He is totally worth 9 days of labor

In case any of you hadn't heard, the Spumoni ice cream trick did not send me into active labor. I ended up with 9 days of "prolonged early labor", 2 false alarm trips to the hospital, and an extra pint of black licorice tasting calories...Which I wish could have been mint.

Here I am at false alarm #1 -

October 1st - I went to work in labor, beginning to think that this was my new life. This baby is staying put - forever. I had already had my membranes stripped once, with nothing to show except an extreme disliking of having my membranes stripped. And on this day, I went back to my midwives, only to hear what I had been hearing for the last 9 days, "You are definitely ready to have this baby. He could come today. Or he might wait another week."
I may have yawned.
"Do you want me to try stripping you again?"
Since this was my new life, and I was growing used to the pain, I told her yes, fully expecting it to be another unsuccessful attempt.
I went back to work, against my husband's advice, and encouraged that he go see a movie and pick me back up at 5.
Phaeton - "Um. I don't think so. What if you go into active labor?"
Me - "I won't. And if I do, just have your phone on vibrate."
He decided to grab a pizza and beer and either wait for my call or wait until 5pm.
Thirty minutes in, he texted to see how I was.
I texted him - Contractions are two minutes apart again, but I fully expect them to stop any minute.

Honey, let me come get you.

No. Go to a movie.

Fifteen minutes later, he texts.
I texted him - They are getting more intense. But, it's only been fifteen minutes.

I'm coming to get you.

Let's wait to see if they last an hour.

Honey...

Two minutes later - Come get me. This hurts.
He was already halfway there.

We went to get Adeleigh from daycare and met up with my parents. Then headed straight to the hospital.
I was dilated to a 7 after having been stuck at 4 cm for a week. For the third time in 9 days I heard, "This is it!" Then, since this was my new life, a little piece of me was convinced that I would be the medical mystery that would undilate back to a 4.
At 11:45pm my midwife, Lani came to check on me. A quick look and she said, "This baby is ready. Go ahead and push...let's see what happens."
I pushed.
"Oh this won't take long. Push again."

If any of you remember my very first blog post, it took 4 & 1/2 hours of pushing before I could call myself a momma. So hearing my midwife say "this won't take long" was music to my ears.
My midwife started yelling for the nurse (the same nurse that delivered Adeleigh) to get in there. Then, she said something that made me laugh...

Please note: At this exact moment in time, I was still pregnant, which translates to - I have no recollection of what she said. But I have the epidural to thank for allowing me to laugh while pushing a baby out.

His head crowned. Our nurse still hadn't arrived, and I assume due to some rule or legality, my midwife told me, "No pushing! And no laughing until Jan gets back!" She literally held his head in place through 2 contractions until the nurse walked in. Four minutes (and 2 contractions worth) into a new day, caught by his daddy, my little guy was here.
And [almost] born by laughter, he is perfect.

The Spumoni Underground Operation

There's this common idea that Spumoni ice cream has labor-inducing effects. We've been hearing a lot of advice lately to give it a try. And when you've been having strong contractions anywhere between 2 and 60 minutes apart for 5 days straight, had over 5 labor checks in 3 days and been in and out of the hospital with false labor, you heed all the advice you can get.
__

Earlier today, Phaeton and I ate at Snooze for brunch after yet another midwife appointment for the week. We walked inside to put our name down.
Host - "Two today? Can I get your name?"
Me - "Yes. Heather. And I have an interesting request."
Host - "What's that?"
Me - "Can we please get a booth, off to the side, not in the open? I'm having contractions and don't want everyone to see it."
Host - "Sure thing. You know what's funny? I've had that request a few times in my time working in restaurants. It'll be about 5-10 minutes for your table."

We were seated in our booth and our waitress greeted us. "Hey guys! I thought the next time you'd be here you'd have another little baby in your arms!"
Me - "Ha! We did too! I've actually been having contractions for 5 days now, so hopefully soon."
Then, she proceeded to tell us about her experience working at an italian restaurant a few doors down. She said that almost 100% of the time, customers who ordered their spumoni ice cream went into active labor within 24 hours.
Phaeton - "We've heard about spumoni a lot lately. Where did you guys get your ice cream from?"
Waitress - "Just across the street at Walrus. But, I think they only sell it to restaurants. I don't know if you'd be able to get it yourselves."

