Mama's Month - Maternity Leave Survival

One of the perks of having a baby is the glorious three months of time off.  Oh yes, time to spend relaxing with your new little one, catching up on reading, tackling projects around the house, and becoming supermom to your new tenant.  

Riiiiiggggggghhhhhhht. 

If you've been there before, then you know as well as I do that it can quickly turn into endless days in your sweats, sleep deprivation, and cabin fever.  You can't remember the last time you brushed your hair or teeth (much less took a shower... what's that?) and there doesn't seem to be an end to the emotional roller coaster ride you're on.  Family and friends are dropping by (or staying with you) and even though you love the company, you're hoping they don't notice the messy house or the fact that you may or may not have poop on your shirt.  Plus, you kind of wish they'd just leave so you can attempt to take a nap.

Well guess what, friends?  You're not alone!  While I don't have a perfect plan that works for everyone, here is the advice that I wish I would have received before the little bambino arrived:

#1 - Throw the rule book out the window

Demand feeding vs. scheduled feeding.  Am I holding my baby too much?  Swaddling vs. not swaddling.  Breastfeeding vs. Bottle feeding.  Is it okay that my baby sleeps better on his belly?  

EVERY baby is different.  If you spend all of your time frantically worrying about whether or not you're doing it "right," you're going to be one stressed out mess!  While it's great to talk to other mommy friends, keep in mind that there is no perfect formula.  If breastfeeding is making you miserable, try a bottle and see if that helps!  Sure there are great nutrients in breast milk, but formula is rich with vitamins and nutrients, too!  If you make your decisions based on YOUR instincts and YOUR baby's preferences (which you will figure out before anyone else) then you're going to enjoy those first few months a lot more.

#2 - Accept Help

I was terrible at this!  I had family staying with us to help take care of Jake, the house, etc., but I insisted on doing everything myself.  My theory was that I would have to do it all eventually, so I might as well get used to it.  Yes, you are going to have to do it all eventually, so give yourself a break while you can! If you have family staying with you, don't be afraid to delegate a little either.  Your mother-in-law probably won't mind throwing in a load of laundry if you need her to.  And trust me, the baby will be in great hands while you take yourself a little nap.

#3 - If you're about to snap, you need a nap!

Okay, I didn't even mean to rhyme!  Sleep deprivation is a horrible thing... that's why it's used as a war tactic to torture prisoners.  If you start noticing that you're getting snippy or even angry at those around you (and your child in particular for not giving you any "me-time"), a little snooze will probably do you some good.  If I ended up in tears, it was usually a red flag that I needed an hour or two away from my bundle of joy... and that's perfectly okay and you're a better mom for it!

#4 - Accept the emotional roller coaster 

 There is nothing that will prepare you for the waves of emotion that will sweep over you after childbirth. and the weeks that follow.  In fact, as soon as I stepped foot into our house with Jake and he was handed off to one of the waiting grandparents I went up to my room and sobbed.  Like ugly-crying sobbed.  It was awful.  And my reason?  I didn't want to "share" him with anyone, which is silly I know.  I also had this crazy resentment toward Josh's dad for those first few weeks because I felt like he was "hogging the baby" which he was by no means doing!  I've actually apologized to him for my crazy behavior and now I could not imagine my life without him being nearby!  Everyday I would literally cry tears of joy as I would rock and sing Jake to sleep and then I'd be crying tears of frustration five minutes later.  It's normal... and it's okay.  I do think it's important though to talk to someone about what you're going through.  I know of two good friends now that went through postpartum depression, but never knew it until much later.  If you're angry at your child for being born, or if you feel like you don't like him or her at all, these are signs and there are probably people right under your nose who can help you through it.  Don't bottle it in for the fear that someone might think you're crazy.

#5 - Take a break before finding "normal"

I think the first couple of weeks are the most special weeks of a new parent's life.  Even though you're never dressed or don't have any make-up on, you just get to cuddle and love on your newborn.  You will never get that time back, so allow yourself to have it.  After a week or two, however, face the real world again.  Getting "out there" with or without your child is so important and will do wonders for your sanity. And if you need gas or a gallon of milk, volunteer to go without your child just to get out of the house by yourself for a few.  It will clear your head and make you realize how much you love your child based on how much you miss your child!

#6 - Make "To-Do" lists

Once you're past the two week mark, make short-term and long-term "To-Do" lists.  Not having any sort of schedule at all will result in lots of time watching HGTV (trust me, I know!).  I would record TV shows and allow myself only to watch them while nursing, even if it meant that I could not get through a full program before I was finished... that was just my rule to avoid becoming a couch potato.  Sometimes my daily to-do list would only have one or two things on it, like "go for a walk" or "visit Josh at work" but it made me become intentional about getting up, getting dressed, and getting out of the house.  It also made sure that my house did not turn into a pig-stye!  As for long-term projects, pick one or two things that you've been putting off and take baby steps toward accomplishing the task.  You'll find that projects will progress much more slowly now, so you might as well get used to it!

#7 - Give your body a break

Do you realize that you just had a baby?  Do you understand how amazing your body is???  One of the best things that ever happened to my confidence was childbirth.  I realize that I may never look like I did at 20, but I love the way I look now more than I ever did.  And I care about what goes into my body and how I take care of it more than I ever did.  Even though I'm a bit squishier, I care about my body so much more than I used to.  So wait at least three weeks before looking in a mirror and give yourself some time to just let it be.  And while you try to get the baby weight off, cut yourself some slack and appreciate the fact that God gave you such beautiful gift.

