I wanted to document some of the lessons I've learned in my vast amount of time as a mommy. Ha. I hope this will be informational and an encouragement to mamas-to-be.
Lesson #1: You will learn how prideful you are.
Maybe this doesn't apply to you, but it was honestly shocking to me. I already knew I was a prideful person, but I didn't realize how much until having a child. I like the house to be presentable, the bed made, and the kitchen sink empty. I don't like asking for help. I want to do it all. Sometimes, it's just not possible. I've learned spending time with Henry is more important and that the bed can wait. People generally understand that the house will not be spotless. I ask Brett for help with the house, Piper, and Henry. He willingly does it. When my mom or Brett's mom are around, I ask them to watch Henry so I can enjoy my coffee or take a shower. There is nothing they would rather do than hold Henry. They also know what they are doing. I mean, Brett and I turned out pretty well. Basically, I need to let go of some of my unrealistic expectations that I need to do everything for everyone.
Lesson #2: Don't be embarrassed by your baby crying in public.
This goes along with Lesson #1. There have been two instances where I have taken Henry in public, and he has just cried. I fed and changed him before going out, but he still cried. I was so embarrassed, thinking that everyone around me would think that I was a bad mom because I didn't have the perfect child. Get a grip, Sara! He is a baby. Babies cry. People didn't judge me, but instead gave me a look of understanding. It was only me that was giving me a hard time. I need to learn to lighten up on myself.
Lesson #3: Breast milk digests fast. Like, faster than me writing this sentence.
I knew that I would go through a lot of diapers with Henry, but I didn't realize how much. I didn't know that in the first month, Henry would poop while he was eating. That is how quickly babies can digest breast milk. I had to ask the doctor if that was unusual. She said that was a great sign that he was getting enough to eat and that it was completely normal. It was and is frustrating when he has been awake a while, I change his diaper, feed him, and while he's eating, he poops again. He still does it sometimes at almost two months, but definitely not as much. I just have to remind myself that this many diapers is a good sign that he is getting the food he needs.
Lesson #4: Try to take a shower every day.
I cannot stress this enough. I heard this from one of the girls in my Sunday School class and didn't realize how important it would be. Now I do. I felt so gross from all of the things coming out of me after delivery and all the changes my body was going through. Lots of people say to sleep when your baby sleeps, but I say to take a shower during one of those naps. Even now, it makes me feel less disgusting and more human. So, so important.
Lesson #5: Your body may not bounce back like what you expect or hear. That's OK.
You may be blessed with a body that bounces back the next day. I'm not. I'm going to say it. I gained between 45 and 55 pounds during pregnancy, depending on what you count as my pre-pregnancy weight. Given that I'm breastfeeding, the first 30 came off pretty easy. The rest is a work in progress. I'm just now getting to the point where I feel like I can do some exercising (needless to say, the aftermath of labor has been tough on my body). The stretch marks don't do away quickly. I have actually gotten more in some places (thank you breastfeeding). I'm learning that it's alright that I don't fit into my old jeans yet. I'm enjoying spending time with my new buddy. The time goes by too quickly to be worried about losing every single pound right now.
Hope you enjoyed my first five lessons of being a mama and that it was beneficial to some of you. Stay tuned for my next five!
Friday, June 26, 2015
Tuesday, June 16, 2015
Happy 3rd Anniversary
This will be short and sweet because Henry is asleep and this mama needs to lay down.
Happy 3rd anniversary to my love, Brett. In our three years of marriage, we have moved twice, added a "dogter" to our family, and had a precious little boy. While I've loved you, I have come to appreciate you more as each day passes. Thank you for choosing me to go on this crazy adventure with you. I love you!
Happy 3rd anniversary to my love, Brett. In our three years of marriage, we have moved twice, added a "dogter" to our family, and had a precious little boy. While I've loved you, I have come to appreciate you more as each day passes. Thank you for choosing me to go on this crazy adventure with you. I love you!
