Monkey's Birth Story

Quite strangely, I went into labor at the same time as Munchkin's - 2 days early at 3:30am! Though, the similarities ended there! I let my husband and son sleep, and started calling my mother to notify her so she could drive here in time to watch my son. Unable to sleep, I decided to get out of bed and bake some muffins for breakfast and make sure I had all my ducks in a row so to speak. I was having contractions the whole time, but they were short - maybe 30seconds; so, I just paused to breathe, visualize and such. Eventually the boys got up and grandma arrived. I notified my doctor's office when contractions were 5min apart (about 9am) but my husband had some work he needed to do so I took a bath to slow things down. Unfortunately, they slowed too much (to about 7min apart). Then, around noon I posted to Facebook that I was feeling discouraged and thinking it was going to be another long labor. I snapped one last picture of my pregnant belly and tried to get things going again by bouncing on the exercise ball. BAD idea - way too painful. So I tried to rest in bed on my side. No luck. 


Then, very soon after I got dressed, contractions jumped to just 4min apart, lasting 60sec but then after just 10seconds, ANOTHER 60second contraction would start! It was WEIRD, and they became more intense as well - to the point I had to vocalize to get through them! As soon as I could talk, I told hubby he needed to finish up because we needed to leave ASAP! By the time we got out the door, I could barely support myself through the contractions, but was managing the pain pretty well using the hypno-birth breathing exercises, and meditations of acceptance, surrender, allowance, and so on. However, when it came to actually getting IN the van...this proved difficult. I couldn't IMAGINE sitting down, knowing the pain would be intolerable. So, in the 2minutes I had between contractions, I climbed in the seat backwards and held onto the headrest. Munchkin, who was watching all this from his carseat, quickly scolded me for not wearing my seatbelt; so, after the next contraction (which was stronger and louder now that I was almost squatting) I somehow got the seatbelt around my huge body and reassured him I was 'safe.' (After that, he scarcely said a word for the rest of the 25minute drive!) For the first part of the drive, I was still coherent enough to yell at my husband for his driving. For the later half, I had to hold my hypno-birth type of recordings to my ear to keep it together as not to scare my son!

We arrived at about 1:25pm. Naturally, I refused (via a head-shake) all FOUR wheelchairs that were offered to me, even though I was having to put all my weight on my husband during contractions. I simply had NO strength left in my legs from mostly being on my feet since 3:30am. Slowly, but loudly I made my way to the Labor/Delivery floor as the contractions seemed to be coming one on top of another by then. I do remember two strange things at this point: First, MANY people randomly asked my husband if it was my first birth. Later, the nurse told me this was because that gives them an indication of how much time they have to work with. And 2)I remember my husband requesting they hold the elevator for us, only to walk up to it being FULL, and I said "Huh-ah...Are you kidding!?" I'm not laboring in there with all those people! LOL

When in the LD room I immediately started undressing (!), had a contraction, then climbed onto the bed backward, essentially kneeling. At this point while putting on the fetal monitors, my L/D nurse figured out I was in back-labor and suggested counter-pressure on my sacrum. It SAVED me! Although, my husband was the only one strong enough to apply enough pressure to make a difference!! Meanwhile, a doctor entered, introducing himself (I still don't know his name, but later found out he was a resident) and when he made his way to my side, I remember hearing him say to me DURING a contraction, "Okay, Ma'am. We'll just get you your epidural and break your water, and you'll have your ba--" I responded the only way I could: non-verbally...bulging my eyes and vigorously shaking my head! When I could talk again, I said "No. Not what...I want! Birthplan...Honey, birthplan," as I pointed to my bag. When handed the big folder of papers, the doctor's eyes widened at the size. (No worries! In reality, he only needed to read the first few bullet points of the first page!) He skimmed it, and said no problem, but added, "First things first, we need to check how dilated you are." I thought, "Oh yeah. Of course," then proceeded to plead with him to lie on my side, insisting with something like "I can't do it. I just CANNOT lie on my back. Please don't make me lie on my back." He consented, and I heard him say I was 7CM!!!! A HUGE wave of endorphins rushed over me, because although I felt the urge to push while kneeling in the van and lobby, I didn't want to get my hopes up for anything more than 4CM. So, the next choice was whether to break the waters or not. And I was just about to decide when I felt a contraction coming on, and had an inkling it was going to break anyway. It DID! The next few contractions brought with them an urge to bear down, so he did another awkward cervical check, and...9 1/2CM! ("Yay!!") A few more contractions and my body was pushing the baby for me. I recall saying "Wooooooww" through the contractions because it was such an overwhelming physical sensation :-) I got the OK to bear-down, and several pushes (on my part) later, Monkey was here! I almost COULDN'T believe it. I mean, in my mind we had *just* arrived to the hospital, afterall, and I didn't even have an IV in! 

