Baby Approved Smoothies

WARNING: HIDDEN VEGGIES!!!

How do you make both mommy and baby happy? You hide yo green in there! I had to write it like that because I couldn't help but think of this old SNL skit....You put yo weed in there!  It came out just when I was at the age to think weed was hip and cool but I hadn't actually seen it really knew anything about it.  Fast forward to today.....

WHAAA?!?

Penny is usually a great eater but can be picky about veggies so this is a fuss free way of getting them in her. The secret is to just add spinach or kale to any fruit smoothie but the recipe that Penny seems to enjoy best is:

1c Frozen Mango Chunks

1/4cVanilla Greek Yogurt

1/2 Banana

Handful of Greens (Spinach or Kale) 

Big Splash of OJ for easy blending

I love our Magic Bullet for these single serving smoothies and the clean up is super easy.
Now have fun tricking your baby or even yourself into eating those extra needed veggies!

The Best Mommy App - My365

When your friends start unfriending you on Facebook and unfollowing you on Instagram, you may have become an annoying mommy.  We know you think you're baby is the cutest baby ever but you don't need to remind us every two hours!  #youmaybebiased

I started to go a little overboard on Instagram too, it's hard not to with all the cool effects and filters. I have found the perfect solution though, it's an iphone app called my365 (I swear they are not paying me to endorse their app - I wish).  As you can see from the snapshots below it is organized by calendar month which allows me to post a picture everyday of my growing babes.  I can even add a title and a comment for when something note worthy happens like Penny rolling over or Grandma is coming to town.  The comments I make also help me keep track of things like when Penny decided to become allergic to sleep...just for the record it has almost been a month now! The past few nights she has been waking every hour again. #lordhelpme

Anyways, check out the app if you are worried of losing some friends....you don't have to worry about family members though, they love a constant baby update.  Another tip is getting your baby their own facebook account.  We did this for Penny so I can upload a crap load of pictures without bombarding my "friends" wall. 

Not a Sleep-Training Mommy

That's it! My mind is made, I am an anti-sleep training mama.  After endless research and opinions, I keep going back to my gut feeling.  I want to be there for my babes, I am not the type to let her cry it out in her crib alone waiting for me to help her.  She doesn't understand why she is being left alone to "learn" how to sleep, she does know how to sleep! And it's with the comfort of me, her mom, right next to us in OUR bed.  Yup, the truth is out we are a bed sharing, breastfeeding, non-sleep training family.  Call me hippy if ya will but that's just the type of parent I am. I am not alone in these decisions, apparently Mr.Loonie is a bit hippy dippy himself.  I found this letter written from the point of a sleep trained baby and I had a long cry, it was heartbreaking.  I know this topic is highly controversial because you either strongly agree or disagree with sleep training but we are doing what feels right for our family.

 

Taken from: Alternative Mama - Letter from a Sleep Training Baby

Dear Mommy,

I am confused.

I am used to falling asleep in your soft, warm arms. Each night I lay snuggled close to you; close enough to hear your heartbeat, close enough to smell your sweet fragrance. I gaze at your beautiful face as I gently drift off to sleep, safe and secure in your loving embrace. When I awaken with a growling stomach, cold feet or because I need a cuddle, you attend to me quickly and before long I am sound asleep once again.

But this last week has been different.

Each night this week has gone like this. You tucked me up into my cot and kissed me goodnight, turned out the light and left. At first I was confused, wondering where you’d gone. Soon I became scared, and called for you. I called and called for you mummy, but you wouldn’t come! I was so sad, mummy. I wanted you so badly. I’ve never felt feelings that strong before. Where did you go?

Eventually you came back! Oh, how happy and relieved I was that you came back! I thought you had left me forever! I reached up to you but you wouldn’t pick me up. You wouldn’t even look me in the eye. You lay me back down with those soft warm arms, said “shh, it’s night time now” and left again.

This happened again, over and over. I screamed for you and after a while, longer each time, you would return but you wouldn’t hold me.

After I had screamed a while, I had to stop. My throat hurt so badly. My head was pounding and my tiny tummy was growling. My heart hurt the most, though. I just couldn’t understand why you wouldn’t come.

After what felt like a lifetime of nights like this, I gave up. You don’t come when I scream, and when you do finally come you won’t even look me in the eye, let alone hold my shaking, sobbing little body. The screaming hurt too much to carry on for very long.