#8 - Know that it will get easier

I can still remember riding in the car with Josh on the way home from church.  Jake was about 12 weeks old and all of the sudden I looked up and felt my head clear.  I looked at Josh and told him that I felt like I as coming out of a cloud... like I had been living in a weird fog and I could finally see again.  I don't think this happens quite so literally for everyone, but understand that you will be so scatterbrained, confused, doubtful, and overwhelmed for a little while, and it's okay.  Eventually your baby will get over his or her colic.  Eventually your baby will sleep through the night.  Eventually you will understand what his or her cry means.  Keep in mind that this won't last forever.

#9 - Show that baby off!

It will happen.  You will walk into a room and suddenly disappear.  For nine months it was all about you, but now it's going to be "Oh hi, baby!" before they even see you.  Instead of letting that bother you, soak it up!  This is something YOU created... how amazing is that?  Great job, mama!

#10 - Believe it when they say that they grow up too fast

I hated this expression before I had kids.  I was always like "yeah, yeah... whatever."  And now Jake is two!  There is a reason people say this... it's so true!  So instead of always wishing for the next thing (I can't wait until he can hold his own bottle, I can't wait until she sleeps through the night, my life will be easier one he can talk, etc.) live IN every phase that you're at.  One day you'll blink and that baby will be a toddler, then a big kid, then a teenager, then off on his or her own.  

I don't think I set out to write ten of these and I probably could write ten more, but again, I wish I had someone who told me this stuff before Jake was born.  If you have advice on how to get the most out of your maternity leave time, I'd love for you to link up with me and share!

The Second Time Around

Labor and delivery... the fun part of having kids, right?  My doctor in Illinois told me that he wasn't sure which scenario was worse: having never been through it and having no clue how labor really feels or having been through it already and knowing (somewhat) what is coming for you.  I think he made a good point, but even with the long labor I had the firs time, I was actually looking forward to going through it again this time around.  Never in my life have I experienced something as miraculous as meeting my baby for the first time, and to have the opportunity to go through that again was something that I was very excited about.

Before I get into all of the details about how Lillian arrived into this world, I will preface it (for those of you who don't know) that with each of my pregnancies, I have to give myself a shot of blood thinners everyday.  When I was pregnant with Jake, a massive blood clot formed in my leg and so the doctors have me do this as a precautionary measure.  You can read all about it here, and about Jake's delivery here.  Because of the blood thinners, I am induced with each baby at 39 weeks, so that I can stop taking the shots 24 hours beforehand in order to prevent hemorrhaging.  In the event that I go into labor before 39 weeks, there is also a shot they could give me to reverse the thinners... it all sounds very complicated, but it's really not... especially since we knew the drill this time and also did not have the fear that an existing clot could possibly become dislodged during delivery like we had with Jake.  That alone made the idea of labor and delivery a little less stressful.

So anyhoo, just like with Jake, I really had the desire to go into labor on my own and have as natural of a birthing experience as possible.  I had some major issues with the epidural the first time (and I only got it because I so desperately needed sleep, which I never got!) and was nervous about going that route again.  I was measuring about a week and a half ahead (which was mostly fluid and not baby, thank goodness!) and having Braxton Hicks contractions for weeks, so I thought that there might be a good chance that it would happen.  So once again, I tried every old wives' tale in the book and even baked a batch of "Break Your Water Cookies" two nights before my induction date.  I could only stomach about seven of them before I felt like I was going to throw up... they taste a lot like gingerbread at first, but as soon as you swallow- look out!  There is a kick of cayenne pepper that will surprise (and potentially gag) you!  I would not recommend it, although they might be a nice thing to bake for that neighbor you don't like so much!  I also had two different doctors "strip my membranes" the week prior to help kick-start labor to no avail.  None of my efforts paid off, so by Sunday afternoon, I knew that we'd be heading to the hospital early in the morning for an induction.  Josh managed to go to bed pretty early, but I stayed up making sure the house was perfectly tidy for when I would bring Lilly home.  Once in bed, I laid awake and cherished every bump and move in my belly, knowing that I would miss it.  I was pretty bummed that once again nothing about my labor would be natural.  With Jake, they tried a "cervix-ripening" treatment to help me thin and dilate, but since I was already dilated to a 3 and 50% effaced, they would be going straight to pitocin from the get-go.  The plan was to start on that in the morning, the doctor would break my water a couple of hours later, and then the baby would probably arrive sometime that evening... again, nothing natural about it at all.  So as I laid there and thought about it, I went ahead and made the decision to stop debating about it and get an epidural.  If I was already going to be hooked up to all of the other machines, I might as well.

Monday morning we were both wide awake bright and early.  Josh and I were on the road by a quarter after five and drove through torrential downpours and thunderstorms to get to the hospital.  We did manage a stop at McDonald's though so that I could get a sausage biscuit, which I knew might be my last meal for awhile that day.  Once we arrived at the hospital, Josh dropped me off at the door and I went upstairs to get registered.  A family getting out of the elevator saw me walking in with my bags and said that I was looking pretty good for it to be that time.  I thanked them and did not mention that unfortunately I was not actually in labor.  Once upstairs, I registered with the front desk and Josh came upstairs just as I was headed to our room.  It was around six o'clock on the dot by the time the first IV went in, and it did not go well.  The nurse missed my vein and it burst, causing a big bump on my hand. I teared up a little once it was pulled back out because I felt like everything was already going wrong and my nerves started getting to me.  It was really the first time in nine months that I had any sort of anxiety, but Josh assured me that all was going to be just fine.  A second nurse came in and put a new IV in properly and they started me on a saline drip... our day had begun!

