Little Ben´s Birth (I apologize... it is really long)

The 40th week of my pregnancy I began having the usual "bouts" of contractions heralding my baby´s arrival. However I had determined not to pay attention to them and so I did. Except for Ben, whom I told occasionally about them, nobody knew and I managed to ignore even the painful ones. If there were any contractions too hard to ignore, I´d try to practice relaxing and reminding myself that my body was just getting ready to give "passage" to this new life so I could hold and admire it.

Sunday morning as we were getting ready for church I actually considered the possibility that we might not make it to church but we did and still the remainder of the day went on.

Monday at 4:00 a.m. a strong contraction woke me up. Still determined to keep with my plan, I went back to sleep. The next contraction woke me up, I looked at the clock: 4:06, back to sleep again and back up with the next. I went back to sleep again, and again and by about 4.45 recognized a pattern but still decided to keep resting. When by 5:00 things hadn´t changed I woke Ben up and invited him to join me in the living room to see where things were heading.

Once downstairs I had some juice and we sat to watch "Dinner Impossible" and when the show was over and nothing had stopped we decided to watch another taped show (we couldn´t think of anything else to do at that point!). "Chuck" was on and I can´t really tell you much about it because contractions were beginning to get more intense. We finished watching the show (upon my request, I didn´t want to get to the hospital sooner than necessary) and then I called the midwife. She was very kind and attentive to my wishes to not go in too soon, but dropping the phone during a contraction was probably sign enough that I at least needed to begin getting ready to leave. She told Ben this when he picked up the phone and we agreed that we´d be leaving in about an hour.

By then it was already 6.45 (give or take) so we went upstairs, woke the girls up and explained we were heading to the hospital because our baby was coming. Maria came over to help get them ready and then bring them to the hospital with my cousin, Susi.

We left with both Moms in Mom L´s car. I asked Ben to take his time and so we did. Contractions were steady and strong but I still was in no hurry. I had chosen to remain calm and at least in this first few hours I could still handle to do it.

On our way to the hospital we realized that our birth plan (which we decided to write this time due to the change in practitioners and hospital) had been left in our van. We called Susi and asked her to bring it in right away upon their arrival to the hospital. They arrived a while after we did and, to my surprise, not only Susi came in with the papers, but they allowed them all to come in. I can´t tell you what a happy moment it was to see my girls right there. I must say it was a blessing to know them so close to me and so well taken care of. Just the thought of being able to see them at any point brought so much peace and joy to my heart. After Elena´s quick question of "Why aren´t you in the bed, Mami?" and a few blown kisses they were taken out to the waiting area and I continued my labor.

Rebbeca, our midwife, was great. She honored (and defended) my every wish. Since my Strep B screening came back negative, I declined the IV. In spite of being in the hospital, not one single nurse or resident checked me and though some monitoring was required, it was almost a joke because I kept moving to my comfort and I ultimately took it off.

The room with the tub was already taken, so I didn´t have the tub to labor in. Also, the hospital was so busy that day I literally caught the last available LD&R room, which also happened to have the shower head broken! But it was still functional and I wasn´t going to lose my focus over circumstantial things, so I chose to ignore those details and stick to my plan. We talked and laughed in between contractions and during contractions I´d "get to work". My natural reaction to contractions is to squat, so I´d squat and try to focus my thoughts and my strength in "letting my body do the work".

Never once did I allow myself to complain about the pain but instead I´d force myself to try and focus on my womb and the work it was doing in bringing my baby out. I tried to "think open" and, in Ina May Gaskin´s words, tried to visualize my contractions as energy waves or rushes bringing my baby closer to me; visualize my baby slowly and smoothly descending; and make sure my jaw and throat were relaxed.

By about 9.30 I got out of the shower and let Rebbeca check me. I was 8+ cm and my waters were leaking. Now, I wanted to wait for them to break spontaneously but, what can I say, I "cheated" and let her finish breaking them. In the end, this proved to be a good idea because we could see there was meconium in the waters and that gave me some time to prepare for the cord to be cut much sooner than I had wanted and the neonatologist to whisk my baby off to make sure there would be no aspiration.

Upon breaking the waters, of course the baby´s descent began and contractions were even stronger. I was amazed at being able to recognize that the baby´s head was coming down and at the risk of appearing like a lunatic (I´m sure I did look like a lunatic in hindsight, but hey, a girl´s gotta do what a girl´s gotta do!), I´ll confess I did tell the baby "I love you, baby, come down, come down" in the midst of contractions, while squatting on the bed and holding on to the bar.

The rest periods in between contractions were truly that for I felt so content and relaxed that I knew I could very well snooze. Therefore, I decided to stay in the bed so I could lay back, stretch my legs and almost go to sleep, if not for the company and conversation that were so enjoyable. I had never felt the "urge to push" and informed my midwife that I really wanted to get to that point this time.

As I said earlier, my natural reaction to contractions is to squat, so Rebbeca suggested rolling over my left side during the following contraction just to see if a change in position would change anything. Well, it did... in that same contraction I let them know as calmly as I could: "ok, I´m going to push now." The statement was followed by the infamous "ring of fire" and while I thought I had just pushed the head out, I tried to lift my head to see and instead of a head I saw a baby on the bed! After a few seconds I did have to ask: "What did we have?!" though my husband´s joyful tears and indescribable expresion led me to think we´ve had a boy! After a quick clean up, the girls came in to meet their little brother. None of us could possibly imagine life without him now!

Pensamientos sobre el trabajo de parto

Como todos los que se mantienen al tanto de mi vida sabrán, durante este embarazo leí, y leí, y leí todo lo que pude respecto al trabajo de parto. Estaba determinada a hacer todo lo que estuviera en mi poder para hacerlo lo más placentero posible. A lo largo de mi lectura constantemente me intrigó leer de todas las mujeres que confían en todo tipo de cosas que reconocen como poderosas en sus propias vidas y salen de sus experiencias de parto con un nuevo sentido de fuerza y felices. Mi pregunta era, ¿por qué ellas, con conocimiento humano y fallido tienen experiencias de parto tan positivas y nosotras, con la sabiduría infinita de nuestro Padre y el poder del Espíritu Santo de nuestra parte no las tenemos?

Quisiera poder decir que encontré "la respuesta" a esta cuestionante. No fue así, al menos no encontré la fórmula mágica que toda mujer en el mundo puede aplicar. Pero sí encontré una respuesta para mí. Nunca sugeriría que toda mujer debiera hacer las cosas de tal o cual forma. Creo firmemente que Dios nos hizo únicas y en esa individualidad debemos encontrar lo que Él espera de nosotras para hacer que las situaciones nos beneficien al máximo, no solamente al momento de dar a luz sino en todo aspecto de la vida. Después de todo, si Él hubiera querido que todas fuéramos iguales, nos habría hecho idénticas para empezar.

