Madelyn's Birth Story

Nick and I spent our last weekend without children walking. We walked in the woods by our house. We walked our neighborhood. We walked all over Target - several times. We walked the mall. Nick was bound and determined to get this baby out! I was overdue and one of my doctors had already uttered the I word...induction.

Well all the walking must have worked because at 5am on Monday morning I had my first legitimate contraction. Yahoo!! At this point, the contractions were about 30 minutes apart and I fell asleep between them. I woke up around 7am and told Nick I thought I was in the beginning stages of labor. As we got Ben ready for school, we talked about whether or not Nick should go to work and decided - we probably had awhile so he might as well go. Plus, he would be home around 1pm anyway so it wasn't a long time that he would be gone. I called my mom later that morning and let her know what was going on. She confirmed - yup - it's labor but we've still got time.

I spent the day clipping coupons and cleaning my house. Basically, I was doing everything I needed to get done to feel organized and to pass the time. Nick got home around 1pm and we decided to go walk some more. The contractions were about 10 minutes apart at this point.

At 3:30pm we walked to pick Ben up from school and as we were walking, I noticed the contractions were coming faster. I told Nick we should start timing them and they were coming about 3-5 minutes apart. I was still having the random 10 minute interval here and there which was definitely throwing off the count. We got Ben back home and worked on homework. The contractions were getting to the point that I had to stop what I was doing when one came on. I kept telling Nick that I felt it in my back more than anything. Ben got picked up at 6pm and we kept riding the contraction train.

Finally, by 9pm we decided to head into the hospital. The contractions were still 3-5 minutes apart but the intensity had definitely picked up. We got to Triage and after an internal we found out I was a whopping 1cm dilated and 90% effaced. Are you freakin' kidding me!! The doctor said, normally they have patients walk the hospital but because we lived so close to home, we could head home for a few hours and come back later to see if I was progressing.

We headed home around 11pm and I spent a lot of time in and out of the shower. I knew I needed to sleep but the contractions were 2-3 minutes apart which doesn't leave much time for a nap. My back was killing me and I was only comfortable standing, which didn't help the sleep factor.

At one point, I was sitting on the birth ball in the shower and letting the hot water just pelt my back. I was trying to lean against the wall and nap but just as I got comfortable the hot water ran out. Go figure!

I got out of the shower and Nick warmed up a heating pad. I sat on the ball, in my bathroom and leaned against Nick while he held the heating pad to my back. We had given up on timing contractions but they were probably 1-2 minutes apart at this point. It was 3am.

I told Nick, I couldn't sit at home anymore and we decided to head back to the hospital. After another internal we learned I was 3cm dilated and still 90% effaced. I wanted to cry! It had been 12 hours of regular contractions and I had made it 3cm. The nurse then asked if I still wanted natural childbirth. I thought about it and realized, there was no way I could have the energy to push if I didn't find a way to sleep. I told her, no - I am going to get the epidural.

Once I made that decision, I couldn't get the epi fast enough. We still had to get up to my room, get the IV, wait for the doctor. Finally, he arrived! Now those who know me, know I am petrified of needles. I have to say, the epidural - not that bad! The little needle they use to numb the area kinda hurt but the botched IV job the nurse had performed earlier hurt way more! The epidural does require a cathader - not fun! After the epidural took effect, I was in heaven. I could carry on a conversation and finally nap! Granted, it wasn't the best sleep of my life since nurses and doctors kept coming in to check on me but I managed to snag 15 minutes here and there. Oh, by the way - it is now about 5am on Tuesday morning.

Sometime later on Tuesday morning I got another internal. 6cm!!!! Nick had asked earlier if any babies are ever born in the afternoon as it seems most kids come in the middle of the night. I told him, at this rate we might have one of those mid-afternoon babies. Not so much.

At this point, the order of things get a little blurry for me. I remember being stuck at 6cm for the better part of Tuesday afternoon. Sometime during this, I spiked a fever, my blood pressure got wacky and my oxygen levels went high. I was told by the doctors that they were concerned I had gotten an infection during labor. I now needed 36 hours of antibiotics and the baby was going to require 36 hours of antibiotics after birth as well. I really wanted the baby on my chest immediately after birth and they assured me that the IV could be placed while I was holding the baby.

