Dillemma solved...for now

Well, we saw an excellent health visitor today, who also takes turns heading the breastfeeding group that I regularly attend, and we asked her about Alex's tongue-tie. She was amazed that we had been carrying on breastfeeding as long as we have without major difficulties. She was, however, very pleased with his growth and development. She even wrote on his notes that he was a lovely little boy, probably because he charmed her socks off. Back to the tongue tie- she said to contact our doctor and see if he wants to refer us on to a speech therapist, but she didn't seem too concerned.

Soo, I think for now, I am happy to let it go. He's happy and healthy and TALKATIVE!

Oh, and bonus--we got a cloth book bag and some new books for free today for Alex! YAY books!!!

Dillema

Since Alex was born, I knew that he had a mild tongue-tie as he has a stereotypical divot at the tip and cannot stick his tongue out and high palate. Fortunately it hasn't caused any major breastfeeding problems other than sore nipples in the first week or so. He has always been fed on demand, is growing well, hitting milestones at or before he should be. I was unconcerned because I read somewhere (wish I would have bookmarked it, because I cannot find it anywhere) that massaging it to stretch the frenum -stringy bit under the tongue--would aleviate the tie.

Today as I was surfing breastfeeding support sites, tongue-tie came up. So I surfed the links there and googled a bit myself and all say to give it a snip is the way to get rid of the tie. Shock and horror on my part, me who is so opposed to circumcision, to read of a rather nonchalant snip of skin. Viola Breastfeeding is improved, swallowing is improved, less air is swallowed, older children's speech is improved, even so far as teeth spacing and dental health (along with good hygene habits) is improved. Now *I* am happy to leave Alex well enough alone--BUT--recently he's had tastes of solid foods and he chokes every time. I expect a bit of choking and gagging at the introduction of solids, even adults who have been on liquid diets for extended periods of time, will choke and gag at solids. However, with Alex I have noticed that even creamy mashed potatoes will get stuck in the roof of his mouth like peanutbutter gets stuck in mine. So what if his tongue-tie is
causing him not to be able to swallow? What if it is that and not the foods I eat that causes him to be so gassy?

bleh. usually I go with my parenting instincts, but this has thrown me for a loop. off to go some more googling

Letting Go and Rejoicing!

For the past 7 months, I have been nitpicking details of Alex's birth in my head. I had the "perfect" homebirth stuck in my head. It was also filled with negatives such as I won't do this medical thing or I won't consent to that treatment or I won't have this, or I won't give birth in X-position andI must be on guard at all times against medical professionals. Will not, can not, do not, not not not no no no. Then when it came down to it, I ended up with a hospital birth, with consented-nay REQUESTED artificial rupture of membranes, on dry land, with some oral anti-hypertensive drugs. I felt a failure according to the high natural childbirth specs that I held. I stressed M out with all of my anti-medical thinking in regards to childbirth, I was a birth snob! (I still prefer a less medicalized approach to birth as pregnancy is not a sickness)

I realized, just now, as I watch my sweet baby boy sleeping right next to me, that he indeed, was born in a really good and loving way. My body didn't "fail" me, it worked just fine to grow (and still grow through my breastmilk) and nuture this tiny human. So I'm changing my thinking from negative to positive!