Esto fue lo que concluí:

Lo primero que encontré en común en todo lo que leí fue una actitud positiva, dadivosa y amorosa durante el trabajo de parto. Ese mensaje era contrario a todo lo que había escuchado antes y tenía perfecto sentido... después de todo, es un principio Bíblico, hay mucha más bendición en dar que en recibir.

Lo segundo fue relacionado a cómo lidiar con las contracciones. A mí nunca se me había ocurrido pensar en ellas como una fuente de fuerza que me estaba acercando a mi bebé. Siempre las consideré un dolor del que me quería deshacer y que sólo estaba sufriéndolo mientras venía el bebé.

Lo tercero fue en cuanto a enfoque, en no enfocarme en cuánto tiempo llevo, cuánto tiempo me falta, cuántas contracciones más, sino en tomar cada contracción como un sólo minuto de mi vida que y cuando ya pasó sencillamente disfrutar el período de descanso sin anticipar ni preocuparme por la próxima ola de dolor.

Así que me armé con una lista de todos los himnos y cantos de alabanza que le comunicaran fuerza, rendición y entrega a mi espíritu y me acostaba a dormir todas las noches con esa música de fondo durante las últimas semanas. Me propuse no ponerle atención a las contracciones hasta no saber que eran consistentes, intensas y regulares por lo menos por una hora. Finalmente, aunque no necesariamente ansiaba enfrentar el proceso, también me propuse acoger el trabajo de parto y trabajar con él tanto como me fuera posible.

Esos son algunos de mis pensamientos y fueron los pensamientos con que llegué al trabajo de parto. La historia del parto en sí, para quienes estén interesados, vendrá más adelante.

About Birth

As it is well known by all who keep up with my little life, I read, and read, and read everything I could during this pregnancy. I was determined to do everything in my power to make it as pleasant as could be. Through my reading I was constantly puzzled by all those women who rely on all kinds of things they recognize as powerful in their lives and came out of their birthing experiences empowered and happy. Why would they, with human and failing knowledge, have such good birthing experiences and we, with the infinite wisdom of our Father and the power of the Holy Spirit to tap into, don't?

I wish I could say I found "the answer" to this. I didn't, not the one-fits-all answer anyway. I did find an answer for myself though. I would never suggest that everyone should do things this or that way. I believe that in our God given uniqueness we must find what God expects from us to make situations work for the best, not only in labor and delivery but in every aspect of life. After all, if He'd wanted for us all to be the same, He would have made us the same to begin with.

Having said that, this were my findings:

The first common thread I found in all the reading I did was a positive, giving and loving attitude during labor. That message was contrary to all that I've heard before, and it made sense... after all, it is a Biblical principle, there is much more blessing in giving than receiving.

The second thing was in the terms of how to treat the contractions. I never thought of thinking about them as a sort of strength that was bringing my baby closer. I always thought of them as this pain I wanted to get rid of and was just suffering through.

The third thing was still in terms of focus. Not to focus on how much longer, how much time, how many contractions, but to take each contraction as one single minute of my life that was over when it was over and then simply enjoy the period of rest not even anticipating the next wave of pain.

So, I armed myself with a list of all the hymns and worship songs that spoke surrender, and strength to my spirit and I went to bed to those songs every night for the last few weeks. I purposed myself not to pay attention to the contractions until they had been consistent, intense and regular for at least one hour. Finally, even though I wasn´t necessarily looking forward to the whole process, I also purposed myself to embrace it and work with it as much as I could.

Those are some of my thoughts and were the thoughts that took me into labor. The birth story itself, for those interested, will come in a future post.

Blurry

These first few days at home with our baby boy have been blurry. Not because of sleepless nights due to night feedings but because the cold I caught a little over a week before going into labor was already becoming something else when I did go into labor. Upon getting back home from the hospital, the headache got worse and the pressure and congestion kept increasing in my head. At any rate, this morning I couldn't even move without feeling as though my eyes were going to pop out! So I had to go to the doctor's today and had to go on antibiotics to treat a sinusitis and rhinintis. I can tell you though:

:: We are so blessed with our little man. He is so perfect and awesome. I just met him and now my time is consumed with discovering him... discovering who he is, how he is... it is so fascinating to have a new little person to love.

:: We are also extremely blessed and grateful for how the girls have reacted to him.

:: Elena is such a big sister and wants to hold him constantly. She is so proud of him and when asked his name she proudly exclaims: "BEN!". When we brought him from the hospital she said: "Mami, is he going to stay with us for a while?" and when I said "Sweetie, he is staying with us forever" her face lit up with the widest smile I have ever seen.

:: Adriana has reacted beautifully to having a little brother. She constantly touches his face, ever so tenderly, and kisses him. Today when we were getting back from my doctor's appt. she asked immediately where the baby was. Upon realizing he was on the car seat, she began taking the blankets off him and she must have heard something because she immediately exclaimed: "Mami, the baby went kinkies (stinkies) you have to change his diaper!" then she ran off. I had just sat at the table when she began bringing me, one by one, every single thing she thought I needed to do the task!

And so, we are loving and enjoying this season even with all the challenges we've encountered around it. Lord knows I'll treasure these days with all my heart!

The Little Man

Benjamin Paul Levendusky Jr.

More pics and details coming up, as soon as we get a little bit more settled!

40 weeks

I've reached the "magic due date". Allegedly I am turning 40 weeks pregnant today and there are very slim signs of a baby making the awaited appearance. I am ok, though. Yes, a little uncomfortable, yes a little bored since there is really so little to do when you're on a tight budget and it is so cold out and you have a cold yourself but I'm ok.

These are challenging times, indeed, in many more ways than one... from swinging moods to keep in check to realizing that life doesn't go on hold to wait for me to have a baby but that I still need to continue to keep this home in the midst of the waiting it has proven to be quite challenging. Granted, a lot of the physical tasks of the home keeping have gone to my mom, who gladly does it even better than me. But none of that takes away the fact that this is my kingdom and I am the one who needs to keep it. So I am busy making provisions for little girls to be entertained when I'd rather be sleeping, making meal plans that would stretch our provision even further than it is already, and then deciding what can occupy myself with that is not going to tire me out and still rest enough to allow for my body to fully recover from this cold and prepare for labor.

