Top 5 Must Haves & Top 5 Would Like to Haves BEFORE Baby!

I love lists.  No really, I LOVE them!  So today I want to make a list of MUST HAVES before baby comes.  I have two more small baby showers before my due date, the last one is on April 5th, so I will need to wait until then to buy up the Must Haves in case someone gets them for me.

So, in order of importance:

MUST HAVES

#1.  Cloth Diapers - I would like to have ~25 All In One Cloth Diapers.  I'd prefer to have the majority be BumGenius diapers.  I know that I have gotten 9 Cloth Diapers from my first baby shower and they should be arriving any day.  I have found a deal on craigslist for another 18 diapers (10 of which are BumGenius), and there are some Alva New Born diapers that I might be picking up within the next couple of days.  So, hopefully I will have all of these by this weekend!

#2.  A bed rail -  We are planning on co-sleeping.  I'm guesstimating this to cost me $40, and will probably wait until April to buy.

#3.  An Ergo Baby Carrier - I just found a resale shop in our area that says they regularly carry these used as at a discount.  They usually cost a little over $100, and I'd like to get one for about $60.

#4.  A diaper bag!  I'm hoping I'll get the one I registered for at one of the remaining baby showers, so if not I'll order in April.

#5.  Cloth diaper accessories! This includes cloth wipes, wipe warmer, diaper sprayer, trash can, 2 washable trash can liners, waterproof zippered wet bag.  I'm estimating it all to cost me ~$150

WOULD LIKE TO HAVES

#1.  Changing Table & Pad - I'm keeping an eye out on craigslist for a white changing table.  I'll probably hold off on buying the pad until after the showers.  My limit on the changing table is $50.

#2.  Pack n' Play - I'd like to have one, but it isn't a must, at least right away.  I will be helping a friend with her baby though, and so I would like to have it then for sure.

#3.  Swing OR Bouncer - I haven't decided on which.  Might depend on funds since bouncers are so much cheaper.  I'd of course love to have both.

#4.Another car seat - we have already gotten one car seat, but is the one we are planning on putting in my car.  The one for Josh's truck is one of the infant/carrier car seats, and it is the kind he prefers.  We are planning on taking the truck to the birthing center when I go into labor, but of course we could always use the car seat that we already got in a pinch.

#5.  Misc small products; a few bottles, my breast friend pillow, organic diaper cream, first aid/hygiene baby kit thinger (haha), tummy mat and/or play gym, some extra receiving blankets, etc.  

Tonight's Big Fight - Cloth vs. Disposable

The reasons I'm choosing Cloth vs. Disposables...

Cost - 25%,  Environment - 5%,  Health of my Baby - 70%

1.  The Cost - Since I want to stay at home, cost is a HUGE factor.  I need to conserve money where possible.  I even plan on line drying my disposables as much as possible to reduce energy costs, though one load every few days is not going to hurt me much.

The average cost of disposable diapers for a 2 year period would be ~$1,600 (see the bottom of the post for my source).  I plan on buying a total of 24 cloth diapers to last me this entire 2 year period (possibly 3 years), at an average cost of $15 per diaper.  I'll even say that I might buy an extra 6 cloth diapers for fun and replacements, that is another $90, and if I buy extra inserts we'll tag on another $100.  That is a total cost of $360.  I will be doing an extra load of laundry every 3 days.  I do not anticipate my water bill to go up more than $10/month on account of this ($240 over two years).

(I should note that if you are wondering about cost of detergent; I make my own detergent and it costs me approximately $10 total per year.)

WINNER Cloth Diapers = $790
Disposable Diapers = $1,600

2.  The Environment - While the environment is not the biggest factor for me regarding Cloth vs. Disposables, I would be blind to not see the obvious comparison between the two.  Here are some highlights;

  -  92% of all single-use diapers end up in a landfill.
  -  In 1988, nearly $300 million dollars were spent annually just to discard disposable diapers, whereas cotton diapers are reused 50 to 200 times before being turned into rags.
  -  It is estimated that it takes a disposable diaper between 250-500 years to decompose.
  -  Disposable diapers are the third largest single consumer item in landfills.
  -  Disposable diapers generate sixty times more solid waste and use twenty times more raw materials than cloth diapers.
  -  The manufacture and use of disposable diapers amounts to 2.3 times more water wasted than cloth.