I just don’t understand, mummy. In the daytime when I fall and bump my head, you pick me up and kiss it better. If I am hungry, you feed me. If I crawl over to you for a cuddle, you read my mind and scoop me up, covering my tiny face with kisses and telling me how special I am and how much you love me. If I need you, you respond to me straight away.

But at night time, when it’s dark and quiet and my night-light casts strange shadows on my wall, you disappear. I can see that you’re tired, mummy, but I love you so much. I just want to be near to you, that’s all.

Now, at night time, I am quiet. But I still miss you.

 Waaaa! Gawd! That is awful, some may think the letter is a little dramatic but how else could the baby comprehend what is happening?  Since we are still in the thick of sleep regression, our methods are making this stage as calm and manageable. I feel that Penny will move to her own bed and learn to fall asleep on her own when she is ready.  I think of it as another milestone like rolling over (which Penny is finally doing!!) or walking.  With continuing with our style of "attachment" parenting, Penny will only learn to feel more comfortable and secure as she ages, aiding in the natural progression of her independence.  Another post worth reading : Alternative Mama - 8 Reasons to Avoid Sleep Training

Sleep Regression......huh?

This past week has been hell on the sleeping front.  Apparently we are going through the four month sleep regression stage.  I had never heard of this before until I stumbled upon it while Googling "WHY IS MY BABY UP EVERY 45 MINUTES??!" I was seriously going crazy.  Unfortunately the regression starting happening at the same time I thought it would be a good idea to "sleep train" and transition Penny to the crib since she was only getting up once a night.  I was struggling on what type of sleep training to even do with her.  Did I want her to cry out or the more gentler approaches of frequently popping in to console her if she fussed or even staying in the room until she fell asleep.  Nothing was working, she would not go to sleep unless she was lying next to me in bed with my boob in her mouth.  I thought I was in the beginning of years of a needy co-sleeping child and I was starting to question my ability as a mom.  I even cried to the lady at the infant massage class Penny and I went to....the extra sensitivity was probably a result of the lack of sleep. Even when Penny would fall back asleep for her next short "nap" I would end up laying there awake waiting for the next get up.  I swear I was going bonkers, it didn't help Mr.Loonie was on night shift so there was no subbing in on Penny duty, it was all me. I was just a little stressed until a friend on facebook posted this article (http://nurshable.com/2012/07/19/the-wio-wait-it-out-method-of-sleep-training/) coincidentally at the most perfect time.  It made me realize Penny is too young to be strict.  There was obviously something wrong in her little mind or body for her to be up so often and she must need her mommy.  I just needed to be there for her without worrying about the damage I may be doing because really we are not doing any.

Sleep Routine

I had no idea what was going on though....the first thing we thought was teething because of the hot red cheeks. But Penny is just too overtired, she just doesn't want to sleep.  There was no napping in the day even.  What I learned from reading about sleep regression is that she just can't shut that little brain of hers down,  she is going through a developmental milestone trying to process all that information and experiences from the day.  All she can get through is one sleep cycle at a time (45-90 minutes) and then needs my help to get back down. Good thing it doesn't take long just a quick snuggle or nurse but it still means an interrupted sleep all night.  And to think I was trying to do this for 3 nights while "sleep training", running back and forth to the crib.....not smart. Now that she is back in bed with us, the nights are a little more peaceful and less stressful.  So hopefully this doesn't last too long, from what I've read it is supposed to be only 2-3 weeks.

Since discovering what was actually going on, we are on a strict bedtime routine.  7:00pm at the latest we are in quiet play mode with the lights dim and the t.v. off. It has seemed to help a bit, only time will improve her habits even further. The only way out of this stage is through it!

Until the next regression at 9 months.......

The 2012 Canadian Penny (both the coin and our daughter)

Did you know that the Government of Canada decided to ix-nay production of the Canadian penny as of 2012?! Well it is true! Apparently it costs more (1.6 cents) to make the penny than what it is worth (1 cent...obviously) and in total costs the Government around $11 million every year to produce the penny!! So what they are really saying is that "Canadians consider the penny more of a nuisance than a useful coin".  But the coin is still in circulation, so really they are just as annoying as they ever were; filling up your wallet, pockets and empty texas mickey bottles.

I swear Mr.Loonie and I don't have this weird infatuation with the Penny which required us to name our first born in memory of the copper coin, it was just a coincidence really.  No one will remember that 2012 was the last year of the penny just like no one remembers the last year of the one dollar and two dollar bill.  If you are not a mint nerd, the years the loonie and toonie were introduced was 1987 and 1996,  coincidentally the same years our currency was labelled as funny money.  