In becoming a mom, I am not spared the privileges and responsibilities of being a wife, a mom to two other little girls, a hostess, a child of God and in the whirlwind of emotions that hormones can foster I have the resources to find it to be well with my soul... all I need is to tap into them. Stay tuned for news!

39 weeks

This (above) is 39 weeks pregnant with this baby. Below is 39 weeks with Adriana... what do you think, bigger? lower? I'm an awful judge myself, b/c every time I feel bigger than the last.

I'm being watched...

I wish I could say I'm being watched "as a flower about to bloom" yet I find it more to be "as a bomb about to explode." It feels as though what I wished to be a peaceful or inspiring process is intense and sensitive instead. I'm on the 39th week and finding that even when I think I am somewhat able to keep a quiet and pleasant attitude that seems to be the farthest thing from reality. I come across as short tempered, and snappy regardless of what I consider my greatest efforts. Just another reminder of how I can't do life without Him.

Circumstances aren't really what we were hoping or even expecting for this season and I have found myself complaining more than I'd like to be. In the middle of this most joyous time of life temptation to focus on everything else but the joy is so great I need to constantly remind myself where my source is and where my confidence should be.

At the same time I find that as much as I anticipate meeting this new little person, holding them in my arms and revel in the newness of life I also want to enjoy this waiting season because time goes so fast, children grow too quickly and these seasons are over far too soon to my liking. So here I am, trying to sort through emotions, situations and circumstances to find my portion, my peace and my joy... it is being definitely more challenging than I wanted or expected!

While we wait...

A lot of this is going on around here (not exactly proud of how much TV we're watching but I can't deny I really enjoy both girls wanting to constantly snuggle with their currently-feeling-like-a-beached-whale-mother!) :

...and a little bit of this (I don't think I need to reveal the author of the artwork...) :

38 weeks

I can't believe how close we are to getting to know this new little person... in some ways I can't wait: I can't wait to find out if we're having a boy or a girl, I can't wait to hold them and snuggle with them, I can't wait to see the girls excited about the new sibling. At the same time, I don't want to see this time go, I am trying (really trying) to savor moments with the girls as I know for a while I'll have to be a bit more consumed with the little person.

I say trying because I'm running so low in energy. I simply can't believe how slow every movement feels and how exhausted I get after one simple task. Staying active has proved to be quite the effort lately. So very, very slowly I'm moving towards the end of this pregnancy, fighting the crankiness that comes with it and trying to stay busy, at least keep my mind busy.

What's in a name... This time around we decided to keep to ourselves the name options we were to consider and was it a wise decision. We have gone back and forth SO much this time that it is unbelievable. Boy or Girl? What do you think?

So far...

:: My Mom is here, half full of energy to work, half already exhausted by little girls who want to spend every single moment of every 24 hours with her.

:: Mom L is back and though she has to begin work tomorrow it is relieving to know her home (sorry Andrea, I know you must be missing her awfully!!!)

:: Laundry is about one load to be caught up and that includes one load of every neutral baby onesie, outfit, blanket, plus the car seat cover and moses basket sheets. Tomorrow, the little makeshift dresser will be stocked up with said baby clothes and the basket will be placed next to our bed so the girls begin to get used to having it there.

:: An exhaustive grocery shopping trip took place today so as to try and cover major needs for the event of an early arrival... I am not expecting it to happen, but it doesn't hurt to be ready.

:: Little diapers (disposables, no budget at this time to begin the cloth experiment) are now awaiting a sweet little person to start filling them up, all thanks to Aunt Bean!!!

:: Lists are being made to make sure nothing is forgotten these next few upcoming events.

:: I am 37 weeks pregnant!

Here we are

I can´t tell you how many times I have attempted to write here only to hit a block. I don´t know what to say... partly because I am so absent minded, partly because I´m so emotionally loaded I don´t even seem to know where my triggers are.

What I can say is that at least my down times are spent sitting on the couch with little girls climbing all over me which, except for the times when they climb on my belly, I thoroughly enjoy.

Other than that, a few shopping trips here and there to begin preparing what I need to pack for the hospital, going through newborn clothes and washing them, setting up the moses basket next to my bed so the girls can familiarize with it and not climb on it once there is a new little person in it, and wait.

I am setting my mind to go past my due date like the last time, however, everyone seems to have a hard time believing that my due date is not until Nov. 22. So I am slowly getting ready just in case these contraction spells that have already begun are a little bit more than just warming up.

With that, I will go... before my mind wanderings take me down too much senseless thoughtless ramblings...

36 Weeks

I am on the 36th week of this pregnancy. I am carrying this baby so low that hardly anyone believes me when I tell them I still have 4 weeks to go (at least until my estimated due date). But here we are, believing that at least I will stay pregnant until Saturday that my mom comes home (coincidentally, Mom L. will be back that weekend too). Based on my previous pregnancies, I am not expecting to go before my due date, but it wouldn't hurt to be prepared just in case this would be an early arrival.

So in getting ready I have tons of things in my mind. Lists of things I'd like to accomplish before the baby comes, how I want to approach Holiday shopping when I have no budget for it right now (our budget was cleaned out by an unexpected car repair), how I want to foresee entertainment for the girls while we're in the hospital (they will at least visit one day and it will probably be for a few hours, so the better prepared we are the better), etc. All of this while being as absent minded as ever! I keep forgetting what I went into rooms for, leaving food that I intended to reheat (and eat) in the microwave until the next day, and as soon as I am full of energy and feel as though I will conquer the world, I realize how unrealistic that attempt was or a nerve on my leg will get pinched and I won't be able to move for the next while.

Then there is the overall preparation to receive this next little person and make the necessary adjustments as our family grows and hosts another little family at the same time.

I've heard people say that the hardest transition is from one to two babies, others claim that it is from two to three because at this point there are more children than adults in the clan. Going from one to two proved to be quite challenging for us, so I wonder... how do we handle this one? Any advice, seasoned Moms out there?

My Girls

::Adriana gave us quite the scare this week when she fell off the bed. At first she cried right away, but then she just stayed there, on the floor, white as a ghost, little eyes closed. I woke her up and she was so limb and weak and all she wanted to do was sleep, so we kept her up all the way to the ER. You will never know how long that ride felt! Thank God, by the time the doctor made his way to check on her she was happily blowing bubbles, had recovered her color and was willing to move around like her normal little self.