Thursday, June 11, 2015
Henry: 1 Month
Our little guy turns one month today! I can't believe how fast time has gone. Each day is super long but time as a whole has gone by so fast. Henry had his one month appointment today. The doctor said he is perfect, but we sort of knew that. He gained almost 2 pounds since his last appointment three weeks ago so he weighed in at 8 pounds 14.5 ounces. He is almost 21 inches long (the hospital and doctors' office measure length differently; he hasn't gotten shorter since birth). At his last appointment, he was in the 10th percentile in weight and length, but now he's in the 25th. His head circumference is also in the 25th.
These past couple of weeks have been pretty difficult for me. If you follow me on social media, you know that the kid doesn't like to sleep. One day this week, he only took two one-hour naps between 9:30 am and midnight. The mornings and afternoons normally aren't too bad, but the evenings are pretty trying. He typically wakes up from a nap around 5 and then doesn't go to sleep until between 11 pm and midnight, with maybe a 10 minute nap somewhere in there. He cries A LOT during this time. We know he's tired, and sometimes he'll fall asleep, but as soon as we put him down, he's wide awake. He can't seem to stay asleep until he's down for the count.
During this time, he likes to cluster feed. The doctor actually mentioned that Henry may like his stomach extremely full before falling asleep, instead of the amount normal babies prefer. Milk supply naturally depletes in the evening, so that may be the cause of his fussiness. I'm going to load up on water to see if it helps in the evenings. However, the doctor said he may be slightly colicky too, given that he typically settles down a bit when we walk, bounce, or take him outside.
In the beginning, he liked to be swaddled. About two weeks ago, he decided he was done with the swaddles. He would grunt and squirm until he broke free of the Swaddle Me. The kid is strong-willed. Now, he normally sleeps with his hands next to his face or straight above his head. It's pretty cute.
Aside from his sleeping patterns, he LOVES LOVES LOVES to be outside. I think part of it is the heat, but he also likes the sun on him. If the wind blows, he starts to move his head like "Ah, that feels good." His eyes almost instantly close, and his body goes limp. This has been a life saver in the evenings, although as soon as we walk inside, he's fussy again. He'd probably like if we set his sleeper up outside and let him sleep there.
He is extremely alert. Brett and I have noticed that he is starting to focus on things like our faces when we talk to him. He used to look past us, but now it seems like he's looking at us. According to the doctor, around one month, infants can begin to see outlines of faces, as opposed to being legally blind. Around two months, their vision drastically improves.
We learned that Henry likes music. In the beginning, the King (George Strait) would calm him down. Now it's just any type of music. He seems to like when I sing Victory in Jesus so that has become his nightly song. Brett says we have to start him early on those good ole Southern Baptist hymns.
Here are some pictures from his first month.
Piper has become really attached to him. When he cries, she runs to check on him. If I'm not in the room, she'll come over to me and look at me like, "Is he ok?" When I'm nursing, she typically comes and lays right under his feet or his head so he props up on her. Whenever we change him, Piper follows us into the room and lays down at our feet. The other day, I leaned Henry against her stomach while she was laying down (don't worry, I was still holding him), and she just put her head on the couch and fell back asleep. Henry seemed to be intrigued by the feel of her fur, but the coldness of her nose startled him. It warms my heart and eases my mind to know Piper does well with him. I was really nervous about that.
Henry got to meet one of his great grandparents this month too. Mom and Dad braved the trip and brought Oba to our house. Oba was enamored by him. She kept saying, "I take him home" and "He such good baby." When Mom went to take Henry so she could hold him, Oba said, "No," and gave Mom the stink face. She just loves him. With my grandparents getting old, I'm really glad he was able to meet Oba. Next week, he'll get to meet Mimi and Pappaw!
Well, I think that's a good recap of his first month. I have learned a lot and plan to write a post about some of the things people didn't tell me or things that I would stress with my vast amount of experience. Ha. Hope you enjoyed learning about our little guy!