When we left the restaurant, we decided to make a stop across the street at Walrus. I sat in the car and watched Phaeton walk inside, fully expecting him to come back out in a matter of seconds without any spumoni ice cream. A few minutes went by, I had an excruciatingly painful contraction, and out he walked with a brown paper bag and the biggest smirk on his face. He got in the car and said, "Well, that was a weird experience."
__

Phaeton had walked in and was greeted by a young girl working behind the counter.
Phaeton - "Hey, do you guys happen to have any spumoni?"
Girl - "What's spumoni?"
Phaeton - "It's something you take when you're in labor and want the baby to come out quicker."
Girl - "Oh, ummmm....??? Let me go ask the Ice Cream Maker."
The girl left the room for a few moments and returned with a confused look on her face - "Are you from a restaurant?"
Phaeton - "Uhh. Yes."
Girl - "Which restaurant?"
Phaeton - "....[awkward pause]....The restaurant that's going to give me some spumoni."
.....{crickets}.....
Even more confused Girl - "Ummm....I'll be right back."
She left again and walked back out with the Ice Cream Maker.
Ice Cream Maker - "Which restaurant are you with?"
Phaeton, sticking to his awkward answer - "The restaurant that is going to give me some spumoni."
.....{more crickets}.....
Phaeton and the Ice Cream Maker just stared at each other for a little while....It sounded a little bit like this-

Ice Cream Maker - "Yeah. We have spumoni."
He opened up a fridge, separate from the other flavors and put the bucket on the counter. He left the room without another word. The girl opened up the container.
Girl - "Whoa."
Phaeton - "What?"
Girl - "There are just so many flavors in here!"
Phaeton - "That's what makes it so powerful. You need to remember this: When you are in labor, you need to eat some spumoni to get the baby out. Can you remember that?"
Girl - "I'm never going to forget this day for the rest of my life.....How much do you want? A pint?"
Phaeton - "Yes, please."
Girl - "Would you like another pint?"
Phaeton - "I won't need anymore until next time."
Girl - "Okay. Enjoy your spumoni."
Phaeton - "Oh, it isn't for me." And he walked out with his brown bag and the biggest, most mischievous grin on his face, like he had successfully performed a secret underground operation for his pregnant wife.

____

We'll let you know if it works :)

Daughter of the Year

Today was not one of my finer days of being a Mom. I blame it on feeling 92 weeks pregnant with excruciating leg cramps and feeling like everytime this baby moves inside of me, a watermelon is going to fall out. Meanwhile, I'm also trying to entertain a rambunctious 3-year-old who refuses to nap while my husband is away at work. All I want to do is sleep. But, I would also settle for going into labor so that the watermelon pain would soon subside.

So this afternoon, I had a pregnant Mommy temper tantrum, and unnecessarily sent Adeleigh to "the naughty step". And then I broke down. I didn't know for sure if I was crying because I was in so much pain, or if I was pregnant, or if it was because I felt awful for having snapped at her, or if I was frustrated, or if I just needed a good cry, or all of the above. But my little girl sensed that I needed something and got herself up from the naughty step, walked over to me with a tissue and wiped away my tears. "Mommy, don't be sad. I want you to be happy right now. Do you need a hug and a kiss?"
"Yes, sweetie. I need a hug and a kiss."
She gave me the sweetest hug and kiss, another hug and kiss, wiped away more tears and threw the tissue away in the wastebasket. "Are you happy now?"
"Yes, Adeleigh. Mommy is very happy because of you. I just don't feel well. But, I'm very sorry that I yelled at you."
"That's okay, Mommy. I love hanging out with you. Don't be sad."
I felt a slew of emotions, more happy than anything, and the tears just kept coming. I tried explaining to Adeleigh that I wasn't sad, but that now I was crying because I was happy.
A few minutes later, Phaeton called on his way home from work. In the middle of our conversation, Adeleigh grabbed the phone from me and told him, "Daddy, Mommy is very sick and sad. But, I will take care of her and make her happy again."
So, after a day of questioning myself and how I would ever survive as a momma of two, let alone a momma of one and a watermelon protruding from my stomach, I suddenly realized that everything will be just fine. I'm sure there will be difficult days ahead. And I'm sure that I will have some additional not-so-fine Momma moments. But today, when I was quickly reminded of the innocence and pure, unconditional love that emits from my little girl's heart, I realized why I was so overcome with emotion. I realized that all of the moments and memories, all of the overwhelming feelings and emotions, all of the learning and growth of the last three years that we've shared with Adeleigh, are about to be multiplied.
And I feel ready. Not just physically ready, but for the first time, really ready for this next chapter in our family. So, while today didn't go as ideally as I would have liked, I think I needed today to happen the way it did so that I could get there.