You can find more of these fun facts here:  http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php

WINNER Cloth Diapers

3.  My Baby's Health - The biggest reason I want to use cloth is for my baby's health.  Here are some fun facts for you;

  -  Disposable diapers contain traces of Dioxin, and extremely toxic by-product of the paper bleaching process.  It is a carcinogenic chemical, listed by the EPA as the most toxic of all cancer-linked chemicals.  It is banned in most countries, but not the U.S.
  -  Disposable diapers contain Tributyl-tin - a toxic pollutant known to cause hormonal problems in humans and animals.
  -  Disposable diapers contain sodium polyacrylate, a type of super absorbent polymer (SAP), which becomes a gel-like substance when wet.  A similar substance had been used in super-absorbency tampons until the early 1980s when it was revealed that the material increased the risk of toxic shock syndrome by increasing absorbency and improving the environment for the growth of toxin-producing bacteria.

And the list goes on....

WINNER Cloth Diapers


Source - http://www.realdiaperassociation.org/diaperfacts.php

A 1 Week Vegetarian Challenge

So the other night I made a delicious dinner, and I realized that I had made a number of delicious dinners lately...and I had an epiphany that all these dinners were vegetarian (not vegan, they did include cheese and eggs).  And I was amazed.

I really haven't enjoyed meat lately.  I'm not super educated on the subject on the subject, but meat definitely scares me with all the genetic modifications and the things animals are fed to grow big and that they glow bright green with radio active protein enzymes....

Okay, so I haven't ever seen a green glowing cow, but in my imagination that is what I think of when it comes to meat.  

So I've decided to do a 1 Week Vegetarian Challenge!!!

What Will I Eat?

Some ideas I have had and put on my meal plan are:

Breakfasts: 

Yogurt, Granola & Fruit

Breakfast Burritos

Frittatta (I've been wanting to make one)

Blueberry Muffins (Actually after researching some recipes I've decided to make a blueberry pancake loaf!  Mmm, yum!

Lunches:

Dinner Leftovers (Duh!)

Vegetarian Quesadillas

Spinach, Potato, Onion, Quinoa Salad

Dinners:

Lentil Patty Burgers w/Sweet Potato Fries

Spaghetti Squash, Veggie & Cheese Bake

Eggplant Parmesan

Layered Roasted Veggies & Tortillas

Veggie Pizza

Snacks:

Cookies (Sugar Cookies with almonds)

Veggies, Hummus, & Pita Bread

Chia Seed Pudding

What are the Challenges?

The main challenges will probably be:

1.  Not being lazy, actually making the food and being prepared!

2.  Having ENOUGH food.  I'm planning on 3 meals, 3 snacks a day and no limitation on how big these meals/snacks are.

3.  The temptation to go out to eat!  Especially on the weekends.  But I figure I can still eat vegetarian if I happen to go out.

Being a 'Step-Mom' is Hard!

Okay seriously...I am not technically a 'step-mom' but in all sense of the word/words I AM!  Aubs and Ry are amazing girls, Josh is an amazing man...and being a 'step-mom' is hard.

Top 10 Reasons being a Step-mom is HARD!

1.  The Insta-Mom Phenomenon
I am pregnant with my first child, meaning I was not a mom when I met Aubs and Ry.  And I kid you not that I felt like Insta-Mom, and sometimes still do.  In a split second I had to adapt to their needs, desires, demands, etc.  Sure, I have built in instincts (thank goodness that I am somewhat naturally maternal), but it is a huge shift from the mentality of being self-centered, and the mentality of being 6 & 8 year old girl centered.  There is no gradual easing or 9 month period to realize your life will be centered around another human being (though I am sure even that is not enough time).  Let's just say, I am really appreciating the incubation period of this pregnancy!

