, they want to STEAL it!"
Borrowing money is presuming upon the future (Jim Sammons quote). Presuming that your house will always be worth more than you owe on it. Presuming that you will be able to sell your house if you need to. Presuming that you will always have an adequate income to sustain your mortgage. Houses are not always appreciating assets. Jobs change. Moves sometimes need to be made quickly.
What if we took our financial limitations to be a sign of God's direction? If we didn't have the money to buy something, then that must mean that it isn't God's will for that time. "God's work in God's time will never lack for God's funds" - Jim Elliot. What if, as Christians, we decided to live in, drive, wear, and use whatever God has provided the cash-in-hand for? What if we taught our children how to work hard and save at an early age, so that by the time they are ready for marriage, they will be able to pay cash for their first home (however humble it may be)? What if, instead of foreclosing or filing for bankruptcy, we paid back what we owe, even if it took a long time? What if we believed God for the impossible?
We don't know what will happen with the sell of our house. We just know that God provides. I love how Dave Ramsey says that when you start moving in the right direction, it's like God puts a moving sidewalk underneath you, accelerating your progress in the direction He wants you to go. Will God work a miracle and help us to sell our house with enough money to pay off the mortgage and the realtor? Will He, in spite of a low selling price, provide the money from another source to pay it off? Will we find a renter instead to tide us over until the market recovers? Will we just have to scrimp and save (hey, we've done THAT before!) to make up for the difference? We are paying our stupid tax, as Dave Ramsey says. If it isn't too late for you, please heed the warning - the one in Scripture "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." Proverbs 22:7 or "Owe no man anything but the debt of love" or what about this one: "If thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger (banker!), thou art snared with the words of thy mouth (or thy ballpoint pen!). Do this now, my son, when thou are come into the hand of they friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe (or gazelle, as Dave Ramsey says) from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler." Proverbs 6:1-5
Now, here we are with our new place bought, trying to fix up our current house - and we call the realtor again to talk about putting our house on the market. Bad news. The housing market has plummeted, and our house (best case scenario), is worth about what we owe on it. That means that after paying the realtor we will actually have to PAY MONEY to sell our house! It's worse than breaking even. It's true that "riches maketh wings and fly away". This is all due to banks lending people money who can't afford to pay it back, and those people actually BELIEVING the banks and BORROWING more money than they can pay back. What's more, now that banks have changed their lending policies, fewer people qualify for a mortgage. That means, too many houses on the market, esp. foreclosures which are being sold for not much at all, and not enough people who can afford to buy! As the realtor says, "People don't want to buy your house, they want to STEAL it!"
Borrowing money is presuming upon the future (Jim Sammons quote). Presuming that your house will always be worth more than you owe on it. Presuming that you will be able to sell your house if you need to. Presuming that you will always have an adequate income to sustain your mortgage. Houses are not always appreciating assets. Jobs change. Moves sometimes need to be made quickly.
What if we took our financial limitations to be a sign of God's direction? If we didn't have the money to buy something, then that must mean that it isn't God's will for that time. "God's work in God's time will never lack for God's funds" - Jim Elliot. What if, as Christians, we decided to live in, drive, wear, and use whatever God has provided the cash-in-hand for? What if we taught our children how to work hard and save at an early age, so that by the time they are ready for marriage, they will be able to pay cash for their first home (however humble it may be)? What if, instead of foreclosing or filing for bankruptcy, we paid back what we owe, even if it took a long time? What if we believed God for the impossible?
