Why I'm Choosing: Natural Birth

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Many a family and friends have questioned our birthing choice and location, and I get it.  It's unusual.  It took me a while to warm up to it myself.  It took me a while to realize that the reason that I, myself, was hesitant at first of natural childbirth was because of the fear that our culture embeds in us early on.

Before I go too much further, I'd like say that I am not judging anyone else for their choice of birth - because it's their own choice.  We all need to do what we are comfortable with and what we each see as the best for our family, situation and comfort level. 

That said, I do feel like not everyone knows that there are other options or research other options for birth.  We as a culture tend to go with the norm, do what everyone else does, and not venture off as the oddball out.  I struggled with this a lot as we first found out we were pregnant and I was trying to decide hospital or birthing center?  Natural or epidural???  I had fears.  I heard scary birth stories.  Birth was a frightening thing, right?  Including tremendous pain and suffering?  And so many things could go wrong, and what if I needed an emergency cesarean??  I had friends very sarcastically tell me "good luck" when I finally did decide that yes, I wanted to do natural and I wanted to go to a Birth Center instead of the hospital.

But....Birth is natural right?  Women were created to be able to do this?  People all over the world do this in their own homes, and people before the 1950's did this in their homes all the time.  It seemed to me that my body should intuitively know what to do because this was one of the tasks that God created it for.  Right?  So, this was our choice: Bella Vie Gentle Birth Center.  Bella Vie is equipped with Professional and Certified Nurse Midwives.  The main (far ends of the spectrum) difference of a Midwife and OB is that the Midwife believes birth is natural and should have as little intervention as possible but they are prepared to deal with a situation should one arise, and the OB believes in intervention as soon as possible and views birth as if it were an illness to be treated.

I'm not choosing natural birth because I'm just a hippie,  I'm not choosing it because I'm a masochist who loves pain and I know I "won't win a medal at the end of the day" for doing this natural.   (I mean, I might make Skyler make me a really cool trophy or something saying I'm an awesome mom and wife. *wink*) Those aren't the reasons I am choosing natural.  I am choosing it for several reasons; for me, for baby, and for Skyler.  These are some of my reasons for natural, midwives and birthing center:

• They don't rush you to have your baby.  They are patient and let birth happen naturally on its own time, without trying to hurry things up.  They don't have an "end of shift" that they need to make sure you have this baby by.  They take turns taking naps if the labor goes long and over night.  They are there with you until the end.
• They have a birthing ball and stool, whirlpool tub and encourage you to NOT be laying down on your back in bed while laboring (more on this later.).
• They let you eat and drink as you desire while you labor.
• The birthing suites are calming and relaxing rooms: birthing spa's.  They enable you to feel more relaxed with the "at home" setting, verses the bright lights, medical equipment and busy nurses hustling and bustling around, coming in and out to check and monitor you.  A relaxed mom labors quicker than a tense, distracted mom.
• You sit in the waiting room for 5 minutes and then meet with them for an hour+ each appointment, instead of sitting in the waiting room for an hour and meeting with the doctor for 5 minutes. 
• You develop a great relationship with your midwives because you spend so much time together and you develop a great trust with them.  You know the people who will be at your birth; they're like friends.  You're a name, face and friend to them, not just a medical chart.
• I want my baby to come out wide, bright eyed, and not half drugged from an epidural.

Again, these are some of the reasons I am choosing what I am, verses the hospital and OB/GYN, because of my research and findings and my experiences so far.   I'm not putting all hospitals and Dr's in a box and saying they are all this way or that way and no doctor is as good as a midwife.  I'm just saying they generally have some different opinions and views on birth, so it's important ask both of them questions to see what they believe.  Interview your doctor/midwife like people used to do more of, to see if they are a good fit for you.  Then, choose what is right for you and coincides with your belief's and values about birth.

I will say that I do not believe doctors know everything.  They don't even sort of know everything.  They are well educated and know much.  They know far more than a random person off of the street.  But after learning some of what I have learned, I have sometimes been shocked and think, "wow, do the doctor's not know this?!"