2.  I Need to Go to the Bathroom
You know when you need to pee?  Like really need to pee, especially when you are pregnant?  Too bad, there are two red-headed monkeys that need to go first.  You know when your dinner just arrived and it smells sooooo good?  Well too bad, they need to go to the bathroom.  They can't reach the soap, they can't reach the sink, they give other women in the bathroom evil glares when they compliment them on their hair (can't blame them, it happens all the time and I can see how it would get a bit annoying).

3.  I'm Hungry
Apparently the girls are so hungry that they are going to shrivel up and blow away, at least that is what it seems by how often they say "I'm Hungry".  Part of me wishes I was the kind of person to say "Go ask your dad."  But I'm not.  My life is now spent anticipating breakfast, snack 1, lunch, snack 2, dinner, and snack 3...and any other cravings in between.  And it happened instantly!  As soon as a woman was around they asked me, not their dad.

4.  Look at THIS!  
They want to show me and daddy everything, and daddy is a little better at balancing what to look at.  They want to sing a song for me, they want to show me their drawing, etc.  Gosh, I wish I was excited and got that much attention over everything I did.

5.  She Hates me!
I think Ry and I are friends for sure, but she is sensitive.  The one time I did kind of ignore Ry asking me where the scissors were (I was really tired, and her dad was sitting right next to me and I had felt like I had been meeting their demands all day), she got upset and said no one ever listened to her.  When I explained that all day I had listened to her and her sister and made them food, etc, and that I just wanted to sit for a minute and watch TV...she actually understood!  Another time, Ry threw something in my face and my reaction scared her.  She starting SOBBING in her bed!  We made up, but it took a while and a little talk with her.  Both times I broke down to Josh crying.  Making a child cry is one of the worst things in the world :(

6.  Mom's Shadow
"Well my mom makes it this way....my mom always buys us this at the store....my mom has traveled all over the world...my mom is an amazing artist....my mom runs 13 miles a day...my mom makes her own almond milk....my mom makes her own deodorant...my mom had my dad help her make a sewing manikin that is her size by having my dad put paper mache all over her body..."  (OMG, seriously, this last one was really hard to hear.)
<----My vision of their mom in these moments (except I imagine she has bigger perfect boobs), and wondering if I can ever live up to that.

7.  Jesus Christ!
Apparently Ry got in trouble for saying 'Jesus Christ!' at something.  Guess who says that?  Yep, me.  Sigh...and I thought I was doing so good not to curse.

8.  Disney Channel
Do I really need to say more?  What happened to Family Matters and Full House?  Maybe if I would have had time to ease into children's programming it wouldn't be such a shock to watch Austin & Alley ALL DAY!

9.  My new room...The Kitchen

So I have a new room, and it is called the kitchen.  I am growing to love it, especially since becoming pregnant and wanting to be a super mom for my baby, but I am seriously thinking of investing in an anti-fatigue mat.  My kitchen is never clean, my grocery list has morphed into a combination of things the girls will eat and organic/healthy stuff, the girls always want to help cook (and then they want to take full credit for dinner! lol, so immature of me to even care, but I secretly do), and sometimes I dread them coming and standing in the kitchen door and just looking at me....what do they need/want?  I've started telling them "Oh good!  You came to help me clean the kitchen!"  :)  You can imagine the looks I get at that.

10.  Where do I fit in?
 Josh is the most amazing father.  His girls love him SO much!  Every day he wrestles and tickles them and our home is filled with giggles and squeals.  Every night he tucks them in and climbs up on the top bunk and hugs them and tells them "Night, night, don't let the bed bugs bite..." and they reply, "If they do, take a shoe, smack them till they're black and blue," followed by a series of I Love Yous.  And sometimes I don't feel like I fit in those pictures.  It isn't all that often, but when I do feel that way it hurts a lot.  I'm left to wonder if I will tickle them in the right spot to get a giggle, if the top bunk would even hold me (haha), and especially if I say "I love you" will they say "I love you" back?