Bye bye, belly!  And notice the really hot (I mean, they were literally HOT) compression socks I had to wear for better circulation.  I make labor look GOOD!

The first hour was spent with nurses coming in and out to check blood pressure and get things set up.  The weather was still pretty terrible and we heard that there were tornado watches all around us.  It has rained on every single one of mine and Josh's special occasions, so something about that news calmed me down a bit.  Around seven, the nurse came in and turned on the dreaded pitocin, but assured me that she was only setting it to a 2.  I wasn't sure what the highest number was, but a 2 sounded reasonable.  We called my sister, Angie, and let her know that my induction was officially underway and she could head over whenever.  I was given the privilege of seeing my friend Chelsea's baby come into the world back in January and once I learned that my sisters had never been given the opportunity to see it for themselves, I invited them both to be there for Lilly's arrival.  Mindy had to work unfortunately, but she's got dibs (along with Chelsea... I owe her one!) on our next child... which will hopefully be a few years down the road!  Angie must have been waiting by the door because she got there quickly!  I'm not sure who was more excited!

A couple of hours passed and they had turned up my pitocin a couple of times when the doctor came in to check me around ten o'clock.  I was at a 3 and a half, which made him decide that it was time to break my water.  When I had Jake, my water broke unexpectedly and it was by far one of the strangest things I had ever experienced.  This time it was much more methodical and the gush of water (sorry... from here on out it will probably get a bit more graphic, so if you don't want to hear about it, I recommend that you stop reading now!) was much more gradual.  And when they had said that I had a lot of fluid, they were not kidding!  I could literally hear it pooling underneath me and Josh said that it looked to be about twice as much as I had with Jake.  She sure had a nice little private pool for nine months!

This is the point when my epidural debate started again.  From all of the reading I had done, I knew that an epidural could slow down labor.  I asked the nurse when she thought I should get it and she told me that it was up to me.  I didn't want to get it too soon so I decided to wait until my contractions started getting stronger, which did not take long at all.  Within a half of an hour they were right on top of each other and pretty intense, so I was breathing through each one and trying to stay relaxed.  I started getting clammy and nauseous and was quickly reminded of how fun labor really is!  The funny part about deciding that I would get an epidural is once I had my mind set on it, the anesthesiologist could not have gotten there quickly enough!  I felt like I had to wait forever, but it was probably only about fifteen minutes of hard contractions that I had to endure.  The woman who administered it was a sweet lady named Mae, and she quickly became my favorite person.  She talked me through everything that she was doing and immediately put a booster in my line to help ease the intensity (and cool me off) a bit.  I will say, the best part (in my opinion) about the epidural was how cold it felt on my back.  I tend to stay really hot and sweaty, which leads to nauseous and throwing up (fun!) so I was grateful for the change in my body temperature.  After about 10 minutes, the tingly feeling started in my legs and within 15 I could not feel a thing.  NOT. A. THING. in my belly.  My sister would watch the contraction monitor and comment on how big each contraction was, but I was oblivious.  For a girl who was at one time pretty anti-epidural, I sure changed my tune!  And the anesthesiologist clearly knew what she was doing because I could still move my legs and wiggle my toes unlike the last time.  It was bliss I tell you.

The next hour was pretty uneventful, but I was able to joke around and chat with Josh, Angie, and the nurses.  Around eleven the nurse came in to check me, and was just as surprised as I was when she announced that I was already at an 8!  I had been at a 3 1/2 just about an hour ago!  Apparently the epidural does not have the slow-down effect on me that I had read about!  She left us alone again and we all just talked about how excited we were to meet Lillian.  By the time she came back to check me again (around noon), she told me that it was time to call the doctor!  I was tremedously surprised and ecstatic to say the least.  She left to get the doctor and suddenly about four other nurses and four nursing students walked in.  Two of the nurses were from the nursery and would be taking care of Lillian, one was another labor and delivery nurse, and one was the nursing students' instructor.  Upon check-in that morning, I had signed a waiver that said that I was willing to have nursing students in the room with me to observe.  Granted, I was expecting maybe one student, so it was a bit of a surprise to have four!  But again, I was in epidural-heaven and just went with it.  If it had been my first baby, or if I was trying for natural labor again, I probably would not have been too thrilled, but everything had been so easy thus far that I thought why not!  

The nurse finally came back and told me that both doctors were in surgery so it would be about fifteen minutes "doctor time."  Which meant that they'd be there whenever they got done.  The room cleared out again and we just sat and waited.  And sat.  And waited.  And sat.  And... well, you get the point.  It turned out that "doctor time" was really around an hour, and the whole time I could literally feel Lillian pushing on my pelvic bones every time I had a contraction, so every couple of minutes I would feel insane amounts of pressure.  Had I not had an epidural, I'm pretty sure my body would have reacted and started pushing, so I was thankful that I was able to relax.  I told Josh that I was pretty sure the baby was going to fall out at any minute!