We don't know what will happen with the sell of our house. We just know that God provides. I love how Dave Ramsey says that when you start moving in the right direction, it's like God puts a moving sidewalk underneath you, accelerating your progress in the direction He wants you to go. Will God work a miracle and help us to sell our house with enough money to pay off the mortgage and the realtor? Will He, in spite of a low selling price, provide the money from another source to pay it off? Will we find a renter instead to tide us over until the market recovers? Will we just have to scrimp and save (hey, we've done THAT before!) to make up for the difference? We are paying our stupid tax, as Dave Ramsey says. If it isn't too late for you, please heed the warning - the one in Scripture "The rich ruleth over the poor, and the borrower is servant to the lender." Proverbs 22:7 or "Owe no man anything but the debt of love" or what about this one: "If thou be surety for thy friend, if thou hast stricken thy hand with a stranger (banker!), thou art snared with the words of thy mouth (or thy ballpoint pen!). Do this now, my son, when thou are come into the hand of they friend; go, humble thyself, and make sure thy friend. Give not sleep to thine eyes, nor slumber to thine eyelids. Deliver thyself as a roe (or gazelle, as Dave Ramsey says) from the hand of the hunter, and as a bird from the hand of the fowler." Proverbs 6:1-5
Saturday, June 4, 2011
Preparing for a Move
Well, let's face it - we've been preparing for a move for 7 months now, BUT we are actually getting CLOSE now! The list of things we have LEFT to do is actually shorter now than the things we've gotten accomplished. The children's bathroom, boys' room, girls' room, living room, laundry room, and kitchen are all complete now! What remains is the master bedroom (installing carpet and baseboards) and master bath (take out old shower, replace flooring underneath shower as needed and possibly sheetrock behind shower, install new shower, paint, replace broken mirrors, install vinyl flooring, and replace countertops/sinks). I'm sure we will discover even more than needs doing in this bathroom, but that's our list for now. We also found a good deal on a steel frame, metal building that we will be using as a storage shed. What a load off my mind to have storage! The biggest stress for me living here was going to be lack of storage; glad it will not be a problem. The neighbor behind us does concrete, and he is having his trucks stop off at our house to pour concrete on the way to another job. He is able to give us a good deal that way. We are getting the best quality concrete because of the job he is doing on the way, and we are getting the highest storm/wind rated building in the hopes of using the building as a storm shelter as well. Our neighbor was just telling us about a tornado passing right over our homes a week or two ago! It went back up and caused no damage to our homes, but he could hear the roaring of it passing overhead. That is the second tornado this season that has passed so close by us. Thank the Lord for his protection! We are but dust, and our lives so fragile, yet He cares for us. We know that we will not leave this earth one day sooner than our appointed day, so there really is no place for worry. We know we are in His will doing what we are doing now, and in that regard, we are in the safest place on earth.
Friday, June 3, 2011
Tongue Tied
Little Hope is now two months old! She is such a sweet, pleasant baby. However, I knew something wasn't quite right. With my other children, nursing pain lasted about 4 weeks, but this time was different. Once 4 weeks passed, I kept thinking that any day the pain would go away. I tried adjusting her latch and doing all the things I knew to do. Days turned into weeks, and before I knew it, she was 7 weeks old and we were visiting the midwife. When she asked how nursing was going, I mentioned my ongoing pain. It just so happened that several of the midwives and assistants had just gotten back from a seminar on tongue-tie, and after examining her, they definitely thought she had it. They recommended a local dentist who is able to do the procedure with a laser, takes only a few seconds, and no anesthesia is necessary. The very next day I called to make an appointment. It was a Thursday, and they got me in on Monday, but honestly, Monday couldn't come fast enough for me! I was so ready to be done with this intense pain and to be able to enjoy nursing my sweet baby. When Monday DID come, we went in for our appointment and the dentist looked her over. He said that her tongue looked fine, but her upper lip frenulum (I believe it is called - the piece of skin that attaches the upper lip to the gums) was too short. Her mouth was unable to open wide enough when nursing, which was causing my pain and causing her to be gassy and not take in as much milk. In 30 seconds the whole procedure was over, and I was nursing my baby WITHOUT that intense pain! The next week or so was an adjustment for us. Hope's lip swelled pretty badly (she still looked so cute, though, poor baby!), but that was gone in a couple days. She never got fussy or refused to eat, as the dentist said she might, so we were thankful for that. We could just tell that her lip was still tender. Everytime I nursed, I had to pull her lip up as it should be, to keep it from reattaching, and also to help Hope relearn to nurse the correct way. I was still a little sore for the first few days, but now, things are feeling more normal. I'm so glad this procedure was available to us! It has certainly made a difference for me and for Hope. She is getting more milk now, is more satisfied and doesn't have the gas problems she was having before. And she is smiling for us now! We are thoroughly enjoying it, too. :)
Wednesday, April 6, 2011
Hope's Birth Story
It's a girl!! Hope Abigail, 6 lbs. 7 oz., 18 inches, born April 3 @ 4:13 AM. She's so precious....and 3 weeks and 2 days "early" - our little "surprise"! Here's her story... (What follows is a BIRTH story, with all the accompanying details, so consider yourself forewarned.....)