For example, back birthing.  (Told you I'd get back to it!).  All of your pregnancy, what are you told? Don't sleep on your back, don't lay on your back!!!  You show up to the labor and delivery room and what do they tell you?  Ok, get on the bed on your back! .... huh?  I mean....you're still pregnant while you're in labor, right?  And laying on your back cuts off flow of blood and nutrients to your baby....right?  Not only that, but laying on your back closes your pelvis 25-30% which slows down your labor progress.   And isn't it hospitals that are always so rushed to have your baby and quick to tell you that you are failing to progress in your labor??  Bottom line, if you're laboring on your back, you're not letting gravity help you, you're cutting off blood to the baby, and you're most likely making labor more painful and extended since the baby has to travel sideways, instead of letting gravity bring it down the birthing canal. 

I could go on forever, but I'll save it for now.  :)  My point is: challenge our culture and ask why we do things they way we do.  Do research; don't go blindly into your labor and birth just because the doctors know what they're doing and will tell you what they want you to do.   Question why we do things and do some research yourself.   Question why we are the only mammals that need to go to a hospital, lay in a bed with our feet in stir-ups, be strapped to a monitor and have IV's for birth, when every other mammal just seems to know what they are doing and do it well. 

Again, I know there are definitely reasons for birthing in a hospital and that births don't always go as planned.  I know that if for some reason I end up in the hospital for the birth of Baby E, that I'm there because I need to be because something isn't going quite right.  And I will be thankful for the doctors and high technology equipment.  I will be thankful for a healthy baby and healthy me in the end, no matter which way it happens.

Thanks for taking the time to read my blog.  My thoughts and questions.  I appreciate you, my friends, and I really truly hope I didn't offend anyone or make anyone feel like they were wrong in how they birthed or will birth.  It's a personal choice which you are completely and totally entitled to.  This is just my choice. :)

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Love, K

Third Trimester....Here we go!

Dear Baby E,

I seriously cannot believe tonight is my last night in the second trimester, and tomorrow we start the third!!  Did you know that there is no such thing as a fourth trimester!? It's three and then we're done....I can barely wrap my mind around it.  28 Weeks.

Your momma has seriously been bad at not taking pictures lately!!  I'm definitely going to blame that on the fact that my photographer (and your daddy) has been SO busy with school lately, that it's been hard to remember to take a picture of us and I feel so bad to interrupt his homework.  You'll soon see just how hard of a worker your daddy is.  I am so proud of him, and I know you will be too.  He works very hard to provide for our little family, doing 16 credits at school and also working 30 hours a week.  I feel so badly that he works so hard and I do this:

Daddy reassures me that he likes me taking naps and resting.  I really haven't felt like I needed to since about week 11 or 12 , until this last week.  Last week I took three very long naps.  I could definitely feel myself coming to a close on the second trimester and making my way to the third.  I kept hearing that second trimester would be the most energy and then third would be exhausting again.  I definitely still am not as exhausted as I had been first trimester, but I also definitely don't fight taking naps as much as I did a few weeks ago. :)

(P.S.  I think Kitty FINALLY might be understanding that you are in my tummy.  I am sure you are well aware of all the times she jumps into bed and lands right on you...well, when I settled down for the nap pictured above (which daddy took because he thought we were so precious sleeping) Kitty insisted on curling up right on top of you.  I took it as more of a loving gesture, almost like she was trying to help me keep you warm so you'll hatch soon!  It was very adorable.)

Well, here we are at ... 24 weeks I think.

And here's the most recent at 27 weeks! 

We've been working hard at your room still!  It's coming together nicely, which I am very excited about.  I worked really hard while I had a ton of energy, so that now as it's dissipating again, I only have a few fun craft things to do. :)  Daddy helped me hang curtains that I made yesterday, and he sanded and painted a rocking chair so that I can wake up at 3 am with you and nurse you back to sleep! ... I can't wait.... ;)

Daddy and I also started taking a birthing class called the Bradley Method or Husband-Coached Childbirth.  So far it's been really awesome and empowering!  Childbirth is natural and I was designed for this!  We're working hard now to train for our "marathon" so that the birthing process is as easy as we can make it.  I am so excited about giving birth at Bella Vie.  I know it will be painful - it is called labor, afterall.  But at the same time, I can't wait.  Painful as it will be, you are already totally worth it and I want to give you the best start that I can...That being drug-free and natural.  I know that births don't always go as planned and if for some reason I end up at the hospital, I still know that you in my arms will be the end result, which is all I really want. 