Around 1:00 my doctor finally came in along with the parade of nurses.  In total, there were eleven people in the room, not counting myself!  Once everything was set up and ready to go (which didn't take long since they had everything ready about an hour earlier) she told me that she could already see the baby's head!  Crazy!  With Jake it had taken me almost an hour to get to that point, so that was awesome news to hear.  I will say, the only downside of the epidural was that I could not tell when I needed to push.  With Jake, it was such a relief to push through those painful contractions, but since I was numb, they had to tell me when to start and stop.  And then I couldn't really tell if I was doing a good job or not.  It was weird.  I'm actually glad that I had been through it before without the numbness because I could kind of remember how to "bear down" and push effectively.  At one point between pushes I looked up and saw all of these faces staring back at me and all of the students had these excited expressions on their faces.  I started laughing because of the absurdity of it all!  I'm still a little stunned that I could actually just laugh and enjoy myself at this point in the day.  The doctor had me not push through one of the contractions and I learned later that the cord had been around her neck and she took that time to untangle it.  I would have never known since she stayed so calm and handled it like it was no big deal... which I guess it isn't if you're a doctor who sees these things frequently.  Surprisingly, after about 20 minutes, she told me that it would take one more push and she was right!  At 1:29 PM Lillian Joy Mauney made her entrance into this world and even received a round of applause.  Or maybe that was for me... either way, it was pretty awesome.  They wiped her down and put her on me, which is always the most magical moment for me.  She was pretty purple, but absolutely beautiful.  I felt much more alert and lucid after delivery this time around, and those first moments of me and Josh holding her and loving on her were so very special.  Angie took video of our "first meeting" and I tear up every time I see it... I still stick to my theory that those moments are the closest a person can ever get to physically meeting God here on earth. Josh stayed with her as she was weighed and measured and the nurses finished cleaning up.  I could not believe that everything had happened so quickly and honestly, I would do it again tomorrow if it went that way every time!  What a difference from the first time.

How many people does it take to deliver a baby?

One of my favorite pics... the students were SO excited to observe!

First meeting our daughter... love those magical moments

Brand new beauty... love at first sight

Lilly and our wonderful doctor... we loved her!

Proud Daddy

Our first visitors arrived shortly after she was born, and the first one in the room was Jake.  It was so good to see and love on him!  He climbed right up into the bed with me and the two of us shared some cookies.  Josh brought the baby over, but he was much more interested in his snack.  It's now 2 1/2 weeks later and not much has changed in that department!  He says "baby" when he remembers that she's in the room or when she cries, but pretty much ignores her for the most part.  He does try to put her pacifier in her mouth from time to time, even if she's sleeping, so that's pretty cute, and only once has he hugged her, which almost made me cry.  I actually prefer that he leaves her alone because I don't have to worry too much about him messing with her, but I'm sure things will change dramatically when she starts doing more than just sleeping.  He also hasn't had many jealousy issues, although he did get pretty upset when I wouldn't pick him up and carry him the first week that we were home.  I'm glad that phase has passed.

He looks even bigger to me now!  He's going to be a great big brother!

Throughout the day we had all of our family in the area come and visit the newest member, including Mindy and Michael who drove down from Cincinnati.  Angie agreed that being on the "other side" of labor was an amazing experience and I know that Mindy was bummed that she had to miss out.  We would've loved to have had her there, too.

Our other labor partner... thanks, Angie!

Finally a girl!  Lilly with her mommy and two awesome aunties!

It was nice to have a couple of days to spend as just the three of us, but we were definitely ready to get home when it came time!  And I must say, these first few weeks of being a family of four have been so great.  I feel so blessed to have two beautiful children and a loving husband.  Lillian has definitely turned out to be the easier baby of the two thus far, so I feel like I am enjoying this early stage even more than I did the first time.  Plus, I am more confident in my mothering skills, which helps tremendously.  And I am loving the time off from work to just love on the both of them everyday.  It doesn't get much better than that!  One of these days when I find some time (ha!) I will update my blog header so that she's included... Mauneyland now has an official population of FOUR!

35 Week Bumpdate... It's Lilly Month!

September is HERE... which means that we are within 30 days of meeting our baby girl and this mama is more than ready!  

Between Braxton Hicks contractions (which I never had with Jake), backaches (which I don't remember with Jake), heartburn, and the constant rearranging of my insides, I will be happy to be the only occupant of this body again.  So even though I generally don't do these prego-surveys, I thought that since it's been so long it might be worth it this time around.  So here goes...

How far along: 35 weeks, 6 days (so almost 36 weeks if you want to get specific)

Total weight gain/loss: Ha!  Like I'm going to tell you that!  Let's just say that I have surpassed the highest weight I ever reached while carrying Jake (and started this one about 4 pounds lighter).  In other words... A LOT.

Maternity clothes: Yeah, since about week 8.  You know it's time when you're belly is showing in even your longest maternity shirts.  And several pairs of my maternity pants no longer fit.

Stretch marks: A few pinkish ones around my belly button.  I got a few like this after Jake was born (how unfair is that?) and they went away over time, so I'm hoping that these are temporary, too.

Sleep: Sleep?  What's that?  Between a body temperature that stays around 145 degrees and a toddler who still occasionally wants to have a middle-of-the-night party, I can't remember the last time I slept through the night.  But it's no big deal considering that the situation is not going to change any time soon.  I get the occasional nap and that works just fine for me!

Best moment this week: Ummm... we've had lots of good moments since our move, so I'm not entirely sure.  Seeing my sisters and their families as frequently as I have been has probably been the highlight.

Movement: She beats me up a lot more than Jake ever did.  I'd get an occasional jab or kick from him, but she likes to press my insides outward and then move, creating this odd sensation and a sight to watch!  I had an ultrasound today and the doctor said that I have lots of fluid in there (which thankfully might be why I'm measuring big... and by big I mean a week or two ahead of schedule) so she still has plenty of room to move around.  It's no wonder that I am short of breath so often!

Food cravings: Oh wow, what don't I crave?  The biggest one this time around has been Coke floats.  Weird I know.  I'm also really enjoying chips and cheese dip these days.

Food aversions: None.  Baby likes to eat!