So what does this have to do with Penny, our daughter? Well she will have a cool story to tell one day to someone who cares and she will have the most collectible 2012 penny ever....the one her daddy framed. 

Halloween Round-Up 2012

Halloween was pretty quiet around here this year.  Mr.Loonie is on night shift so I was in charge of handing out candy but I didn't have to do it alone this year! Penny the owl was there to join me. Instead of buying a $20 costume Penny could wear only once we went the homemade route instead which is usually much cuter anyways. I started with an owl toque my aunt got Penny and then sorta copied the idea for the body from a picture I found on Pinterest.  It cost me a total of $5 for a pack of craft felt from Wal-Mart. I just cut it into into strips (scalloped on one side and straight on the other) and hot glued them onto a black onesie I already had.  We also already had the black leggings. Super easy, cheap and cute!!

And then there's carving the pumpkins....I always think it will be a fun activity but the pumpkins usually sit uncarved until the night before Halloween.  Mr.Loonie thinks it's hilarious to do something out of the ordinary.  Last year was the unamused face and this year he used a pumpkin already shaped like a bum to carve out hands and an asshole....we did have quite the reaction at the door though. I used star shaped metal cookie cutters and hammered them into my pumpkin.  I went this route because I honestly hate following those paper patterns and any type of precision cutting. 

Penny's 1st Halloween!

Ass Sphincter Says What?                                                                     Tissue Paper Lanterns

The lanterns I did last year, I think my first ever pinterest project! They are just some random glass jars with tissue paper modge podged on and light up with tea lights.

 Oooh and what do you get from carving pumpkins?! The seeds!! This year we went all fancy up in here using olive oil, black truffle salt (love The Silk Road Spice Merchant!) and black pepper.  All earthy and delicious.

My Dad's birthday falls only a few days before Halloween and this year I volunteered to do the cake...a HALLOWEEN cake! It was actually a cake shaped like a pumpkin using two bundt cake pans and boxed cake mix dyed three different halloweeny colours and layered to bake.  Yet another idea from Pinterest....just no originality here folks.

Happy Halloween!

Camping with Penny

For those of you who don't know us, the Loonie family, we are serious campers.  We try and go as much as we can in the summer, which is pretty short up here in northern Alberta.  Since Mr.Loonie and I have met we have been on a few BIG camping/road trips going for at least 3 weeks.  We've done the 3 provinces around us, Alberta, Saskatchewan and B.C. and we also did a Wyoming/Idaho/Montana trip which is the three states Yellowstone National Park lies in.  These trips were full of partying, loving and a lot of driving so we could see as much as possible. Our most recent trip down the Oregon/Washington coast was a little different due to the addition of our little Pen Pen.  There was no partying on my part. Mr.Loonie may have got a little tipsy on red wine a few nights with his best buddy Stryker but we were pretty much in bed every night before 10:30 pm and up and on the road by 9 am (with a large coffee to go!) with Stryker walked and breakfast ate.

Gregoire Lake - July 2012

On all our previous trips we just used a quick pop-up tent and a small car. When I got pregnant, we decided that our 2 man tenting days with a dog were over.  We really should have bought a bigger tent back then to make things easier but nope, being the cheapskates that we are, we huddled in that little tent with Stryker and our luggage every trip!  To do our U.S. 2012 trip with Penny in a tent would have been absolutely crazy, and in the late fall of last year, we picked up a used tent trailer. The tent trailer can pack so much stuff , especially with the addition of the cargo box on top of the trailer and the car.  The box above the trailer held the stroller, hiking backpacks and extra wood - this all had to be removed before raising the trailer because of the weight.  The car's cargo box held  a laundry basket of extra clothes/shoes for all weather - we hit all extremes on our trip including rain storms, below zero temperatures, and hot dry sunny weather.  It also held the geocaching backpack, a spare box of diapers and other items needed at quick access.

So what did we need for Penny?