Several more hours go by and I'm still not progressing. The baby's heart rate is a steady 140bpm but they kept losing it with the monitor. They were also having a hard time finding my contractions with the monitor as well. It is now Tuesday evening and the doctor suggests breaking my water to get things moving. Alright doc - go for it.

After my water was broken they kept checking for meconium. They didn't see any right away but it showed up an hour or so later. There went immediate skin to skin. The baby now required a pediatric team in the room to make sure nothing was swallowed and all was okay. I was really bummed but the safety of my baby was more important. Plus, if all was good, I would have the baby quickly after delivery.

I was able to dilate to 9cm fairly quickly after breaking my water. It was now 7pm on Tuesday evening. I got a couple more checks between 7pm and midnight and seemed to be stalled at 9cm. At this point, the doctor first uttered the nasty C word. C-section. What I absolutely did not want to have happen. She told me that they were concerned that I had been in labor for over 24 hours and my uterus was basically working like crazy. I agreed to start Pitocin and was given a midnight "deadline". At my 12 o'clock check I was 10cm!!! Time to push!!

Oh I forgot to mention - during all of these checks I am learning the baby is sunny side up. Back labor - fun! Also, it was going to be harder to push the baby out - sweet!

I started pushing at midnight. At 3am - the baby had not moved. I was so completely exhausted, I realized there was no way I was going to be able to push this baby out and agreed to the c-section. I am pretty sure there was more going on than I knew about because there was a team of doctors ready to go.

I was moved into an operating room while Nick changed into his gear. I was numb from my waist down but I remember my arms being numb as well - although that wore off quickly. There looked to be about 20 doctors and nurses in the room which made for a crowded space.

Nick said I had already been cut open when he walked in which freaked him out a bit. I remember being so exhausted I thought I was going to fall asleep and miss the birth of my child! I managed to stay awake and at 3:24am I heard the screams of my baby.

Nick peeked over the curtain and announced - IT'S A GIRL!!!

I had been talking about wanting a baby with a lot of hair so several of the nurses made a point to tell me how much hair she had. I was also told she looked like a huge baby! I thought I was dealing with 13 pounder the way the nurse was talking. Not so much. Because she came out screaming and pinked up right away, they knew the meconium was a non issue. I got to see her and then they took her to hook up the IV while I was getting put back together. At this time I remember being incredibly thirsty and still exhausted. I would fall asleep and then wake up begging the anesthesiologist (since he had the joy of sitting by me head the whole time) for water. He would remind me that I can't have water in the OR and I would fall asleep again. This went on several times.

I was wheeled to recovery and I finally got my water - it was amazing! By 4:30am on Wednesday morning, I had Miss. Madelyn in my arms nursing away.

Stats:
Madelyn Violet Barish
11/17/2010 @ 3:24am
8lb 9oz 21.5in

Reflections of Motherhood

I found this video through another blog that I follow. Dear Baby has quickly become one of my favorites! This morning Melissa linked to another blog that had posted this video and I then spent the next 4 minutes crying like a very hormonal pregnant woman who is finally realizing, this baby is coming and coming soon.....and I can't wait to meet the Lil Turkey!

Cloth Diapers.....first step to hippyville

Let me start by saying, yes I am actually writing a blog post....sweet holy moly, what has the world come to. I am inspired by and use Alyce's blog as a gauge when it comes to my pregnancy. I also use all of her research (thanks Al!) as a jumping off point when it comes to researching for the Lil' Turkey. Call it a hunch, but I think baby fever has run rampant among our friends and I figured I should put my research down so those who are so inclined can use it.

First up on our journey of all things baby......Cloth Diapers!

Alyce did a fabulous job of explaining the different diapering options so I'm going to skip that and refer you to her post.

I just intend on sharing what we chose, why we chose it and my plans for execution. We started by going to a cloth diapering class at The Little Seedling in Ann Arbor and narrowed it down to pocket diapers.

Pros -

• very similiar to disposable diapers for those that putting the diaper on. I thought this would be helpful if we had any skeptics that would be changing this child's bum.
  
• friggin adorable options in terms of colors and patterns




• easy to wash and durable. ie: one set will get us through multiple children
  

Cons -

• cost more than prefolds




• can be harder to get a snug fit which could lead to leaks
  
  

The pocket diapers have 2 major brands, Bumgenius and Fuzzi Bunz. They also come in sized or one size. The one size is adjustable and in theory gets you from newborn to potty training in one diaper. The downside to this is if you want to use these diapers for multiple children you will likely have to replace your stash since they will get worn out with the first kid. Because of this, we decided to go with the sized option which led us to choose Fuzzi Bunz.

