The End is Nigh

Summer is almost over. It has gone by so quickly. I guess I've really missed a lot of the summer by being cooped up and pregnant or with a new baby for most of it. I realized yesterday, that Link is going to be gone all day at school this year. It was hard enough when I sent him to half day kindergarten, but I am really going to miss him in the fall.

I'll hold back the tears...until the first day of school. Hopefully, the pregnancy hormones will have worked themselves out by then!

Now I want to spend lots of time with him, while I still have it. He is really a great kid.

Okay, so I'm being a bit dramatic! I just feel like I've missed a lot of time with him, this summer.

Now that I think about it, there is almost a full month left until he goes to school again. It is hard to remember that, since "school stuff" starts in about a week or two for teachers.

I Got My Wish

When I was about to graduate from high school, I went through a rough time trying to figure out what I wanted to do with my life, or at least where to go to school and what to study. I had a wonderful Young Women's* president. She helped me understand things and figure out how to learn what I should do with my life. (Of course, things didn't go exactly as planned, but that is how life is...always changing.) Then, she was my first Visiting Teacher**. It was a great transition. She was young (about 25) and was a wonderful influence on the young girls under her care. Since then (about 11 years) I have wanted to serve in the Young Women's program. I haven't been able to do so, yet.

This new ward*** has asked me to be the Mia Maid (girls 14-15) advisor. I am really excited! I hope it will be a wonderful experience. I just hope that I can be a good influence on the girls I will serve with!

For those who aren't Mormon, here are a few explanations:

*Young Women is for girls 12-18 to attend meetings together, learn together and have mid-week activities to learn the Gospel, grow closer to God and each other.

**A visiting teacher is assigned to visit sisters in the ward, get to know each other and teach a monthly lesson in the sisters' homes.

***A ward is what we call our congregation. They are geographical in nature, so you go to church with those within a certain boundary. In Utah, it is usually the size of a neighborhood or two. In other places it can be several miles, it all depends on how many members of the Church are in the area.

Doodle's Birth Story

I had an appointment to be induced on the 16th. I had to call to get a time from Labor and Delivery starting at six am. I called and they said it was really busy, but that there were several babies that they were waiting for that looked like they'd come soon. Well, the whole day went that way and we finally got in at 3 pm. I wasn't too happy about delivering in the middle of the night, but I wanted to have my baby, so we went with it. After all, the next day would probably be the same.

So, off we went to the hospital. We were lucky to get in even then, since a new rush of babies decided it was time to come after we got there.

I was started on Pitocin at 4:30 and we started the boredom! I spent a while watching TV and talking to Aaron.

At 6, my doctor came in and broke my water. He told the nurse I could have an epidural any time I wanted after that, since I was committed to go all the way to delivery at that point. I waited until about 7:30, since I knew the anesthesiologist was in taking care of a mom having a C-section. I felt like a wimp, but hey, I didn't want to wait so long like I did with Princess. With her, it was so hard to stay still for the epidural. I got really lucky, because the doctor was about to go into another C-section. Then, I felt mostly great. I didn't get as numb with this one as I did previously, but it was enough. I could feel a lot of pressure as well as just about everything else, but pain. I had a little bit of back labor, but it wasn't too bad, either. (The one thing to go completely numb, or almost, was my bum. It was numb and painful at the same time!)

At that point, I was dilated to 4 cm. The nurse would check on my periodically, but they mostly left me alone for the next hour and a half. She came and checked to see how close I was to delivery again at 9 pm. We were all amazed that I was dilated to 10 cm already!! The nurse had to rush to get everything ready and get my doctor there in time. Once the doctor got there and ready, I was able to start pushing. I only had to push for about 15-20 minutes before Doodle was here. I was amazed that the doctor started talking about how much hair the baby had and then about a shoulder. It all happened so fast that it took a lot of time for it to seem real. It took almost more time to deliver the placenta than the baby.

She has had very few problems. We had to have her bilirubins checked for a few days and she has a clogged tear duct. (Both are getting better.)

I am also feeling great! I can't believe how quickly I am healing this time. I healed quickly with Princess, but this is just crazy. I just have to be careful not to over do things, since I don't feel too bad anymore.

We are figuring each other out. So far, every night and day has been different. There is no real routine, but we are getting by. She just thinks that she needs to eat constantly, during the day!

Link and Princess think Doodle is wonderful. They always want to hold her and are very willing to get anything I need for her. They are great. Even the dog is fine with her. She spent some time sniffing her and now she ignores her for the most part.