When I saw him for the first time, my eyes went straight to his HAIR, then his face and body. He just had so much hair! One of the highlights of the whole thing, was that my friend Allison arrived just in time for his birth, and stayed until I was able to settle into my room. GaGa brought Munchkin to the hospital that night to meet his brother for the first time :-) 

It was all so powerful, so wonderful - almost overwhelming.

How was it different?

I couldn't possibly list them all, but the major differences were: 

1) It was a third as long! (Yay!!!)

2) It was intervention-less. In part, it was because there was simply no time for anything to be done, not even a simple HepLock, nor a more complicated epidural, nor breaking the waters early (like previous birth), and so on. But also, I was more mentally prepared and resolved about it this time; they would've had to work really hard to convince me the risks outweighed any benefit. 

3) Recovery from the tear was a breeze compared to the first time around.   

4) It was MUCH more physically demanding: From being on my feet, gripping the bed's side-bars, and the strength of the contractions, etc. (Honestly, I wish I was more prepared; my abs and thighs were literally fatigued and 'shaky' for weeks.)

5) It was also more 'positive' generally speaking in that the natural endorphins were stronger and/or more plentiful this time and lasted for days! Mentally, I was sharp and alert postpartum, and morale was actually high!  

Where have you BEEN!?

It's been almost 2 months, I know.  Well, a funny thing happened when I logged onto Blogger one day.  They had come out with a new feature: STATS.  It allows you to see how many people visit the site, how often, which posts were most popular, etc.  While its intention is to encourage you and give you feedback to guide future posts, I was DIS-couraged at how many people actually visited the blog, so I stopped blogging.  What was the point?

Unfortunately, since then, I've been much less creative.  When I did make something (a recipe, a craft project, an apron, etc) I had no one to share it with; so it was terribly unsatisfying!!  Amazingly enough, not blogging made me see that I NEED to be creative and expressive.  It's therapeutic for me.

So, I'm BACK!  As often as I'm able to post, I'll post, whether anyone reads or not!  Posting what I've done gives me a way to organize my recipes, thoughts, and projects and to share them easily.  It gives me a way to look back over any given time period, remember what I've accomplished, and be proud of my successes, which encourages me to do greater things and try NEW things!

Oh, and although I've not been posting, I've continued adding pictures to Munchkin's albums so go check out his most recent 18-24 moth one (link on the left-hand side of the page)!

Tea for you? Tea for ME!!

In my sisters' and my childhood one of our aunts took us to experience high tea at formal tea parlors on numerous occasions.  What an experience!  We understood, even then, that it was something very special she was sharing with us.  After meeting my hubby I've learned more about partaking in tea as a means to reconnect at the end of a long work day(both his and mine at home), but before all our evening tasks begin (i.e. preparing dinner, exercising, feeding/bathing Munchkin).  It's time for us to be reminded that we're a team, that we are united!  And I'm sure there's a bit of nostalgia that's part of it as well.  For him: remembering his roots of growing up in India having tea daily.  And for me: recalling fond memories of Russian caravan tea, artful china, real Devonshire cream, and the tastiest petit fours a young girl could ever imagine!  Thanks Auntie!