Next question - how many diapers do you need? We (I) have decided to wash the diapers at home rather than go through a service. Part of the reason we are cloth diapering is because I'm a bit of a cheap-0 and the cost of disposables makes me ill. I've also learned that washing cloth diapers is way easy and I was sold.

You need to wash diapers once every 1-2 days and a newborn goes through 10-12 diapers each day. Do the math and you're looking at 24ish diapers. I threw in a few extras for good measure and decided I want 30 diapers for the newborn stage. Once the baby gets a little older you only go through 7-8 diapers a day. Again, do the math and you're looking at 20ish diapers for the next stage. I decided to go with the extra smalls and the smalls to start. I figure if the baby needs to go to the mediums, I'll deal with that when the time comes (which wouldn't be for at least a year). The extra smalls are for babies 4-12lbs and the smalls are for 7-18lbs. In theory, if you have a big baby you may not need the extra smalls but after seeing the smalls in person, they looked a little bulky for a brand new baby.

These diapers cost between 16.00-18.00 per diaper which can get crazy expensive. I started looking on ebay and diaperswappers for cheaper alternatives. I found a lot of people selling used diapers and I haven't made a final decision on my feelings for used diapers so I didn't purchase those. Some say, you wash the diaper and at the end of the day all baby poop is the same so what's the difference. Others, don't agree. To each their own. Anyway, I was able to find someone selling 30 size small Fuzzi Bunz in various colors (gender neutral - bonus!) for $250.00 which included shipping! These were brand new, never used and I snatched them up! I am currently working on getting 13 size extra small, brand new diapers on diaperswappers for about $10.00 per diaper. Point of my rambling - don't let the cost scare you. You can find them cheaper.

Onto washing - we have a top loading, high efficiency washer which means you have to do some tweaking when it comes to washing. Cloth diapers require a lot of water to make sure all the detergent rinses out. If it doesn't, it can create a barrier to your diaper which will cause absorbency issues. Also, you have to be careful about the detergent you use since even the "Free and Clears" at the store have whitening agents and other chemicals that can cause buildup. After researching, we decided to go with Allen's Naturally but there are plenty of other options. It is kinda pricy ($46.00 for a gallon) but you use literally 2 tsp per load so a gallon will last years!

Now let's pretend the Turkey is here and we are cloth diapering. You take the diaper off like any other disposable. Pull out the liner from inside the diaper. As long as Turkey is exclusively breastfed, the diaper does not need to be rinsed. The poo is water soluable and will wash away in the machine. Once food is introduced you will need to rinse the poo off in the toilet with a diaper sprayer (basically a sink sprayer attached to your toilet). Toss the diaper into the diaper pail (ie: garbage can with reusable pail liner) and put a new diaper on.

Wash day - take the pail liner and it's contents and dump it all into the washing machine. I have a rinse and spin setting on my washer and I use that with cold water. Point is - do a cold rinse. Next, do a regular wash with warm/cold or cold/cold water and your tiny amount of detergent. Finish with a cold rinse.

You can tumble dry the diapers but you never want to use high heat! The best method is to line dry them as the sun bleaches out any stains but seeing as this kid is coming in the winter, we won't be doing that right away.

Plop your butt on the couch and put the liners back in the diapers and put 'em away.

Now some pictures to reward you for actually reading this far.....

The outside of the diaper. The snaps allow for some degree of size adjustment

The liner and where you stick the liner

The cushy cozy fleecy inside


My stash of adorable freakin' diapers! I love all the colors!

Ann Arbor Restaurant Week

It's heeeerrreeeee!
Lunch - $12 and Dinner - $25
Some of the restaurants are offering 2 for 1 specials!
Check it out HERE
The best deals I've found are:
ABC - 2 for 25 dinner
Palio - 2 for 25 dinner
Chop House - 25 each dinner but one of the entree options is the filet
Melting Pot - 25 each dinner. I've never been but I undestand you can easily spend over $100 for 2. This one includes a cheese fondue app, a pretty mixed entree fondue and the chocolate fondue dessert!

12 Days of Cookies - Day 1 - Gingerbread Cookies

These made an appearance at Georgette and Chuck's Christmas gathering. It was here that I was endlessly ridiculed and tormented for my couponing.....I'm planning a get even post....stay tuned.