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| Thanks Tara and Trey for the month tags! I'll remove the flash next time. |
These past couple of weeks have been pretty difficult for me. If you follow me on social media, you know that the kid doesn't like to sleep. One day this week, he only took two one-hour naps between 9:30 am and midnight. The mornings and afternoons normally aren't too bad, but the evenings are pretty trying. He typically wakes up from a nap around 5 and then doesn't go to sleep until between 11 pm and midnight, with maybe a 10 minute nap somewhere in there. He cries A LOT during this time. We know he's tired, and sometimes he'll fall asleep, but as soon as we put him down, he's wide awake. He can't seem to stay asleep until he's down for the count.
During this time, he likes to cluster feed. The doctor actually mentioned that Henry may like his stomach extremely full before falling asleep, instead of the amount normal babies prefer. Milk supply naturally depletes in the evening, so that may be the cause of his fussiness. I'm going to load up on water to see if it helps in the evenings. However, the doctor said he may be slightly colicky too, given that he typically settles down a bit when we walk, bounce, or take him outside.
In the beginning, he liked to be swaddled. About two weeks ago, he decided he was done with the swaddles. He would grunt and squirm until he broke free of the Swaddle Me. The kid is strong-willed. Now, he normally sleeps with his hands next to his face or straight above his head. It's pretty cute.
Aside from his sleeping patterns, he LOVES LOVES LOVES to be outside. I think part of it is the heat, but he also likes the sun on him. If the wind blows, he starts to move his head like "Ah, that feels good." His eyes almost instantly close, and his body goes limp. This has been a life saver in the evenings, although as soon as we walk inside, he's fussy again. He'd probably like if we set his sleeper up outside and let him sleep there.
He is extremely alert. Brett and I have noticed that he is starting to focus on things like our faces when we talk to him. He used to look past us, but now it seems like he's looking at us. According to the doctor, around one month, infants can begin to see outlines of faces, as opposed to being legally blind. Around two months, their vision drastically improves.
We learned that Henry likes music. In the beginning, the King (George Strait) would calm him down. Now it's just any type of music. He seems to like when I sing Victory in Jesus so that has become his nightly song. Brett says we have to start him early on those good ole Southern Baptist hymns.
Here are some pictures from his first month.
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| The best daddy |
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| The look of love and exhaustion |
Piper has become really attached to him. When he cries, she runs to check on him. If I'm not in the room, she'll come over to me and look at me like, "Is he ok?" When I'm nursing, she typically comes and lays right under his feet or his head so he props up on her. Whenever we change him, Piper follows us into the room and lays down at our feet. The other day, I leaned Henry against her stomach while she was laying down (don't worry, I was still holding him), and she just put her head on the couch and fell back asleep. Henry seemed to be intrigued by the feel of her fur, but the coldness of her nose startled him. It warms my heart and eases my mind to know Piper does well with him. I was really nervous about that.
Henry got to meet one of his great grandparents this month too. Mom and Dad braved the trip and brought Oba to our house. Oba was enamored by him. She kept saying, "I take him home" and "He such good baby." When Mom went to take Henry so she could hold him, Oba said, "No," and gave Mom the stink face. She just loves him. With my grandparents getting old, I'm really glad he was able to meet Oba. Next week, he'll get to meet Mimi and Pappaw!
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| Her first time holding him. I love her face here. |
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| One of my favorite pictures. So much history in this picture. |
Well, I think that's a good recap of his first month. I have learned a lot and plan to write a post about some of the things people didn't tell me or things that I would stress with my vast amount of experience. Ha. Hope you enjoyed learning about our little guy!
Tuesday, May 26, 2015
Henry's Birth Story
Now that our little one is two weeks old, I feel like I can somewhat get my feet under me. I want to capture Henry's birth story while it is still fresh in my mind. I apologize in advance if this is a long post, but it's one of the most important days of my life.
I had mentioned in my 39 week update that I thought I was going into labor early on Mother's Day. It ended up being really bad Braxton Hicks contractions. I went about the day as normal, although I was more tired than usual. Around 10:55 pm on Mother's Day, I had this horrible pain in my back and lower stomach. The doctor had said that I would be able to tell what real contractions were because they would hurt really bad. Well this one was definitely one of those. For the next hour, I timed how far long my contractions were and the amount of time between them. The contractions lasted anywhere from 45 seconds to 1.5 minutes, with between 4 and 6 minutes between.