Photo by Jessica Loucks

Now you are three

Dear Adeleigh,

I can't quite believe it. I remember the day you were born as vividly as I remember two minutes ago. And look at you. Now you are three.
We carry on simple and thoughtful conversations. We give lots of hugs and kisses. We teach each other everyday about love, about being vulnerable, about facing our fears. You can tell me that you love me without me saying it first. You amaze me everyday with your compassion and genuine concern for others. With your knowledge and comprehension of the world surrounding you. Like this evening, when you explained to me that we needed to get a screwdriver out of Daddy's toolbox so that we could put batteries in your toy. I assumed Daddy had said that to you just minutes prior, but he hadn't.
You make your Daddy and me laugh everyday and one of our favorite things is hearing your giggle. We also really love your freckles. We love that you say Mommy and Daddy are your best friends, because you are ours too.
We may not always show it, but we love that you face our fears. Like yesterday, when we were having family photos taken and you decided to start climbing a tree.

Photo by Jessica Loucks

HeartStrong Photography

We didn't even know you could climb trees. We love your confidence and your artistry in everything you do. Even if you fall down and roll across the room doing it, you are not afraid to get up and try it again. You are a strong independent little girl. But we love that you still need us. We need you too.
Adeleigh, you have taught your Daddy and me what family is all about. We didn't comprehend the magnitude of its meaning until you.
Happy Birthday, Little One.

Be sure to drink your Ovaltine

This evening, I made a phone call to DISH network to adjust our service programming. I went into it fully expecting to hear sales pitch after sales pitch as to why I should justify spending entirely too much money for hundreds of channels that we never watch. Here is a small glimpse into the conversation with my new friend from DISH:

Me - "Hi there. Our 3-month promotional period is about to end, so I would like to change our plan to the basics before we get charged regular price. We'll take whatever is cheapest."
My friend - "Okay, Ma'am. I understand you would like to get rid of over 160 channels. Can I ask why?"
Me - "Yes, we are trying to cut back on our finances as much as possible since we're about to have a baby."
My friend - "Oh how exciting. Congratulations. I remember that feeling of excitement and anxiety, all at the same time. We have a son that keeps us up at night. We are very tired. Is this your first?"
Me - "It's our second, so fortunately we have been through the sleepless nights and know what to expect."
My friend - "Oh yes. There will be many nights where you are up with the baby. Wouldn't it be nice to have so many channels to choose from late at night? Or to have the cartoons for your other child to watch while you tend to the baby?"
Me - "Oh no. We're good. We won't miss all of those channels. We hardly watched many of them."
My friend - "Okay, well we have a Baby TV channel for only $5/month."
Me - "Baby TV? What's that?"
My friend - "It's the number one program for babies and toddlers. Even your new baby could watch it. Are you considering making this purchase?"
Me - "No thanks. We need to cut back and only want the basics."
My friend - " Okay, well if you are sure. Then I will go ahead and issue that change for you."
Me - "Thank you."
My friend - "Sure, Ma'am. Congratulations again on your baby. And please don't forget to take your vitamins. Have a great night."

I hung up the phone and laughed. I told Phaeton that my new friend just reminded me to take my vitamins.

Phaeton - "That's good advice. Did you take your vitamins?"

Come to think of it, I forgot to take my prenatal vitamin this evening.
Thanks, DISH friend!

Rody & Adeleigh

For every year of Adeleigh's life, we have taken a memorable photo of Adeleigh with her good friend, Rody. Rody lives inside Dandelion Toys in Old Town and oftentimes we find him resting towards the back of the store.

Here is the first time they met.

Love at first sight is an understatement.



Here she is on her 2nd Birthday, riding Rody off into the sunset (after kicking Abe off, of course) -

This evening, we found our good friend resting under a table and were excited for their reunion.

