me

I got my hair cut today. With A I waited until he was 7 months before going short, my mom cut, but it was needed. My hair was getting pretty crappy, breaking and starting to fall out. I am not a fan of the way it was in the picture, curled under and reaking of salon.... this was my first professional cut since moving to illinois, heck since i left wisconsin in 2001, I don't even remember my last professional cut. I don't think in the last decade, so my first professional cut of this century... I really should have gone all out for that. I typically cut my own hair, but my scissors have gone missing and I can't really get the back all that well and wanted layers back there, so I paid for a cut. the lady at the fancy salon did a good job, I was a little nervous with the do that she gave me, a few barettes made me feel a little better, but the was and no styling made me feel much better. It may take a few days to get the stink out, but it is an easy hair cut that lends itself well to having two kids.

I broke out some new wool today and would like to entitle these photos "the impatient knitter" See that hank of wool hanging off the back of my chair (a beautiful new zealand hank from my honeymoon) well I put it there to wind into a ball, but with the limited time around here, who has time to wind a ball when you are set to knit? Not me, so I got right to casting on this little knit sheep for Asher, I am going to work on a whole farm, and I don't need that much yarn so using the chair was a much wiser (and faster) way to go. Now I just need to bind off the little bugger and sew him up (the more time consuming half of the project)

And lastly here is my laundry. With two kiddos in cloth diapers the basket is always full. I seriously cannot believe how many diapers I change on a daily basis... holy cow. R is into his small fuzzi bunz so having to sort sizes now has added a new level of laundry time, yikes

The Mama

I am not to often in pictures, but I guess when you squeeze an 8 pounder out it is a special occasion. We are settling into day 6 of River. Sun shining, papa and babe asleep and Asher playing on his own, singing "happy birthday" I think he is practicing for something to come next week.
We are anxiously awaiting Bubbie and Zadie's return from St. Louis visiting the triplets. Yesterday afternoon was the first on our own and we welcome having help the rest of the week.

River

Rachel Dawsey to the rescue. As I have forgotten my reader to download pictures, you are lucky to have a nice view of River, I was going to do a pictureless blog but there you have it.
River joined us at 9:29 am on Wednesday, February 11. Weighing in at 8lbs 1 oz almost a pound bigger than his brother and in a lot less time. My water broke at 8:30 Tuesday night, we were at the hospital by 11:30, dialated to five by 1 am and 9 by 6 am to find a bit of a complication in my cervix, I believe an interior lip that preventing the last cm of dialation, essentially making for some painfully long finishing labor, which instead of taking part of I opted for the epidural and slept for two hours before only having to push for 40 minutes to get the boy out into the world (Asher was 2hours). All facilitated by wonderful midwives at the hospital. It was amazing to get him out and I am so happy to have him here. No eyes bugging out of my head this time, I was quite impressed with how much I could feel even with the epidural. It felt much better this time around, although I had to hold off pushing and let him crown for a long time so he could be birthed all at once to avoid tearing, and while the contractions prior were coming faster, the one between him crowning and waiting for the final push was delayed, to the laughter and irritation of my nurse, midwife in myself oh and the two students... it hurt like hell, and we were all just perplexed as to what was taking the contraction sooooo long, but it came and one final push was all he needed.
That's all for now, we'll be back soon.

Alive and Well

We are just waiting in these parts. I was right to think that I wouldn't be as patient as I was with Asher. I really want to meet this little bugger kicking all around inside of me. I have been walking tons, trying to get some spicy food in me and have been having contractions of the non braxton hicks variety, but nothing seems to be a go.
It is the 10th which is a good day for the grandma and grandpa as all there grandbabies are born on multiples of five in the month and the next one of those isn't until the 15th when the triplets are set to arrive and I would rather not have all the kids born on the same day and I am not holding out until the 20th- so mom and dad you may be out of luck and have to remember a new number with your aging minds!
I think Asher is ready to meet the baby as well. He was very excited today to find the new baby at the home. He came and got me to show her to me. Then of course he wanted to climb in the crib and wake her up- so we will see how much sleep our baby gets.

I am feeling huge, 40+ weeks. Going in for a stress test on Thursday, although I would rather not. And then there would be another ultrasound on the 16th... starts to make me worried that we are going to have kid birthdays soooo close together. I don't want birthday celebrations to become smooshed together shared affairs. I love birthdays and want to celebrate the kids individuality, so I don't want to feel pressured to do shared birthday parties (sure I will get over this as time runs out). I realized that if I am allowed to go two weeks past the due date according to my last period, opposed to conception, this child could be born a day before Asher.... how am I supposed to have his birthday party playgroup if I am still in the hospital as I now have to stary for 48 hours after delivery? Please assure me this won't happen. But really I need to get off my bootie and walk some more.

Please think laboring thoughts.

A Bit of Craziness

Things have been a bit hectic around here. I was in the hospital Thursday night with a lot of pain, Ben and Asher got to stay in the waiting room, we left around 4 am. Not so much fun, not much sleep and for sure not a very happy babe who wanted to snuggle up with his mama. I have a super fun kidney stone still yet to pass, so there is more fun to come. I am going to try and be active today and get this bad boy out.

After quitting my job I was aware that this month was a detox month to remove the poison of the nature center, I was not expecting this physical evidence of pure evil that I would have to pass, I guess you have to be careful what you ask for.

In happier news all of our fruit shrubs are bearing like crazy this year and we have really been able to enjoy a lot of raspberries, black raspberries, currents, and soon our gooseberries, which seem to refuse to ripen- they have been tempting to try for the last week, but haven't done the final sugar conversion.