Yet Another Quest

As Dee and Becky prepared to receive their babies about a month ago, a lot of information on labor and birth has come my way. Inevitably, I have been intrigued by all that I have read and in the desire of doing whatever is on my power to make each birthing experience better than the last, my next quest has emerged. I think there is always room for learning and I am willing to learn, especially on this matter.

When I was pregnant for Elena I read the book Supernatural Childbirth. I was very much encouraged and motivated to believe this for myself. The book, in a nutshell, speaks about ridding ourselves of preconceived notions of a painful, horrible birthing experience and embracing a renewal of our minds and the power of the Holy Spirit to deliver us from the discomforts of the experience. It quotes scripture to back up their belief and their declarations of faith. I embraced it with my whole heart and believed for a painless labor and smooth delivery. I had absolutely no question or doubt about God's ability (or desire) to make this happen for me, for us... especially because the book says that God will meet you at your level of faith and I knew, that I knew, that I knew that I believed in His power and loving plans for my life.

Long story short, after an eight hour transition and having to push a baby out at only 8 cm dilation the last thing I experienced was a "supernatural birth" as to the book´s suggested standards. I even felt hurt because the book claimed that you only experience pain when you give into fear and I knew that I hadn´t! Needless to say, I threw the book to the bottom of a dark drawer not to be thought of again. I figured God wouldn´t be so cruel as to lead me on to believe He could do this and He would if I only clung to the belief and my faith to then turn and tell me after all, I just didn´t have enough faith.

Upon facing Adriana´s birth I looked at the things I could do differently and went in with no other expectations than to deliver the baby. My standard was the +/- 18 hr labor I experienced and my thoughts were that if I had made it through so many hours of labor, 8 hours of intense and painful contractions every 3 minutes, the last 3 or so hours on pitocin and pushing out a baby while still on a soft enough 8 cm, I could face anything else. It helped that because Adriana was born in the Summer we didn´t fear being snowed in so we weren´t in any hurry to leave for the hospital. I labored mostly at home and made it to the hospital at about 4 p.m. By 7:00 p.m. I had a baby in my arms!

This time around I want to embrace my labor with a positive attitude and just learn a little bit more to make it more comfortable. I have come across all of this stories of women who not only claim to have absolutely no pain through the birthing experience but there even are those who laugh the whole way through, enjoying the experience for the joyous occasion it is supposed to be. Now, in exploring their beliefs, techniques, etc., some attribute it to their own overcoming of fears and personal "inner" strengths; some others acknowledge God's hand in it. Some people do it for faith, some others are just hippie/"earth" people who call it a "primal" event that happens by instinct and, if undisturbed, can happen on its own with no pain or discomfort.

Honestly, I don't want to stir any boiling pots. I don't mean to question anybody else's experience or put labels into such a sublime and joyful time. In my opinion with or without pain God has a beautiful purpose for it, even when we don't understand it. I have found interesting all that I've read... I'll share some of it, some of it I won't for I don't want to be behind anyone clicking on some pretty weird links I've found! Any input is welcome, as well as reading suggestions. Right now, after I finish reading my current book, I have lined up: Ina May's Guide to Childbirth... I'll let you know my thoughts.

Funnies

Adriana´s vocabulary is increasing rather quickly... sometimes it feels as though it goes faster than I can keep up with it. I can´t tell you how many times I find myself searching through context and trying to figure out what she is saying now. But then there are always the times when she catches me off guard and it takes a while before I really think through what she is trying to say. Like today, our lunch was tuna sandwiches. Adriana pulled the chair close to the counter so she could watch me, I was running a little behind, so was quite concentrated on the task at hand. I opened the cans and as I did she said something that I couldn´t quite decipher, so distractedly I just said: "U huhh" and nodded at her. It wasn´t until quite a while later that I realized this is what she kept saying: "Ohhh, Mami! Teetee´s pood!". Much later I translated it in my mind... my sweet girl thought we were having kitty´s food for lunch!!!

Ben usually plays with the girls before they go to bed. The games range from a variety of hide and seek, singing songs, telling stories, physical humor, wrestling them, whatever they are in the mood for. He is great at making them laugh and go to bed in a good mood. One of his latest games consists of his holding them so as to put them in their beds, except that he takes them to the dresser drawer and pretends to say good night only to later say something like "Oh, that´s not your bed!" as they laugh their little hearts out. One of the many weird places he "puts them down" is just holding them as high as he can get them, against a wall (maybe I´ll get a picture next time so it makes sense to you). Adriana is light enough that he can actually hold her over the door frame. Two nights ago, when I went to say good night to Elena she exclaimed: "Mami, I love getting high!", and when Ben and I chuckled at her comment she went on to say: "Really, Mami, I do... I love getting high!!"

