Adjusting

Things are getting easier already. Charlie is on a great feeding schedule that has allowed us to sleep for one three hour block at night!!  I still wake up thinking that I am nursing though. I look down and the comforter has somehow morphed into my son. I try to pick him up and bring him back to his room and realize that he is nothing but down feathers... The other night I awoke and turned to Sean, cradled his head like I was going to nurse him. Thankfully the stubble fully woke me as I grasped the last strand of reality before falling back to sleep. Sean and I have had some pretty hilarious semi-conscious 4am conversations with each other too. I only wish we could have a video tape of the randomness to watch the next day.  This parenting thing can get pretty nutty.

Oh and I think I managed to fix all the typos from my first entry. Man what being up for three days can do to one's grammar.

We are trying to get out a little more now that I am less sore and sleeping better. Here is Charlie all wrapped up in white.  Our elderly Italian neighbour started knitting for him back in April. This kid will not be getting cold this winter.

This is what he looks like after a good feed. Drunk on mama's milk.

He loves his Daddy indeed. Charlie took his first bath (with mom) and was totally nonplussed about it.  I had momentarily forgotten that he swam around in water for 41 weeks!

One more trip to the Dairy Queen.

Sean is slowly going back to work. He does some hours here at home and others at the office. Charlie missed him and so we paid him a visit down the hall.  Could a coffee break get any better?

You know you're sleep deprived when...

Sean: In preparing a roast chicken for dinner he rinsed it, dried and then rocked it. 

Alexa: Hoping to get her act together decided to wear her contact lenses. Took the first one out of the container and applied it to her nipple.

Grandma Nurmi visits from TO

Oh how we miss Grandma!  She was an absolute life saver this past 4 days. She was cleaning, cooking, changing Charlie, helping me nurse and in general providing us with a lot of emotional support. It was really hard to see her go. We have to wait until August to see her again...  Charlie loves her and will miss her voice and soft kisses!!

Out on our first walk as a family today.  We may have gone a bit too far, but the fresh air was much needed! Charlie will be ONE WEEK tomorrow morning. 

The midwives weighed Charlie today and he has put on some weight.  He is eating a lot! I know I should be happy, but I don't want to see him grow up... I want him to stay small!!!  He is so sweet...

Our Angel 

Can't Keep From Staring

Here we are, getting to know one another
And finding ourselves very fascinated

The Afterglow

The midwives made our bed and brought us breakfast. Ecstasy!

IT TAKES A VILLAGE...
Shannon, Carli, Lisa, Alison and so much love and patience

He has arrived!

Papa gets some skin on skin time with Charlie

But before that we have some much deserved relaxing family time...

Labour

This is a shot of Sean holding the mirror and watching the first appearance of his son! I am on the birthing stool.

Pushing...

Back when I could rest between contractions. This is Carli, the divine doula!

My Labour Story

Charlie Alexander Devine made his grand appearance on November 17th 2008 at 1:37am.

(For details on labour read on - otherwise skip ahead)

The funny thing is, I have to refer to a time line written out on paper for me to recall this all. It was honestly a long, hard blur of events that culminated in a miracle. I was the most difficult thing I will ever do in this life. And apparently many a times over the course of labour I reminded everyone that "I will NEVER do this again!!!!" Give me some time to forget and we'll see... I've heard that these are famous last words of many mothers of several children.

He woke us up with contractions 22 hours earlier (after we had been asleep for only 2 hrs!!) and I went into active labour shortly after. 15 hours into labour he decided to face the wrong way (when I was 8cm and wanting to push), so we had to hold back from pushing and do one of two things. Go to hospital OR do some hard work. Wanting our child to arrive in the comfort and peace of our home more than anything, I opted for the work. Work: During contractions I had to do some insane one legged squats with my left leg up on the sofa, walk stairs two at a time and lunge on the stairs during contractions, do hands n' knees in the pool and be shaken by two midwives on a REBOZO rug (a mexican shawl that lay perpendicular under me while I lay down and my midriff was lifted and shaken from side to side). I did all this for a total of 3.5 hours. This was by far the most difficult part. My body wanting to push but not being allowed to. I was so exhausted and there were times when I wanted to quit and take the easy way out. But something kept me going. It was insane!!

I need to pause here and give gratitude to Sean who NEVER left my side, who gave me EVERYTHING I needed and IMMEDIATELY stopped doing the things that weren't working. He was an angel and there is no other way to describe it. I simply couldn't have had the birth I wanted without him there. That said, Carli, our doula needs some credit here. I have been told that without her Sean would not have been able to cope. Our doula was a Godsend. I mean that. She was there for both of us in ways I don't quite know how to describe. It was her expertise, compassion and instinct that got us through each transition and on our way to managing the pain as it increased. (*insert plug: if you are going to have a baby, talk to a DOULA!)

I was also given tons of homeopathic stuff throughout the labour by my midwives. They would put tiny pills under my tongue for all kinds of things, and also at one point stuck some acupuncture stickers on my baby toes! All the while I was sipping on energy concoctions too. The bag of tricks seemed endless.

Okay, so after those "turning" exercises, I was checked and told I was 10cm and that I had succeeded in turning the baby! There were cheers and tears and then lots of roars and growls. It took me 45 minutes to get a hang of how to push effectively and then got really good at it for the next 3 hours of pushing in all kinds of positions. It hurt like crazy but felt really good and productive.

Sean was sitting on the sofa and I was squatting on a birthing stool between his legs. Sean held a mirror to watch and I guide the baby's head out with my hand. Up and out he came and was put on my chest right away. Sean then got some quality skin on skin time with his son.

NB: The midwifes were shocked at his size (9 lbs 4 oz) and that someone my size was carrying him - but more shockingly that someone my size was able to TURN him!!! That made me so happy! WE DID IT!!! I was also told that had we been in a hospital with a doctor that I would have had an emergency c-section HOURS earlier either due to: "Failure to Progress" or "Failure to Turn".

The midwives made our bed for us, brought us breakfast and left two hours later.
They came back less than 12 hours later, and then again the next day and again the next and the next. Making sure that we are all doing well. And indeed we are. They have been taking care of EVERYTHING from how much Charlie is pooing and peeing to how my breastfeeding latch is doing. I don't know what I would do without their daily visits. They are amazing!

PLUGGING MIDWIFERY MODEL for childbirth: Barring medical conditions, I want all women to know that there is an incredible option out there. Midwives care for you all through your pregnancy with appointments that are initially monthly, then every two weeks and finally every week. They sit and TALK with you for 45 minutes. And I mean talk like real people do. They present OPTIONS for each stage and choice involved in your pregnancy, birth and postpartum. They educate you so that you can make the decisions that best suit you and your family. Most importantly, you really get to know the women who will be at your birth, wherever and however you decide to do it, be it a planned c-section in a hospital or a home birth. They are brilliant at what they do and care for you in ways you never thought possible.
Okay, I need to stop... I could go on forever. Just call me and I'll be glad to share my love and adoration of this very noble profession with you.

We had such an incredible group of supportive women with us through it all. It's difficult to have them know just how much they shaped this experience and the beginning of Charlie's life with us.

There was so much love in our home that day/night. A strange, magical and holy coming together of lives to help bring another one into this world.
We are indeed blessed!

And now introducing.... CHARLIE ALEXANDER DEVINE

Baby Bump

He's coming!

Here is our boy at 21 weeks in the womb!