Thank you for letting me sleep this week!  Your "grandma" Candy prayed for you this week and asked that you would be peaceful and rest when mommy rests...and so far so good!  I haven't woken up early at all this week!  So, thank you, thank you, little monkey.   :)

And on that note, we are going to bed now, ok?  Love you little one, and I promise I will try to be better at taking pictures of our growth in the next weeks to come!

Much Love,
Your Momma K

Chocolate Cherry Torte

Chocolate Cherry Torte...An Anderson Special. :)  Us Anderson's love it.  My awesome baker/chef (by hobby) father in law found this recipe in the newspaper one time and the whole family just loves it.

See?

This was at my little bro-in-law's birthday two years ago.  Chocolate Cherry Torte.

I'm zoned in on the torte.  All I can think of is how amazing it will taste in just a few moments... :)

And see?

Skyler made it for me one night, back when we were dating.  This was the first dessert he ever made for me and OH YUM.  He won my heart that night. ;)

And so:  I decided to share this Anderson gem with the Miller clan last night.  I made my very first Chocolate Cherry Torte.

Just in case I made anyone crave chocolate just now, here's the recipe. :)

Chocolate Cherry Torte

Ingredients:

1/2 cup butter, melted

1 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 eggs

1/2 cup flour

1/3 cup unsweetened cocoa

1/4 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees

2. Grease the bottom of a 9" springform pan

3. Stir together butter, sugar & vanilla

4. Add eggs and beat well

5. Stir together flour, cocoa, baking powder & salt; 

gradually add to the egg mixture, beating until blended

6. Spread into pan

7. Bake for 25-30 min

8. Remove from pan & cool completely before adding cream cheese layer

Cream Cheese:

8. Beat one package (8 oz) of room temperature cream cheese 

and 1 cup powdered sugar until well blended

9. Gradually fold in 1 cup of previously frozen whipped topping (thawed) until well blended

10. Spread over cooled torte

11. Spread 1 can of cherry pie filling over cream cheese

12.  Cool in refrigerator until served

Enjoy :)

On a completely unrelated note,  Scooter has discovered a new uber comfortable way to relax on the couch.  See?

Now, can someone please explain to her that this is TOTALLY un-ladylike??  I've tried.

Hope you all are having a wonderful weekend!!

Love, K

My Sewing Bench Seat.

Hello friends. :)

Last night I finally finished (almost) a project that I had been meaning to finish since I bought it back in like....June? May, even?

I showed you my sewing table that I got off Craigslist in my last post.  It's a very little table (actually was a child's desk) but it works well for me for sewing.  It didn't have a chair or anything that came with it, so I always had to use my desk chair when I sewed.  Back in...you know, before summer or whenever it was, I was strolling through the UGM Thrift Store here.  I had just decided to pop in because I'd never been there before, and it happened to be a 50% off everything day!  I love those days. :)  As I strolled, I came across this...well, to be honest: very, very sad little bench seat.  It looked absolutely awful, old and disgusting.  But I liked it.  I took it up to the counter to ask how much, because there wasn't any sticker on it.  The man takes a look at it and goes, "Woah! This looks like it went through a fire!  Or two!" ...  Yeah, I told you it was ugly.  He told me $5.00, which would make it $2.50 with the 1/2 off.  I told it him "sold!", bought it and loaded it in my car.

When I brought it home, I almost thought to hide it from Skyler until I gave it a make-over, because I was a little afraid of his reaction.  I knew I'd have to convince him of its inner beauty. :)  Surprisingly, he went "good job, babe!".  Which, I took to mean that he finally understands my crazy brain and how it works, and that I am allowed to continue to make purchases of really ugly items!!  He understands that just because I buy something, it doesn't necessarily mean I like it in it's current state.

I took it down to my parents house sometime in the summer so that I could strip the wood and repaint it.  Yes, it needed to be stripped because something funky happened with the paint or stain (I couldn't even tell what it was) that was currently on it.  It was giraffe print by accident.  If I just painted over it, you would have been able to tell the uneven texture still. (uh huh...yes, it had a texture to the paint/stain...).  I told my dad about my project and pulled it out of my car.  My dad took one look at it and goes, "yeah, this needs help.  This needs to be completely pulled apart and then put back together again!" and with a few tap, tap, taps, my bench seat was in like 20 pieces before I could even say, "Dad, wait! I haven't taken a before picture!"  So, here's your before pictures of all the pieces:

Before:

 

Close up!