But that's our Adriana, fearless... she climbs on anything and everything she can. Her favorite places in the world are Daddy's shoulders and Mami's side. She loves sleeping and cuddling with us and she'd do it all the time if we'd only let her! She's my little "melancholic"... loves to sing, loves to dance, has the hardest time coping with changes or things not going her way, so she seems to be sad most of the time. When she is in a good mood, though, she is the sweetest, most loving, and affectionate little person in the world. She bestows the tightest squeezes and juiciest kisses there can be. And she is going to be a big sister soon...

:: Elena, makes us laugh and life with her is very fun. Just on Sunday she excitedly came to us saying: "Daddy, Mami, listen... I am E - le - na... see!!! I am not 'nena' anymore! I can say E-le-na!!" She was so thrilled at her accomplishment. She is very thorough in the things she enjoys like puzzles, drawing letters, and coloring. All of a sudden she is so grown and is such a great little helper. I realize I have to remind myself to catch up with her maturity in some areas and her increasing ability to be helpful as well. She is also far more aware of so many things that we can imagine. A couple days ago she said to me: "Mami, when you push the baby out, maybe you will cry a little and I will say 'oh, it's ok, Mami' and rub your back, then we will hold your baby and she will cry and I will say 'oh, it's ok, sweetie, your Mama is here'" Now, we have been saying things here and there in an attempt to prepare them both for the new arrival, but never did I expect for her to nail it so right on and involve herself in the actual process of the baby's birth!

She is my night owl, understands far more Spanish than she leads to believe and has her daddy's sweet tooth!

I am so blessed by my two girls, even when their ages and stages pose the challenges they do. They are the sweetest, most loving, most beautiful little girls and can't wait to meet this third little person. I do get scared, at times, when I realize the work, sacrifices and challenges ahead, but when I weigh them in light of the joy they bring I know it will all be alright!

For fun

Book Meme

I'd never heard of this before but I, too, got tagged so here it goes:

From Spiritual Midwifery, Ina May Gaskin, p.56

"As the moments ticked by and the ambulance got closer and closer, we had a sterile birth pack up there, the room changed, and all the visitors were gone. All of a sudden, just before the ambulance came, it all settled down. It felt like turbulence turning into a peaceful tool. The ambulance pulled right around to the back room, and the midwives helped the laboring mother right into the bedroom."

Instructions:

Grab the nearest book.

Open to page 56.

Find the fifth sentence.

Post the text of the next two to five sentences on your blog, along with these instructions.

Don't dig for the coolest book, or most intellectual book, or your favorite book--pick the closest book.

Tag five more people.

I tag: Brietta, Melanie, Darlene, Danica (only if you find a couple minutes before the new baby arrives!), and Becky

A shout out!

We are getting ready for the season ahead of us and my list of upcoming events includes, but is not limited to, my mom's arrival; a little surprise "shower" for Susi with her husband's family traveling from different states; our baby's arrival; Susi's mom's arrival; the possibility of my dad and brothers coming in for Christmas; Susi's husband's arrival; and Susi's baby's arrival... all of that in addition to the regular demands of life.

Our preparation has us thinking logistics, how we can provide comfortable accommodations without breaking our budget, mainly. I thought of "shouting out" for some help in procuring some items we may need. If you had any of the following to lend, sell or give away, we would be very grateful:

One or two nightstands,
an area rug (12" x 12")
a couple throw rugs (any size) or hallway rugs
a book shelf or small dresser
lamps for said night stands
a free standing screen (to provide a sense of privacy for a sleeping space)

If you have any of these items and would like to lend a hand, please let me know!
Thanks!

34 weeks

These is what we're looking like at 34 weeks! Ben posed as well...

Blueberry muffins

All the meetings this week have thrown our regular schedule off and we´ve been having late nights, late mornings, late naps, etc. However, that little disarray served a wonderful purpose this morning. For the first time in months, and months, and months, I was able to actually open my eyes before any other member of this little family.

That led the way for blueberry muffins to be made before they were downstairs and even earned me a "Mami, you´re the best for making these!" from Elena (then again, who can go wrong with blueberry muffins?).

So it was a happy, although late, morning in this home!

P.S. Thank you all for your encouraging comments on my last post... yeah... this pregnant woman is going through some hormonal ups and downs! Thanks for your love and understanding!

Unsophisticated me

Here I am... sorry about the unannounced absence. We had three days of fasting and prayer at church in preparation for some special meetings with Pastor Charlie Sweet this weekend. I can't really fast that much food, so I "fasted" internet, among other things. We are very excitedly looking forward to this weekend's meetings.

:: I've been asked about the ticker on my blog. I don't know what happened but it sort of got stuck on 19 weeks about two months ago and I've unsuccessfully tried everything to restore it, but it always comes back in as 19 weeks. So, If I can't get a newer one, I'll have to keep track of the pregnancy the old-fashioned way: I am 33 weeks along. Thanks for your interest!

:: Every once in a while I look at older pictures (aka pictures of my life as a single, children-less woman) and I wonder if I am being unfair to my husband and children as we; all wonder where that woman went. In my way through marriage and motherhood I have lost several habits I used to have. Some are justified (at least in my mind) some have simply slipped away from me. I know I've blogged about this before... I've mentioned how there used to be a time when I wouldn't even consider leaving home without makeup, where I'd make sure my hair was styled, my clothes carefully chosen and matched, etc.

Among the justified changes: When I have a newborn, especially, I ditch the lipstick, the wristwatch and perfumes on purpose. The lipstick because I keep kissing that little tiny face and don't want to leave any residue on the sweet baby; the wristwatch because I don't want to hurt the babe when I shift them from arm to arm, car seat, moses basket, etc.; and the perfume because I don't want to overwhelm that new baby with the strong scent of a perfume. Then come the comfortable shoes to make life after a toddler easier on my feet; the more simple outfits that won't mind smudges of sticky fingers, food stains and other incidents that happen when you live life with little ones.

Then, among those that have simply slipped away are the styling of the hair... I just don't have the time to blow dry my hair every single time; etc., etc., etc. Then there is the money you need to spend in order to keep up with hair styles, clothes, make up... it is expensive to look sharp all the time! I have become so "unsophisticated" not to say plain... am I doing my family a disservice? Do I look as frumpy as I feel, especially when I compare myself to my "old" self and/or I get someone like Susi living with me who spends so much time doing her hair, and nails, and make up, and her husband isn't even here to see her right now!

Oh well... I suppose it is another one of those seasons we have to go through... right?