We're not sure if Adeleigh underestimated the strength of her own bounce, or if Rody just needed some alone time. But while trying to re-capture the moment of their first meeting, this was what happened -

Not just once, but 3 times -

For whatever reason, their chemistry was a little off this evening. But, Adeleigh is tough. There were no tears. So, we just moved on and walked across the street for something that never disappoints - ice cream.

:)

6 years

Six years ago today, I married a guy who I met in a bookstore café.

He’s the guy who sat frozen in a 60 degree hospital room for over 40 hours while I was in labor. He never left my side. And he never once complained about it.

He’s the guy who caught our daughter with his bare hands and will forever mark that as the proudest moment of his life.

He’s the guy who every night, night after night, is there to brush Adeleigh’s teeth, read stories with her and help tuck her into bed.

He’s the guy who allows her to crawl in between us in bed each night because he knows how much I love having her there. And when he repeatedly gets kicked in the head and throat, he silently steps out and sleeps in the other room.

He’s the guy who sits with his hand resting on my belly every night, so he can feel our son moving too.

He’s the guy who tells me and shows me every day how much he loves our family.

He’s the guy who loves to remind me that I am his soul mate.

Six years ago today, I married mine.

The baby has allergies

Adeleigh has a lot of ideas when it comes to her baby brother in utero, including -

He likes to jiggle.
The baby has allergies. And when his allergies make him cough, he covers his mouth with his arm. Smart boy.
He gets out of his crib and walks across his room. (His room = My uterus)
When she pokes my belly button, it makes him giggle.
She can hear him.
He wants out.

~~

I can't wait for the two of them to meet :)

Like a fishy

This week, Adeleigh started swimming lessons.
Here she is the day before her first class, 15 miles away from the swimming pool -

And here she is the day of, 15 feet away -

Her least favorite part of swim class is laying on her back, but she's getting more comfortable. My least favorite part of swim class are the last 2 minutes, when the teacher instructs us to submerge our children's heads under water. I was the only parent during the first class that didn't do as instructed. Call me ridiculous, but I feel cruel dunking my unsuspecting daughter's face in chlorine water. I don't even like dunking my own head under water. And I feel cruel enough during bath times when it gets in her eyes. I've consoled her on numerous occasions when this happens, or worse yet, when water accidentally gets up her nose. That is the equivalent to the end of the world.

Since I wasn't mentally prepared to have to purposefully do this, I told the teacher that I couldn't this time, but that I might consider it for the next class.

The next class, Phaeton joined us in the water. As the last 2 minutes approached, I took a deep breath and told Phaeton I really needed his help.
The teacher instructed us to submerge our little ones. All of the other seemingly stress-free parents joyfully dunked their children under the water once, some of them twice.
My blood pressure rose.
I told Adeleigh what we were going to do.
Then, her wonderful daddy went under water to show Adeleigh that it was okay. When he came up alive, she grew the biggest grin and giggled. Then we told her that next she was going to do it with Daddy. She took a deep breath with Phaeton and I dipped her under water and quickly pulled her up.
She was a little shocked, but still smiling. She wiped her eyes and we attempted it again....
She was a little shocked, and came up coughing. She clutched onto me, whining about the water in her eyes and I immediately started apologizing and heading toward the towels.
Phaeton reassured the both of us that it was okay and that I didn't need to apologize to her for what just happened. So although it's still my least favorite part of class, I suppose I am getting a little more comfortable. And so it seems that we are all learning a thing or two with these parent/tot swim lessons.
He was right. She was fine. And once her eyes were clear again, she felt very proud of herself for going under the water - twice. And I felt better for having let my guard down enough for these few moments and allowing her to do so.

So, we celebrated with our sunglasses on and enjoyed vanilla lavender milkshakes in Old Town -

Not all animals need heads

Recently, Adeleigh was given some hand-me-down Barbie dolls. We found them while unpacking the garage and decided to pull them out for play. They lasted about 5 minutes in their original condition until Adeleigh decided they needed something - - -

*Warning*
Image may not be suitable for girls who love their Barbie dolls completely intact -







Not only did she promptly rip both of their heads off, but she also calls them her "animals". And she still plays with them.




Some may find this disturbing.
But, Phaeton and I think we may have a budding feminist who doesn't appreciate inhuman representations of women. And now without their heads, their dimensions of height to body mass index are slightly more accurate.