The seat part:

Now, use your imagination and put them all together to make one ugly little bench. :)

Oh and as I started ripping off the old fabric, I found an even lovelier one underneath...*GAG*

This thing was SO dusty and disgusting.  I felt like I needed a gas mask just to remove the old fabric(s) and batting! Sooo sick.  I can't believe someone just covered right over that with more fabric instead of taking it off!

Anyway, I'm very glad actually that it took me so long to recover the seat, because I would've just chosen a random pattern or something that I liked, but with my sewing table in Baby E's room, I wanted it to somewhat coordinate and not stand out.  Plus, I hate rooms with tons of mismatched patterns.  So I chose just a nice plain green color that matches the walls in E's room.

I stripped the wood, I had dad put it all back together (what?! He pulled it all apart!), and I recovered the seat.  Now all that's left is actually screwing the seat back onto the legs. 

And here she is, all pretty and ready to go!

And tucked perfectly under my sewing desk!

It was craft night at the Anderson house last night! While I worked on this project, Skyler worked on a piece for his hand building pottery class.  Look at my cute, little, "hairy potter"!! (oh, that wasn't funny?? sorry! ;)

One more project checked off! Yessss.  Trying to get as much done before too much into my 3rd trimester, which, from what I hear, is when I will lose all my energy again... So, just in case, I'm working extra hard this trimester!  Only 1 more week until I'm 28 weeks and at that 3rd tri - SO crazy how fast this all has gone.  Though, while I'm sitting here and E is moving around like the hyper little child that he/she apparently is, I am thankful for the thought that I am almost 2/3rd's from meeting our precious one!

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Love, K

Painting Projects

Yes, I have been been painting, painting, painting for the last few weeks.  A nice new coat of paint makes everything look so much cleaner and newer!  Easy fix. :)


P.s. For those concerned: yes, I did look into it and found that using latex paint in a ventilated area is perfectly safe... :)

I have given a fresh coat of paint to all of these:

Storage shelf (used to be in our other bathroom), now for Baby E's room!

 

This baby armoire was once mine, long ago!  I used it in high school again also.  Then my niece and nephew both used it for their clothes.  Now it belongs to Baby E. :) New paint, plus new contact paper inside the drawers and new knobs (also a new matching knob for the cabinet above). 

 These new knobs replaced some...."vintage" brass flowery knobs... Not sad to see those go. :)  I was originally searching for little glass knobs, but after seeing the cheapest were $4 each and I needed 10 of them....I decided "no thanks, not in the budget right now"...Found these knobs for only $1 each at Craft Warehouse instead!  They also match the knob on my sewing table which is also in the baby room (except that knob is a Fleur d'lis, but same material).

 And a little peek at E's wardrobe...yes, I couldn't resist buying a few things already.  They're just SO cute!!! :)

My little sewing desk.  Scored for $20 off Craigslist several months ago.  Perfect little sewing place for me :) (Before new paint job:)

 

Yeah...pretty gross before.

After: (I know...you can't tell a diff in the pics...but seriously. Big difference!! haha)

Kitchen Chairs:

Before - scratched and dingy.........................................After - clean and new looking!!

Look how scratched they were!! Yikes! I had been meaning to paint them since I bought them a few years ago! These were another Craigslist score for $40 for 4 chairs. 

Candlesticks.  I felt like I stole these from a garage sale this summer....$2 for all three of them! They are BIG and tall!  I love them.  Before:

After: (I didn't ever take a "real" after of them...)

And I've painted a few more things...a couple picture frames, a mirror, the "mantle"... and a few more things that were/still are projects...so I'll share those soon. :)

Don't you just love painting things?!?! I LOVE the new life it gives something!  

My dad would totally disagree though.  He loves stripping furniture of their paint and restoring their original wood back to all it's glory.  Especially Oak.  He would never ever paint Oak.  Now, I've stripped wood pieces some too and I do love real (not pressboard) and beautiful wood furniture pieces!  However, I have white all over my walls!  I don't want a couple of mis-matched wood pieces hanging.  So, when I decided to paint this mirror (dad had made it for my grandma when I was 3 years old and I received it a couple years back when my grandparents moved into a smaller house), it went from Oak to... white paint! *gasp*

This is how it hung in our old apartment.  This was fine, because it was above the wooden credenza and I felt it made it like a complete set, almost like a vanity?? If you use your imagination?? :)

Here's how it hangs after, in our new place:

I had to work up the nerve to tell dad I painted not only wood, but OAK wood, and not only that but Oak wood that he had made a frame out of!! EEk.  So I waited until I was down at my parents house one night and as I was leaving, I had hugged and kissed dad goodbye like I always do.  I opened my car door, said, "Oh and Dad, I painted that frame you made for grandma!", quickly slipped inside the car, shut the door, and mouthed "I love you!", blew him a kiss, and drove away... :) I'm SO brave.  