Today

Due to Elena's medicine (which, happlily, she will be done with tomorrow!) she has had a hard time sleeping. My poor sweet girl, not only she already struggles with wakeful hours every so often but now is having the hardest time going to sleep and staying asleep long enough. It hasn't been uncommon during these 10 days of medicine for me to come out of the bathroom in one of my many trips during the night to walk by their bed and see her wide eyed little face looking at me (because no remodeling has been done upstairs, we still have to walk through their room to go in and out of ours). Bless her little heart, she'll stay there trying to go back to sleep for who knows how long. Last night was one of those and it was past midnight when she finally fell asleep. I didn't sleep to well last night either, so at about 7:00 a.m. Ben woke me up to let me know he'd be going downstairs to work on his message for Saturday night. He gave me a kiss and quietly left the room, I drifted back to sleep in the hopes of sleeping a little longer as I realized I had a headache.

Next thing I knew, Ben was back on the side of the bed, waking me up again with a smiling Adriana in his arms. As Adriana threw her arms at me Ben told me that she had already had breakfast and that he needed to leave for the office. "What?!" I vaguely remember Adriana's little hand stroking my face and telling her that I wasn't feeling too well, could we go back to sleep for a little longer... I have no idea when she got out of bed and how she managed to make enough noise for Ben to come get her without my waking up. So Elena and I rolled out of bed at about 9:30!!!

In spite of having forgotten that I had to take Susi to get her hair cut and having had to get the girls ready and out in a hurry, I managed to accomplish a few things. I cleaned my kitchen, got dinner for tomorrow started in the crock pot, baked an apple pie, and almost finished the countdown calendar I'm working on to get the girls (more) excited about my mom's coming. The girls' room still awaits some serious work (that's why I haven't showed any pictures of the new beds) but as pregnant as I am, I don't envision finishing it before next week is over.

Well, thanks for letting me ramble!

Please pray

Many times during the day, as I feel this baby move inside of me, I remember them. My heart breaks as I can't even imagine going through such an ordeal and my prayers are for the overshadowing peace of God to cover them and minister them through it all. Please pray for them even if you don't know them!

Fall

Very slowly, but surely, we are getting ready for the season. I love the fall... the colors, the scents, the landscapes, the crispness in the air... everything! To top it all off we're having a baby this fall! Could life be any better?

This little world of mine

:: There are now two twin beds set up in the girls room. One toddler bed has been taken apart and will be thrown away (it was a second hand one that wasn't going to last that much longer when we got it) and the other one still sits in the room waiting for a final decision. There are piles of clothes all over the place, a dresser crammed up against a wall and a rocking chair temporarily unaccessible.

:: The girls are having way too much fun with this sleeping together thing. We might still try to push it, though because Adriana didn't come to our bed until 4:00 this morning. So we'll try to give it a few more days. The giggles, laughing, talking, playing, etc., are proving a bit difficult to control right now but we'll try for a while longer.

:: Adriana is quite anxious to "go peep on the toyet". Bless her little heart, she hasn't yet quite figured how to hold it until she reaches the bathroom. More often than not she'll ask and run to the bathroom, take her diaper off and sit on the toilet only to say "It's not working, Mami!" because her diaper is already holding most of it. Tonight, however, she did the same thing and ever faithfully Ben helped her get on the seat. Lo and behold, she went!!! Much to our and her own amazement. The only problem is that after having put her to bed she felt the urge to go, ran off the bed, took off her diaper but couldn't work past her pj bottoms and I already had to change her. I haven't pushed it but if she wants to be off diapers before this baby comes, I'm up for it!!! I'm not letting my hopes get too high, though.

:: Did I mention that my mom has a ticket for November 01? Oh yes! We are having a baby before the season is over!

More little nothings

Browsing through craiglist today I found a set of twin beds/bunk bed for only $50. So a day that was supposed to have Ben gone in the morning, back in the afternoon and then all of us gone to church at night turned into Ben gone all day, rushing back to get to church and a very late (but fun) bed time for the girls.

We knew that we were going to need twin beds soon to replace the toddler beds the girls had been using and also serve as extra guest beds as the holidays approach. Of course, I wasn't expecting us to find a good deal this weekend so I have all the seasonal clothes all over the girls' bedroom floor as I sorted out what stays for next Summer and all that fun stuff (this is my excuse for the lack of pictures tonight). But upon returning from church Ben got to work and set up one of the beds and we put both girls to sleep together. Partly because we only had room and time for one bed, partly because we weren't yet ready for two twin beds and had sheets only for one, and partly because I am hoping that by having a bed partner Adriana will sleep longer in her room and not need to come to bed with me. I would like to wean her from that before the baby comes.

I am thrilled to have the beds and am so grateful for my husband's dedication in accomplishing this tonight. The poor guy, you have to wonder how tough it is to live with me lately when he jumped at the chance to make me happy and, literally, did not rest or eat until at least one bed was put together! I'll show you pictures later!

Tidbits of everything

:: I am very happy to report that Elena's medicine is going down without much of a battle after all. I owe it mostly to my amazing husband, but in the end, she got the whole little chart down and eventhough it still takes her a few minutes to finish it, she is very excited to go draw her happy face on her chart. At the end of the day, she (and her sister) get however many skittles match the happy faces on the chart. So even when the first day a headlock was called for and so much medicine was wasted, since the second dose it has been going down much easier! thank you Lord!

:: Usually I forget how raw this season of pregnancy can be. It is so ridiculous that I have to struggle so much with my hormone loaded flesh and I end up frustrated at being so unsuccessful at the end of the day. I am very short of patience with the girls. I find myself annoyed at the most ridiculous and pathetic things and I'm just getting so tired of it. Sometimes I think the more I sleep the happier humanity will be... but I do know that is very unrealistic and it just ignores a problem. I have to remind myself that this is a circumstance that only raises an awareness of things I need to bring to the cross. I have to learn to submit my will, my flesh and my all to Him. I need to let myself die and Him grow in me. And I ultimately get so discouraged by finding that more often than not I have to repent for the failure instead of celebrating the victory. One day at a time... right?

:: Speaking of hormone loaded behaviors, the nesting instinct keeps hitting hard. My sweet husband has tried to please me as much as our strength will allow since our finances aren't allowing for much right now. Since we first moved to the apartment upstairs the kitchen-hallway linoleum has always made this "sticky" noise. We have attributed the noise to the age of the linoleum, assuming that probably it had become unglued in areas large enough to create an air pocket that led to the noise. That kitchen hadn't been a priority and we've often discussed the several ideas we have for it, but no final decisions have been made, mostly because of finances. This week, however, in an attempt to appease the monster (in me) and not break our finances Ben proposed a happy medium: the counters and linoleum need to be taken out sooner or later, so let's just get to it. He began yesterday and all that old linoleum began to come off. We thought that, if nothing else, we'd at least get rid of the sticky noise. Guess what? It wasn't the linoleum what has made the noise all along... it is the actual boards that the linoleum was glued to! So now we have no linoleum and still the sticky noise! Oh well, at least it looks now like an ongoing project!