Stroller Quest

So our hunt for the perfect stroller continues. Yesterday we went to a couple stores to check out what is there. Really it was mostly because we were looking for new sheets at Sears and just out of curiosity decided to walk through their baby section and found this Eddie Bauer stroller for a very reasonable price. They don´t really offer many more choices, so we didn´t want to jump on it before at least checking out a couple more styles. Especially because we´re not sure it takes any infant car seat and, though we may not need it for this baby, we don´t necessarily know what the future will hold, so we want to be wise about our buy.

At any rate, I must say I have had fun trying strollers out. We did find the coolest stroller ever! It is so much fun! You can adjust it to pretty much anything you want... children facing front, facing each other, facing you... it takes any infant car seat in the whole world and has a huge storage basket in the bottom. The down sides of it? Well, the price, for starters! And the tiny detail of folding up into a monster and weighing in at about 50 lb!!! You can picture attempting to "gate check" that thing!!! But it was fun playing with it!

Another one that keeps getting our attention, mostly because of the freedom of movement (which is a great plus for Adriana) is the Joovy sit´n´stand. It takes any car seat, it is reasonably priced (we did find it cheaper than the link), light and easy enough to fold and carry.

We still have quite a while before this baby comes but I would really like to have the stroller by the time Ben runs his marathon in September. I have already done one simple race without a belly and two little girls and it wasn´t very successful. Especially when they saw Ben and quite excitedly decided to try and run with him... we got a few yells when they were blocking other runners on their way in! And knowing my tiny little girl, I probably want her used to the stroller so we don´t try to break it in right then and there! Oh well... thanks for bearing with me... it helps me process, though I know it must not be very interesting to read!

Projects

It's been a while since her idea inspired me to do something similar. I couldn't find the material I was looking for (in my own home!) but today, in a struck of genius (it was really pure luck!), I found exactly what I wanted.

I moved a few things around the living room walls and I am proud to say I have no more bare walls in it (much to the point of risking it now looking crowded!!! Oh well!). The end result:

(Bear with me, I am trying to give you a 360o view of the room)

Skip to the opposite wall, and continue panning:

Now, the top picture we've had for almost a year. The bottom picture we just got today in one of those promotions at the mall where they give you a free 8x10. We were very good and kept only the free picture (though you know how it is... you love absolutely all of them!) plus, we stopped at the Christmas Tree Shop to buy frames! In this home, that is extremely successful!!!

Adriana

Wear and Tear

In many ways I still feel like a newly-wed. All of our "new" stuff we got at the wedding still qualifies as new in my mind. So it came as a big surprise when after a couple days of using our Spring/Summer sheets on our bed I found a gaping tear on the fitted sheet! How in the world? These are new!!! I thought. But upon deeper thought and a more objective look around my little house I realized... ohh! We've been using these things for almost five years now! Nothing stays new forever, of course, I just guess I wasn't ready for the sudden realization. No wonder our shower curtain in the bathroom downstairs looks dull... and the matching rug, regardless of how many times I wash it, it still looks stained and dirty! duh! Of course, that's why our towels don't feel as soft anymore! I guess our list of things to buy for around the house just got bigger...

On an interesting/funny/silly/I-don't-even-know-how-to-qualify-this note... For a couple times already we've looked into the requirements for my citizenship. Mostly we've stopped the process because though we consider it important, it still hadn't made #1 in our priority list. We had other things like closing costs on the house, house taxes and such to take care of before we could look into that process. As time goes by and we manage to control more and more of our finances, "naturalization" has been going up on the list and so I decided to download the first form and fill it out promptly. One of the items to list is the exact amount of days I have spent traveling outside the United States, so I pulled out my passport and began the counting.

All this time we have celebrated our US wedding on November 25th. Well, when I looked at my passport, it didn't make any sense at all. My passport has a stamp that puts me entering the country on November 25th!!! I called Ben at the office and asked him... "Honey, when did we get married here in the US?" "November 25th" was his confident reply. Ladies and gentlemen, both of us have had the wrong date all along!!!

I went to check our marriage certificate... We actually got married on November 30th! Go figure! I guess having three marriage dates can mess up your mind just a bit!

Quick pic update

The bump

Sweet sisters

Smiling upon request! Both of them! Unbelievable!

Do I trust Him?

Once again, our church is sending out a team on a short missions trip to Mexico. Last time we couldn´t go because Adriana was due that same month. We stayed home, worked the home front while everyone else was gone and longed for the next opportunity where we could go out in the field. We knew the next trip would be for us! There wasn´t even a question of whether we´d go or not, it had been decided... until we found out the dates: November 01 - 10!!