This was a great pregnancy, physically. It was a lot harder emotionally. I was really hormonal, demanding, cranky and mean at times during the first and third trimesters. I called myself Crazy Wife. It was really unpredictable and weird. About as soon as Doodle was born, I felt nicer and more in control of my emotions. I am generally an even-tempered person, so I really hated this side effect!! Right now, I am glad to not be pregnant and I am not sure if I want to do it again. I'm glad it isn't a decision we have to make right away, or there would be a lot more only children in the world.

Video of Doodle

This is mostly for my mom and sister, since these are hard to send through email. I hope for better quality and cuteness as time and lighting allow! Enjoy!


P.S. How do you like that close-up that it gives to show the clip before you click on it? Darling! Ha!

Welcome Baby Girl!

I'd like to announce that all went well for us, we're home and resting and I'll write my birth story, soon. For now, here's a picture of our newest addition!



She weighed 8 lbs 7 oz and was 20 inches long. So far, she is a great baby, who loves to nurse and is a pro at it. The kids love her and want to hold her and help all they can. Oh, yeah (I keep noticing things and having to repost this.) She was born on Wednesday, July 16th at 9:39 pm!

P.S. She'll be known as "Doodle" here on my blog. For a really long time, any time we asked Princess what we should call the baby, she'd say "Cock-a-doodle-doo Tarzan". Though, sadly, we didn't go with that for her real name, I thought part of it would make a cute blog name!

I think I'm Ready...

...just so long as I don't say it out loud and jinx it!

I've been working on getting laundry and dishes under control and we'll tackle some of the "floor clutter" in a little while. I keep worrying that I'll forget and leave a load of laundry in the washer and it will be black with mildew when I get home. No more worries on that front, though the last load is in the dryer, now. I've even tackled some clutter around the rest of the house. It feels nice. I guess I'm getting a period of nesting after all!

I found my copy of "The Nursing Mother's Companion", which I had forgotten I had. I am really glad. I breastfed Princess for a year, so you'd think I'd remember, but I am just paranoid like that.

Not related to getting ready to go have a baby, I've been working on a new crochet project. It is an adaptation of this pattern. I am using crochet thread instead, so it will be a handheld doll. I want to make at least one similar to the Holly Hobby doll for each of my girls, even though the baby won't care for a long time. I'll probably make more, because this one is looking really easy and cute.

Best of all, I think we have a workable plan in place for everyone to be taken care of while I am in the hospital. (Even me!)

So, I'll post pictures and video when I can. Wish me luck! And, I'd welcome any prayers you may want to send this way for me and my family! Thanks!

Grump

I took a warm bath before bed. So, I went to bed relaxed.
I slept well, or about as well as a woman can sleep at 39+ weeks pregnant.
And I still woke up grumpy.

I'm not sure what my problem was but I didn't want anyone to mess with me, talk to me or especially to ask me to do anything for them this morning.

So, I tried to get out of the funk by reading the scriptures and praying. It worked, because by the time we went to church, I felt fine.

I really needed the messages at church, today. It was mostly about peace. Usually, that kind of message hits me in more of an emotional or spiritual peace kind of way. This time, though, I needed to hear that I can find peace from God even in my labor and the pain that goes along with that.

I have had a rough time with waiting for this baby to come. I still feel mostly good, physically, but since I have been having a lot of contractions, it has been hard. I get my hopes up and then they are dashed over and over.

I'm SO glad that we are just going to induce this week. I know that I'll have a baby on Wednesday. I think I need to give up on before that! I think I'll do better emotionally!

7-11

I'm thinking the baby should come today. Her birthday would be 7-11, and we'd take her for Slurpees on every birthday! That would be fun, right?? That should be enough motivation for anyone!

Today I am Thankful For...

It has been a really long time since I did a "thankful" post. After yesterday's grumpiness, I think I need it.

Today, I am thankful for...

...my sweet kids! Even though, I was exhausted from little sleep, they were great. They (mostly) behaved themselves and didn't expect too much from me. They even found muffins from breakfast to eat for lunch. (though, I shouldn't admit that) They played and were so understanding that I was just not in a good mood, nor did I have the energy to do very much.

...my sweet husband! When he got home, he took the kids to his parents' house and let me sleep for a little while. He even brought home dinner so that I didn't have to make anything! He has been so amazing through my hormonal craziness, sleepiness and all of the rest. I love him so much! He is such an amazing husband and father!

...being pregnant! We have been wanting another child for a while and after miscarriages and all of the inconveniences of being pregnant, I am really excited for this baby girl! I am willing to wait, at this point, and at least I know that this time next week, if not sooner, I'll be holding her.