On Saturday afternoon I had a baby shower, hosted by the ladies at our church. It was a beautiful baby shower, my favorite part being the prayers and words of blessing that were spoken over me. When one of the ladies asked if there was something specific I wanted to ask God for concerning this birth, I told her about my previous long labors and how I would just like for God to give me a short labor this time. If you remember, I also mentioned wanting to make a pink blanket for this baby, in case it was a girl, since I already had a blue blanket made, and I really wanted this baby to have something made just for him/her. Well, things got busy and I was never able to make that blanket, but a dear friend made a blanket for me, not knowing my heart's desire. It was so wonderful to see how God cared about such details in my life!
I had taken a nap every day for the past 2-3 weeks because I remembered how exhausted I'd felt when each of my other labors started. Saturday, however, was such a busy day, with the baby shower, then church, that I didn't get to take that nap. I should've seen the signs. :)
During church I was feeling contractions pretty regularly. I even remember thinking, "I'm having lots of contractions tonight.", but I didn't say anything to my husband, because I've done this for weeks before a birth in the past, so I knew it didn't mean anything. And they weren't strong contractions. We went out to dinner afterward, and still, the contractions continued. I commented to the friends we were with that I was probably just tired, and my friend, a mother of many children, suggested I drink lots of water and get some rest. Sounded good to me.
On the drive home, the contractions were getting uncomfortable. I remember telling my husband that I was SO ready to get out of that car! I drank some water and immediately took a hot bath, trying to get contractions to go away. They still didn't. I tried laying down, but the contractions were only getting stronger. I was having to breathe through them and wanted Jeremy's hand. I think I was still a little in denial that labor was starting, and Jeremy definitely was, since I was not even 37 weeks along. During one contraction, as I was breathing through, I said, "ah!", like something hurt suddenly, and then next contraction, I felt a gush. Water broke...this is really happening, I thought. When I got to the bathroom, I saw blood. "There's blood, call Ann!" I said, and I began to get concerned. Once on the phone, Ann asked if the baby was moving. I think that was the longest moment of my life as I poked this baby and tried to get her to move. I almost don't notice her movements much because I'm so used to them, so I really had to concentrate. Finally, I could answer, "yes." She seemed to feel that my water had broken, and that everything was OK based on the answers I gave. I told her I wasn't ready for her to come, yet, so Jeremy and I labored together for a while more. I wasn't able to take a bath for relaxation until labor really picked up, so I just picked various positions that felt comfortable.
At one point, I asked Jeremy to turn on some music. He put on a lullaby worship CD that I'd played for Hope almost everyday the last few weeks, trying to get her to turn head down. The first song that came on was "I Can Only Imagine." I just began to weep - so much that I could hardly breathe. Jeremy walked in and said, "Are you OK?" I told him that I don't think I've ever felt the presence of God more than I did right then. He said, "Stop. You're going to make me cry, too." It also made me think back to a Scripture one of the ladies read to me at the shower, about how Jesus was with God at creation and they were pleased with what they were creating. How God is pleased when another baby comes into the world. I began thinking of how this baby would get to be with us forever with Him, if we teach her to love Him. I seemed to be more at peace with the fact that I was in labor, however uncomfortable and unprepared for it I was at the moment! I was starting to moan through contractions, a sign that things were picking up. We called to ask if getting into the tub would be OK at this point, and she said it was. I was so relieved! I had reserved a birth pool, which wasn't to be picked up until 38 weeks, but I knew they would bring it over for me if I requested it, but I felt like there wasn't time. At my previous birth, labor was in full swing when we called the midwives, and once they came, labor stopped. I was so afraid of that happening, that I wanted to REALLY wait before having them come over. I didn't want to have that "watched pot" feeling.