• Diaper and more diapers
• Changing pad and wipes
• The Bumbo for joining us at the picnic/trailer table
• MEC hiking backpack and the Baby Bjorn carrier
• Mommy's boobs - I can't imagine doing this trip bottle feeding! How would you do it??
• Clothes for all weather
• Go Pod (camping chair)
• Pea Pod (sun shade)
• Blankets including one with vinyl on one side for lying in the grass or on the beach
• Car seat entertainment - We have the "Fisher Price Music and Lights" which would usually put Penny to sleep
• Sophie and other toys 
• Baby toiletries and towel
• Baby Aspirin....just in case.
• The stroller was iffy, we could have done without it as it is always easier to carry her
• Some kind of travel bed or not.
• A travel neck pillow - perfect for nursing!

This picture is from Penny's first camping trip which also happened to be her one month birthday!  She was a trooper even with a couple bug bites on her forehead. 

The pictures below show our tent trailer set-up.  To the left by the door is the dry food bin.  Another bin of the same size full of cookware and dishes stacks on top, we found keeping this stuff in the cuprbords were just to hard to access and keep organized.

On both of the local camping trips we did this summer, Penny slept in her travel sleep bed.  See pictures below: this thing was awesome, we took it everywhere the first two months but she quickly grew out of it.  So the plan for our big trip was to make her a bed using a rubbermaid "under the bed shoe bin" with a foamy inside cut to fit to sit on the stove just like the travel bed did.  Great idea right? Well if it wasn't below zero or close to it most nights, it would have been. She just would have been too cold so the truth is, she slept with us in the bed.  Now I know you are thinking, how the heck did we get her back into her own bed when we got home? Well, all I can say is we got lucky!

My friend taught me about laundry basket packing - awesome for weekend trips for the 3 of us but for the big trip we had a lot more luggage.  Mr.Loonie and I shared a suit case and Penny had her own small duffel bag. The laundry basket was then used in the cargo box for quick access.

Below is the same view one cold night on our trip.

Immunizations and one BIG Baby

Penny went in for her 2 month immunizations this past week at the public health unit.  She got shots for a shit load of things (see record below...too lazy to type them all out!) and man was it painful for her.  She had tears!!! It was heartbreaking, she was screaming and crying and after each needle (3 in total), it just got worse! I didn't know what to do, there was no consoling her so I whipped out my boob and nursed her.  The nurse actually commended me for doing so, she said that breast milk contains oxytocin which is a natural pain reliever.  It must be true because Penny seemed to feel instant relief but the rest of the day was rough.  To say she was fussy would be an understatement; if she wasn't nursing or in her carrier out on walks (Stryker was a happy boy with all the walks) she was crying! The only winks she got in was on our walks and didn't fall asleep till around 11pm.  The next morning was a different story as she was back to her happy smiling self, thank god!!

 

On our visit, the nurse also did Penny's weight, height and head circumference measurements.  What I found out is that Penny is one BIG baby!! She weight 13lbs14oz which is in the 99th percentile, this means that out of 100 two month old babies, there would only be one baby who weighed more than her!  For height, she was in the 62nd percentile growing 3 inches since birth from 19.5" to 22.5".  So overall, combining height and weight she is in the 98th percentile group meaning we got one big baby on our hands.  The nurse did inform us that it is normal for exclusively breastfed babies to gain a significant amount of weight in the first few months but will taper once she becomes mobile (rolling, crawling, jumping, etc.).  There is nothing to worry about as Penny is healthy and growing and that's all that matters. It makes me feel relieved too, all the worrying I did if Penny was getting enough milk was for nothing!

Happy 2 Months Penny!

Who was I before Penny-kins? Or Pen-Pen as Mr.Loonie lovingly refers to her. It's funny...what nickname will stick with her as she grows older? What will her friends call her? "Pens" for short? P-ster? Penelope? Anyway.....I can't believe it has been a full two months already! I can't imagine my days without her smile or her snuggles.  I know I better appreciate these newborn snuggles because I heard they do not last.  Everyday is another day that she changes.  In just two months she has grown 6 inches longer; that's like her whole head length! Last week I had to run down town and buy 0-3 month sleepers as she has outgrown the newborns.  Not only is she longer, she is stronger! I am constantly working with her and encouraging her to work her little muscles.  She loves standing and can bear her weight on her legs for at least a minute before her knees buckle and needs a break but she is right back up again shortly after.  While standing, her head is up high and proud looking around but not long before it falls into a bob and weave.  Her little neck has come a long way though, when she is over my shoulder her head is always up looking around and when in a sitting position she does her damnedest to sit up straight and hold her head still.