By midnight, I knew it was time to head to the hospital. I woke up Brett and told him this was the real thing. We finished packing our bags and took out Piper, who was so confused. I felt horrible leaving her, but I knew we had to get to the hospital. The nice thing about going into labor in the middle of the night was there was absolutely no traffic on the two lane road we had to drive on to get to the hospital.
Upon our arrival and registration, we were put in a triage room. This is the first of three rooms we would see while at the hospital. To my disappointment, I was still 1 centimeter dilated, which I had been for almost three weeks. Brett thinks the nurses didn't think I was in labor. They hooked me up to fetal and contraction monitors and watched me for the next 3 hours. By 4 am, I was 3 centimeters dilated. They moved me to the labor and delivery room.
I know a lot of people who opt for a birth without any pain medicine. I am not one of those people. By the time they moved me to the labor and delivery room, I was asking if there was any pain medicine I could have. They gave me some medicine in my IV, but prefaced it by saying it may cause hallucinations. Boy, did it ever. Within a minute, I was in a daze and could hardly open my eyes. The pain was definitely less intense. I think I may have gotten a little sleep, but I don't really know (remember I hadn't slept in over 24 hours because I went into labor early in the night).
At 6 am, they came to check me again. I was 4 centimeters. I could now get the epidural. They ordered the epidural for me and administered it around 7:30 am. It took some time to kick in, but when it did, it was glorious. No more pain. I could only feel the hardness in my upper abdomen during a contraction.
I was relaxing until all the sudden, the nurses came in my room like a swarm of bees. There were probably six or seven that rushed into the room. All I could gather was I had two contractions at once and Henry's heartbeat dropped to 67 bpm. Thankfully, they were able to move him around until his heart rate returned to normal.
Within 2.5 hours of the epidural (by 9:30 am), I had gone from 4 centimeters to 9.75 centimeters. The nurses were in touch with the doctor because I had progressed so quickly without any help or medicine. As I watched the contraction monitor, some of my contractions were so strong that they wouldn't even register. I was told that I couldn't push yet because I still had 0.25 centimeters to go. The nurses looked to gravity to do its job on getting me to 10 cm. I stayed at 9.75 centimeters for almost 3 hours.
By 11 am, my epidural was wearing off. The anesthesiologist administered a second dose, which kicked in right about when I was told to start pushing, which was around 12:15 pm. Because I didn't go to any classes, the nurse was able to coach me through how to push. I did 7 rounds of 3 pushes for 10 seconds each. By that point, Henry's heartbeat was dropping into the 60s again so they got out the vacuum and vacuumed him out. Henry was born at 12:38 pm.
There was our little cone head, head full of hair, little boy. I was relieved that he was alright, but I didn't cry. Brett told the nurse that after witnessing what he did, there is no way you can deny God, the Creator. The nurses whisked Henry away to get him cleaned up before I could see him. Brett had to tell me what he looked like. He measured at 7 pounds, 0.5 ounces and 21 inches long. Basically, perfect.
Unfortunately, I obtained three tears during the process. I lost quite a bit of blood, and it took about 30 minutes to stitch me up. While they were doing that, Brett went to share the good news with his parents, who arrived 10 minutes before Henry was born.
While the epidural wore off, I found out that I had a fever of 100. An hour after I took Motrin, the fever had risen to 101.4. It was decided that I would be on two antibiotics for 24 hours. To be sure Henry was fine, they drew some blood from him. Man, was that heart-wrenching hearing him scream as they squeezed his foot. After I was able to walk, they transferred me to the room I would be staying in for the next two days.
Henry was up for almost 5 hours after he was born. I should have realized then that he wouldn't like sleeping. Hindsight in 20-20 I guess. The nurses kept on telling me to rest when he was sleeping, which wasn't often. Even if I wanted to rest, there were people coming in my room probably every 30 minutes to switch my antibiotics, draw more blood, give me food, run tests, or just to see how I was doing. The hospital we were at keeps the child in the room with the mom unless the child is having health problems or needs some newborn tests. To say the least, it wore me out.