...my extended family! My MIL came out in the middle of the night to sleep with the kids. She is wonderful. She even did my dishes. I was embarrassed that she even saw them, but she figured we wouldn't want to come home to a sink of dishes. It was really nice to not have to do them! She is on call for when we go in for real, to the hospital! My mom is coming in about three weeks, too. It will be nice to have her here to help and play with the kids! It's been a while, so I am excited to see her, too!

...being able to look out the window and see the mountains. I love the view! We need to remove a few overgrown shrubs so the view is better. Not having grown up with mountains, I love to see them! They are so beautiful!

I hope you are able to see the good and beauty around you, today!

Another Pregnancy Update (I'm really not trying to run a Pregnancy Blog, here!)

So, I had my doctor's appointment today at 4:30. There was no change from the development at the hospital. He stripped my membranes and so far it seems to be working!! He said it had a 30% success rate, but hey, maybe I got lucky. It probably helps that things seem to be almost ready anyway. From what I've read, that seems to be the trick!

But, if this peters out, I am scheduled to be induced a week from Wednesday (July 16th)! So, I will be holding my baby on my due date instead of being frustrated because she is late!

Side note: I found a neat website to keep track of your contractions for you! It's called Contraction Master! All you have to do is hit the space bar at the beginning and end of each contraction and it will tell you the times, duration and frequency of contractions. How cool is that? We never keep track of the duration and right now, my husband is sleeping, so I can keep track all by myself with out it being a pain. (Well, except these actually hurt, so...) You can leave the website during a contraction and do whatever you like...say blog for instance!

I found another site, today. It's called BabyNames.com. They have list that are really easy to search and you just have to hover over the names to get a meaning and origin. It is my favorite baby name site, yet! We still aren't sure what to name this little gal, so I love to look, especially at the meanings.

So, wish me luck!

Update: Surprise, surprise--no more contractions and no baby, yet! I am starting to get really frustrated with this!

Contractions

Long story short, and because I don't want this to be a big whine fest, I had contractions for about 12 & 1/2 hours, yesterday-we went to the hospital-now I am at home and still pregnant with NO contractions!

I am really annoyed. We went when we were told, and there was no progress, so we were told we could stay and wait 2 or 3 hours on my doctor to come and check, but there was no real point in that. I was so uncomfortable in that bed, that I just wanted to be home.

I am hoping that it is a good sign that I'll go into labor on my own in the next few days!

Happy Fourth of July!!!

I just wanted to say Happy 4th of July, to you all!

We are planning a outside workday (well, Mister and the kids anyway. I'll be inside in the air-conditioned house!)


Then we have a BBQ with the extended family, games and all of that. Then, of course fireworks. I learned of a good spot to go where we can see them really well and not hear them. I'm thinking that Princess will just fall asleep anyway, but you never know.


So, it sounds pretty low stress. That is what I am all about right now!


P.S. I got these awesome shots from wikimedia! I haven't perfected the art of fireworks photography. I'll try again, this year, though!

Quiet Breakfast

I better write this fast or the title will be a lie!

The kids are still sleeping. For after seven, that is amazing. I am sitting here enjoying an omelet and the quiet. So many times, I have to feel bad telling them that, "No, I can't listen to that right now, I'm reading something." I usually only read and write blog posts in the morning, so I don't feel neglectful or anything, I just like the few minutes of peace.

Back to breakfast. Does anyone else get caught in the "Waffles or pancakes?" rut that is breakfast? Breakfast gets so boring around here. I have several great recipes, but they usually take a lot of time or have ingredients I don't keep on hand. (So if you've got any great, filling, relatively healthy recipes for breakfast, send them my way! I beg you!!)

But, today, I am eating a yummy omelet. Egg, turkey sausage, cheese and a little milk. MMMMmmmmmm!!!!! I'm loving it!

It's also nice that my kids aren't saying how gross it looks and can they have something different!

Explanations

I keep seeing my profile and since I just did a list of random things describing me, it might be fun to explain them. When you don't have anything to talk about (other than pregnancy and whining about my weeds) why not talk about myself. You know you are just dying to know!

Tirzah--This is my real name, only spelled more "correctly". My mom wasn't sure how to spell it, so she didn't spell it this way. Too bad the internet wasn't around then. Now, you can look up names and get alternate spellings as well as sound files of pronunciations. She found it on Ben Hur. I still have goals to first watch the whole movie from beginning to end (thanks Netflix) and second to actually read the book someday. Tirzah was Judah Ben-Hur's sister.

Daughter of God --It is so important for each of us to know where we came from and if we know that we are each truly children of God, then we should have a better understanding of what life is all about.

Wife--I love being married. I've been married to my best friend for a little over eight years and they have been wonderful years! We really work well together and are still very much in love!