Although tummy time is not Penny's favorite, it is important.  She spends a lot of the time face down crying into the mat out of frustration but I can see her determination to lift her head.  The past couple of weeks, she can get her head up for probably around 30sec for a good look before she slams her little nose back down on the mat.  Next step is the mini-push up and she is close, yesterday I saw her lift herself up on her elbows with her shoulders up off the mat.  Once the mini-push up comes, we will be in the roll-over stage and that means no more leaving her on the couch and walking away!!

The little milestones of her growth is so amazing! What I am really waiting for is to hear her little laugh?! My dad asked me today what I thought it would sound like.  Will it be raspy? squeely? grunty? girly? I think it will be a cross between screaming and snorting! My mom just gave me an old ukulele she was planning on selling in a garage sale and I plan to learn how to play maybe a few nursery rhymes.  Right now it doesn't matter cause Penny thinks I am a pretty good ukelelist already, she has been smiling away with some heavy breathing, almost snorting to the songs I have made up.  Oh man, if someone could hear me.....embarrassing! 

For the first month or so I struggled to decipher her cries, was she hungry, tired, gassy, poopy, too cold, too hot, what was it?!? I just went down the list until she was satisfied. It was usually hungry or wet so things weren't that stressful but I was longing for the day where I could understand and help her a little quicker.  Those days have finally come in the past couple of weeks which makes things a whole lot easier.  Not only does Penny communicate with her cries but she is starting with the gurgles, coos and woos...so adorable.  We have little conversations back and forth making eye contact almost the whole time with a few smiles mixed in.

So on to feeding and sleeping.  This past week marked a huge improvement in the sleeping department.  My sleep deprived days are almost over, so to you new Moms out there, it does get better.  Holy Hanna, I thought I would never know what sleep was again in the first month.  It went from getting up very two hours to feed throughout the night and sometimes up for a couple hours at a time trying to get her back down.  Then it went from every three hours to now four or five hours which is pretty bearable, actually it is awesome.  We usually go to bed around 11pm then up between 3:30am and 4am for a quick feed and diaper change then back to bed to be up again around 8am.  If we are being lazy, I can do another quick feed to go back to sleep till 10am.  Pretty sweet right? I can no longer complain, I am sleeping longer now then I ever did working! 

On to breastfeeding.....all I can say is thank god I decided to nurse! It is so easy! I think because I had such a rough and long painful labour (I am still writing my birth story, will post it soon) I was blessed with the ease of nursing.  It came natural for both Penny and I without any real complications or big learning curve.  I am planning to write a post just on breastfeeding, although the actual feeding part has been easy the social part has not always been.

I am also really looking forward to cloth diapering, the diapers I bought are good for 15-25lbs, so we are only a few pounds or months away.  I went with 24 of the form fitted flannelette type which is worn along with the diaper cover (I bought 4 of these).  The amount of garbage we have a week with the disposables is disgusting, not only are we throwing our money down the drain but we are contributing to the billions of diapers in landfills that will never bio-degrade! Also, I am sure Penny doesn't appreciate the diaper rash the chemicals are giving her.  In the end $240 is more than worth avoiding all these things and all the extra work meaning endless laundry!

So life with Penny is amazing but wow, what a change.  Motherhood is something you can never really prepare yourself for, you kinda just need to jump in with both feet and hope for the best.  Well really, it is try your best because although it has come pretty natural it is still a huge adjustment.  My brain went from composing technical letters to the government and writing environmental reports to singing songs on the ukulele and having one sided conversations with a baby, a dog and a cat!  For those who know me, please keep reminding me to get out and have a life outside my home! It will not only be important for me but for a healthy relationship with my daughter and hubby.

Now for the cutest Penny-kins picture ever!! :) Our little bee with Mr.Loonie's honey bee ordered in the 1980's from the Honey Nut Cheerios box.

Happy 1 Month Penny!

Penny is 1 month old today!! Where does the time go?!?!  While things can be very tiring and overwhelming sometimes, it is all bearable and I couldn't imagine life any different right now. Especially since she just started smiling two days ago....so adorable!

 Passing time and making memories on a rainy day...........

Penny's Nursery: The Big Reveal!!

Finally the big reveal!! I am in love with Penny's room and I hope one day when she can see past 18" she will too!  It is just so bright and colourful with so much to look at but not overcrowded or too busy...in my opinion anyways. ;)

We took these shots at 5am when the sun was coming up which explains the brightness and since I am not the best photographer these are the pictures we are left with.

