Webster

Pregnancy, childbirth and motherhood in general have forced me to become more familiar and comfortable with otherwise unknown, funny or strange words. To name a few: lightening, effacement, linea negra, Weissbluth, nipple, breech, anterior fontanelle, craniosynostosis, and my newest vocab addition is the "Webster Technique" (which I'll get to in a minute).

I've used this blog to write about mostly sunny and wonderful moments of motherhood. I am not really one to mass communicate on the hardships. Like almost a year ago when we saw a pediatric cranial plastic surgeon for a possible diagnosis of craniosynostosis (aka scariest time so far in my mothering career). Sophie is fine, by the way.

The second most paralyzing moment in my mothering career happened yesterday. We had an ultrasound to check on baby Barber's progress at almost 39 weeks and the technician told us we have a big, healthy BREECH baby. I kind of checked out at that point. In the contiguous United States, this presentation of baby equals Cesarean delivery. I know - women do it every day, it's safe, it's routine, blah blah blah. The last thing I want is scheduled major surgery to extract a baby from my body, at the risk of offending anyone that reads this. It's just not for me. I mean, I cried when I got my flu shot.

In coming to terms with my new potential reality, I reached out to my very best resources who gave me some excellent advice. I immediately scheduled an appointment with a highly recommended chiropractor for first thing this morning. He's had a great success rate with something called the "Webster Technique" which involves small adjustments and encouraging some involuntary muscles and ligaments to relax and stretch giving baby any extra room available to get head-down.

A chiropractic adjustment called the Webster technique is a specific sacral adjustment to help facilitate the mother's pelvic alignment and nerve system function. This in turn balances pelvic muscles and ligaments, reduces torsion to the uterus and offers a greater potential for optimal fetal positioning.

So I'm freshly home from my first treatment and feeling relaxed and hopeful. There has been a lot of activity in my belly (fingers crossed), and I go back in on Monday for another round. Tuesday my doctors are going to want to make a plan that minimizes risk for safe delivery. If it doesn't work, I will know that I tried. Head down, head up, surgery or labor... healthy baby. Thank you to my friends and family for prayers, thoughts and words of encouragement!

Birth of a nursery

This nursery has been a labor of love, for sure. I've spent many hours on little projects, picking through stores and furniture, and picking paint from my hands and fingernails. It's still simple and sweet though - it's hard to over-do-it when you don't know the sex!

We completed this nursery on a serious budget, and we left out some things that we can still do later. For example I really wanted tall bookshelves flanking either side of the crib, but for now the space is occupied with a glider and a bouncy seat. We have already started enjoying the room, hanging out in there after putting Sophie to bed at night. Hope you enjoy, too!

BEFORE:

Bedroom #4, before we purchased the house.

Dresser we scored at a local consignment shop.

The priming begins!

A craft project/mobile that I found on Pinterest.*

*Not pictured: my arthritic hands after cutting out 10,000 circles.

Mobile before I put it all together.

Maternity photoshoot - my favorite shot.

The photographer was free, but I had to carry his baby. :)

I borrowed the cardi from my high school senior brother-in-law!

AFTER:

Jenny Lind crib from Craigslist, sleepsheep from Sophie's nursery,

repurposed picture frames from college that I crackled painted

(two frames are waiting for pictures of new baby),

bumper was a gift from Yaya and Grampa.

The finished consignment store dresser!

Bassinet from Sophie's nursery (yes, it's staying pink for now)

(from my brother's nursery)

(from my nursery)

(from my Dad's nursery). It is very old!

Bicycle photo I took in high school during a trip to New Orleans,

old window is from the first house we owned in Charlotte,

houndstooth lamp from Homegoods,

yellow/grey piggy bank a gift from the Flemings.

IF baby Barber is a boy, we have some cute

boy clothes on standby. This was one of my brother's baby outfits!

36 weeks (here is where we stop counting)

Something happens at 36 weeks. Realizing that bouncing baby Barber could survive just fine if he/she decided to come at any time now. When the doctor says at this point that they would no longer try to stop or stall your labor. Realizing that our days as of a family of three (plus two) are numbered less than one calendar month. When the baby clothes, swaddle sacks and blankets are washed in Dreft (why so delicious, Dreft?), folded and put away. When you stop thinking about 'tasks' and just enjoy every minute.

So what did we do this weekend? Had some fun and took some pictures. With the tiniest amount of coaching Bryan took some of my favorite pictures of this baby bump - he did such an amazing job. We didn't do a formal maternity shoot with either pregnancy, but we wanted to document this ourselves.