Labor Signs: I had one day of some pretty good contractions and it was conveniently on a day when I had a doctor appointment.  According to the monitoring (which I get weekly), my uterus was demonstrating "erratic behavior," whatever that means.  The next day I was fine though and aside from some mild Braxton Hicks, all is business as usual... no dilation yet either... she must like it in there.

Belly Button in or out? Like a turkey thermometer, it's popped out.  This bird is cooked!

What I miss: Not going to lie... a frosty beverage or a glass of red wine would be heavenly!  And I'm kind of (and that's a very small kind of) getting antsy to run again.  I think it has something to do with living near my favorite running buddies.

What I am looking forward to: Meeting her (duh!)

Weekly Wisdom: This should probably be something about getting plenty of rest before baby, but I can't seem to do that.  I'm a busy-body.  I have managed to slow down a bit, but should probably stop and put my feet up more often.  

Milestones: Ummmm.... I couldn't really tell you.  In about a week I'll be considered full-term, so that's kind of what I'm waiting on right now.  I'm still set to be induced at 39 weeks (like I was with Jake and will be with every child I ever have) but I'm hoping that she decides to come a couple of days early so that I can experience what it's like to go into labor.  We'll see.

So I think that covers everything and more and makes up for my lack of posts about the bump this time around.  And since no decent bumpdate is complete without a photo, here is the latest:

I don't have one from my pregnancy with Jake at 36/37 weeks, but I do have one from 38 weeks with him for comparison purposes:

I think she's siting a little bit higher than he did, but I am glad to see that they are fairly similar.  As I've mentioned previously, the extra weight gain is in my lower back, love handles, and rear, which thankfully does not show up in photos!

So now you're updated, which is good considering that I'm not sure if another one will happen or not before her arrival.  Now it's just a matter of counting the days... and oh how I can't wait to kiss those sweet cheeks!

This Will Have to do For Now

My handsome husband has been at a church-planting conference all week and I stayed in Illinois as it was too long to be away from our sweet Jake.  Needless to say, Jake's not the greatest with a camera, so the picture I promised last week has not been taken, but a friend of mine did snap one of me at the homecoming parade for Joe.  It's not the best to really see the magnitude of the bump (thank goodness for patterns and good angles!) but it will do until Josh gets home to take one.  And please disregard the hair and make-up... we stood outside in 95 degree weather for far too long that day!  So here we are in all of our glory at 29 weeks:

At this angle (rather than straight from the side) you can see that what they say is true, at least in my case: girls sit all the way around your middle.  She's not quite the basketball that Jake was at this point!

Somebody Stop Me...

My name is Kim... and I am in full-blown, OCD, crazed nesting mode.

I do remember this happening to some extent when I was pregnant with Jake, but this time around it has taken on a whole new level of crazy!  Take today for example... let's see... today (aside from working from home and taking care of Jake) I cleaned all of the kitchen appliances and then wiped down the washer and drier which reside in our creepy basement.  Our front porch also got a nice little sweeping and clearing of some cobwebs and then I added "deck paint" to my shopping list so that I can do a fresh coat on the railings tomorrow.  Speaking of paint, there has been a patched portion of a wall upstairs that has been driving me nuts for some time, so today I finally sanded it down and put a coat of paint over it.  Hmmm... what else?  Oh yeah, I started cleaning all of the downstairs windows, but that is still a work in progress.  I can thank my friend Chelsea for that since she mentioned that she likes nothing more than sparkling windows.  Until that comment I had probably never noticed dirty windows.  Thanks, friend... now that's all I can see!  Then I decided to Murphy Oil our kitchen cabinets.  But why stop there?  If you have ever been to this old house or have seen pictures, you would know that it is covered in wood.  IN. EVERY. ROOM.  We're talking window frames, baseboards, cabinetry, and intricate woodwork in every doorway.  So yeah, what did I do?  I oiled all of it!  My back may not forgive me for that one.  But now that I had shiny wood, shouldn't I have floors to match?  Which brings me to ten o'clock at night when I started sweeping and mopping the floors.  Can we say psycho?  Someone just needs to tell me to go to bed already!

I guess the good news is that if our house shows again any time soon, it should sparkle like the Emerald City.  Part of me wondered if this behavior was due to the helpless feeling that comes when your house is on the market, but then I look back at the past three weeks when I haven't been at my own home and really do blame it on the nesting.  My sister, Angie, is a bit overwhelmed at the level of psycho-organization that has been going on with me as her houseguest.  Our big project was cleaning out the playroom, painting it, and organizing the closet, but the rest of her house is getting small changes as well.  I even dusted the other day!  When is the last time I dusted?  And it wasn't even my own house?I   just hope that this is not a reflection of my sweet baby Lilly's personality.  I am a mom who appreciates tidiness, but I don't think I need to give birth to Monica Gellar.  One in our household is enough.