Top 10 Reasons being a Step-mom is AWESOME!

1.  The Insta-Mom Phenomenon - I am so proud of myself for being trusted to step into this role by them and their father!  And that I don't feel like an utter failure doing it.
2.  I Need to Go to the Bathroom - They trust me to help them in the bathroom and I couldn't be more proud of them washing their hands.  Not sure why this makes me so proud, but it does!  Plus, we get some awesome 1x1 time.
3.  I'm Hungry - So, why do they ask me this?  Because they know I'm there for them!  They know I'll provide.  What a compliment to be trusted like that.  It has also taught me how to say "No".
4.  Look at THIS!  -  What?  You want ME to look at that?  Why of COURSE!  Thank you for wanting me to see these things you love and are proud of!  I'm proud of you too!
5.  She LOVES Me!  - When the girls smile at me, when they randomly hug me, when they run in the door saying "Olly!", when Aubs randomly kissed me in the pool, when Ry wants to sit by me at dinner... :)
6.  Mom's Shadow - And that they know they can talk to me about her, and that they believe I am secure enough and confident enough in myself to hear about her.  Maybe sometimes I'm faking confidence, but then again, sometimes I believe that I am pretty darn good myself.
7.  Jesus Christ! - Every day these girls inspire me to be a better person, to be and speak like a lady, they are getting me ready to be a great example for my own child.
8.  Disney Channel - I remember waking up on Saturday mornings and watching whatever I wanted while my mom got breakfast ready.  Maybe she disliked my shows as much as I dislike the Disney Channel.  So it is worth it to let them watch it...doesn't mean I won't try to expose them to some different stuff of course :)
9.  My new room....the Kitchen!  - I have made so many new things and gained so much confidence by cooking!  Plus it is and can be fun!  When Aubs and Ry help it is awesome.  They learn new things and I can teach them things!  Lately I've been asking for an apron...I don't know if Josh thinks I'm joking, but I'm NOT!  If I get one for V-Day that would make me sooo happy.
10.  Where do I fit in?  - With my family, that is where.  And it is so awesome!

I hope this post didn't come off as a b*tching session.  I am so grateful for every one of these challenges!

I'm Back!

Time to get up and try again to be consistent with this blog.  Some quick updates in my life:

1.  I am now 23 weeks pregnant!  Ah!  17 weeks to go!
2.  Baby is kicking and I can feel him / her well.  Still can't really feel her from the outside, but I'm hoping that will happen soon.
3.  Moving at the end of this month to a bigger place!  So excited!
4.  Feeling much better in the second trimester.
5.  I've still only gained ~10 pounds, and that is a nice surprise.
6.  Getting ready for my baby shower March 1st in Texas!
7.  I'm super happy!

Pic Updates :)

23 Weeks!

Visiting the Reptile Zoo!

Playing in the snow!

Merry Christmas!

Happy New Years!

(Theme party we went to - Make up your own super hero.

We were Super Nerd Boy and Girl, and I even made a pic for my belly

that had a drawing of Super Nerd Baby)

Seahawks are going to the Superbowl!

To Circumcise or Not to Circumcise? (Part 1 of 2) - Our Decision

That is a big question that almost every parent will have to face.

*I'd like to note that Josh and I don't know if we are having a boy or a girl, and we are going to keep it that way.  So no matter what, this conversation had to happen...*

I have always assumed that I would do a lot of things.

I assumed I'd someday live in a mansion...

I assumed that I'd only ever marry one person...

And I assumed if I had a son he would be circumcised.

But once I became pregnant I stopped assuming so much.  I want to be an active parent, to do active research, and to make active choices in my child's life.  That means I have to question my assumptions and the assumptions of others, and get down to the nitty gritty of what is best for me, my family, and my child.