The cost breakdown:

Crib - $120 (Bought on Kijiji: The price included the change table which I didn't use and sold for $40)
Closet Doors - $35
Crib Skirt, Pillows, Curtains, Quilt and Ottoman Fabric - $75 (with fabric to spare)
Light Fixture - $30
Art - $50
Rag Rug from Etsy- $80
Chair from Kijiji- $50
Paint and Supplies - $40
Change Pad, Sheets, Change Pad Covers (2) - $70
Baskets, Pom Poms, Trash Can, Laundry Bin - $50
Mobile - $50
IKEA Ribba Shelves (Picture Ledge) - $17 x 3 =  $51
Hooks from Kijiji - $45

Total = $746
Subtract $40 for Change Table = $706
Add $50 for odds and ends (buttons, spray paint, ottoman legs etc.) = $756 (Approximately)
Mattress and Monitor = Approx. $230 (bought with Costco gift card)

 

The room consisted of a lot of DIY projects which were really fun to me and kept me busy during my early pregnancy months.  First was refinishing the dressers that I had when I was a kid which then led to lining the dresser drawers with polka dot wrapping paper.  Next was the sewing projects with Penny's great grandmother, she helped me make the nursery safe shades (the fabric was the first thing I bought for the room and served as the colour inspitration for the whole nursery) and the pillows. 

I then searched Kijiji for weeks for the perfect crib and nursing chair with some character and found both 500km away in Edmonton, luckily my wonderful family were able to pick them up for me.

 

Now for the closet doors which were the other biggest project of the room besides the dressers.  I couldn't imagine the room without them though, they just provide that extra design and personal touch.  As you can see in the picture above the light reflects the circles back on the walls for the coolest effect!

Smaller projects included:

• Garden baskets which I spray painted gold to hold stuffed animals above the crib.
• Homemade pom-poms hanging above the change table for a $5 project for so much impact! 
• I Heart You picture I made using an old IKEA picture and frame I had laying around, filled the squares using burlap from our wedding table runners, spray painted wooden letters found at Wal-Mart and put it all together. 
• The book shelves are actually picture ledges from IKEA, they are awesome to showcase all the books my cousin and I had when we were kids. Also super accessible for reading in the chair. 
• P for Penny, again using a letter found at Wal-Mart and wrapping it in twine.
• The ottoman which my Dad and I whipped up quickly. 
• DIY crib skirt made using heat bond tape and velcro.

The hooks, chevron basket, rag rug and change pad covers were etsy finds.  After some use, I am so happy I went with topping the dresser with the change pad rather than using the change table, such a space saver and everything looks clean rather than having the open shelving that a change table has.  After she is out of diapers we don't have to worry about selling the change table and finding a dresser to fit the space.  The basket set-up next to the change pad really works for us too.  It contains diaper creams, a box of wipes and like ten diapers which we refill when necessary from the big diaper box hidden in the closet.

Other finishing touches include the mobile bought at a baby store in Edmonton, the owl clock and trash can found at Superstore, quilt made by Penny's great-grandma, laundry basket from Canadian Tire, the owl light given as a gift, the fox pelt given to me from a local trapper and the light fixture and picture above the changing dresser both found at IKEA.

Penny's (The 4th Stryke) First Geocaching Adventure

It was a scorcher on the day of her first adventure! We found the first part of this multi-cache with no problems but the second part we were not so lucky and we had to give up our search early because of the heat. We did find out later that the cache was muggled....damn muggles! Hopefully we will have better luck on Penny's next cache.
This spot is awesome though, such an amazing view of the Athabasca River! It can either be accessed from behind Thickwood or on a trail leading up from the end of the water treatment plant road. 

THE Birth Plan

So I haven't really shared my birth plan with anyone but my close friends and family.  To sum it up, it does not involve any type of medical intervention whatsoever.  Before I was pregnant I was not familiar with the extremely controversial world of birthing.  From what I've learned, there are those women completely accepting and trusting of the medical way (induction, internal fetal monitoring, pain relief - drugs and a doctor/nurse directed birth in a hospital); and I am not opposed to their opinion if that's what makes the woman feel the most comfortable. The thing with interventions is that they are a slippery slope, one usually leads to another with the end chance of cesarean much a higher than a labor without any. 

Then there are those women like myself who thinks of labor and giving birth as a natural process that our body knows how to do on it's own! I want to feel the power of my mind and the natural coping methods such as the explosion of endorphins my body will provide me with.  I am not saying it will be easy but it is do-able; mammals for thousands and thousands of years have given birth and most have survived  with a smile on their face when presented with the greatest reward of all, their baby, after all that work. 