So I labored a little longer, and I remember somewhere in there saying, "I don't know if I can do this anymore. I'm so tired. Please call Ann, I need some encouragement." Ann later told me that Jeremy called and said, "We can't do this anymore" and then she was on her way. I knew that this usually means a woman is in transition, but again, because I felt like this during Faith's birth before I called, and then labored another whole DAY before she was born, I still was in denial about how far I really was. I remember feeling the urge to push a few times in the bathtub, but again, feeling that for hours with Faith, I still was worried I had a long way to go yet. I was ready for Ann to get there, but not because I was concerned the baby was about to be born, but because I needed that encouragement to keep going! I got out of the bath (where I'm usually the most comfortable) and onto the toilet (where I usually do NOT want to be because it makes contractions SO intense). The next contraction, I could not hold back, I HAD to push! Ann walked in just then and said she wanted to check me, to see if I was complete. I didn't know if I was or not, I was just doing what my body was forcing me to do.
I did not want to move from where I was, but I agreed to get on the bed, and asked if hands & knees was OK. I don't remember what she said, I just knew I'd better get there fast before the next contraction, and that I did NOT want to be on my back! The next contraction was completely overwhelming, totally intense, and I did NOT want anyone touching me. All I could do was push with all I had (it hurt NOT to push!), and I couldn't remember why Ann had her fingers on my cervix. I just remember begging her to stop - it had not occurred to me that I perhaps wasn't already dilated and maybe shouldn't be pushing - I just knew that I wanted it to stop! I was so overwhelmed, I felt like I couldn't breathe, but then Ann reminded me to take deep breaths for my baby. It's amazing the things I can forget to do while in labor - so glad she was there to remind me. I think there were only two more pushes after that before the baby's head was out. I just remember saying, "I just need a break", as the contractions just seemed to come right on top of each other and I couldn't get any relief. She said, "You're about to get a break here in just a moment as your baby is almost here." I didn't believe her, because I have had births where I pushed for hours, and people would keep saying, "I see the head!" On one push I remember feeling that burning, where typically, I'm supposed to stop pushing to allow my body to stretch. Ann is usually there coaching me as to what to do, and she didn't say anything, so I said, "Should I push or not?" I later found out that they weren't talking much because she was trying to get Michelle (the assistant) to throw her birth supplies frantically, since they could tell baby was almost here! Eventually she did tell me to keep pushing. Then she said, "Baby's head is out!" I believed her this time, because I could feel them moving her head around, trying to suction her out. They told me to stop so they could suction her. Very hard to do that! Then they told me to push, and with one good push, she was out! My first thought - and words - were "What relief!" Then, before I had a chance to even think about what just happened, Jeremy, I could tell through tears (remember, I can't see anything because I'm on my hands and knees still) said, "It's a girl!" I remember just crying and thanking God that my baby was here. They helped me get turned around and on my back so that I could hold that precious baby! I couldn't believe how tiny she was, and that she was a girl,and that she was actually here! A few minutes later the other midwife and assistant walked in happy to see the baby, but disappointed to have missed the birth. I found out later that I pushed for 11 minutes, about the same amount of time that they'd been there. It seemed like forever to me!
The only thing I was a little sad about was that, since I was on hands & knees, I didn't get to see her emerge, didn't get to catch her or see that she was a girl, and didn't get to see my husband's expression! But because her birth was so short, I was OK with all of this. It was only a few moments before I actually got to see her.