And that is what I would encourage every parent to do...make the best decision for your circumstance.  They are not all the same, and this post is in no way a judgement of other choices.

FOUR REASONS WE HAVE DECIDED NOT TO CIRCUMCISE

1.  The Foreskin doesn't make the penis dirty, it protects it.  

     Here is a fun quote, if you can makes sense of it all;

The article, Foreskin Sexual Function/Circumcision Sexual Dysfunction released by the Circumcision Information Resources Pages (CIRP) collaborates various scientific sources to examine the role of the foreskin in human sexuality in addition to studying the dysfunction that is cased by surgical amputation. 

The foreskin either partially or completely covers the glans penis in the adult male protecting it from dryness and abrasion [2]. Remaining protected from foreign stimuli, the foreskin maintains the subpreputial area wet and moist with prostatic, vesicular, and urethral secretions [2]. The subpreputial moisture contains lysozyme, which destroys pathogens [1]. It is important that the glans remain in this state of moisture and wetness because it is covered with mucosa, not skin. In addition, the prepuce guards from the process of keritinization. This otherwise would cause the glans to thicken as skin cells begin to layer, which deadens sensation [2]. 

In infant boys, the prepuce protects the meatus from ammoniacal diapers and prevents meatitis, meatal ulceration, and meatal stenosis. E. coli that is found in feces is the most important pathogen in urinary tract infection. The muscle fibers in the foreskin act as a preputial sphincter, helping to prevent UTI in infants as it forbids contact between the meatus and feces. Additionally, the foreskin also helps to reduce incidence of non-specific urethritis and presence of Staphylococcus aureus in the urethra [1]. 

2.  The Foreskin promotes less forceful penetration during sex, as well as reducing vaginal dryness.

   When I first interviewed my midwife, the subject of circumcision came up.  My midwife didn't tell me what to do either way, but she did tell that her friend recently has intercourse with an 'uncut' man, and her friend won't shut up about how it is the best she has EVER had.  Obviously, my midwife knows how I think.  You are welcome future girlfriend/wife of my son.  

     Another fun quote;

An important mechanical function of the foreskin is its ability to facilitate intromission and penetration [2]. As the foreskin unfolds, the penis enters his partner reducing friction, dryness, and abrasion allowing intercourse to be more comfortable [1].

Also, the presence of the foreskin allows for less forceful penetration. After penetration, the foreskin provides a unique gliding action that substantially reduces friction and vaginal dryness [1]. 

3.  The nerve endings in the Foreskin create pleasurable erotic sensations, and also reduce the risk of premature ejaculation.  Lol, You are welcome son!

The foreskin is a specific erogenous zone that is the most heavily innervated part of the penis with nerve endings near the surface of the ridged band. This band originates from the frenulum and encircles the opening of the foreskin [2]. The tissue whose nerve endings most sensitive to fine touch and temperature is located in the foreskin [1].

The foreskin has a layer of a smooth muscle tissue, the peripenic muscle, which comprises a portion of the dartos muscle [2]. The nerve-endings that are present in the foreskin become stimulated through motion and stretching [1]. Through the contractions of the unique muscle fibers in this tissue, the foreskin obtains strong elasticity, which is crucial to erogenous sensation. The muscle tissue must stretch to glide over the glans upon erection, later to return to its normal flaccid coverage. The stretching movement produces great sensation and pleasure. The nerve endings produce pleasurable erotic sensations, which travel to the central nervous system, inputting to the autonomic nervous system. This process plays a vital role in controlling erection and ejaculation [2].

Nerve endings of the glans are concentrated in the corona. Likewise, they intrude against the corona during intercourse [2]. The foreskin protects the corona from direct stimulation, and because it is the most highly innervated part of the glans penis, this helps to prevent premature ejaculation [1]. 