My parents made it to the hospital the day after Henry was born. My mom and Gail, my mother-in-love, just gushed over Henry. Brett's and my dad were pretty excited too.
Because I was on antibiotics through my IV, we had to stay until Wednesday morning. I was so ready to go home and see Piper. People told me I wouldn't miss her, but I missed her something terrible. When we got home, Piper wasn't sure what to think of Henry. She actually stayed away from me for most of the day. It broke my heart. Now, things are great with Henry and Piper. More on that later though.
I hope you enjoyed reading about our Henry John's entry into this big world. Be on the lookout for more pictures and posts about how we're doing.
I had mentioned in my 39 week update that I thought I was going into labor early on Mother's Day. It ended up being really bad Braxton Hicks contractions. I went about the day as normal, although I was more tired than usual. Around 10:55 pm on Mother's Day, I had this horrible pain in my back and lower stomach. The doctor had said that I would be able to tell what real contractions were because they would hurt really bad. Well this one was definitely one of those. For the next hour, I timed how far long my contractions were and the amount of time between them. The contractions lasted anywhere from 45 seconds to 1.5 minutes, with between 4 and 6 minutes between.
By midnight, I knew it was time to head to the hospital. I woke up Brett and told him this was the real thing. We finished packing our bags and took out Piper, who was so confused. I felt horrible leaving her, but I knew we had to get to the hospital. The nice thing about going into labor in the middle of the night was there was absolutely no traffic on the two lane road we had to drive on to get to the hospital.
Upon our arrival and registration, we were put in a triage room. This is the first of three rooms we would see while at the hospital. To my disappointment, I was still 1 centimeter dilated, which I had been for almost three weeks. Brett thinks the nurses didn't think I was in labor. They hooked me up to fetal and contraction monitors and watched me for the next 3 hours. By 4 am, I was 3 centimeters dilated. They moved me to the labor and delivery room.
I know a lot of people who opt for a birth without any pain medicine. I am not one of those people. By the time they moved me to the labor and delivery room, I was asking if there was any pain medicine I could have. They gave me some medicine in my IV, but prefaced it by saying it may cause hallucinations. Boy, did it ever. Within a minute, I was in a daze and could hardly open my eyes. The pain was definitely less intense. I think I may have gotten a little sleep, but I don't really know (remember I hadn't slept in over 24 hours because I went into labor early in the night).
At 6 am, they came to check me again. I was 4 centimeters. I could now get the epidural. They ordered the epidural for me and administered it around 7:30 am. It took some time to kick in, but when it did, it was glorious. No more pain. I could only feel the hardness in my upper abdomen during a contraction.
I was relaxing until all the sudden, the nurses came in my room like a swarm of bees. There were probably six or seven that rushed into the room. All I could gather was I had two contractions at once and Henry's heartbeat dropped to 67 bpm. Thankfully, they were able to move him around until his heart rate returned to normal.
Within 2.5 hours of the epidural (by 9:30 am), I had gone from 4 centimeters to 9.75 centimeters. The nurses were in touch with the doctor because I had progressed so quickly without any help or medicine. As I watched the contraction monitor, some of my contractions were so strong that they wouldn't even register. I was told that I couldn't push yet because I still had 0.25 centimeters to go. The nurses looked to gravity to do its job on getting me to 10 cm. I stayed at 9.75 centimeters for almost 3 hours.
By 11 am, my epidural was wearing off. The anesthesiologist administered a second dose, which kicked in right about when I was told to start pushing, which was around 12:15 pm. Because I didn't go to any classes, the nurse was able to coach me through how to push. I did 7 rounds of 3 pushes for 10 seconds each. By that point, Henry's heartbeat was dropping into the 60s again so they got out the vacuum and vacuumed him out. Henry was born at 12:38 pm.