*I did labor without any pain meds so they wouldn't cross the placenta (although I did ask right before I hit transition, but I did that with my daughter, and you know, that is ok)
*I did have 100% of M's support throughout the pregnancy and labor-He was (and still is!) my rock, my extra strength and my soother.
*I did move around like I wanted to, or how my body dictated to me to do it and was free of any cords/lines/straps/monitors/IVs.
*I moaned, vocalized, hollered, whined, bitched, talked how I wanted to with total support from M and our midwife. (I know at the time, I annoyed myself with the complaining and bitching, and them too, but they were never ever negative to me about what I was saying)
*I progressed rather quickly, like I wanted to, as it was only 4 hours after AROM that Alex was born and my long drawn out 2 days worth of 10 minute apart contractions kicked into a more productive high gear. 30 minutes after AROM with my daughter, she was born. 3+ hours after AROM with my eldest son, he was born. So anectdotally, my labors speed up with AROM.
*I was able to shower for a little while like I wanted to do.
*I wore my own night gown--silly I know--and not a horrid backless hospital gown.
*I drank sugared soda during those 4 hours when and if I wanted to and free from ice chips.
*I gave birth standing up, bent over the bed, using gravity and letting my body birth him (in 3 quick pushes)
*M's loving hands were the first to hold Alex as he was born into M's hands and arm.
*The lights were low and the room was warm and quiet.
*Alex was handed to me right away, and I threw off my nightgown, hitting poor M with it, and layed down on the bed with Alex on my belly for some good warming skin to skin contact WITH the light green flannel Pooh Bear blanket that I wanted to be the first blanket to touch him over top of Alex and I.
*I had the rush of euphoria and oxytocin with the birth which helped to make the bonding between Alex and I very strong AND also made the bond that I felt (and still very strongly feel) between M and I that much stronger. I felt like I had just said my marriage vows to him all over again!
*M was the one who announced that Alex was a boy.
*The cord wasn't cut until way after it stopped pulsing and that was when we found that he had a true knot in his cord, but it didn't seem to affect him as he was 9 pounds 10 ounces.
*I had a natural 3rd stage and delivered the placenta, again standing up and again letting my body do the pushing.
*I had an intact perineum even with a nearly 10 pound baby!
*Alex breastfed withing the first hour of birth.
*M had an excellent bonding experience with Alex by also snuggling with him with skin to skin contact whilst I birthed the placenta, rested a bit and then got ready for a shower.
*Post birth checks/APGARs were done while Alex was on me and done in a respectful and kind matter as I have a hard time even recalling them. I know that they were done, but they weren't intrusive to the first bonding moments.
*Alex was never suctioned in any way. He was never gurggly or in respitory distress.
*Alex was quickly and efficently weighed (with a funny comment on the "good sized wedding tackle" LOL! I think that made M ever so proud--Like father like son! Men and their fixation with genitalia size!! LOL LOL!!)
*Alex's first diaper was a super soft fluffy green cloth diaper as I had a theme in my mind that the first thing to touch him would be either be warm, super soft, or loving.
*We were back home within 7 hours of his birth although I was ready to go as soon as I had a shower and was dressed when he was 1 1/2 hours old. We stayed so the Ped could give him a once over but it didn't happen until nearly 7 hours after he was born.

So as this list shows, we had a good birth. the most important aspect was that Alex was born into his Daddy's hands, M's big strong loving hands. Hands that had waited years and years and years to hold their own flesh and blood baby. It is the rush of love that I felt ( and still feel) for Father and Son.

I am letting go of my homebirth grief, stop mourning the perfect homebirth, and rejoice that we had a very good birth, that was very much hands-off, and just happened to be in a hospital. I love my baby, just like I love my eldest son, just like I love my daughter, just like I love my husband.

I will always be very pro-homebirth, and now rather than comparing birth stories to what I did or didn't have, I will rejoice with these new parents on the births and lives of their babies!



M, I LOVE YOU!!!!

Eight is Great

I hate math, but I love numbers. I like orders of numbers like odometer readings and will watch the odometer while I am driving just as it ticks over to a certain number. I like making a wish at 12:34, or looking at the clock at 11:11. I love the look of palindromes both in numbers and in words. Today is 08-08-08, and although not a true palindrome, it sure has a cool look to it.

In China, the number 8 is particularly lucky, and thus the opening to the summer olympics today. (I won't go into the politics surrounding the games in China-I focus my politicking around homebirth rights, breastfeeding rights, and the right for all to NOT be circumcized)

I hope everyone's 08-08-08 day is GRRrrrreat!!!

Obsess much?

Blech! I have become what I loathe the most on the interwebz-a troll. I discusts me to even write that, but I must cleanse myself and purge my guilt.