Pic of our snacks we enjoy with our daily tea!

Mine: recently English Breakfast tea

His: always Homemade Indian Masala chai

Family Portrait...

Apparently, family portraits, like by a real photographer, aren't our 'thing'...

So this one will have to do for now!

(taken on hubby's lunch break...haha!)

I've also added many photos to Munchkin's latest album on the left: (Munchkin 12-15mths).  As a quick update, he is quickly becoming a 'little boy'.  The changes have not been so much physical as developmental.  He now fast-walks --  everywhere! He climbed the dining room chair and table yesterday for the first time as well.  My heart was a bit nervous, but I knew it was big for him; so, I cheered which made him get more excited and stand on the table to dance! heehee

He's always been joyful, but lately he becomes outright thrilled when we applaud his little successes like when he figured out HE could stack blocks too, just like mom and dad!  And he shares quite well for a babe his age -- unfortunately it's with the DOG -- and not only food, but also wooden toys and paper!  They're hilarious together.  I mean it.  Poor Ellie has to put up with his roughhousing all day, and he can be quite rough with her at times.  She's a trooper though, never responding in anger.  She simply jumps up and gets outta Dodge!  (But yes, he usually follows!)

So I hope you all are enjoying this wonderful weather and would love to hear some updates from all of you in the comments below on how you're doing!  Take care!

First Music Playlist!

Music...?  Yes, I enjoy more than just sewing, and thought I'd share some of my favorites with you!  I sang all through high school and majored in voice in college.  Unfortunately, I don't sing much anymore, but I love to listen to some GREAT music. I've been thinking the blog has been a bit "sewing-heavy" lately and that it should be a better reflection of who I am, and what inspires me.  So I'll try to post my favorites every so often for you to share a good listen with me!  Simply CLICK HERE to listen to the entire playlist of the following!

Sheep May Safely Graze BWV 208 by Bach  -- performed by Emma Kirby

O Mangum Mysterium by Lauridsen  -- sung by one of the best choirs I've heard perform it!

Hamsadhvani Raja (for the Bansari flute)  -- performed by Avi Adir

Single Ladies -- performed by Pomplamoose :-)

I'm Not Afraid   -- performed by Flemming and John

Iolanta Aria by Tchaikovsky  -- performed by Ghada Ghanem (not the best, but best video quality)

Some of the links are "serious" opera, which I thoroughly enjoy, but others are lighter stuff I enjoy as well.  The last song is a little known piece (until Anna Netrebko recorded it) which I performed in college, now a true favorite of mine! Enjoy, everyone!!!

Have any favorites you'd like to share with me!?

Uni-tasking Mamas: Be Proud!

After reading Now Discover your Strengths by Marcus Buckingham a while back, I proudly proclaim -- I'm simply NOT a multi-tasker!  You give me a task (please just one) and it will be researched, thoroughly thought out, and then reported upon and/or accomplished.  And done right the first time!   It takes great effort for me to multi-task anything, and do it well.  It's indeed not a weakness, it's just not one of my strengths.  


Some women are naturally multi-taskers -- namely my sister Bonnie!  4 kids, 1 on the way, and she seems to do it with ease.  She can filter out the noise and still focus.  She can cook dinner while talking on the phone, receive a second call on the other line, and entertain an infant in the highchair, all at the same time.   Meanwhile, do a load of laundry downstairs!   In the end, the meal is perfect, the clothes are clean and dry, the people on the phone feel heard/valued, and the kids feels secure in their mom's love!  (My husband wishes to add "She could also be...quite possibly...from another planet!!"  