My two favorite little faces.

True love: bundled up, fall leaves, family time.

Favorite things: pregnancy edition

OK, so a few little things I couldn't get through this pregnancy without...

A LOT of sleep

A very endearing, empathetic and patient husband

A good pillow

Good cheese (currently brie, swiss, american, cheddar, white cheddar) and fruit (currently oranges, strawberries, frozen mixed berries, pineapple, cantaloupe) in the house at all times

A monthly pedicure

My Nalgene bottle (number 2 plastic)

I got a good tip from my friend Meagan about finding a prenatal vitamin that is free of dyes, preservatives, dairy, gluten, and soy (HINT: the one that your doctor prescribes most likely has ALL of these things), because if we are being honest, there are already far to many of these unnecessary additives in our diet. I wanted to source one locally so that I didn't have to pay someone to ship it across the country to me. Trader Joe's Daily Prenatal is the only one I found that fit the bill!

TJ's prenatal does not have DHA Omega-3 supplement, so I was off on a hunt for that one, too. I actually found one at Target that is made with Algal Oil - a plant based DHA which is great for vegetarians but also those of us who just want to avoid possible exposure to mercury or other ocean-born contaminants from the traditional DHA that is mined from fish that are farm raised and spend their days swimming in their own poop.

For my own brain (DHA is for the baby), I stick to ONE single book: Your Pregnancy Week by Week. If I come up with any questions that aren't found here, I call my doctor. Too many books have too many conflicting facts/opinions and it is really easy to confuse an already worried expectant mother (maybe just my experience!).

So, that is what I do for my insides. For the outsides, I love love love Body Shop's Cocoa Butter Moisturizing Stick. I know that stretch marks are said to be genetic, but I used this twice a day while pregnant with Sophie and don't have a hint of a stretch mark. Genetics or a great product... I'm using it again!

Preggo, round two

Well, we're adding a new character to the blog. Affectionately known around here as jellybean, peanut, beh-beh... the usual list goes on but nothing has stuck yet. We've been telling Sophie that there is a baby in Mommy's belly, and her new favorite thing to do is to lift Mommy's shirt for a closer look... in public... like, at Target. Awesome.

I've heard that no two babies are alike, no two birth stories are alike, no two pregnancies are alike. I buy it. I've been beyond tired to the point where I have to partake in two to three hour naps with Sophie after lunch or I can't make it through dinner time. This means that a lot of my good intentions have taken a temporary backseat: my culinary explorations have slowed dramatically, my 30 in 30 book project has all but ended and I haven't made a coffee bag pillow in months.

Other than the tiredness, I've had some major food aversions (which now at 15 weeks are finally starting to subside). The thought of eating meat for the last six weeks has been simply stomach churning, and forget my favorite crockpot - if I have to smell something cooking for eight hours then don't even think this Mommy is going to eat it. Ugh.

On pregnancy, round two, I also think the doctor has told me different things. This time around they are saying NO tuna (before I think it was once a week), ONE caffeinated beverage per day (before I think it was two-three), and NO lunch meat (before I think it was use your judgement).

And finally, it is safe to say that everything is happening faster this time. From what I understand, my abdomen is already wrecked - I mean stretched - I mean warmed up - so at 15 weeks, I look more like 18/19 weeks! Who knew.

What's a post without some photos. Enjoy.

At 14 weeks in Chicago!

We got fussed at for taking a picture in front of a temporary exhibit. Whoopsy-daisy.

The picture I wanted was in front of a Pollock painting. Oh well!

My little love bug at a recent playgroup.

Mother's Day, part deux

We had a great Mother's Day weekend with a surprise trek to Louisville, KY to visit with some family. This was my second year of being a mommy and getting in on the celebration - only made better by the fact that we announced we have another jellybean in the oven! Our due date is November 21, so we'll have another holiday birthday to add to the calendar.

We were also in Louisville in time for the Kentucky Derby. This was the only outfit in Sophie's closet with horses on it, and here she is running her own little derby (sans goggles, helmet and riding crop).

Sophie sure does love her little cousins in Kentucky, and I've got the pictures to prove it:

Sophie and cousin Kaelin.

Sophie sandwich! Hannah and Kaelin.

Impromptu Mother's Day pictures taken by hubby!

Obv, had a hard time picking a favorite!

My little love bug. Happy Mother's Day!