I was so thankful to God that He'd given me the short birth I'd prayed for, that my "preemie" was totally healthy,and that whatever caused the bleeding (subchorionic hematoma, slight placenta previa and subsequent slight placental abruption, or whatever it was) caused no harm to the baby. God is faithful! And sweet little Hope is truly a gift and a blessing!
On Saturday afternoon I had a baby shower, hosted by the ladies at our church. It was a beautiful baby shower, my favorite part being the prayers and words of blessing that were spoken over me. When one of the ladies asked if there was something specific I wanted to ask God for concerning this birth, I told her about my previous long labors and how I would just like for God to give me a short labor this time. If you remember, I also mentioned wanting to make a pink blanket for this baby, in case it was a girl, since I already had a blue blanket made, and I really wanted this baby to have something made just for him/her. Well, things got busy and I was never able to make that blanket, but a dear friend made a blanket for me, not knowing my heart's desire. It was so wonderful to see how God cared about such details in my life!
I had taken a nap every day for the past 2-3 weeks because I remembered how exhausted I'd felt when each of my other labors started. Saturday, however, was such a busy day, with the baby shower, then church, that I didn't get to take that nap. I should've seen the signs. :)
During church I was feeling contractions pretty regularly. I even remember thinking, "I'm having lots of contractions tonight.", but I didn't say anything to my husband, because I've done this for weeks before a birth in the past, so I knew it didn't mean anything. And they weren't strong contractions. We went out to dinner afterward, and still, the contractions continued. I commented to the friends we were with that I was probably just tired, and my friend, a mother of many children, suggested I drink lots of water and get some rest. Sounded good to me.
On the drive home, the contractions were getting uncomfortable. I remember telling my husband that I was SO ready to get out of that car! I drank some water and immediately took a hot bath, trying to get contractions to go away. They still didn't. I tried laying down, but the contractions were only getting stronger. I was having to breathe through them and wanted Jeremy's hand. I think I was still a little in denial that labor was starting, and Jeremy definitely was, since I was not even 37 weeks along. During one contraction, as I was breathing through, I said, "ah!", like something hurt suddenly, and then next contraction, I felt a gush. Water broke...this is really happening, I thought. When I got to the bathroom, I saw blood. "There's blood, call Ann!" I said, and I began to get concerned. Once on the phone, Ann asked if the baby was moving. I think that was the longest moment of my life as I poked this baby and tried to get her to move. I almost don't notice her movements much because I'm so used to them, so I really had to concentrate. Finally, I could answer, "yes." She seemed to feel that my water had broken, and that everything was OK based on the answers I gave. I told her I wasn't ready for her to come, yet, so Jeremy and I labored together for a while more. I wasn't able to take a bath for relaxation until labor really picked up, so I just picked various positions that felt comfortable.
At one point, I asked Jeremy to turn on some music. He put on a lullaby worship CD that I'd played for Hope almost everyday the last few weeks, trying to get her to turn head down. The first song that came on was "I Can Only Imagine." I just began to weep - so much that I could hardly breathe. Jeremy walked in and said, "Are you OK?" I told him that I don't think I've ever felt the presence of God more than I did right then. He said, "Stop. You're going to make me cry, too." It also made me think back to a Scripture one of the ladies read to me at the shower, about how Jesus was with God at creation and they were pleased with what they were creating. How God is pleased when another baby comes into the world. I began thinking of how this baby would get to be with us forever with Him, if we teach her to love Him. I seemed to be more at peace with the fact that I was in labor, however uncomfortable and unprepared for it I was at the moment! I was starting to moan through contractions, a sign that things were picking up. We called to ask if getting into the tub would be OK at this point, and she said it was. I was so relieved! I had reserved a birth pool, which wasn't to be picked up until 38 weeks, but I knew they would bring it over for me if I requested it, but I felt like there wasn't time. At my previous birth, labor was in full swing when we called the midwives, and once they came, labor stopped. I was so afraid of that happening, that I wanted to REALLY wait before having them come over. I didn't want to have that "watched pot" feeling.