There was our little cone head, head full of hair, little boy. I was relieved that he was alright, but I didn't cry. Brett told the nurse that after witnessing what he did, there is no way you can deny God, the Creator. The nurses whisked Henry away to get him cleaned up before I could see him. Brett had to tell me what he looked like. He measured at 7 pounds, 0.5 ounces and 21 inches long. Basically, perfect.
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| Our little guy after his first bath. |
Unfortunately, I obtained three tears during the process. I lost quite a bit of blood, and it took about 30 minutes to stitch me up. While they were doing that, Brett went to share the good news with his parents, who arrived 10 minutes before Henry was born.
While the epidural wore off, I found out that I had a fever of 100. An hour after I took Motrin, the fever had risen to 101.4. It was decided that I would be on two antibiotics for 24 hours. To be sure Henry was fine, they drew some blood from him. Man, was that heart-wrenching hearing him scream as they squeezed his foot. After I was able to walk, they transferred me to the room I would be staying in for the next two days.
Henry was up for almost 5 hours after he was born. I should have realized then that he wouldn't like sleeping. Hindsight in 20-20 I guess. The nurses kept on telling me to rest when he was sleeping, which wasn't often. Even if I wanted to rest, there were people coming in my room probably every 30 minutes to switch my antibiotics, draw more blood, give me food, run tests, or just to see how I was doing. The hospital we were at keeps the child in the room with the mom unless the child is having health problems or needs some newborn tests. To say the least, it wore me out.
My parents made it to the hospital the day after Henry was born. My mom and Gail, my mother-in-love, just gushed over Henry. Brett's and my dad were pretty excited too.
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| Grammy |
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| Papa |
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| Pops and Nana |
Because I was on antibiotics through my IV, we had to stay until Wednesday morning. I was so ready to go home and see Piper. People told me I wouldn't miss her, but I missed her something terrible. When we got home, Piper wasn't sure what to think of Henry. She actually stayed away from me for most of the day. It broke my heart. Now, things are great with Henry and Piper. More on that later though.
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| Our family |
I hope you enjoyed reading about our Henry John's entry into this big world. Be on the lookout for more pictures and posts about how we're doing.
Sunday, May 10, 2015
Week 39
We are in single digits now until Henry's due date. Such a strange and exciting feeling. Before I get to my weekly update, I want to share a Mother's Day moment I experienced today.
The past month and a half, Piper and I have been going on walks in the evening. It has helped give me whatever endurance I can, makes the dog tired, and I think it has allowed my pregnancy to progress nicely. Well, our house sits by an elementary school track with a cow pasture right beside it. As Piper and I walked up to the track tonight, I noticed a mama cow and her calf. The calf couldn't have been more than a couple days old as it was still wobbly on its feet. As the calf got closer to the fence, the mama would nudge it to redirect it towards the rest of the field, steering it in the right direction.
While I watched, my attention was drawn to the transmission tower that runs through the field. On the transmission tower sat probably 30 vultures (no joke). It was honestly a little creepy. The vultures followed the calf with the position of their bodies, while the mama cow walked closely behind the calf. The calf wandered to a wooded area. As soon as that happened, the vultures started to fly down to the wooded area. Over the next couple of minutes, about 15 of them made their way down to the trees or to the ground within 20 feet of the calf.
All the while, the mama cow stood her ground between her baby and the vultures. I watched in amazement as she would turn and charge any vultures that got too close. She wouldn't let them come close to her baby.
That really got me thinking. Vultures to me represent uncleanliness, sin, and death. The entire time Piper and I walked around the track, I thought about how I want to be like that mama cow. I want to steer Henry in the direction he should go: away from danger and towards the safety of the Cross. I want to stand between my Henry and the sin of this world. I want to protect him from evil. I want to show him how to defend himself against what this world and Satan will throw at him, and when he's old enough, to let him fend for himself and rely on what Brett and I have taught him. Just like that mama cow and her baby calf.