Other than that, I guess I haven't given a bump update in awhile, so while I'm thinking about it, here are my confessions from 26 weeks:

• Nesting is my middle name.  I guess you've gathered that by now.
• I am not proud to say that I have gained almost as much weight as I did in my total pregnancy with Jake.  There have been three occasions now when someone finds out I'm due in September (and I fail to tell them that it's actually late September... or October 2nd if you want to get all technical) and they gasp in shock.  Two of them actually told me that they thought I was due in the next few weeks.
• Based on the above, I am trying to walk more and eat less crap.  When you're moving though and temporarily living in a household with two growing boys, it's impossible to get away from it.
• Speaking of food, I do crave fruit a lot and am loving Mexican food this time around, which is funny since I despised it with Jake!  I'm also liking popsicles and thankfully Minute Maid makes them without sticks.  Random fact #264 about Kim: she hates food on wooden sticks.  Just the thought of it makes my teeth hurt.  But my biggest (and worst) craving?  Coke.  Oh yes, there is nothing like a Coke, especially one from a fountain and a bonus if it's of the cherry variety.  I try to stay away but it calls to me.  Ready or not, Lilly might just be a ten-pounder!
• Overall I feel really good.  Lifting and carrying Jake around is getting a bit tiring, but it's probably because our little beefcake is a whopping 27 pounds and 11 ounces!  He had an appointment the other day and I was quite impressed with that stat!  He's in such a lovey phase though, so I take advantage of the cuddles.  He doesn't seem to mind the belly much but has recently discovered and taken an interest in my belly button.  He will lift my shirt, poke it, and then cover it up again.  It's pretty funny.
• My biggest surprise has been that Lilly is quite a mover!  I didn't feel Jake until about 22 weeks and I felt her little bumps at around 18.  And then even crazier, I could see her move starting at about 21 weeks!  Josh saw it, too, and now several other people have seen her roll across my belly!  If you want to feel her kick you're guaranteed a show around 3:00 each afternoon and lots of movement before bedtime.  I love it, but wonder how bruised I'm going to be when she's more than just two pounds!  Ouch!

I have no belly photo to post today, but perhaps tomorrow I'll take one and add it to this post.  Nobody needs to see the mess that I am after all the cleaning I've been doing!  But for now, I'm going to take my own advice and get my booty to bed... after I fold the laundry and clean the bathroom of course.  Kidding!  Yeah, I'm not convinced either.  So belly pictures to come... goodnight for now!

Baby # 2 is a....

 Sweet....

 

 Little...

Itty-Bitty...

BABY GIRL!!!!!

We are OVER THE MOON excited!  Well, excited is an understatement really.  I don't think I knew how much I wanted a girl until the ultrasound tech told us the news.  We've had her name picked out before Jake was even born so sometime at the end of September or beginning of October we will be introducing...

Lillian Joy

We'll call her Lilly I'm sure and Joy is my middle name which I am thrilled to get to pass down.

At the appointment this morning, I'm not sure if I was more excited to hear that I am carrying a little girl or if my excitement was based on confirmation of a mother's intuition.  You see, not long after Jake was born I was sitting in his room rocking him and Josh walked in.  I was looking at the letters on his wall that spell his name and said, "I think Lilly is coming next."  I don't know why or what at that moment made me think that.  We never really said much about it again.  Months later we found out I was pregnant with our second child and for some reason, I immediately thought it was a girl.  I couldn't help to refer to the baby as "she" or "her" even though I tried not to.  Then I had not one, but two, dreams that she was born, we named her Lilly, and in one dream she was even eight pounds, seven ounces (which I'd gladly take by the way considering that Jake was eight-ten).  Talk about specific!  My brother-in-law dreamt we had a girl, too, and then another friend of mine told me recently that she did also!  With Jake, I did have an inkling (and a dream before I even knew I was pregnant that we had a baby boy) but there was a part of me that had my doubts.  This time around, I was so absolutely certain that I think I would've called the technician a liar if she told me otherwise!  Yeah, it was probably a bit of an unhealthy attitude to walk in there with, but everything worked out thank goodness.

We spent the day calling family and had a date night to go out to dinner and buy some pink stuff.  It was nice to call my side of the family to let them know that the streak has been broken!  After four boys, we finally have a GIRL!  Let's just say that she's going to be one protected (and spoiled!) little girl!  

As for me?  I'm feeling great and feeling huge!  I told Josh before this appointment that I did hope that this was a girl since I'm carrying her all over the place!  Jake was such a little basketball, but she's more like an inner-tube.  The pictures don't do it justice (probably because I refuse to take comparison shots of Jake vs. Lilly from the rear)which is  but here is me with the two of them at 20 weeks:

Me & Jake @ 20 weeks (still in regular jeans)

Me & Lilly @ 20 weeks (totally rocking maternity pants!)

So that's it from here.  Have a great weekend... I'm off to go online shop for some pink cowboy boots!

You were right!

I figured my trivia would be pretty obvious and by now the news is officially out on Facebook (which makes all news "official" doesn't it?).  So you all guessed it right and...

WE'RE EXPECTING BABY #2!!!!!

Wooo-hooooooo!!!

Like our little Jakey, #2 is a pretty unexpected surprise as well, but I just can't get over how excited I am this time around!  Don't get me wrong, I was excited about Jake, too (at least after the initial few days of shock) but I think a little bit of anxiety and nervousness can cloud that a little bit the first time around.  This time, I'm just ecstatic!  I mean, now i know that I can handle a newborn and at least know somewhat to expect.  I know all babies are different, but with one under my belt my confidence level in my ability to parent has definitely improved.  I mean, so far so good with Jake, right?

So what's the scoop?  Well... due to that pesky blood clot situation last year let's just say that our methods of birth control are pretty limited.  As in, I have to do a pretty darn good job at keeping a watch on the calendar for potential baby making weeks.  And while I am very good at this step, I'm often times not so great at communicating that to my husband.  So let's just say that baby #2 is due to a lack of communication between the two of us!  In fact, I was certain of it the day it happened... I just knew.  Fertility runs in this family (and apparently on the Mauney side, too, since we're expecting  a niece on that side in July... yay!) and as easy as it was the first time around and based on the date, I had a hunch.  So I did what any patient (right!) gal would do and tested 5 days early.  Yep, the earliest you can possible test.  Again, I'm good at watching the calendar.  And what did I get?  A very faint pink line.  Emphasis on very.  So what did I do?  Waited a whopping 24 hours and tried again!  And what did I get?  You guessed it... the same thing as the first time!  And even though I know that a faint line is still a positive, I still needed more proof before I came out with it to Josh.  So I spent the loads of money on the digital test and BAM!  There it was in black and white: Pregnant.  Yup, I was right all along!

