Getting ready for Baby...

We are officially in, what I call the "safe zone",  meaning we could have the baby anytime and baby would be healthy and if I were to go into labor I can have the homebirth that we have been planning on.  I am getting so anxious and excited to have my our baby here.  Having a homebirth is going to be a whole new experience than what it was like last time, which is the reason why we chose to do a homebirth.  We have our childbirth classes done and out of the way, and I have total confidence in Brad that he will know what to do for me and to help me get through labor.  I also have total confidence in my midwife and her Assistants as well.  It's funny when people ask if I'm afraid/scared to have my baby at home, my response is, first of all if it scared me, I wouldn't do it.  But thinking about it some more, it doesn't scare me AT ALL.  Now if you would have asked me that at the beginning of my pregnancy with Jacob, I would have said yes it would scare me to do a homebirth and that women who do have homebirths are irresponsible hippies, putting their own lives as well as their childrens lives in danger.  But look at me now :)  It's amazing how doing some research (I have been reading, studying, etc. on this subject ever since I had Jacob) completely changed my mind on the matter.  I guess we really do fear what we don't know. 

Anyway, I hope to go into a little more detail on why we chose to do a homebirth later on.  But for now we are just waiting and anxiously anticipating the arrival our newest member who we have decided to name Mason Bradley.  Brad doesn't like the middle name, but I do, and until he can think of a better one that is what it is going to be. I am officially on maternity leave, just ended my first week and I am already bored.  I always think of how much I would love to be a stay at home mom and then I have this opportunity to get a little taste of what it would be like and I am getting bored...what is up with that? 

We having everything all set up and ready for the baby, a couple of weeks ago our midwife brought over the birthing tub (we want to do a waterbirth).  So I had Brad set up for several reasons 1) Wanted to see what it looked like 2) wanted to make sure it would fit in our living room and 3) to make sure Brad knew how to set it up before I went into labor.

Jacob got really excited cause he thought he was going to be able to go swimming in our living room right then and there, and it was difficult to explain to him that it was just for Mommy for when the baby comes out.  Needless to say he was very upset that he took his pants off for nothing.

I have been having contractions on and off for days, I feel like I am being teased.  But every contraction I have IS doing something even if it's not true labor yet.  I am extremely uncomfortable, I can't sleep cause either my hips are hurting or my sciatic nerve is causing problems or I have heartburn or I just can't sleep.  So I am very thankful that Brad has been able to be home all summer so I can take naps whenever I need them, I have been very spoiled having him home.  At our last appointment with the midwife I was 38 weeks and I was measuring 40 weeks....I am pretty sure this is going to be a BIG baby...I would be VERY surprised if he is under 9 pounds. 

This pregnancy has been different from the last one in a couple of ways.  This one has been more physically painful, because of my pubic bone dysfunction and my sciatic nerve that I had problems with before I even got pregnant.  But the last pregnancy was more emotionally hard, I was diagnosed with Gestational Diabetes, and had problems with my blood pressure and was induced due to my blood pressure being elevated.  Looking back now on that pregnancy there are a lot of things that I would change, that probably would have prevented all of that from happening but I learned from it, I can't do anything to change it now and since I have learned from my mistakes I have had a much healthier and happier pregnancy. 

So I feel as ready as I can be for the baby, except for all the baby clothes that need to be folded and put away, and we can't wait to meet our new little boy and CANNOT wait for him to decide that he is ready to meet us. :) ;)

Red Cliffs, (June 8, 2011)

I am a little late posting this adventure of ours.  For some reason I was all into blogging and wanting to go on little hikes and be outdoors and then it got hot here in good ole St. George and my energy level is next to non-existent.  Except for every once in awhile I will get a burst of energy here and there, but only if it involves getting stuff ready for the baby.

Anyway, the day after my birthday we went for a little hike to Red Cliffs Reserve.  This place for some reason has quite a few memories for me.  As a teenager my friends and I went camping here and would come often during the beginning of Summer to cool off and jump off the cliffs and play in the water.  Brad had never been and I knew Jake would love it, so we decided to go early one morning before it got too hot.


 



It kind of freaked me out watching Brad carry Jacob up this part of the trail....cause he lost his balance a little bit.



In order to go further up the canyon you had to use a rope to help you to climb up...between Jacob being terrified of it and me being pregnant....Brad was the only one that went up there.





It felt SOOOO good to put my feet in the cool water, we actually walked most of the way back in the stream barefoot.




Brad showing Jacob (and me) how to skip a rock, I had never successfully skipped a rock until this day....Yay for me!!!



There's my Jacob....looking for the biggest rock his little muscles will let him lift and throw into the water, one of his most favorite things to do.

After our hike we had a picnic at the picnic grounds at the park.  We had so much fun and I know I have mentioned this before, but it has been so nice having Brad home for the summer so we have been able to have fun little adventures like this one.