Asking advice from the more seasoned moms...

We had to take Elena to the doctor because of a stubborn cough that had lasted for three weeks. She wasn't feeling too poorly, there was no fever, no shortness of breath, or anything else than that stubborn little cough. As it turns out, she has what they call an "asthma event", which is a one time type of thing. Whatever bacteria has caused the cough is causing an asthma like reaction in her lungs and we need to take care of it before it does become serious. She did an amazingly wonderful job at the doctor's office. Maybe because she's been going to each and everyone of my appointments she has gotten used to seeing the checkup being done so often that she was very comfortable with everything the doctor needed to do.

We left the doctor's office to go get her prescriptions. We are so blessed and grateful that she hasn't needed much antibiotics or other medications throughout her short life, but it is still not fun at all when she does need them. We told her what a good job she had done with the doctor and encourage her to keep up the good attitude at the time of taking her medicine. Immediately after getting home I made her a little chart with squares for each time she needs to take medicine every day. I made it in colors and drew little flowers on it and then we explained that each time she took her medicine without a fuss she'd get a happy face in the square and at the end of the day she'd get as many "skittles" as happy faces she'd got.

Long story short, everything was going great until the first 2 mls of antibiotic were in my hand ready to give to her. She began crying, covering her mouth with both hands and screaming that she didn't want candy anyway. A couple hours later, two doses of antibiotics lost, serious discipline and correction sessions and a very early nap time so as to allow us all to calm down I was at a loss. We have to do this three times for the next five days... I don't want to bribe her but I don't want to fight her every single time. How do we do this? Any words of wisdom out there?

Wordless season...

These aren´t the best of pictures, but then again, who can resist Elena´s genuinely excited face in pointing at the baby!
...and then posing in her usual quirky way! BTW, 31 weeks along.

The Awaited Video

More on the marathon

We are still making our way home, so pictures and video will have to wait until we get there. However, I can tell you more about the whole thing. The weather was really unbelievably hot and humid, if you read the article you'll see it eventually led to a premature halting of the race. However, although my husband did have to be checked by the medical personnel and slow his pace down to a walk, he had already passed the mile marker where racers were stopped and managed to finish.

He took off to a very good paced start and by two hours into the race he had covered a bit over half the distance. At some point, the heat did take the best of him and forced him to stop for about 20 minutes in an ambulance while they made sure he could keep up the race. This was his first marathon ever, he had every right to give it up because the weather and humidity really took a toll on every one racing, however, he told the medical staff he'd go to the finish line even if he had to walk. I couldn't be prouder of him.

A patrol lady was kind enough to lend him her phone so he could tell us he was way behind his goal schedule so we wouldn't grow weary or concerned when we didn't see him come within the hour. As an answer to prayer, she stayed with him on her bicycle the remainder of the race and kept a watch over him. Derek, Grace and myself began to walk into the track hoping to find him and encourage him to the end. Derek and Grace could run, so they did, I paced myself in a very slow walk and as I did I prayed... I was only walking and the heat and humidity were so unbearable, I couldn't imagine what he was facing.

Parked at the 1/2 mile marker before the finish line I got a hold of the lady that was riding with Ben and when I realized that Derek and Grace were about to meet them and that they were still about 3 miles from the finish line I began my walk back to Heidi, Susi and the children. We waited and prayed.

I can't begin to describe to you what it felt like to see him turning that corner towards the finish line. The culmination of so many months of preparation, of such intense hours of his body's struggling against the elements, of so many prayers, all wrapped up in these last few minutes of adrenaline. There weren't many spectators at that point, but it wouldn't really have mattered because everyone around us disappeared... it was my man, my hero, running towards his goal. This was his moment and he was all that mattered. Even the girls forgot the acorns they had been piling and proudly stood next to me to cheer him. In a mixture of tears and laughter we ran with him for a few seconds and then got split by the "tunnel" he had to go through for the official timing. We met him at the end and we were all on the ground celebrating his victory.

It wasn't until this morning that we found out that the race had come to an official stop barely a few minutes after Ben crossed the 20 mile marker, that so many runners had to be rushed to the emergency room and so many others did drop out of the race. That only added to our pride in his finishing his very first marathon, strong. He wasn't necessarily stronger than he'd been that morning, but in his spirit, he is a much stronger man than he was a year ago, when he made the decision of running a marathon.

Pardon the rambling, I just wanted to write down what I could while the feelings were still fresh.

Marathons

**UPDATE 3:00 P.M.**

We are home (Derek and Heidi's)! It was long, it was hard, but he did it!!! I couldn't be prouder!!!

*********************

I guess I have to say I don't like marathons. Don't get me wrong, but it is just too nerve-wrecking to be in the dark as to where he is and what he is doing. This morning, he got up at 4 a.m. to begin getting ready. I got up about an hour later to sit with him for a while... that is while he walked around because he wasn't sitting. We took a couple pictures and off he went.

I know the race began at 7.30 a.m. it is now 9.45 a.m. and I have absolutely no clue as to where he is and how he is feeling. Nor do I have a way to find out. Unless I was following the route alongside him (which is obviously against the rules), I have only to sit here and wait.

In a few minutes we'll be off to church. We'll sit through worship and then we'll leave to catch him at the end of the marathon. We have no idea of whether there will be a place to park close enough to the finish line or not... so many unknowns... I don't like it.

I just pray he is doing well and keeping his pace and his strength...

Sigh...

I feel like it's so hard to catch my breath. This third trimester is really weighing on me more than the previous times. I really have to remind myself that it is only a season and my energy will eventually be back and the house will be back in some kind of order. I have an amazing husband who has pretty much taken over the laundry for me and two little girls who are eager to help (even when they seem to make more of a mess, bless their dear hearts!).

We are excitedly preparing for Ben's marathon this Sunday. Unbelievably it is here already. He has prepared so much and it has been such a fruitful process for him and us in many more ways than we imagined. I am nervous as I know that this is something he has to do on his own. We drop him off at the beginning and there's not even telling if we'll be able to see him at any point through the race but at the very end... Now, if you know me, you'd know that I'd want to run it next to him making sure he has water and encouragement when he needs it, but that is not how marathons work. I'll tell you all about it when we get back! Keep him in prayer please, he'll be running on Sunday morning.

In the meantime, off I go to prepare for our church's 30th anniversary tonight!