Post partum event, 1 year later?

So the last post partum/really fun thing happening to my body... one year later?!

I could REALLY do without the two inch spikes of hair that stick out all over my head. When I try to do something cute, or even just a ponytail, I wind up with a halo of short spiky hair everywhere! Forget about sweating in a workout, jog, or yoga session... then they turn to little ringlets.

Without doing any sort of research, I'm going to chalk it up to the hair that all FELL OUT after Sophie was born is now growing back in.

Grow baby, grow.

ABC's that got me through the first year

Some friends have asked for advice on registries, toys, etc. recently and as I started making my recommendations, I noticed they were almost in alphabetical order (the organizer is embedded in my subconscious!). So, these are my favorite things that have gotten us through the first year! If there is something that YOU loved and I've missed it, please leave a comment for me and the other readers!

A Aden & Anais swaddle blankets and swaddle sacks, Amber necklace for teething

B Boppy, Bumbo, Baby 411 (a great quick reference book), Baby Bjorn (our favorite carrier from 3mo-6mo), Bibs

C California Baby products (all of them - all natural), Chicco KeyFit car seat & stroller, Cloth diapers as burp cloths - the cheap kind because the nice ones don't absorb anything, Changing pad

D Diaper Dude (dad's diaper bag), Diaper Genie, and Diapers!

E Ergo baby carrier (my new favorite carrier! 6mo to about 2 years), Exersaucer, Electric toothbrush (sounds weird, right? the only sound that would make Sophie stop crying some times)

F Flip Video handheld video camera, Freddy the Firefly and any other Lamaze brand toys, First aid kit


G Graco Pack N Play, Grooming kit

H Hometics sound machine, Hooded towels, Happiest Baby on the Block (DVD is better than the book), Hand-me-downs - accept all of them!

I Infantino Vintage Twist and Fold Activity Center

J Jogging stroller (we love the Baby Jogger Summit), Join an online mommy network (The Mommy Network, for example)

K Kindermusik or another regular class - getting mommy and baby out of the house for socialization is a great thing!

L Lansinoh cream, Lactation consultant

M Medela pump, Mylicon, Moby Wrap (my favorite carrier from 0-3mo)


N Night out (as in, take one every once in a while), Nursing tanks, Nipple shields

O Outlet covers, Onesies (all kinds - long sleeve, short sleeve, built in mittens)

P Pacifiers (all kinds - then when the babe picks a favorite, go buy six of them)

Q Q-tips, the safety kind

R Rocking chair (or glider or a Lazy Boy), Robeez shoes

S Sophie the Giraffe (our fave teether), Snappies bottles, Sleep Sheep, Swaddle sacks with velcro

T Think Baby Bottles, Tub

U Understand no two days are the same :)

V Video Monitor (Summer is my favorite), Vicks baby vapor rub

W Weissbluth: Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, Wipe Warmer, Walker (good for chasing four-legged siblings)

X XOXOXOXOXO hugs and kisses - give 'em and get 'em

Y Yogurt melts, Yellow anything because pink and blue get boring

Z Zipper pajamas in all sizes, Zzzz's... sleep is good for mommy and baby!

Be Here Now

Towards the end of my pregnancy, everyone under the sun began saying, "I bet you are SO ready to have that baby already!" Of course we were, and we just wanted to see the little hiccuping, kicking, squirming babe. I wasn't ready to wish away my last few weeks of quiet and unlimited opportunity to sleep and be alone with my husband, however. We did a really good job of spending QT together, traveling, eating out and being with friends. No regrets on our life pre-baby.

Much in the same way, after the birth everyone immediately asks, "When are you going to go for number two?" I looooove babies and I think Sophie is the tops, but I realize that even on my toughest day with her, that life will never ever be this easy again as we add to the Barber brood. I do not, for a second, want to wish away our sweet little simple life or to fast forward to when naps are predictable and she is walking and talking. So when her nap interferes with my lunch date, or she rejects the gym daycare, I try to just be here, now.

Be Here Now

Ray LaMontagne

Don't let your mind get weary and confused
You will be still, don't try
Don't let your heart get heavy child
Inside you there's a strength that lies

Don't let your soul get lonely child
It's only time, it will go by
Don't look for love in faces, places
It's in you, that's where you'll find kindness

Be here now, here now
Be here now, here now

Don't lose your faith in me and
I will try not to lose faith in you
Don't put your trust in walls
'Cause walls will only crush you when they fall