4.  It just isn't necessary.  

    This is my opinion.  There are many arguments for not leaving a boy in tact.  But most of them are either false or they are social stigmas.  Since I have not found a valid reason for circumcising my child I would feel wrong doing that.  I understand that not everyone views it in this way, but...I would not want anyone to modify my genitalia, so I feel that it is not right for me to modify my son's genitalia.  In my mind...oh and I'm sorry if this offends you but I cannot deny this is how I feel....it is equatable to genital mutilation.  If that is how I feel, how could I rightly do that to my son?


OUR DECISION

I was terrified to bring this subject up to Josh.  I assumed, as I do a lot, that he wouldn't hear me out, that he would immediately be against it, that there was no way I could convince a 'cut' man to consider leaving his son natural.  Boy, I really need to stop assuming things.  He is an amazing man, and when I told him I wanted to research the possibility he was completely fine with it.  Didn't even bat an eye!  Then last night (the reason I decided to write this post today) he brought up that he was talking to a coworker about, in his own words, "You know, we were talking about that thing we decided not to do if we have a boy..."

Hahaha, yes, I guess we have officially made the decision to NOT circumcise.

You see, Josh didn't need to do much research.  He just had to know it was unnecessary, and if that is the case, why do it?

In My Opinion:

Instead of convincing ourselves why NOT to circumcise, maybe we should try to convince ourselves why we SHOULD!

RESEARCH

I have done a lot of research on this subject, and I would advise everyone to do their own.  I'm not posting all the data here.  Maybe I will in later posts.  This was a great article I stumbled upon today that I quoted above:

http://childbirthand.blogspot.com/2011/01/benefits-of-keeping-penis-intact.html

I know a lot of people will tell you to just watch a video of a circumcision and that will convince you to leave your son natural.  Well, I haven't and I don't plan to.  I am not about doing or not doing things out of FEAR.  And I'm sure videos can be biased.  There are sure to people who have had great circumcision experiences., and some with horrible ones.


Thanks for reading!

What's An Appointment Like w/A Midwife? (16 weeks)

Research is so neat!  I love to read all I can about things that interest me, and what interests me right now is my baby!  So while I love books (I've read many on the subject of birth, etc.) the internet is a wonderful resource.  Not only can I read facts about different types of births, I can read about other people's experiences and opinions!

There is a particular forum I belong to at babycenter.com where I get to see a lot of opinions.  Not all of them very educated (sorry to judge, but it's my blog and I can judge if I want to...yes I just sang that.)  I've noticed a lot of posts about women visiting their OBs and what it is like.  Often times women will post that they were scolded about their weight, or they are freaking out about something the OB said that they didn't understand.  Now, I have no doubt that there are some fabulous OBs out there.  These are just a small sampling of some women's experiences.

Before I was actually pregnant, I suspected that I was pregnant while I had an IUD in.  I decided to go to the OB to get it checked out.  It was a great appointment.  The woman was so nice.  I wasn't pregnant, but we decided to take my IUD out so that my boyfriend and I could start trying for a baby (he and I had discussed this previously.)  I left feeling great!

As soon as I got a positive pregnancy test I called up the same office to make an appointment with that nice lady, only to be informed she wasn't an OB.  Maybe it was my ignorance, maybe she introduced herself as a nurse and I missed it...but it didn't matter.  When I heard she wasn't an OB and was not the woman I would be seeing, I felt betrayed and lied to.  I made the appointment with another person who I had never met, but cancelled it shortly there after.

I think the expectations that are created within us throughout life of what pregnancy and doctors appointments are supposed to be like, may have something to do with us accepting circumstances without question.  I am so glad that something clicked in my brain to not accept the standard, to look outside the box...

I had no expectation of what it would be like to visit a midwife when I started out.  I just hoped it wouldn't be like a doctor's office or hospital where I never feel comfortable.  I thought it might be helpful to some women if I shared my experience from my visit last night which was my 16 week visit.  I may go back and chronicle some of my other visits as well.

I know this may not be the case for everyone, but this is...