Instant belated birthday party!

An outing to Sacandaga lake with the Moores afforded for the last picnic of the season, an instant belated birthday party for Adriana and an awesome closing of the Summer!

Little girls enjoying the day.

Adriana got to blow out the candles on a last minute made chocolate cake. Her original party had to be canceled due to her falling sick with some tummy bug.

The beach was a beautiful scenery for the blowing of her candles.

and the children absolutely loved wearing their bathing suits and getting kissed by the sun one last time before we move on to the next season.

Today has been devoted to some serious furniture moving as I feel pressed by the nesting instinct to change my surroundings!

The week

This week ended up being surprisingly busy. We knew we were going to be busier than the previous weeks with my uncle's visit and a day planned to be spent at a lake with the Timers but on Sunday night, at the very last minute our plans changed.

My uncle (my mom's oldest brother) called on Sunday night to let us know that his travel plans had changed. He wouldn't be arriving on Tuesday night as originally discussed but on Monday at noon. He also wasn't going to stay for one day only but he was staying all the way through Thursday.

We scrambled to get the house somewhat decent on Sunday night since my first appointment with my new doctor's office would be on Monday morning and it was a little late to reschedule it. On the appointment, I must say, we are very happy with the switch. This happens to be not only one of the practices that has been getting most of my old doctor's former patients but will also be getting at least one of his staff members. The practice has three midwives and I will be a midwife patient, which means that I won't get to see a doctor unless it is really necessary. Our appointment took longer than what we were used to because the midwife took the time to answer every one of my daughters' questions and reply to each and every one of their comments.

That out of the way, we ran to pick up my uncle at the airport. We got there late... he'd been there for a good half an hour at least. From there on, the week becomes almost a blur to me. We mostly spent our time at the mall since he had a list of things he needed for the church in Guatemala and his time here was really the only time he had off from preaching.

Thursday we dropped him off at the airport and headed off to the lake for a few hours visit with the Timers. Friday was spent at Babies'r'us creating a gift registry for Susi and so my week wraps up. So, pardon the blah post with such mundane information but I have already been interrupted too many times to keep a train of thought. I'll give it another try later!

Misc.

Our newest garage sale finds: two bicycles for $3 (both)!Though we got two, only one is small enough for our girls,
but they're still loving it!

...and... we got this swing set from a family from church

it's a little beat up, but it is the greatest thing ever for the girls right now

they have spent sooo much time out there and we're happy for that

the big slide required some ingenuity for Adriana to climb, so
Ben brought up to the ladder section the smaller slide set we had gotten earlier
this year and voilá!

:: On another note, Susi is doing much better. Appendicitis and any other serious condition have been ruled out and now she is just watching what she eats even more carefully.

:: Ben is running 20 miles today. This is the peak of his training for the marathon. It is so amazing to realize that what seemed as an unfathomable task almost a year ago will become a reality in less than a month. He'll be running the marathon on September 14!

:: My mind definitely tends to forget my body is carrying a passenger. I keep coming up with these crazy ideas on projects that I get started only to find, a couple hours into them, that I will definitely not be able to finish them that day. I can't tell you how much my house keeps looking like a tornado hit so many rooms before it begins to feel breathable! The worst thing of all... I can't stop!!! Every room I go into I see something I want to change, move, paint, get, etc.! By far the strongest nesting instinct I've ever experienced, I think... oh well... I'll manage to keep up somehow.

Pheew...

Our day began yesterday with a scheduled prenatal visit for Susi at the doctor she will be going to and we are considering to transfer to as well. She hadn´t been feeling well for the past 12 to 18 hours with severe GI discomfort and we couldn´t get a hold of her PCP but figured as long as we could at least see that baby was fine we´d just go ahead and do that. Though her appointment wast at 3:00 p.m. she was in so much pain that by 1:00 p.m. we decided to take her in early.

Baby was doing great, but she wasn´t looking (or feeling) good at all, so the midwife called the doctor in to see her. She expressed some concern about the general area where she was pointing to the pain and the intensity of it and wanted to make sure nothing serious was being overlooked. The doctor came in (so I got to meet him as well) and he checked her and said he wasn´t all too convinced but still wanted to rule out an appendicitis. Appendicitis! Go figure! We were thinking a tummy bug aggravated by the pregnancy, but oh well.

They immediately referred her for a surgical consultation which led to an ultrasound which in turn led to not getting home until 9.30 p.m.!!! Susi was feeling much better by then and is feeling better now as we sit and wait for the results of the emergency ultrasound the surgeon considered so urgent. Trust me, I am glad they wanted to make sure everything was totally fine. In fact, the OBG´s office already called this morning to check on her. It was just very long and unexpected.

On a positive note, I got to interact with a lot of the staff at this new practice and found everyone to be very, very pleasant. They all were trying to muster up their very little Spanish to try and connect directly to Susi. It was a good chance to see them care for a patient who wasn´t me and so I believe this will be the team that will assist on our baby´s birth. I do have an appointment with them on Monday, so unless something terribly drastic happened our mind is set. I believe we will get the best of the two worlds (midwife-obstetrician) in one combo and it will be much closer to home thus relieving our already tight gas budget.

As for Susi, we are waiting to be told what happens next. Ohh, yeah and as to what a Guatemalan craves for pregnancy... it may be very simple but unusual like pineapple with salt, tons of lime on meat, chicken, fruit... I guess salt and lime are a big factor.

Thankful:

Today I am thankful for

:: A husband whose calling doesn't take him away from home as much as others. He is with us so much more than I show appreciation for.

:: A husband whose heart loves the Lord so strongly he is not ashamed to admit his faults and ask for forgiveness from the girls and me. I have learned so much from his humble heart!

:: A little girl who is showing more and more understanding and compassion to the little one and the unborn baby.

:: A sweet girl who loves snuggling and gives her love and admiration freely to Mami and Daddy.

:: A strong willed two-year-old whose life contentment is in sleeping with her little arms tightly wrapped around my neck and her little body technically on top of me.

:: Opening my eyes every morning to a sweet little face stroking mine or smothering me with kisses, she is sweet as she is strong!

:: The fact that we have been able to buy a few new items of clothing for each member of this household even when we have an extra mouth to feed and our income seems to be below our expenses. God IS faithful even when it doesn't make sense.

:: Sharing a pregnancy not only with a relative but with a friend who appreciates (understands and shares!!) every one of this Guatemalan's cravings!

:: Having the "problem" of trying to figure out how to accommodate so many people who are planning to visit from Guatemala throughout the fall and winter. We are so loved!