I am her exact opposite: a uni-tasker!  You see, in the above scenario, my dinner would be burnt, I'd be pressing buttons on the phone accidentally and lose at least one of the calls (not really hearing anything the person was saying in the first place), and my son would be bored, probably feeding the dog his dinner!  And oh yeah,...the clothes would be long-forgotten in the washer, not being dried til the next day when I remember them.  No joke.  I prefer to do the laundry while I'm sleeping or running errands, make dinner ahead of time while Munchkin sleeps (or do a crockpot meal), and maybe just talk on the phone while I feed him.   Everything still gets done, but not all at once, which frazzles me.


I have become better at muti-tasking after I HAD TO, upon entering the "real world" post-college.  I even had to 'white lie' through my first job interview or two for small jobs when asked about it, just to get the job!  My husband contributes this valuable insight, as well: that your computer's processor is in fact called a "multi-processor' but it actually prioritizes and queues the many tasks you ask of it, then executes them one by one.  This is exactly what I have come to do to work around not being a natural mutli-tasker!  And now, I could 'pass' as a multi-tasker, but I prefer silence so I can focus and do it right.   


And take these seriously successful people for example.  1) Tiger Woods -- known for his ability to focus and be "in the zone."  2) Steve Lescarbeau -- lesser known, but proclaimed a "Stock Market Wizard" as a very successful mutual fund trader who works alone in his thoughts, in his quiet, home-office, away from Wallstreet.  So both UNI and MULTI tasking mamas can be proud!  It doesn't really matter how we do what we do, just that it's done!


Who says multi-tasking is better than uni-tasking?  When did possessing this strength equate to being a good mom?  That's my question today for you -- and for myself!

Ways WE'RE green.

As a couple, we're at the point where we can't think of too many more ways to conveniently be green. In the rainbow spectrum of eco-friendliness, we've gone from orange/yellow to chartreuse, but know we can become Kermit green with some new ideas. Of course the anal-retentive alien in me has to tally what we already do, and hopefully this exercise will spark something we haven't thought of yet.  

Growing up in a rural town and a limited budget, my mom's frugality instilled life-long habits which were unknowingly green,
Do not buy "DryCleanOnly" clothes
Empty the dryer's lint-catcher
Don't let water run when brushing teeth
Eat whole foods, not packaged/processed foods
Don't hold the frig door open!! ("Yes, mother!")  
Use cloth napkins, and cleaning rags
Short showers, washing hair every other day
Use bath towels multiple times (our bodies are already clean, after all)
Turn lights off when you leave a room
Set the thermostat lower and wear a sweatshirt
Set the thermostat higher and drape a wet washcloth on your neck
Use rechargeable batteries when possible
Give plants as gifts instead of cut flowers, unless they're from the garden!

Pack our own food as snacks on trips
Eat up the leftovers
Donate clothing, unless completely unusable for rags
Water plants in the morning, not the heat of the day
Washing/drying full loads of laundry and dishes
Avoid unnecessary car trips
Turn cars off. Don't idle longer than 10 seconds.

Then, when we moved to NC and bought our own house, we weren't all that passionate about being kind to the environment, but did eat about 30-40% organic for health reasons, not realizing it was also green! And our particular city made it extremely easy to recycle. In that, they basically accept almost everything all in one bin, even aerosols. Of course, at the curb they don't accept batteries, light bulbs, etc; but, they have a location available for you to drop them off. So after saving them in a labelled "dead batteries" bag all year, when I'm on that side of town, I'll take them along and drop them off. Same for our lightbulbs; although, we inherited them from the previous owners, and they are like the Energizer bunnies - only burning out a few times in 3 1/2 years!

NC as a whole is so environmentally active that they banned aluminum cans and plastic bottles from their landfills. Goodwill has also stared a recycling program for electronics - working or not. And since NC has made it so easy to be green, and our tv channels at that time had channels like the GreenTV, it spurred me to be more receptive to the idea of being intentionally more kind to the environment.