What An Appointment With My Midwife is Like:::

Last night my appointment was at 6 PM.  We scheduled it later in the day so Josh's daughters could go with us and hear the baby's heartbeat.  My midwives work out of Cascade Birthing Center in Everett, WA.  Upon entry you find yourself in a living room type setting with a TV, comfy couches, arm chairs, and beautiful photography of babies and pregnancy.

There was no one at the front desk (everyone was busy with appointments) so we sat in this area and Josh's girls played with a bunch of toys that were in a box on the floor.  They spread out and soon the room was filled with giggles and laughs.

There is one primary midwife at this birthing center named Darlene.  But in order to have 24/7 coverage there are two others.  This week I met a different midwife named Jane for the first time.  When she came out to greet us she introduced herself and took us into one of the birthing rooms.  There are two birthing rooms at this facility.  Josh's daughters immediately commented about how it was like a nice hotel.

Suite 1

Suite 2

While the girls looked around with their dad, I got comfortable on the bed.  Jane sat there with me.  Here are some highlights of the things we talked about.  I'm not sure of the exact wording, but you can get an idea:

WEIGHT

Jane:  Have you been weighing yourself?

Me:  Yes, this morning I weighed in at 256.5 (Note, I started the pregnancy at 251)

Jane:  Great.

Me:  I'm surprised I haven't gained more weight.  

Jane:  You know, you may gain ten more pounds, you may gain 50 more pounds.  As long as the baby is growing and healthy it doesn't matter.

Um.....WHAT?!  This completely conflicts with the stories that I hear about women getting scolded by their OBs for gaining weight.  However, it totally jives with how I feel about my pregnancy.  I am just not overly concerned about gaining weight.  This was really nice and reassuring to hear.

ULTRASOUND

Jane:  Did you want me to have the place call you to schedule an Ultrasound or do you not want one?

Me:  I thought that we were required to have one around 20 weeks?

Jane:  You don't have to have one, no.  I think they are good for this reason......but you should do what is best for you.  

Me:  Can I talk about it with my boyfriend and get back to you?

Jane:  Absolutely, I'll go ahead and have them call you, but if you decide not to have one just let them know.  You can always have one later in the pregnancy, this is just a really good time during your pregnancy where you can see the entire baby in the picture.  If you wait until you are further along you might just get a big picture of your baby's bottom."

Okay, how can you not smile at that?  And I am so grateful that I was given an option, and that it is my/our choice.  After discussing it my boyfriend and I decided that we will get the ultrasound.  It may not be the crunchiest choice, but it is one of those things that I have looked forward to.  

HEARTBEAT

Jane proceeds to get out the doppler to hear the heartbeat.  She first shows Josh's daughters how it works by finding their heartbeats.  What fun! I won't script this part, but first she felt around my belly.  She told me my uterus was the size of a cantaloupe!  And the baby was the size of a coke can!  When she looked for the heartbeat the baby was moving and kicking a lot, and she explained all of this while she was doing it.  When she did find it we all listened for a while, and I'm rather proud of myself that I held back the tears for as long as I did.  When the tears did come, she said, "It's okay.  This is wonderful and emotional.  There is a life inside of you!"

SHOES

When I got off the bed, the most amazing thing happened.  Jane put my shoes on for me.  She said she understood how it probably wasn't comfortable for me to bend over at this point.  She was right!  I have been trying not to complain, but bending over doesn't feel good anymore!  She recommended I invest in some slip-on shoes soon.  

That was it.  It took about 30 minutes and then we made my next appointment with the midwife.  I was with Jane the midwife the entire time, no nurses.  She made my appointment with me.  There was no waiting alone in an overly bright sterile room.  There was no lofty language that I didn't understand (I even told her that I had been having Vagina Lightning and she knew exactly what I was talking about...round ligament pain.)  

I am so thankful for my midwives in the birthing center.  Even if something were to happen later in pregnancy and I had to deliver the baby at a hospital, at least my pregnancy was spent in a comfortable setting with warm supportive women!

Thank you for reading.

For more information on Cascade Birth Center please see: http://cascadebirthcenter.com/