Today

I am definitely NOT 19 weeks pregnant, I am 26 but for some reason the widget regressed. I changed it already but the changes are just not reflecting on the blog, so sorry about that.

On another note, please support my husband as he undertakes his marathon. Click on this link to read about the marathon and see if you can support him!

Findings

After a couple of months of reading I find myself satisfied, prepared and even excited for this upcoming birth. As I reported earlier, I had decided to go on a new quest. I admit I probably didn't even read half of the material out there. But since that post I have read Ina May's Guide to Childbirth and The Birth Book, by Dr. Sears, in that order.

I was quite enthralled by Ina May's book and really enjoyed learning all that she had to teach. However, at the end of the book I felt a little disappointed because, of course, as a midwife, she strongly supports home births and birthing centers. Not that she has anything negative to say about hospitals and doctors but her experience is limited to free standing birthing (no hospitals involved). Since neither of those is a choice for me, I felt like I had no way to transpose the approach to a hospital setting.

Because I was very much satisfied with the material and didn't think there could be much more new to learn. However, Dr. Sears' book was being held at the library for me and upon returning the first, they immediately remembered I had another one waiting. I took it and figured I'd browse through it and return it right away. Well, I have renewed the book twice already. Most of the information is the same as in Ina May's. Even though he is a doctor and his wife was an obstetrics nurse and they actually encourage strongly home birth or at least a free standing birthing center with a midwife to assist and that an obstetrician should be invited only when medical intervention is required. They speak from their own experiences both in birthing and assisting births. They have a high respect for the medical institution and hospitals but they also have seven biological children and an adopted daughter whose delivery they both assisted. Because of this they understand how hospital routines can become a hindrance to an all natural labor and delivery.

They do not bash any systems but they help you choose what is more convenient according to your own ideals for birth. They make very useful suggestions in how to state your preferences in a respectful way that will encourage your doctor and hospital staff instead of making you come across as a know-it-all who has no respect for the practitioner. So, in reading the Sears book I was able to figure out a way to make the hospital work for me without feeling like I'm going to be perceived as an unfriendly patient.

Our plan continues to be laboring at home for as long as it is possible but now we have the tools we need in the event we got to the hospital too early. This week a final decision will be made as to hospital and practitioner. We've only been holding on for the last hospital tour on Tuesday and as I accompany my cousin to her new OB/practice I'll be watching and taking my own mental notes. I currently have scheduled appointments at both practices but Ben and I have agreed that after Wednesday we will decide and cancel the one we don't favor. I'll keep you posted!

Quiet...

I know I´ve been quiet. It has been partly due to the busy-ness of the season and partly due to a lack of inspiration. I´ve even been slow in taking pictures!

We did have a fun day at Six Flags though and here are a very, very few pictures to prove it!

Ben is in every picture because pregnant ladies aren´t allowed on these rides.

It was such a thrill they did it again!

Then they switched to boats,
which they were both big enough to go on by themselves.

Sporting Daddy´s sunglasses.

Waiting for a show to begin.

Some things to point out about this summer is that both girls have decided to stop calling Ben "Papi", he suddenly has become "Daddy". I, on the other hand, respond to various different names throughout the day including but not limited to: "Sister", "pretend little girl" (literally, Elena will randomly walk towards me and address me like that), "sweethat" (that one is literal as well), and some variations of Mami.

Adriana has suddenly turned into a very avid eater... however, she eats more off of my plate than her own. She suddenly LOVES rice, so much she is quite content with having that alone for a meal. We were having dinner last night and I still had some food on my plate. As has been becoming her custom, she began trying to climb on my lap. Trying to persuade her Ben said "Sweetie, Mami doesn´t have a lap anymore with the baby in her belly". Without even slowing down she kept on her attempt until she was satisfied and said, "Mami´s lap is right here, Daddy!" Hoping to finish my own plate of food I said "Why don´t you go sit on Daddy´s lap for a while?", she looked at me, stood on my lap and leaned towards Ben´s end of the table, looked on his plate and replied, "Daddy´s all done".

After naps, yesterday we were snuggling in my bed when Elena realized the baby was moving. Her eyes grew bigger and she exclaimed, "Mami, the baby is pushing herself out!!! I think her wants to come out play with her toys" (Yes, she does say very surely that my baby is a girl). I explained that the baby still has some growing to do before they can come out and play and then I went on to talk about the plans for the afternoon. When I said it was time to get out of bed and come downstairs Elena said, very concerned, "Mami, no! If you stand up your baby will fall out and her will fall bump down the stairs! We have to stay in bed for your baby wants to come out!"

Are things complicated or am I?

We went to do the "Expectant Parents Tour" to St. Peter´s Hospital. We already liked the hospital but decided to check it out a bit more before choosing our doctor. After all, the drive to the doctor´s office is almost an hour and we want to be wise with our gas budget and although we had checked if they worked with Susi´s insurance, it turns out they don´t. That leaves our choices at having two different doctors or finding another one altogether.

*The tour: we liked the hospital, as we expected. However, their tubs are temporarily (as in indefinitely) unavailable!

*The alternative: My old doctor gave a couple recommendations to chose from. One of them happens to take Susi´s insurance, has a midwife based practice (according to the website you don´t see the doctor unless you have a complication). What had discouraged us from contacting them was the hospital where they deliver.

Upon closing of the maternity in St. Clare´s, where the girls were born, all births in that county were centralized in Bellevue, where this doctor attends. We loved St. Clare´s because of their more natural approach to the whole process. We felt more trusted as the parents of the new baby and we were encouraged to keep the baby with us at all times. Only once did they take my babies and that was for a few minutes while they did the pediatric evaluation on them several hours after birth. From all we´ve seen, Bellevue can tend to be more on the "medical" end of their approach and I didn´t want to feel like I had to come in and fight for things I didn´t want. Added to the list of cons is the fact that with all the births of the county concentrated in that one place they aren´t guaranteeing private rooms, so they can´t promise someone can stay with you, so we were happy to steer away from that and go have our baby without having to "fight" or face raised eyebrows for our preferences.

*Our third alternative is much closer for prenatal appts but it´s the longest drive for the hospital, all the way to Cooperstown.

So, am I too complicated to decide on a hospital? or doctor, for that matter? I know so many people who aren´t even concerned about visiting the hospital before the baby is born and everything works just fine for them... I wonder, am I really making too much of nothing?

A face to the name... and some just for fun!

This, ladies and gentlemen, is Susi, my cousin.A bit of family fun

Posing together... doesn't Ben look great?!

An attempt at a family picture.