I am not trying to push my views on anyone, I would just like to spread the word, that you do have a choice. Like my doula says,  "If you don't know your options, you don't have any!" So, all that I ask is to explore all the information available, you will find out very quickly what you desire for your delivery day. 

I hired a doula from the Fort McMurray Doula Association (FMDA) to help support us and to be our natural birth advocate at the hospital. She will also be there to remind me why I made the decisions I made in our birth plan when I start to questions myself. This fact was taken from their website, "Studies have shown that when doulas attend births, labors can be shorter, have fewer complications, and result in babies who are healthier and breastfeed with greater success."  

Now here is my rant about the medical way: 

I have had a healthy pregnancy with no complications to report.  Therefore, there would be no reason why I would be asked by my ob/gyn to have my membranes swept at 38 weeks and 4 days.  At this same appointment, I was asked to fill out an appointment booking form for induction to take place at 40 weeks and 3 days.  I refused and was told I will be asked again during my next appointment this coming Monday where I will refuse once again.  If there are still no complications, there are no reason for me to accept. 

Unfortunately, this is the struggle with dealing with an ob/gyn, next pregnancy I will be moving to the big city and using a midwife, no doubt about it (Fort McMurray does not have any practicing midwives).  Not only does the midwife practice all aspects of the intervention free birth but you get to spend as much time with them as needed.  I will not have to wait in a women's medical clinic waiting room for 3-4 hours every appointment, then transferred to the examination room for at least another half hour to spend 5 minutes with the doctor.

My doula has been more that I could have ever asked for, especially for my first pregnancy.  She has always been available for any questions or concerns I have had and has been over at our house at leat four times to discuss my expectations. The FMDA also teaches the pre-natal classes at The Hub free to the public which I attended. I will be honest, the tone of the classes are towards a natural birth - fine for me but they could make a woman with different plans uncomfortable.
My doula also helped me understand my wants and needs for my labor and delivery and then how to express it on a birth plan which will be presented to the nurse at the hospital (a copy has already been given to my ob/gyn - he made sure to tell me that I shouldn't get my hopes up).  So when the time comes, she will be over at our place and then the hospital to guide us through all the stages of labor. I know in some small way the doc is right (he just didn't have to be a jerk about it!), if any complications do arise and medical intervention is needed, I need to be open as both mine and the baby's health is the most important.

So we are down to the day now, and I could not be more excited to meet our little girl.  I know we will be so overwhelmed with love that any pains experienced throughout the whole pregnancy and delivery will be completely forgotten about! Wish us luck :)

If anyone has any questions, please comment with your email and I will get back to you!

Time to get this baby out??

3 weeks left to go and I cracked the toliet seat.  Either I need to lay off the ice cream or Penny needs out!

This DIY project has been brought to you by the letter...P!

When we first got pregnant, we decided that no matter what name we decide on we will keep it a secret until she is born to avoid judgement from friends and family. I didn't want their opinions to sway us on a name we really loved. After Penny topped our list for sometime and my blog name just came to me without much thought, there wasn't much point hiding our love for the name.  Since the blog has been up and running, people have been asking if Penny is really the name we are going with, at first I beat around the bush a bit saying it was just for the blog but in the end I would usually fess up. Most people like it but we do get the occasional "ohhhh, that's nice" comment with the totally obvious lying face.  It is actually pretty hilarious, people are not good at hiding their true feelings.

So....with this post there should be no questions about it..........Penny is her name..........maybe! ;p

I started with a P from Wal-Mart, a hot glue gun and twine (left over from our wedding party decor).

Wrap the P with twine securing with hot glue as you go. Some areas will need two layers so that all the white it covered up. There really isn't a method except keep the amount of cuts you make to a minimum to have long consistent lines. 

 

Next up is a ribbon flower.  I searched etsy.com for inspiration and found this type of flower the easiest to make. 

• Cut four pieces of ribbon the same length, glue the end of each piece together to close the loop.
• Layer loops in alternating directons and glue in between to secure loops together.
• Push down and glue in between each layer (inside the loops).
• Glue a matching button to the middle of the flower.
• Glue on finished flower to the letter.

 

 Currently the P is hanging on Penny's bedroom door, I'm not sure if it will stay there or end up being hung in her room.  But for right now I love walking by knowing soon enough, it really will be HER room!