Mother--I am mother to two, almost three wonderful kids! They make me smile and I hope I am doing a good job of helping them along in this life!

Sister--I have 3 siblings, two brothers and one sister. We are so different from each other. I don't get to talk to my brothers very often, but I talk to my sister at least weekly online!

Friend--I hope I am a good friend. I've never been very good at having close friends that I can hang out with. I'm more of a talk your ear off on the phone kind of friend and wish I could find that "bosom friend". I usually have tons of great acquaintances that I love but not someone I can just "be" with. (Other than My Man!)

Singer--I love to sing! In school and church, I have always been involved in choir. (Except when there wasn't one.) I love to belt it out to 30s and 40s jazz! I haven't been as good at performing at church and things lately, but I love music and I plan to do better with sharing my talent!

Grower--I love to watch things grow. Plants and children are my favorites. It is so fun to watch the changes and developments as things start small and grow into fully developed things/creatures.

Book-a-holic--I love to read! I usually have some kind of book in my hand (or on my night stand). This pregnancy has fried my brain, though and it has been harder for me to sit down with books that require much thought!

Lover of SPRING--Having grown up in Florida, there really is only one season--summer. There is full-on summer and mild summer, but there really isn't a winter to be mentioned. I love the change of seasons, especially when the spring comes and the world comes back to life!

Horticulturist--I didn't know what to go to school for until my husband pointed out that I loved plants and should try to study that. I thought it was a great idea, so I went and got a bachelor's degree in horticulture. I loved it and I still do!

Crochet-a-holic--I am addicted to crochet. If I need something, I usually try to find a way to make it by crocheting. So many things can be done with crochet. I just love it! I've been doing it since I was 12 or 13 and I hope I never have to stop! Carpal tunnel syndrome has halted me a bit, but I have been able to do it, again!!

Mormon--I was raised as a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I love it and I have a testimony of it's truthfulness. It is the Truth and it is a wonderful way to live. There are so many things trying to pull us away from God and from our families in this world. The Mormon Church is a way to strengthen myself and my family and bring us closer to God!

Dog owner--I didn't have a dog until about two years ago. We got one for my graduation present. I think I'm still not used to her....

Thinker--I crave thinking things through all the way. I'm sure it drives people crazy, too because the way I do it is by talking. I have to talk the situation out for a while before I figure out a good solution. Sometimes I'll talk something out with someone and then have to go back later and talk more to give the real solution!

Doer--I like to get things done. I'm still a procrastinator, but when things need to be done, I'll get them done...It may just take me a while to get to it! ;)

Floridian by birth--I was born in Orlando, Florida and lived there until I was 21. I always hated the climate and told my mom that I wanted to live somewhere else. She thought I'd fall in love with another Floridian, but she was wrong...

Utahan by love--I met my husband online and we fell in love fairly quickly. We met and got engaged. Now we've been married for 8 years and it is strange to think that that is how we met! I love the weather in Utah. I love cold better than hot weather, so this suits me fine! And the heat here isn't so bad because it's drier than Florida by far!

List maker--I love lists. They make me feel in control. I have to know that everything is taken care of and done! Lately, most of my lists are in my Palm Pilot and help me keep myself and family taken care of!

Purse collector--I love purses. I should have probably written bags, since I really don't like to have to carry a purse. I'd rather have a little wallet or very small purse. I also love totes and other bags. I have several. I like to be able to switch from a large bag to a small one depending on what I am doing or on my mood.

Play-doh sniffer--I love the smell of Play-doh. I don't know what it is. It has a mild and comforting smell. It reminds me of children and childhood. (This is one of the big reasons I wanted to explain my list-it kind of makes me sound like some kind of weird addict!)

Shoe hater--I actually love shoes, but they rarely fit my huge feet, so I guess I have a love/hate relationship with shoes. I love to see cute shoes on other people and wish I could wear them, so I hate them! I especially hate shopping for shoes!

Crafter--I. Love. To. Make. Things. It doesn't matter if it is food, clothing, toys, blankets. It doesn't matter what the medium is. I love to learn new things. I love to crochet, knit, sew, cook, make hair bows, I want to learn to quilt, the list goes on. I just like to be making things.

Morning person--I don't do well after about 9 pm and I love to get things done before noon. I like to be up early and think of all the things I've done when it is only 8 am!

Political Moderate--I grew up in a very, VERY Republican home, but now I am a lot more moderate. I tend to lean towards the left in a lot of ways, but I still like a lot of the Republican views as well. There is rarely a candidate that really suits me. I think both "sides" have good things going for them and it shouldn't be (and really isn't) just one way or the other.

