Baby Boy Is Here And He Came Facing Up

Hi friends,

Daddy Rainmaker is waiting in the car with our bundle of joy while I type a quick post here at the library. Ha, Ha. I have to laugh at that because I didnt know how else to do it without bringing in the baby or we cant keep him at home while I write because Im breastfeeding...

Anyway...All went well. After I typed my last post Wednesday night, the contractions started becoming more intense and regular around 11:00 p.m. Then, when I couldnt stand it anymore, we went to the hospital around midnight.

By the time I got there I was dilated to five and fully effaced. I decided to take some fetanol (Im not sure I have the spelling right) which takes the edge off the contractions. I started with half a dose and then took the other half as things got more intense. Im glad I did because I noticed that I was having some back labor, too, which is indicative of a baby facing the wrong way (sunny side up).

Well, I usually start pushing when I hit eight centimeters. And if baby is facing the right way, the pushing is the easy part. Well, the pushing was not easy. She kept telling me to push harder and harder and she said it with a certain urgency. So, I did the best I could, but I looked at her face and realized that this baby may not be facing the right way. So, into my second round of pushing when the next contraction came...she said push twice as hard as the last one...and then they put the oxygen mask on me because the babys heart rate had dropped. But I pushed again and he came out. Altogether I pushed a total of five minutes to get a sunny side up baby out, which to me is quite miraculous. Baby #4 took 90 minutes to push out because of him facing the wrong way.

I can only imagine that the reason the pushing part went so smoothly, all things considered, was because he wasnt as big as the other babies, I had some pain medication along the way, and perhaps because Im in shape. After the birth, one of the gals who attended the labor said something about me pushing like a rock star? Ha, I think that was a compliment.

Our son weighed 6 pounds 4.4 ounces at birth and is 20 1/2 inches long. He weighs about a pound less on average than our other babies. I asked the doctor if he weighs less because I gained less weight in this pregnancy and they said they didnt think so.

We had an appointment this morning, and already he weighs 6 pounds 6.8 ounces. So, hes gaining weight. And he eats all the time.

Other than being a slender little guy, he is in perfect health, thank God! Hes beautiful. His face didnt get bruised at all from coming out the wrong way, which will sometimes happen.

I have been taking pictures and expect to have my home computer issues resolved by the end of this week if not sooner so that I can post some pictures of the baby.

But I wanted to thank you for keeping an eye on me and the baby and I appreciate all of your words of encouragement.

Everything is going well at home with the new baby. It feels a little strange to not be pregnant after being pregnant for so long. My body is still recovering, and I nap often to try and keep up on my sleep.

Im not sure if Ill be able to post again until my I get my computer at home up and working. But hopefully that will be by Friday.

Oh, so he was born on Thursday, November 4 at 2:50 a.m.

Sincerely,
Sunshine Mama

Read More..

Baby Has Moved!!!

Hello and Happy Easter!

Im at my parents and they have Internet so, Id thought Id share some good news.

I visited the midwife on Friday and she said the baby has moved from being in a breach position to a head down position and and head facing backward position, which is the perfect position. She told me a few movements to do to keep the baby in the right position until labor. I am feeling very relieved. I will now be meeting with a midwife every week until the baby comes. I have officially four weeks until Im due on Sunday, May 6.

Thank you for your comments and encouragement. I will try to post again after my appointment this Friday to keep you updated.

I will add that Im beginning to swing into "operation baby preparation" mode. I actually enjoy it.

Talk later!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

Read More..

And The baby Is A

Hi friends!

Ok, since I have more than five minutes here at the library, I will share the ultra sound story.

We invited my parents to come to the ultrasound along with all of our children being there as well. I wasnt sure if my mom had ever seen an ultra sound and I knew she would probably enjoy it. (Both of them liked it a lot)

When we arrived there and they called me back to the room, we were quite the troupe of people heading to the small ultra sound room...four adults and six children.. The lady mentioned that only two or three people are usually allowed. I wondered where it said that and she said it says that online. I explained that we had brought all the kids last time to the ultra sound and was never told not to. Plus, nothing was ever explained to me at my last appointment about any rules on the number of people. But everything went fine as everyone stayed quiet for the most part.

Now...I should explain that after having three straight boys...all the kids wanted a girl. But I think all of the adults, myself, my husband and my dad were thinking it was probably going to be a boy even though we were hoping for a girl. Right before going into the room, my mom decided to guess a girl. As the ultra sound went along, the baby looked healthy.

Then, the technician switched over to 3-D with new equipment that they did not have last year. So, we were able to actually see the babys face. At one point, our ever optimistic Iris Anna, 7, says, "She looks like a girl!"