And that is my painting projects update...for now.  :) More later.  So glad the house and E's room are finally coming together! Yay for being settled!

Love, K

Discovering Why You're a Perfect Match #4

Lately I've been realizing how much Skyler helps to remind me of different perspectives or that two people can read into something in two totally different ways.  This is always refreshing to me...It's nice to be reminded that other people think of things in a different light than I do.  :)

Perfect example of his simple ways of reminding me that we are different people with different ideas:

It all started a few months ago when I noticed the waterbottle that my good friend Gemma carries around with her.  Since I am supposed to drink something ridiculous like 64 ounces of water (HA!), I figured carrying a waterbottle would maybe help increase my intake... I already had a Nalgene, which is great and all...but if you know me at all, you know I have issues with drinking things.  I choke SO easily.  I am not sure why, but I can choke on my own saliva and end up coughing for 15 minutes.  It's ridiculous, really.  Anyway, so this Nalgene has the standard HUGE opening and I choke on water ALL THE TIME when I drink out of it.  I've learned LONG ago that drinking from straws or drinking from old school waterbottles with the "sippy" top part are best for me....SO.  I really really wanted this waterbottle with a straw that Gemma had:

The other day, I was going to be heading up to REI and I told Skyler I wanted to get me a Camelbak waterbottle so I could drink out of a straw!  He stopped and just looked at me.  "Are you serious?"... "Um, yeah honey...I think it would help me to choke on water a lot less!"  He kept staring at me.  "You're seriously going to walk around the house and stores with it, drinking out of the straw?" ... "Yes honey...why is this so weird?".... The conversation went on like this for a little while before we realized that we were both thinking of two completely different things.  He was picturing this:

A Camelbak Bladder.... Not quite the same thing. ;)  This is why he was just staring at me for so long.  Trying to decide if I was serious or just pulling his leg.  And then he was a little freaked out when he realized I was serious, and he was picturing having to walk around stores with his wife like this:

I laughed and laughed when I pictured what he was picturing!! No wonder he looked at me like that! He was half mortified at the thought of having to walk down the street with his wife having a water bladder strapped to her back!! 

I love simple reminders like this of why we're paired together: to expand eachother's perspectives and always be reminders to each other that people have so many different ways of looking at even simple things in life. :) I love Skyler's ways of looking at things and am so glad that he has some different ideas and thoughts than I do.  Keeps me on my toes.  And brings me so much laughter. :)

Thank you, my dear, for your different perspectives.  And thank you for being my match!

Welcome to our Home! ... Second Edition ;)

(I showed our first home together here, if you missed it...) 

It's been a couple months of settling into our new little home.  A place I think we'll be for a few years probably.  At least a couple!  We are SO blessed to be here.  It really is awesome and we love it!  I shared a little about how we got into it here and some things I love about it here.  

And without further delay, welcome to our home. :)  

The side yard and Skyler's shop

 

The shop aka Skyler's man land :)

 

The little "garden" I transplanted from my apartment patio :)

 Backyard and shop

The cherry and fig trees! (I need some good fig recipes!)

The shed for our gardening tools and lawn mower (and a TON...literally...of pellets for our stove)

The back of the house

Ok, ready to see in?? Back to the front! This is what you see when you walk inside.  Living room:

 (Kitty's favorite place to snooze.)

 Down the hallway...This is Baby E's room! (What?! You thought I'd let you see that already?! ;)

 Looking down the hallway.  The door on the left is the bathroom.

Our teeny tiny, cooooozy bathroom. :)

 Back down the hallway to our bedroom!

The kitchen/dining room, through the living room:

And finally, the laundry room/pantry....I am SO glad to have one of these!!

And there you go.  Our new place we are lovin' calling home!! 

Come join us for dinner soon? ;)

Love, K