What are the odds? Of course, this little one is due in November. My traveling is completely out of the question although I´m not due until the 22nd and my babies don´t like to be told when to come so they like to take their time. There is just no possible way and airline would let me board while 8 months pregnant for an international flight, of all things!

As the days have passed and preparations began Ben really felt he needed to at least consider going on this trip. He asked me to pray about it and we'd visit it again in a few days to see how we felt. Mind you, I did not want to pray about it because I knew it would be a challenge to my faith and I knew what my answer should be. The more I prayed the more I felt the Lord challenging me to release my husband and depend upon Him alone. He is not going to do anything that will harm me or my children and since He is the only one who really knows when this baby is coming, He'd be the best to trust. Now, who can argue with Him? Within a couple hours of praying (let alone days) I knew what my answer needed to be, I knew I had to release my husband.

I informed Ben about it right away and he still was gracious enough to take a few days before making a final decision. He does want my mom to be here when he leaves (no complains here!), so I'm not all by myself. I am a thinker so I have thought constantly about my decision and all its possible implications. What can I say, I am a thinker and a planner... so my mind has been racing with things like Thanksgiving dinner, Christmas shopping, Christmas cards, and there has been a train of thought somewhat like this going on in my mind:

"**It wouldn't hurt to have an emergency plan in place. Would it?

**I am trusting the Lord that He won't let Ben miss the birth of this baby but I am not God and I don't know if His plans are different than mine... would setting up an emergency plan be lack of faith? hmmm... let me think...

**I've rested assured by the fact that I now have Mom and Dad next door

**Dan and Maria are also upstairs...

**A couple of miles away I have Dee and another couple of miles in the opposite direction I have Maureen... yeah, I'll be ok... I could have Dan and Maria come watch the girls while Mom drives my mom and myself to the hospital... however...

**Mom and Dad will be in Texas for Andrea's baby's arrival... there's no knowing when they'll be back.

**Dan and Maria... will be in Mexico with the rest of the team.

**Okay, then... let's see... Maybe Dee and Maureen... one could drive and the other one could stay with the girls... hmm... Dee has a husband who works evenings so she can't just leave at the drop of a hat, come to think of it, Maureen may not be able to leave so easily either since both Dee's oldest children and Maureen's oldest son are planning on being a part of that missions team... they wouldn't necessarily be able to arrange care for their own children at a moment's notice!

**Okay, who else... Colleen! She is a bit further than anyone else, she could definitely come rescue us... wait a minute... isn't she also planning on going on this trip! hmm... I'm sure we'll be able to line someone up!"

Now, I actually find it quite humorous... it would be God and Him alone to know how to really make this decision be a challenge of faith for me! Every possible security I could give myself He is making sure is not there... I guess He really wants me to trust in Him alone!

They're here!

The babies we expected these past few weeks (locally) are both here. Both girls, beautiful and healthy.

Meet them (in order of appearance) in their corresponding sites:

Riley Johanna Miner

and our newest niece: Bella Pearl Moore


My phone will finally spend the night downstairs and now we are left to wait for those upcoming babies in the next few months and further away from us!

The miracle of life! What can I say, it's amazingly breathtaking, life consuming and absolutely wonderful! What an amazing God we have!

Looong

Days and weeks have been feeling so long since I've been suffering allergies. I don't think I normally have them unless I am pregnant. So I've dragged through the last few days trying to stay ahead to avoid congestion in between living life. In between drinking jugs of lemon water, breathing in steam, staying away from dairy, and using plenty of saline spray we have:

:: Waited with them and then celebrated the arrival of their new baby

:: Waited with them for the arrival of theirs (still waiting)

:: Visited with them

:: Had numerous phone conversations with Guatemala. It is so funny how my life here seems to be unaltered yet I am still a part of things down there of the phone... it is kind of crazy!

...and so many other things that I can't really take the time to write down. In spite of all my efforts, I did start feeling the familiar symptoms of sinusitis. This time, instead of going for antibiotics as I had to do when pregnant with Adriana, my doctor figured we should try to go for the root of the problem: the allergies. So after my first take of the antihistamine I am feeling much better, I've stopped the sneezing and nose running and eyes watering and it seems as though I am now left to deal with the remaining congestion. Hopefully that will be all it takes.

As for today, it will feel exceptionally long as Ben will be away for the day. I am homebound, the weather is so hot and my options are limited. I have no car and our road is not safe for walking with little girls. Their summer pool hasn't been set up yet (I actually don't think I even know where Ben stored it for the winter!) and this house doesn't have a hose hookup outside so keeping little girls busy today will be quite interesting!