Meanwhile, I thought I had seen something that indicated a boy. So did my dad. So, my dad, my husband and I were expecting a boy.

Then like a miracle from heaven she types in....GIRL !!!!!

I was shocked. I felt like crying. "Are you sure?!", I said, "because I thought I saw a little something."

So she takes me to that area and explains what Im seeing. Still I asked for more reassurance. And she said that with this new 3-D machine there is no doubt what "she" is.

I just felt so overwhelmed with happiness and joy. We all are, and cant believe how God has blessed our family.

We are still walking around the house amazed at this little sister, daughter that is on her way in May.

As of right now we are not sharing the name with the kids and family to keep it as a surprise. But I am looking forward to shopping for little girl clothes since I gave away all little baby girl clothes a few years ago.

Right now I am about 20 weeks along and have gained about 20 pounds. I would like to slow that down as I am feeling a little winded walking up stairs and such. But altogether I am feeling energetic and focused on the all that needs to be done before our little girl arrives.

Thank you for reading!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

Read More..

Happy Thursday!! Our Baby Is Two Weeks Old

Hello!

What better way to end the work week than a picture of a cute pair of tootsies?

You all know how I loves toes?

I weighed him today on our scale... you know since this is a weight loss blog...

But he was so little, he didnt register.

So, with a big sigh...I stepped on with him...

and then again without him...

Oh, what did I weigh you ask?

Nice try.

But according to my scale, our baby weighed a whopping seven pounds even.

Thats up 6/10 a pound from his birth weight of 6.44.

So, dont let this thumb sucking picture fool you.

Hes been getting milk a-plenty from me.

And as far as my diet goes, I gained back a pound this morning.

*sigh*

It was probably my husbands chips that I had last night.

Did I mention that I will often have several false starts before a diet sticks?

Hence my favorite mantra, "If at first you dont succeed...try, try, try, try... and try again."

One last day of the work week, folks!!

We can do it.

Oh, did you all read my husbands comment from yesterdays post?

Isnt he the best?

Have a good one!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

Read More..

Happy Thursday And A Story Of An Unhappy Baby

Hello everyone, is it Thursday already?

So, Mr. Lovely is eight weeks old today and he weighed 11.6 pounds which is 2/10 more than last week. So, basically he stayed the same weight.

But the story starts with preparing for the photo shoot with Mr. Lovely by first taking a few snapshots of his bigger two-year-old brother, Stavesacre.

See, isnt he cute?

And I am always fighting to keep that beautiful mug of his clean.

But, no matter, he and his car make a great picture.

What with those beautiful curls...
Now...lets welcome Mr. Lovely to the scene...

Who is not looking so lovely with that big frown of his.

I swear the second I put him down...nothing would stop him from crying...

Last week...it was he was sleepy...

This week... he wouldnt stop crying.

So, his bigger brother, Stavesacre tried consoling him by patting him on the arm.

But it just didnt work...

He was inconsolable.

So, then Stavesacre introduced his red car.

Maybe that would help.

No, I think it made him cry harder.

I even wrapped him in his blue blanket that his great aunt made for him.

But that seemed to make him cry harder still.

Then, wait!

Whats this?!?

Why did he stop crying?

Was it the car on his head?

Nope!

Back to crying we go.

Hearing her brothers cries from afar...

Six year-old Iris Anna makes her entrance

And tries to calm him down...

"Its ok, its Ok... dont cry!"

Accompanied with the comforting hand (upper left-hand corner) of her four-year-old brother, Peach Blossom, who has also come to the aid of his little brother.

The sudden attention by his siblings may have just done the trick.

Hes no longer crying.

Wait.

I spoke too fast.

Time to bring out the big guns...

How about a little holding...singing...

See, hes stopped crying.

Add in with that the getting-him-to-look-at-your-finger-as-you-move-it-around-in-front-of-him-maneuver.

Where did she come up with that idea?

I dont think she got it from me.

Hmm....must be a girl thing.

This ability to calm a crying baby.

Well, at least the car tastes good.

-----------------------------------------------------------

Hi folks! Hope you enjoyed seeing Mr. Lovely again.

Maybe next week I can get him smiling.

I have some really, really, really good news for you all.

Ready for it?

Its official:

I CAN NOT STAND MYSELF ANY LONGER!

I started cleaning up my diet today.

But even better is I have been hitting the gym.

Today was the third day this week.

Ive been doing my sit-ups, push-ups and this week have started running as well.

Ive ran three times this week and may still run tomorrow or Saturday.

Ive designated this coming Monday as the official start of my diet.
Next week also marks the beginning of working out five days a week instead of three.
Next week is also when I will cut out all sugar and flour and processed foods.