So then came the fun of telling the hubby.  Josh once told me that he wanted to find out in a "cool way" but all of my ideas included too much waiting (for particular occasions mostly) and I had already kept it to myself for three whole days!  Plus, my best friend was coming into town and I wanted to make sure I had told Josh before I spilled the beans to her!  So after I took the digital test my "super cool" way was to simply lay it on the sink downstairs and call Josh into the bathroom.  "Honey," I said, "I think there is something wrong with the bathroom sink."  "What's it doing?" he asked.  "Uhhhhh, it won't turn on," I replied.  I hadn't thought this through very well.  A confused look fell upon his face.  Granted, this is the bathroom that he slaved over to renovate (and I hadn't thought that part through either) so what I didn't realize was that all sorts of 'oh no, we did something wrong' thoughts were racing through his mind.  He got up, walked through the house and I followed him.  As we went through the kitchen he asked, "does the kitchen sink work?"  "Uhhh... I don't know.  I haven't checked."  He stopped and watched as I walked to the sink and turned it on, all the while I'm trying not to roll my eyes.  Just get to the bathroom already, was what I was thinking!  Of course, the kitchen sink worked fine.  So Josh walked into the bathroom (finally!), turned on the sink, looked at me with a concerned (for my mental health I'm sure) expression on his face, and walked out.  Seriously.  He didn't even see the test sitting right in front of his face!  "Ummm, I think you need to look again."  Insert concerned (for my mental health) expression again.  After a little more prompting he finally went back in there, but this time upon reaching for the faucet he just froze.  YES!  Then, as if in slow motion, he turned to face me, his eyes wide and mouth agape.  I quickly nodded and smiled at him as it all sank in.  Although it probably wasn't the "coolest way" to tell him, I thoroughly enjoyed literally seeing the wheels turn in his head as it all made sense.  "Seriously?" he finally said.  "Yep!  Congratulations, Daddy!" I replied excitedly.  I'm still a little surprised that he did not pass out!

It took a couple of days for it to really sink in for him and until we saw the ultrasound pics I think it just didn't really seem real.  Well, for me it did because I learned quickly that if I wasn't either eating or full ALL THE TIME that I would be nauseous.  Hence the six pounds I have already gained at ten weeks.  Nice!  But last week we got to see our baby lima bean and hear his or her very healthy heartbeat, so all is good in babyland.  But I'll just let you see for yourself:

Just look at those cute little stubs for arms and legs!  Jake got to come to the appointment, too, and see his little sibling, but he was much more interested in the lollipop that he got to eat!  And the stats?  Let's see, we are...

• How far along?  10 weeks today, due on October 2nd
• Feeling so far?  Pretty normal.  I had the not-eating-or-full nausea early on and wanted to nap all the time there for awhile, but even that has pretty much passed
• Craving?  Oh gosh, everything!  A lot of fruit and veggies, but I'm just loving all food!
• Gender preference?  We would love a girl considering that there are no girl grandbabies on my side of the family, but we'd love a boy, too, since they'd be 18 months apart and little buddies growing up.  My inkling is girl, and I was right the last time, but who knows.

With the baby news, I will admit that I took some time away from blogging in order to take naps instead, but hopefully I can catch up.  I have a ton of stuff to get on here about Jake's latest antics and I'm sure this week we'll add to it since Jake and I are visiting sunny Florida.  We've been here for less than 24 hours and have been outside non-stop!  So hopefully with all of the extra babysitters around here I can get caught up!  But of course, he now has to share the spotlight, so I might as well get him used to it early!

Wednesday Morning Trivia...

Have I mentioned today how much I love my blog readers?  No?  Oh, that was yesterday... but to reiterate, I am giving my readers a little Wednesday morning quiz found only here.  It might hit Facebook in a day or two, but you guys get it here first... that's how much I love you!

So let's see if you can figure out what is going on here in Mauneyland...

• I recently started taking one preventative blood thinner shot per day
• My appetite for my beloved Mexican food has vanished
• I'm loving fruit, ice cream, and Arby's Beef'n'Cheddar combo meals
• I am very much looking forward to the fall

Any guesses????

The Other Side of Labor

So who remembers the creepy, graphic video that we all had to watch (well, most of us probably had to watch) in high school health class of a baby being born? Shudder. No amount of soap in the eyes could erase that... it was awful! So imagine my surprise when I enthusiastically said "YES!" when a my friend Chelsea, whose husband is deployed, asked me if I would be in the room with her when her baby decided to make its debut. There was no hesitation on my part and I gladly accepted, not really thinking about that video or what my eyes might possibly see again.

A couple of Fridays ago I was doing some work and I got a text message. My water broke. Seriously, that's all it said. No sense of urgency- not even an exclamation mark! I had to read it twice for it to sink in and then I ran around my house, much like a nervous dad might do, throwing items at random into a bag. Josh was at the gym so I frantically dialed his number to let him know that if he didn't get home soon, our child would be left unattended while I rushed to the Quad Cities to coach a new baby into this world. (Disclaimer: I would never leave our child unattended. At least not until he is able to make himself something to eat.) Once my hubby was back home, I kissed him goodbye and rushed out the door. This would be Chelsea's fourth baby, so in my mind it might just fall out without notice. That sounded logical to me. I had about a forty-five minute drive and I pretty much spent the whole time trying to convince myself that I could handle this, even if I saw blood, which sometimes makes me queasy. I said a few prayers for Chelsea, her husband Joe, and that sweet baby of theirs, and then I said a few for myself, too, asking God to make sure that I didn't pass out.