So I labored a little longer, and I remember somewhere in there saying, "I don't know if I can do this anymore. I'm so tired. Please call Ann, I need some encouragement." Ann later told me that Jeremy called and said, "We can't do this anymore" and then she was on her way. I knew that this usually means a woman is in transition, but again, because I felt like this during Faith's birth before I called, and then labored another whole DAY before she was born, I still was in denial about how far I really was. I remember feeling the urge to push a few times in the bathtub, but again, feeling that for hours with Faith, I still was worried I had a long way to go yet. I was ready for Ann to get there, but not because I was concerned the baby was about to be born, but because I needed that encouragement to keep going! I got out of the bath (where I'm usually the most comfortable) and onto the toilet (where I usually do NOT want to be because it makes contractions SO intense). The next contraction, I could not hold back, I HAD to push! Ann walked in just then and said she wanted to check me, to see if I was complete. I didn't know if I was or not, I was just doing what my body was forcing me to do.
I did not want to move from where I was, but I agreed to get on the bed, and asked if hands & knees was OK. I don't remember what she said, I just knew I'd better get there fast before the next contraction, and that I did NOT want to be on my back! The next contraction was completely overwhelming, totally intense, and I did NOT want anyone touching me. All I could do was push with all I had (it hurt NOT to push!), and I couldn't remember why Ann had her fingers on my cervix. I just remember begging her to stop - it had not occurred to me that I perhaps wasn't already dilated and maybe shouldn't be pushing - I just knew that I wanted it to stop! I was so overwhelmed, I felt like I couldn't breathe, but then Ann reminded me to take deep breaths for my baby. It's amazing the things I can forget to do while in labor - so glad she was there to remind me. I think there were only two more pushes after that before the baby's head was out. I just remember saying, "I just need a break", as the contractions just seemed to come right on top of each other and I couldn't get any relief. She said, "You're about to get a break here in just a moment as your baby is almost here." I didn't believe her, because I have had births where I pushed for hours, and people would keep saying, "I see the head!" On one push I remember feeling that burning, where typically, I'm supposed to stop pushing to allow my body to stretch. Ann is usually there coaching me as to what to do, and she didn't say anything, so I said, "Should I push or not?" I later found out that they weren't talking much because she was trying to get Michelle (the assistant) to throw her birth supplies frantically, since they could tell baby was almost here! Eventually she did tell me to keep pushing. Then she said, "Baby's head is out!" I believed her this time, because I could feel them moving her head around, trying to suction her out. They told me to stop so they could suction her. Very hard to do that! Then they told me to push, and with one good push, she was out! My first thought - and words - were "What relief!" Then, before I had a chance to even think about what just happened, Jeremy, I could tell through tears (remember, I can't see anything because I'm on my hands and knees still) said, "It's a girl!" I remember just crying and thanking God that my baby was here. They helped me get turned around and on my back so that I could hold that precious baby! I couldn't believe how tiny she was, and that she was a girl,and that she was actually here! A few minutes later the other midwife and assistant walked in happy to see the baby, but disappointed to have missed the birth. I found out later that I pushed for 11 minutes, about the same amount of time that they'd been there. It seemed like forever to me!
The only thing I was a little sad about was that, since I was on hands & knees, I didn't get to see her emerge, didn't get to catch her or see that she was a girl, and didn't get to see my husband's expression! But because her birth was so short, I was OK with all of this. It was only a few moments before I actually got to see her.
I was so thankful to God that He'd given me the short birth I'd prayed for, that my "preemie" was totally healthy,and that whatever caused the bleeding (subchorionic hematoma, slight placenta previa and subsequent slight placental abruption, or whatever it was) caused no harm to the baby. God is faithful! And sweet little Hope is truly a gift and a blessing!
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