Sometimes I still don't feel like a mama, even though I have been carrying this baby for 9 months. But tonight, I felt God placing a maternal instinct for Henry in me for the first time (to be completely honest). It's a good thing too because I think Henry may come before the end of this week. We almost went to the hospital this morning because I was having a lot of contractions, but they weren't regular enough to warrant a trip where they would just send me home.
Keep us in your prayers this week, and in particular, that we would have the wisdom to know if and when to head to the hospital.
Hope you enjoyed my Mother's Day story and the update (where Henry has dropped some more, even if you can't tell). And Happy Mother's Day to all you beautiful mommies out there!
The past month and a half, Piper and I have been going on walks in the evening. It has helped give me whatever endurance I can, makes the dog tired, and I think it has allowed my pregnancy to progress nicely. Well, our house sits by an elementary school track with a cow pasture right beside it. As Piper and I walked up to the track tonight, I noticed a mama cow and her calf. The calf couldn't have been more than a couple days old as it was still wobbly on its feet. As the calf got closer to the fence, the mama would nudge it to redirect it towards the rest of the field, steering it in the right direction.
While I watched, my attention was drawn to the transmission tower that runs through the field. On the transmission tower sat probably 30 vultures (no joke). It was honestly a little creepy. The vultures followed the calf with the position of their bodies, while the mama cow walked closely behind the calf. The calf wandered to a wooded area. As soon as that happened, the vultures started to fly down to the wooded area. Over the next couple of minutes, about 15 of them made their way down to the trees or to the ground within 20 feet of the calf.
All the while, the mama cow stood her ground between her baby and the vultures. I watched in amazement as she would turn and charge any vultures that got too close. She wouldn't let them come close to her baby.
That really got me thinking. Vultures to me represent uncleanliness, sin, and death. The entire time Piper and I walked around the track, I thought about how I want to be like that mama cow. I want to steer Henry in the direction he should go: away from danger and towards the safety of the Cross. I want to stand between my Henry and the sin of this world. I want to protect him from evil. I want to show him how to defend himself against what this world and Satan will throw at him, and when he's old enough, to let him fend for himself and rely on what Brett and I have taught him. Just like that mama cow and her baby calf.
Sometimes I still don't feel like a mama, even though I have been carrying this baby for 9 months. But tonight, I felt God placing a maternal instinct for Henry in me for the first time (to be completely honest). It's a good thing too because I think Henry may come before the end of this week. We almost went to the hospital this morning because I was having a lot of contractions, but they weren't regular enough to warrant a trip where they would just send me home.
Keep us in your prayers this week, and in particular, that we would have the wisdom to know if and when to head to the hospital.
Hope you enjoyed my Mother's Day story and the update (where Henry has dropped some more, even if you can't tell). And Happy Mother's Day to all you beautiful mommies out there!
Tuesday, May 5, 2015
The Inevitability of Birth
This post may not connect with any of you. I'm not sure how many other mamas have had these thoughts before. The past week, I have been struck by the inevitability of birth. Don't get me wrong. I knew it was coming. Being less than two weeks out makes it so real now. I could honestly go into labor while writing this post.
Let me explain what I mean by the inevitability of birth. There are so many things in life that can be put off until a later time. I can wait another hour to eat, another week to clean the house, another month to go shopping. Even deadlines are sometimes flexible. Birth is not.
Even if I go past my due date, Henry will be born. He can't stay in there forever (thank goodness). I know this fact, it's just hitting me a little differently this week. Part of me is counting down the days until he comes because I am getting more and more uncomfortable and the Braxton Hicks contractions are getting more intense. The other part of me is nervous and scared by the inevitability of Henry's birth. I know it's going to hurt. I know my body won't be the same after he's born. My body has and will continue to go through changes.
When I get overwhelmed by the thought of the pain of labor, I try to remember this:
Any other mamas out there have this thought before giving birth? How did you deal with the inevitability of birth?
Let me explain what I mean by the inevitability of birth. There are so many things in life that can be put off until a later time. I can wait another hour to eat, another week to clean the house, another month to go shopping. Even deadlines are sometimes flexible. Birth is not.