Why is it good news that I cant stand myself?

Because Ive gotten to the point where I feel aweful enough about how I look and feel to finally stick to a committment.

Also, I have set a fitness goal that requires some fat loss.

Will I lose 20 pounds in 10 weeks?

I sure hope so.

I hope you all have a Happy New Year!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

Read More..

Midwife Says Baby Is Dropping

Hello everyone!

Its been a long, productive day and I am ready for bed.

I wanted to update you all on my visit with the midwife this morning. This is the second time that Ive met with her. Last week was my first time with her and I really liked talking to her.

If you recall, last week she felt the babys head and said that his head felt like he still had plenty of room. I also measured 36 centimeters last week.

Well, this week, I measured 36 centimeters still and his head does not have as much room because...he is dropping lower into my cervix. That is also why my measurements stayed the same. That also explains why I feel like I have been visiting the bathroom more often, because the baby is putting more pressure on my bladder. That could also explain why I feel like my appetite has increased slightly...less pressure on my stomach.

So, I said to my midwife, "Does this mean I should start drinking that raspberry leaf tea?"

And she said, "yes."

I really like this midwife. She is working on October 29th and the 31st. It would be fun if she could help deliver my baby.

Fun.

I make it sound like a tea party. Ha, Ha!!

Lindsey had me thinking the other day when she commented that I looked like I had a basketball in my shirt. And I thought..."well, do you know how big a basketball is?"

The hard part is getting the "basketball" out of my shirt.

I have been having thoughts about the oncoming labor, but it is mixed with excitement about seeing our baby boy and a little trepidation of the forthcoming pain. The last labor came on rather quickly and lasted only a few hours. However, the one before him, was very painful because he came out facing up and theyre suppose to face down. When they face up, all the angles are off and it causes intense, constant pain.

So, lets just say Ill be praying for this boy to be facing the right direction. And, well, for everything to go smoothly. Whats unique about birthing babies...is that one can never really predict how it will go because they are all different. But there are some techniques that I have discovered along the way that actually help to make labor a little easier.

Generally, I try to get through all my labors without the assistance of any drugs. So, that is what I will be aiming for in this labor. I also have my husband praying during each contraction.

Maybe if youre interested, I can talk a little more about labor. Like if you have questions...but I really try to avoid drugs.

Other than that I rode my bike to the gym tonight for a leg work-out. My husband had taken the kids out shopping to get little gifts for me for my birthday on Thursday, so I rode my bike.

Their concern for my safety was endearing. My husband hovered over my bike checking the tires and deciding they needed more air, so he pumped them up. My 15-year-old daughter gave me a little lecture on how I should make sure I bike "very carefully" and that she didnt feel comfortable with me biking.

But, honestly, it was a balmy evening with the temperatures still hitting the 70-80s today and my bike ride was pleasant. I wasnt wobbling or anything. I had a good leg work-out too.

Well, were almost half way through the week folks.

Hang in there!

Sincerely,
Sunshine Mama

Read More..

Baby Is Currently Breech

Hello friends!

Just a quick little post. Ive been busy on the home front. Ive felt a lot better these last two weeks since Ive been eating healthier. Whats interesting is because the baby is pushing on my belly, I get full so quickly. But that always happens toward the end. Ive been trying to get in 6 to 8 glasses of water a day. I actually get thirsty if it goes too long since Ive had something to drink. Im completely off caffeine, so that when baby comes, my caffeinated breast milk wont keep her up.

During my last check-up, the midwife said that the babys head had moved so that she is laying transversal. So, instead of the head being down towards my pelvis, she is laying horizontally. At least her head isnt under my chest. But in a few weeks if she doesnt turn they may try to turn her manually from the outside. The way that she is facing now she could be born breech, which they dont do anymore. My interpretation of that is they may want to do a C-section, which Ive never had and would prefer to avoid.

Whats interesting about her change in position is that usually this far along there isnt suppose to be a whole lot of room for them to be moving around. But because of having multiple children, the midwife said my uterus my be more stretched out which would allow her more room to move around. Nice.

So I have five weeks left. If at three weeks to go, she hasnt moved her head down, then they will try to move her. They told me that the procedure shouldnt hurt.

Anyway, my next appointment is April 6th and well see how shes sitting.

In the meantime, about three days ago, I started getting nice little mini-contractions that may last up to 30 to 40 seconds. I think they call them the Braxton-Hicks. But theyve only happened about two to three times a day. But they will happen now up until the baby is born.

Well, hopefully I can update sooner than the last time I did.

Hope youre all doing well!

Sincerely,

Sunshine Mama

Read More..