It started when I ran into M's ex. She had no clue who I was but I knew her straight off. She went on chatting merrily about herself, her interests yadda yadda yadda blah blah blah to those around us who'd listen. She even told where to find her on the net. So I did, later on, and right away I found a lie about M even though there had been no contact between them for a bazillion years (well more like 4 years, but still a long time) That sparked my interest to see if she was still telling lies about M. So I delved further, looking for more, found more, so looked for more. I have been looking for the past few weeks, and finally realized that I had become a troll, trolling around for dirt on her, but dirt for what? M hadn't spoken about her since shortly after I found out we were pregnant. M had obviously put the ex in the past and buried her, so why did I want dirt on her? I know that I am 1000% a better wife to M and a better mother to A, L, and Z than she is to her child (oh, and no the ex's kid isn't M's kid) So why am I spying?

So I made a choice to stop, and to let it go. Fine. good. right? Nope! Because Karma's a b!tch. I signed up to a babywearing forum, and low and behold, she's there. Whaaa! I was done with her. Granted she's not posted for a long time, but still. Blech!

(oh, just a tidbit that karma didn't like her eithe.. A lie that she told M, not once but 2x, has come back to bite her hard by 4x)

So, I am putting away my troll hat, reforming my ways, and forgetting her sorry @ss!

Heh, I guess I haven't lost my Midwest American accent

What American accent do you have? Your Result: The Midland   "You have a Midland accent" is just another way of saying "you don't have an accent." You probably are from the Midland (Pennsylvania, southern Ohio, southern Indiana, southern Illinois, and Missouri) but then for all we know you could be from Florida or Charleston or one of those big southern cities like Atlanta or Dallas. You have a good voice for TV and radio.
The West
Boston
North Central
The Inland North
Philadelphia
The South
The Northeast
What American accent do you have? Quiz Created on GoToQuiz

Purple-Only...NOT

So for many moons I had been wanting to get my hair cut, well.. trimmed. Then I went to a short phase of wanting it in dreadlocks thinking that it would be easier to care for, but after asking a few people, found that the dreads take a good 6 months to properly lock and if the wrong shampoo is used, they can smell bad. After a recent run in with M's ex, I have decided that my hair looked too much like that's, umm I mean her's, nah I really meant that's hair, so I got my hair trimmed (dead dry spit ends off) and I now sport short gothy-bangs. That wasn't enough of a change so M and I got purple hair dye for me.

I was so psyched to have purple hair-I have never had purple hair. Yeah, well, and I still have never had purple hair. Oh, I have a purple scalp, but my hair is a mixture of black and red, so with the new bangs, I am really rocking the goth chick look :)

Picture Love

Here we have Alex planning on taking over the world using "lazers" and goldfish, "Mwahahaha!"
See, I told you he was crawling.
I just love Love LOVE this picture!
"I am coming to get you!"
This is the 3rd time we have given him a strawberry, well 3rd time that he's had solid foods actually, and he proceeded to smear it everywhere! He litterally had strawberry from his nose to his toes and I wore quite a bit of strawberry as well. He smelled great afterwards, but ended up with a tummyache so I think we'll just stick to breastfeeding exclusively again. I am in no hurry and neither is he to go to solid foods.

Officially crawling

Yes my 6 month old is crawling. I should be over the moon happy that he's reached such a momentous milestone in his development, but I am sad that he's growing so fast. I really enjoyed it that his sister at this age would happily sit for ages and play with her little farm activity toy, and I was really hoping that this little guy would follow suit. Nope, it is just another thing to nail home that each child is an individual. He is very inquisitive and keeps both M and I on our toes.

Last week, we went to a breastfeeding support picnic and we were in the paper! I'll have to get the in-laws to scan their copy and I'll put it on here (if i remember). Alex was very cute in it.

The Lizzardbits Tale

Create your own family sticker graphic at pYzam.com

Uhhh, if you look at the very very bottom of the page you will see the whole picture. I was monkeying around with widgets (as see by the ever awful yet strangely entertaining "kitten cannon") and playing around with my blog layout. I accidently made the picture into a post rather than a permanent feature, then figured out how to make it a permanent feature.