Even if I go past my due date, Henry will be born. He can't stay in there forever (thank goodness). I know this fact, it's just hitting me a little differently this week. Part of me is counting down the days until he comes because I am getting more and more uncomfortable and the Braxton Hicks contractions are getting more intense. The other part of me is nervous and scared by the inevitability of Henry's birth. I know it's going to hurt. I know my body won't be the same after he's born. My body has and will continue to go through changes.
When I get overwhelmed by the thought of the pain of labor, I try to remember this:
A woman giving birth to a child has pain because her time has come; but when her baby is born she forgets the anguish because of her joy that a child is born into the world. John 16:21Once Henry is here, everything will be worth it. I just have to remember that through labor.
Any other mamas out there have this thought before giving birth? How did you deal with the inevitability of birth?
Sunday, May 3, 2015
Week 38
Phew. Two weeks left. This mama is feeling it. Last Thursday, we had our weekly appointment. I told my OB that I felt like Henry had dropped a little. When she checked me, she said, "Whoa, yep he definitely dropped."
Like I said in last week's post, it looked like he dropped some. This week, I felt the effects of it. Henry is pressing on my bladder a lot. I am not exaggerating when I say that I get up every hour during the night to go to the bathroom. Sometimes, I can fall right back to sleep. Other times, my acid reflux is so bad that it can take 30 minutes to an hour to go back to bed (Tums have become my side kick and one of my best friends). Then, Piper wakes up with the sun at 6:30. I haven't had a full sleep cycle in a while.
I joke, but I am partially serious, when I say I may get more sleep once Henry gets here. I doubt I'll be getting up every hour to feed him (hopefully). I definitely think it's God's way of preparing my body to not be in shock with the lack of sleep once Henry is born.
Even with the lack of sleep, I was in full nesting mode this weekend. I cleaned the entire downstairs, including scrubbing the kitchen appliances and the bathrooms. Brett helped me move furniture so I could Swifter Piper's hair from underneath it. I think there was enough hair for a whole second dog! I tried to take it slow, but once I got in the mood, it was hard to stop. I shouldn't have done as much because my back is really feeling it right now (plus I'm having a Braxton Hicks contraction as I write this).
I've been having a lot of thoughts the past couple days as Henry's due date is approaching. I hope to write about it this week.
If you have the time, please pray for me to have the energy to work, as I'm working full-time up until I go into labor. Thankfully, Brett has shown me much grace in the evenings despite me being exhausted and sometimes moody and irritable. Enjoy my weekly update (where I have popped a bunch and dropped some).
Like I said in last week's post, it looked like he dropped some. This week, I felt the effects of it. Henry is pressing on my bladder a lot. I am not exaggerating when I say that I get up every hour during the night to go to the bathroom. Sometimes, I can fall right back to sleep. Other times, my acid reflux is so bad that it can take 30 minutes to an hour to go back to bed (Tums have become my side kick and one of my best friends). Then, Piper wakes up with the sun at 6:30. I haven't had a full sleep cycle in a while.
I joke, but I am partially serious, when I say I may get more sleep once Henry gets here. I doubt I'll be getting up every hour to feed him (hopefully). I definitely think it's God's way of preparing my body to not be in shock with the lack of sleep once Henry is born.
Even with the lack of sleep, I was in full nesting mode this weekend. I cleaned the entire downstairs, including scrubbing the kitchen appliances and the bathrooms. Brett helped me move furniture so I could Swifter Piper's hair from underneath it. I think there was enough hair for a whole second dog! I tried to take it slow, but once I got in the mood, it was hard to stop. I shouldn't have done as much because my back is really feeling it right now (plus I'm having a Braxton Hicks contraction as I write this).
I've been having a lot of thoughts the past couple days as Henry's due date is approaching. I hope to write about it this week.
If you have the time, please pray for me to have the energy to work, as I'm working full-time up until I go into labor. Thankfully, Brett has shown me much grace in the evenings despite me being exhausted and sometimes moody and irritable. Enjoy my weekly update (where I have popped a bunch and dropped some).
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