She's heeeeeeeeeeeeere!

S4 arrived on her due date of 9/28, weighing in at 8lbs, 9oz.  Born at home to the sounds of reggae music and the smell of lime-raspberry candles. Details in a bit.  Pics for your viewing pleasure!

no baby yet Lovelies!

However, I have had crazy contractions and pain in my hips and shoulders.  Oh my goodness! Can I get some consistency? I've tried everything lovelies. Spicy food, pressure points, walking, and even holiday undies. Even though S4 technically isn't 'due' until the 28th, I am tired of being tired and in pain!  I feel like I am the size of a small planet.
On a great note- my birth tub is here, my co-op produce was wonderful this week, most of the dishes were done this morning by my 13 year old son and the weather is *slightly* cooling off. I made LaborAid (see post below) yesterday and it is wonderful! It also tastes great with crushed raspberries. Oh- and my midwife totally rocks.
So, to the pain and intermittent contractions, I give you the 'really though' face.  Those who are on my facebook are familiar with it....I originally took it with my cell phone for my brother who had just informed me that he had eaten lunch at a Jamaican spot close to his work.  Umm, why would you tell a pregnant woman you had just eaten something that she has been craving for the past 3 months? Really though?

Harvest Moon and blessings

Still no baby, no additional contractions, no nothing. I do know however that I have wonderful friends from my childhood who have blessed me with lovely gifts and words of advice (on how to get labor started, among other things!)
A couple of gems that I have recieved so far:
LaborAid looks like a wonderful help to keep mamas hydrated and energized- I'll be making some tomorrow.
My fabulous friend from Canada made me a nursing necklace (she sent me the Labor Aid suggestion as well). Hello!!!! You have no idea how long I have been wanting one of these but could never find one that I loved or was wanting to spend big bucks on! Well, I could feel the love and warmth and time that was put into this amazing handmade masterpiece the second I opened the envelope.  Don't you love it? Sorry lovelies, it is one of a kind and all mine. My friend and her children made S1, S2 and S3 some gorgeous bracelets (I told all of them not to be surprised if they ended up on my wrists.  So cute).

 

So, I am loving the blessings.  

Alright lovelies, it's late evening and the Harvest Moon is making magic in some hospitals around the city.... Hoping it will sprinkle some moondust on my house so that S4 will come out and play! I will keep you posted!

I hate waiting!

Omgoodness lovelies,  I hate waiting.  Contractions started on the 17th and felt pretty regular, were sporadic on the 18th (didn't go to work either day) and other than some cramping and a chunk of plug coming out, here I sit today waiting for S4 to arrive.  If things are like this on Monday, I'll see if my midwife will give me the ok to go to the office.  She checked me on the 17th and said I was about 3cm dilated, which is cool.  The birthing tub is arriving today so maybe S4 is waiting to make her arrival in it? My dad's birthday is Monday and he has already said that he would love if the baby made her appearance on his day.  We'll see. 
Fortunately, I have gotten some decent sleep- it's the turning over that is killing me!!! I seriously have to gain momentum to switch sides! My hips and shoulders ache.  I am huge. I am trying to win a baby bathtub. I am rambling.
What if anything lovelies, have you done in order to get labor moving?

DIY foaming hand soap.

Tired of waiting on a Bath and Body Works sale so that you can get their foaming hand soap? Wait no more lovelies, as I have come accross an amazing (and green) recipe so that you can make your own!! I am probably totally late to the party on this one and I don't know about you, but even though I love the BBW foaming soap, I find myself diluting it just so the scent is not so strong.  Hubby can't use it because even me diluting it, he has an allergic reaction to the smell.   With this super easy recipe, you can choose your own scent and strength.  YUM!

You want the recipe? Do ya? Lovelies, it really works.

Pure and Natural Diva

So we have the green factor, using earth friendly ingredients plus we're recycling the empty BBW foaming soap bottles.  Pretty decent deal! I made two bottles this morning using Dr. Bronners.

Let me know if you try it! Leave a comment about how it works for you!

wordless wednesday

My midwife...

Is pretty smart. Ok, really smart. A couple of weeks ago, I told her that I thought that one of my fillings was cracked and that a cavity might be leaking through.  She told me to try swooshing a shot glass worth of olive oil in my mouth for 10-15 minutes at a time, so that the oil would draw the impurities out of my system.  This little tidbit is also known as 'oil pulling.'  I had done some research on oil pulling prior to her suggesting it, but I can't remember what I was looking at oil pulling for.  I shoved put her advice in the back of my mind because the thought of swooshing oil in my mouth was just not appealing at all. After she suggested the oil pulling, I went to my dental appointment and the dentist confirmed my suspicion about the cavity (I have a cracked filling and oh, another cavity!  Good times). He suggested loading the tooth with toothpaste to build  up the fluoride and to help dull the pain.  He also informed me that he would not be filling any teeth until after S4 arrives and that I can make an appointment on the way out.  Thanks dude. 

Anyway, as you can imagine, the toothpaste does not stay where it's supposed to and for some reason, the gums on the other side of my mouth have started to mess with me.  So because I know that my dentist will not do anything until after the noob makes her debut, I decided to actually try the oil pulling.  I did it last night with coconut oil.  It was not nearly as bad as I thought it would be. There are pages and pages of oil pulling info online as well as videos on youtube. One of my favorite natural sites is Earth Clinic and the site had a plethora of oil pulling info, including types of oils and how they may or may not work depending on your body make up, etc. Very interesting stuff. I also happened on this holistic website which gives great info as well.

Evidently oil pulling has a ton of health benefits.  It's also safe to do while pregnant.  So I am giving it the old college heave-ho this week because I am sick of chewing my food on one side of my mouth! 

So to my midwife Shell, once again, you totally rock my world.   xoxo

I want to say that I am not a medical professional by any means and that if you're thinking of doing this, you should probably talk to your health professional. 

wordless thursday.

my hubby's DIY 'build a bear.'  He left me to do the face.  It's for S3 and she loves it!