So after learning more, we started to :
Stop buying eggs in stryofoam (we eat a LOT of eggs)
Avoid drinking soda, unless it's for an occasional rum and coke!
Recycle everything possible
Avoid buying aerosols when possible
Buy fuel-efficient cars - a Civic and Corolla, and take care of them so they'll last longer.
Use cruise control, and coast, a LOT!
Our dog was spayed.
Don't use single-use water bottles
Switch to online bill-pay and "paperless" statements
Share lawn equipment/tools
Set thermostat low in winter (63), and high in summer (78) 
Use sunlight instead of lights all the time
Buy as much "used" as possible: couches, tables, books, shoes, clothes
Rent/Borrow instead of buying new, i.e. library and Netflix
Listen to radio and music online instead of buying CDs, etc
Email documents instead of printing them
Only use snail mail for thank-you cards or packages
Sweep off sidewalk/driveway instead of hosing down with water
Switch to compact fluorescent lights (for enclosed lights only) when ours burn out
Use dimmer switches most of the time
Buying things that LAST when we have to buy new.
Only shave legs when I must (summertime)

But the minute I found out I was pregnant, something kicked that IDEA of being green into reality. For instance, I found myself almost completely unable to reach for a paper towel. ?And when I started drinking coffee, I didn't buy a coffee maker (they eventually break) and instead used a french press that is kindof a family heirloiom, given to me.

Since pregnant, we started doing things like: 
Only use cloth napkins
Use rags and microfiber towels for cleaning (unless it's egg/dog poop, etc!)
Not using ANY plastic utensils/cups/dishes
Use reusable cloth bags at grocery stores, retail stores, and farmer's markets
Not flush every time I went #1 (which was a LOT being pregnant!)
Refrigerator and Freezer are set as warm as possible
Clean the refrigerator's coil more often with the vacuum attachment
Hubby works from home more
Receive direct deposit checks (employer and IRS)
Wash all clothes/linens in cold water
Bought more in bulk when possible (i.e. Sam's membership)
Stop using paper grocery lists altogether (keep a digital one on my phone)
-have only bought about 10 pens in 5yrs!

Then when I actually gave birth to our little Munchkin, I understood that people really do mean it when they say the words "feel the need to leave a better world for their children." I also became more aware of chemicals that harm us and the environment, in addition to the material waste I was aware of previously.  

Since having Munchkin in our lives, we: 
Choose to Cloth Diaper + use cloth wipes (have to be washed in hot water though)

Choose Breastfeeding

Use handkerchiefs and burp cloths, instead of tissues

Keep our fuel-efficient cars (Those SUVs are so tempting...)

Make my own cleaning products from vinegar, alcohol, baking soda, etc
Use non-toxic and green product brands like: SeventhGeneration, Jason, EcoSmart incectisides, 365 Bodycare, and so on

Skip dryer sheets except for towels.
Use baking soda instead of deodorant. (Don't knock it til ya try it - it works better!)
Make Munchkin's baby foods at home
Reuse his food jars/containers for craft supplies 
(when we do buy packaged, pureed foods for him)
Avoid fast-food like the plague, literally.
Get take out much less than in Cleveland (maybe once a week)
Drink less store-bought, bottled juices -- drink a lot of plain water!
Eat less meat overall, and no fish -- yuck!
Buy local and organic as much as possible (probably eat 60% organic groceries now)
Buy our gifts local for local family or online for distant friends/relatives
Give gift certificates when possible (saves gas driving to 5+ stores, and them returning items)
Source most of my sewing/crafting materials from thrift shops

Boy that's longer than I thought it would be. I guess those changes become routine and you start to accept them as habit and common-sense, especially when you consider that we made them slowly, and in stages.

Can you help us think of any additional things we can do? Please add them in the comments below!

Pics of hubby & I :)

Here's some pics of hubby and I through the years...
To view the full album click on the link to the left called: "Hubby and I"

Denver, CO Fall 07

Celebrating our birthdays in Feb 08!