Well, that's it. I hope you enjoyed this little installment of the mind of Tirzah!

Name Change Note

I just wanted to help stop confusion, since I was going to change fake names for my family. The kids wanted it and I wanted the names to fit each other and the new baby's name. So, I've decided what to call her on my blog, but not in real life. Go figure! I guess it's easier to give a fake name that a real one. My husband will be "Mister", Luke will change to "Link" and Belle will change to "Princess". I also added pictures on the side with names!

"Man Skills"

When you get to church activity and see the parking lot marked off with caution tape and several of these around the edges, you know you are in for a great time!


Our new ward (congregation) has what they call "Man Skills" for the men. They thought that since the women learn things that they want to, the men should have the same opportunity. So, every month, they have an activity to learn or have fun. This month it was more fun than learning. They were each given a wedge of pine, some wheels, hubs (and whatever else you need to make a car roll) and brief instructions. They didn't have any limits other than if they added extra holes for the explosives, they'd have to bring their own.


We didn't have a lot of time, last week, so My Man just put the wheels on with epoxy and covered the thing with duct tape! It was cool! It actually did quite well, even compared to the ones that had been done up quite fancily!


It was a fun activity, but Belle didn't like it at all. For a while, she wasn't paying attention, and so I picked her up and had her watch one of the races. She was startled by the sound and then, the next one made her cry. It was all over by then, I had to take her to the van (wisely parked on the other side of the building!) so she wouldn't be scared.



This picture was actually taken before the event! She looked pretty concerned. I guess she had reason to be. A few of the cars even flew!

Here is a video of ours racing. You can't tell very well, but in the end it rolls. It was pretty cool!

Weekly Park Trips

In my new neighborhood, the moms get together every week at a different park and let the kids play and eat while we all sit around and talk. So far, each adventure lasts for about 3 hours. It's great! I get to sit around while the kids are occupied and talk to other adults! I'm getting to know the women here and it is really nice. I spend a lot of time inside enjoying my air conditioning, so it is good for me (and the kids) to get out of the house. I hope to be a better mom after I'm not so pregnant and useless!

I love that the kids get to be outside with other kids and I don't have to feel bad about sitting and talking for 3 hours. I'm not ignoring them, but I also get to be an adult and enjoy other adults!

This week, I walked to the park (it only took about 20 minutes) but when I walked home after sitting in the heat, I started to get dizzy. I was so grateful that my husband called and was on his way home from work. He was able to pick me up, so that I didn't pass out on the way home!

I keep forgetting my camera on these excursions. I'm sure I could get some great shots of the kids. Luke has made a couple of friends his age and Belle just goes from group to group. Sometimes she hangs out with the girls, sometimes the boys and other times she just does her own thing. Sometimes I love her independence. I just wish it didn't exhibit itself against me so often!

I don't want to Induce this time

I had an OB appointment yesterday. The baby is head down and things are moving along.

We talked about inducing as well as striping the membranes. I really don't want to induce this time, but my doc is worried that I'll have a ten-pound baby (since my others were 9.5 and 9 lbs) and all of the problems that go with that. With my other two deliveries, I had to have Pitocin when they were late. I hate all of the sitting in the hospital and being tied to an IV. I'd love to spend the first several hours at home and then go in when the baby is ready. I've also heard it is more painful that way and that there are risks.

At the same time, if I am going to hit my due date (on a Friday) and then induce on the next Monday, why not just induce earlier and not have to be pregnant any long than is needed!

I am wondering what any of you did at home to help things along. I have read about a lot of home inducing remedies, but I am wondering if you tried anything that actually worked! (Also, how horrible is having your membranes stripped? It sounds awful to me!)

Thanks!

Another Use for your Sports Bra

I just had to blog about this article! Who would think to take off their sports bra and use it as a signal flag? I guess I would, now.

Randomness

Do you know those times when you should really get off of the computer because you've done all of the useful things and a lot more useless things? Yesterday, I just hit random keys and the search that came up from my mess was www.asdfjklsemicolon.com. It's a really interesting site where they don't tell you anything, don't try to sell you anything, they just want you to leave a message. You can say whatever you want. You can leave contact information or not. They receive tons of emails from this and respond if you leave your email address.

I just thought it was random and cool!.

Random Semi-related Memory: When I was in seventh or eighth grade, I took a typing class. (Yes, typing, as in on a typewriter! Wow, I must be getting old!) One of the first things we learned was where to put our fingers. To reinforce this, she walked around the room singing, "ASDF-JKLsem". The tune was like one that you hear drill sergeants use while running with soldiers. She'd chant the letters and we'd type them in time with her as if we were repeating them out loud.