When I arrived to her room, there was very little activity. In fact, she wasn't even having contractions, much to her chagrin. So we just sat and talked... and talked... and talked some more. Her mother-in-law stopped by, I ran out to get some dinner, we watched part of a movie, we talked some more, and still there was nothing. She was told that if there was no action by the morning they would start her on Pitocin... not the news that she wanted to hear.

After a very interrupted night of sleep (which I cannot complain about since my mattress was very cushy and I got way more than she did!) the nurse came in the next morning and administered the medication. What she did not tell us was that she needed to go through a certain number of saline bags as well before she could get an epidural. Chelsea had made it clear from the start that she's very pro-epidural, but not until she really needs it. So when she got to the point that she really needed it, we still had to get through another bag and a half. Her contractions were coming on pretty strong and it was a long forty-five minutes (well, an hour and a half really by the time the epidural was administered and kicked in) to endure. I pretty much just took orders, getting her ice chips and wet wash cloths, just trying to be as supportive as I could be. Then she told me that something was happening and I needed to get the nurse right now. I flew out of that room and the nurse and the doctor quickly followed. And as a mother of four would know, it was time.

Let me just say that the next hour was probably one of the most amazing, awe inspiring hours of my life. If I hadn't been through birth myself, there is no way that I would've appreciated the experience, or even agreed to it for that matter. I stood up by her head as she pushed, and after pushing through three (yes, only three... which she later told me was the longest she ever pushed for any of her kids, at which point I tried not to tell her that I hated her) the head was out and the doctor was able to ease the baby out from there. I hadn't really planned on watching this part, but I couldn't help it... my eyes were drawn to that baby. As the doctor turned it over and I saw it's little face, I was overcome with wonder at what a miracle it truly is. The night before, Chelsea and I talked about how we both felt birth was more like something from a sci-fi movie, like an alien being extracted from you. That's definitely how it feels anyway when it's happening to you. But as a witness, I quickly changed my mind. Seeing a new life come into the world changed me somehow. In that moment, it's not that I understood God because nobody actually can, but I was struck at how only He could administer a process like this. I have said before that childbirth is the closest I had ever been to God and this only reaffirmed that feeling. In that moment, I could feel Him. His hands took over the doctor's hands and He guided that sweet little girl into the world. I felt as if time stood still and the room was just filled with overwhelming love, which is what God feels for us. In a word, it was incredible, but even that does not do it justice.

I never really thought that witnessing a baby's birth would ever be on the list of things that I wanted to do, but now I'm gladly adding it (and crossing it off) my bucket list. I firmly believe that it's something that every woman who has already been through it themselves should have the opportunity to be a part of. The more I read about Biblical times, back when men were not allowed and midwives delivered babies, the more I understand why they did it that way. Don't get me wrong... having my husband in the room for the birth of our son is not something I would ever do differently, but as a woman, witnessing another woman going through labor and having felt that same pain to produce the same results was both endearing and empowering. And seeing the instant love of a mother as she held her baby for the first time will forever leave a mark on my soul. Some women wonder why God made labor such a painful process, but now I realize just how remarkable it is. The pain is worth it. The work is more than worth it. And in the end, the pain and work make it even more special. Perhaps that's why mothers instantaneously nurture... the greater the pain, the greater the love. God knew that, too, when He sent his only son to die for us. Witnessing that had to have been the greatest pain any man could ever know, but that's how much He loves us... the greater the pain, the greater the love. How anyone could ever witness birth and not believe in God is beyond me. No amount of science, no big bang or evolution theory could ever convince me that it's anything other than a miracle. And I am honored that a friend thought of me of all people to be with her and be a part of it.

Oh and the baby? Yeah, she's a doll. Even though most of my readers don't know Chelsea, everyone loves a baby, right? So to my Mauneyland readers I introduce Charley Lilyanna:

When I returned home, Josh asked me if I ever wanted to go through childbirth again having now seen it from another point of view. I just laughed and told him that she made it look way too easy, even though I know that there were a couple of rough hours right before Charley made her debut. And even though I'll never go as far as to say that the "coach's" job is even close to being as difficult as the mother's, I will say that next time I'll have a bit more sympathy for my husband. It's a very helpless place to be at some points and watching someone else in pain is almost heartbreaking. But if he pouts or complains at any point next time we go through it, I'm going to take that last statement back. :)

Thank you, Chelsea, for letting me be a part of an incredibly special day in your family's life. It was an honor to be asked and I love that you felt like we are close enough friends to ask. Being there for Charley's birth is a memory that I will always cherish and remember as being nothing short of amazing. And watching her grow up is going to be even more special knowing that I was one of the first people who ever saw or got to hold her. And an even bigger thank you to your husband, Joe, for sacrificing so much to be overseas fighting for our country. You have a very strong and special wife who is doing an unbelievable job under the circumstances. I am proud to just get to be friends with you both. And Chelsea, as promised, now that you've "shown me yours" I'll gladly have you in the room to "show you mine" whenever our next little one decides to come along! But consider it carefully, because you won't only have to put up with me, but with Josh as well! That just might make things a little bit interesting!