Ingredients
1 1/2 sticks lightly salted butter, softened
1 2/3 cups sugar
1 orange, zested
The dry ingredients:
4 cups all-purpose flour, plus 1/2 cup additional for rolling, if needed
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1 tablespoon ground dry ginger
1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 teaspoon ground allspice
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup dark molasses
1 lemon, juiced
Easy Orange Frosting, recipe follows

Instructions
In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with a paddle, add the butter, sugar and orange zest and beat until smooth, 5 to 8 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, dry ginger, nutmeg, allspice, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Whisk to blend. Set aside.
In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, molasses and lemon juice.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

When the butter and sugar are integrated, lower the speed of the mixer and add the dry ingredients. Add the egg mixture and when blended, remove the bowl from the machine. Divide the cookie dough in half. Press the first half of the dough in between 2 sheets of waxed paper or plastic wrap and chill for 15 minutes. Repeat with the second half. This step will make it easier to finish rolling out the dough when it has chilled. It will also mean you only have half of the dough getting warm as you roll it.

Lightly flour a flat surface. Use a floured rolling pin to gently roll the first half of the dough about 1/2-inch thick. Lightly flour the cookie cutter(s) and cut the shapes, making as few scraps as possible. Use a metal spatula to gently transfer them, cookie by cookie, (the cookies should be similar size) to a baking sheet. Repeat with the other half of the dough and transfer them to another baking sheet. A note about crowding the tray(s): these particular cookies can spread a little. Leave room between the cookies. Better to use 3 baking sheets with fewer cookies than to crowd them on 2 trays. Bake until brown around the edges, 8 to 10 minutes.

Got scraps? Form the scraps into a ball, press it flat and chill in the refrigerator. These cookies may be a little more "tough" because the dough will have been worked a little more than the others.

Easy Orange Frosting:
1 cup powdered sugar
Finely grated zest of 1 orange
1 to 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
1/2 teaspoon orange liqueur
1/4 teaspoon light corn syrup
In a medium bowl add all of the ingredients and whisk together to combine. If too thick in consistency, add a touch more orange juice or water to thin out.

Lessons Learned -
- cold dough is key - less likely to stick to the rolling pin
other than that it was a pretty basic recipe. and yummy!

FREE GAME!

So I've been couponing for about 4 months (Go ahead, make fun of me Lonnie and James!) and I usually count on sites such as Macomb Money Savers and Hip2Save to tell me the deals but today, ladies and gentlemen I discovered and matched up my very first deal!!!!!

Here we go -

Toys R Us has Connect 4 on sale for $7.99

They are offering a $3.00 rebate which brings the price to $4.00

Go here and print a $5.00 off Connect 4 coupon

Final price - FREE!

According to the fine print, the rebates are available at the stores!

12 Days of Cookies - Day 6

The second batch of cookies that I made for Capri's Christmas party.

Citrus Trio Butter Dipping Cookies

Ingredients
1 cup unsalted butter, cool but not straight from the fridge
4 ounces cream cheese, cool but not straight from the fridge
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon baking powder
Dash salt
Finely grated zest from 1 lime
Finely grated zest from 1 orange
Finely grated zest from 1 lemon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Add the butter, cream cheese, sugar and vanilla to the bowl of a stand mixer. Beat on medium-high speed until creamy, about 1 minute.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt. On the lowest speed, gradually add the flour mixture into the butter mixture, just until blended. Divide the batter into 3 bowls, and gently stir in the different zests among the bowls, making 3 citrus flavored batters.

Scrape each batter into a pastry bag fitted with a 1/4-inch tip, or a sturdy plastic bag with the corner snipped off. Pipe 2-inch long strips, about 2 inches apart, on a cold unlined baking sheet. Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until golden brown. Repeat with the other batches.

Remove from the oven, and let cool on the baking sheet for a few minutes before removing with a spatula to cool completely on baking rack. Serve with tea or coffee, or just nibble...addictive!

Cook's Note: To butter cookie purists: these are also delicious without the zest!

Lessons Learned

1. The recipe has changed since I made these. Instead of the pastry bag, I rolled them out like a rope and sliced them into pieces rather than piping them. Your choice.

2. These would be amazing dipped in coffee!

3. Another kitchen gadget I came to love after this recipe - Microplane grater/zester!